NGD: L-09 in SATIN finish!

[StringPicker6]

I'm a bit starstruck that John Larrivee Jr. was contacted to give some insight into my purchase. That was really special for me, thanks again Mike! 

[mike in lytle]

Anyhow, the more I think about it, is how could Larrivee could "brand" the B-stock at the factory in a way that is obvious and permanent, yet kinda makes one feel special about owning it. The "branding" could also signify "this guitar is not standard specification", even though it is just as good. The guitar could be considered "non-standard" rather than "B-stock". I think it would take a simple engraved headstock marking, maybe just a dot. They would be rare, maybe even desirable. Does this make sense?
Mike

[mike in lytle]

I'm a bit starstruck that John Larrivee Jr. was contacted to give some insight into my purchase. That was really special for me, thanks again Mike!

You are welcome. John reads this group and posts now and then, and can be reached through the Larrivee contact info. In your case, I was curious, so I made an inquiry. It's all good fun. In this case, also worthwhile.
Mike

[247hoopsfan]

So I actually picked up my JCL 40th Anniversary Edition back in 2008 at the factory.  I just had driven down from San Francisco to see the shop and watch one of my son's college basketball games.  It was during the great recession and the only people I saw at the shop were Jean, Matt and Wendy Larrivee.  Spent several wonderful hours talking with Jean and Matt.  I had my D10 with me, and Matt was kind enough to give it a quick check up and even a new set of strings. At the end of my visit I spontaneously asked if they happened to have any guitars they wanted to sell.  Matt went off looking for something while Jean and I kept talking.  Then Matt comes back with the alligator skin case and Jean opens it up and there is the JCL.  He picked it up and said he didnt know there were any left because they were all sold immediately in 2007.  Turns out he had rejected it because some of the pore filler on the back hadn't set quite right, so it was put away out of sight and mind.  Trust me, I couldn't even see anything wrong with it, but Jean did.  So he said if I wanted to buy it I could,  and I did.
It made me realize right there that they have very high quality control.   

[guitarman001]

Fantastic story!!

[ducktrapper]

It takes me back several years when I removed the peeling pick guard on my 1975 Martin D-35 and was shocked to find unfinished wood beneath. Folks at UMGF (Martin Forum) vigorously defended this seemingly, to me, very weird practice. Of course, they would. Martin can do no wrong and have never done anything that is, in fact, stupid. Especially strange to me, since they told me that Martin now finishes the entire guitar before adding the pick guard.
If you wanted to go with the Larrivee look and go without or put a clear pick guard on your guitar, you couldn't. Is that what one would call high end fit and finish on a 3K guitar? Not to me. Secondly, only a Martin replacement pick guard would completely cover the unfinished wood. The lovely tortoise shell Larrivee pick guard that I ordered was slightly too small and I had to go with a plain black one that fit. Rats. Little things count. 

P.S. I ended up placing the tortoise shell pick guard on top of the plain black one. So there!       

[StringPicker6]

It seems like it would be harder to do a nitro finish on a Martin and avoid the pickguard area. Maybe it was to make the adhesive stick better on the pick guard?

[teh]

True story and after reading this thread, I felt it was worth sharing.

18 years ago this week, I ordered a custom LV03 all mahogany 12 string from Trinity Guitars for my 50th birthday. My three sons and wife gathered all their loose change for a year and collectively saved almost $1,000. In 2005, that put me right in the price range for an 03 series Larrivee and my guitar arrived 11 weeks later. It was everything I wanted in a 12 string.

Fast forward to 2021. Forum member Mike from Lytle worked directly with the John Larrivee and the forum to design and develop the Forum VI. John had enough walnut to make 19 guitars and I was one of the lucky ones. I added a cutaway and Anthem dual source pickup and here's where the story gets interesting. The timeline for the FVI was 6-8 months which coincided with my retirement in April 2022. My guitar was one of the last two shipped. John explained that he was not satisfied with the way the neck fit the body so they made a new neck. My guitar, an LSV03, arrived in late February and has been getting played in for the last 21 months.

My understanding is that Jean hand picked the moonwood spruce, Matt found the walnut and John oversaw the project. Their attention to detail and commitment to quality and their finished product shines through on all three of my Larrivees. I spent most of this week playing my Forum VI and it is ideally suited for Gordon Lightfoot, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Jim Croce tunes. The 12 fret neck and Venetian cutaway couple with the wood selection make this a truly unique guitar. I'm sure that this L09 is also a great guitar too.

[ducktrapper]

It seems like it would be harder to do a nitro finish on a Martin and avoid the pickguard area. Maybe it was to make the adhesive stick better on the pick guard?

And yet it was coming off. After 40 years but still wasn't that to be expected, eventually? Apparently, the guitar was finished with the pick guard on. It's how they used to do it but not anymore, so I'm told.

[B0WIE]

True story and after reading this thread, I felt it was worth sharing.

18 years ago this week, I ordered a custom LV03 all mahogany 12 string from Trinity Guitars for my 50th birthday. My three sons and wife gathered all their loose change for a year and collectively saved almost $1,000. In 2005, that put me right in the price range for an 03 series Larrivee and my guitar arrived 11 weeks later. It was everything I wanted in a 12 string.

Fast forward to 2021. Forum member Mike from Lytle worked directly with the John Larrivee and the forum to design and develop the Forum VI. John had enough walnut to make 19 guitars and I was one of the lucky ones. I added a cutaway and Anthem dual source pickup and here's where the story gets interesting. The timeline for the FVI was 6-8 months which coincided with my retirement in April 2022. My guitar was one of the last two shipped. John explained that he was not satisfied with the way the neck fit the body so they made a new neck. My guitar, an LSV03, arrived in late February and has been getting played in for the last 21 months.

My understanding is that Jean hand picked the moonwood spruce, Matt found the walnut and John oversaw the project. Their attention to detail and commitment to quality and their finished product shines through on all three of my Larrivees. I spent most of this week playing my Forum VI and it is ideally suited for Gordon Lightfoot, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Jim Croce tunes. The 12 fret neck and Venetian cutaway couple with the wood selection make this a truly unique guitar. I'm sure that this L09 is also a great guitar too.

Glad you're loving it. I was so close to getting one as I love walnut, alpine spruce, and 12 fretters. It just lacked 1 thing that was critical to me and I didn't want to influence the group to get it included so I let it go. I'm sure they are fantastic instruments and it was really nice to see another Forum get made. At first, it seemed the demand might be too low but it was awesome to see people get excited and jump on board.

[guitarman001]

They need to do another run for their Scottish brethren!

[StringPicker6]

Yes, in support of our Scottish brethren, we need another Forum VI run! I will support it! 

[guitarman001]

Haha thank you!

I have mentioned to JR that I VERY much look forward to what the big anniversary guitar will be...

[Rockysdad]

Glad you're loving it. I was so close to getting one as I love walnut, alpine spruce, and 12 fretters. It just lacked 1 thing that was critical to me and I didn't want to influence the group to get it included so I let it go. I'm sure they are fantastic instruments and it was really nice to see another Forum get made. At first, it seemed the demand might be too low but it was awesome to see people get excited and jump on board.

Kinda makes me curious as to what that *critical to you* item was?

[mike in lytle]

Kinda makes me curious as to what that *critical to you* item was?

The info about the F-VI is searchable and need not be opened again in a non F-VI thread. You were part of it. Go look. It is all there.
Mike

[B0WIE]

Lol. Yikes. I guess it's forbidden to talk about in this thread.

[StringPicker6]

First rule of the Forum VI club!

[mike in lytle]

Lol. Yikes. I guess it's forbidden to talk about in this thread.

Of course you can talk about it. I didn't say "shouldn't be". I said "need not be".
I apologize for being too blunt.
Mike

[B0WIE]

Of course you can talk about it. I didn't say "shouldn't be". I said "need not be".
I apologize for being too blunt.
Mike

It's all good.