OO-03

[johnr]

Hi I still have not gotten my special order guitar from Larrivee,just wondering if light gauge strings are the norm for this guitar...? Thanks

[fantex]

About 7 months now? That's a bummer. I'm only at 3 months. I hope you get yours soon. I plan on using D'Addario Lights on my 00. I have EJ16 Phosphor Bronze, XT & XS.

[teh]

Johnr:

I hope this puts your mind at ease about your special order. Over the years, I've special ordered two Larrivees and here was my experience with both.

November 19, 2005 - I put in a custom order with Larrivee for a mahogany 12 string using the L03 as a base model with a Venetian cutaway, mahogany top, bone nut and saddle. It was in my hands by Valentine's Day in February 2006 or just under three months.

June 18, 2021 - In the middle of the pandemic, I ordered a Forum VI guitar with a Venetian cutaway and factory installed dual source pickup thanks to the Larrivee family and this forum. I received my FVI guitar 7 months later. John Jr. explained that I should have had it sooner but they were not satisfied with the fit of the original neck so they made a new neck to ensure a perfect fit. My experience with Larrivee is that they under promise and over deliver. I am confident that you will be pleased with your new guitar once it arrives.

For my style of play, I use light gauge strings on most of my guitars including a dreadnought, L, LSV, OM. 000 and Parlor. The only two exceptions are an Alvarez Artist dreadnought strung with medium gauge strings and tuned down a whole step and a Martin Backpacker strung with the octave strings from a 12 string set and set up for Nashville Tuning.

[Queequeg]

Johnr:

For my style of play, I use light gauge strings on most of my guitars including a dreadnought, L, LSV, OM. 000 and Parlor. The only two exceptions are an Alvarez Artist dreadnought strung with medium gauge strings and tuned down a whole step and a Martin Backpacker strung with the octave strings from a 12 string set and set up for Nashville Tuning.

That to me sounds like the best use of a Martin Backpacker.
 

[johnr]

I've contacted Johnjr only a few times and he seems a little short with me. I don't want to bother them, but just to ask"how's it going"? Doesn't wanna be bothered ;so I'll wait and see.

[B0WIE]

I've contacted Johnjr only a few times and he seems a little short with me. I don't want to bother them, but just to ask"how's it going"? Doesn't wanna be bothered ;so I'll wait and see.

Keep in mind, they are producing quite a few guitars at one time and yours is somewhere along in the assembly line. He probably doesn't really have anything to tell you. Even if he went and looked it up and found the neck and the body in their current state, there's probably not much to say besides "looks good". It's not like the romanticized videos you see of guitar making on youtube where someone is spending hours on their workbench focusing on an instrument every day. In modern factories, there's a lot of efficiency and numerous people each doing one specific task to multiple guitars each day.

 I'm not saying they are detached or don't care, just that there's a lot going on there and it's unlikely there's really anything to report.

[William2]

Hi I still have not gotten my special order guitar from Larrivee,just wondering if light gauge strings are the norm for this guitar...? Thanks

I've only purchased my Larrivee's from a dealer. Did you order your instrument directly from Larrivee?

[johnr]

I've only purchased my Larrivee's from a dealer. Did you order your instrument directly from Larrivee?

Yes I ordered right from the factory . I didn't know any other way of doing it. I contacted them ,left a message ,and John jr  called me back. I told what I wanted and he said he'd look into it.... about a month later he called me back and asked specifics. Looking back on emails ;it was Oct.

[William2]

Yes I ordered right from the factory . I didn't know any other way of doing it. I contacted them ,left a message ,and John jr  called me back. I told what I wanted and he said he'd look into it.... about a month later he called me back and asked specifics. Looking back on emails ;it was Oct.

Thank you.

[gtrplayer]

I've contacted Johnjr only a few times and he seems a little short with me. I don't want to bother them, but just to ask"how's it going"? Doesn't wanna be bothered ;so I'll wait and see.

I ordered a custom from John about a year ago.  One of his kidding requirements was that I don't hound him for updates, pictures and other things of that sort.  I agreed, however, I did call him once for an update at approximately the date he initially quoted me. He replied that the ongoing factory move was presenting unforseen issues and delays that hampered deliveries. Impatient me, I almost bowed out but John convinced me to hold on and promised me it wouldn't be much longer.  Of course he was right and a short time later I received my CS09 12 fret, sitka over ziricote guitar.  It's an absolute beauty, tone and looks.

Bottom line, Things happen but JohnJr is a straight-shooter, pleasant to deal with and a helluva luthier.     
 

[fantex]

I've only been waiting 3 months but instead of checking in on it I asked the dealer if it was too late to change from a top burst to full burst. It wasn't too late but he said "Let me know ASAP." So I changed to the full burst. He said he'd check on an ETA.

[B0WIE]

I'm surprised they took a direct order as customs were only through dealers for a long time. One of the reasons businesses use dealers is that they aren't equipped for the customer interaction. People often don't realize just how much time that takes out of a person's day. In my business, I spend hours every day answering emails before the sales even happen and cutting that time down is a constant struggle for me.

[johnr]

I'm surprised they took a direct order as customs were only through dealers for a long time. One of the reasons businesses use dealers is that they aren't equipped for the customer interaction. People often don't realize just how much time that takes out of a person's day. In my business, I spend hours every day answering emails before the sales even happen and cutting that time down is a constant struggle for me.

I never even knew about ordering from a dealer . I emailed ;then he actually called me back . He wanted to see if it was in the specs to see iif it was possible to build what I wanted.... As far as this factory move; this is the first I've heard of it.... Did they move recently?

[fantex]

My dealer said ETA is 90 days due to Larrivée's paint supplier running out of pigment.