Anyone ever play a P-03 hog top?

Started by StringPicker6, March 13, 2026, 06:56:29 AM

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Just a random question out of curiosity: 
Anyone ever see/play/hear a mahogany topped P-03 parlor?  I'd imagine a guitar like that would sound super sweet, warm and cozy. 
Reason I ask is that Martin mahogany topped guitars get a lot of good reviews, Gibson is selling a hog topped LG-2, and I fell in love with a Guild M-20 that I tried once in a store. 
Larrivee P-03
Larrivee Forum VII

I wonder how an instrument that small would work with mahogany. A dealer I used to work with thought small instruments need rosewood to give them that something extra. My own experience with mahogany instruments involves Martin guitars. I've owned two dreadnoughts and their 000-15SM. They both had standard scale length and great sustain. The dreadnoughts just had more breadth and that sustain. The 000-15SM just didn't have something which I always heard on demos but everyone who owns one loved that instrument just raved about it. We just have different aesthetics, I guess. I am considering an all-hog as a last instrument but have never got an answer to which bracing system works better on a mahogany top, scalloped or non-scalloped. Nor have I seen a good video comparing the D-15 vs the D-17 from all these Martin dealers. Some have said the scalloped bracing allows the top to vibrate more which on a mahogany top makes sense to me. Yet my two D-15s were perfectly satisfying in terms of volume and sustain. My other issue is I've heard hog top instruments take years to open up and I'm not young LOL. Here is a short video of a Gibson all-hog J-45 from the banner years. love this sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU_1clBBRoE
Larrivee D-40R
Larrivee SD-40R
Larrivee D-40
Larrivee D-03R
Martin   DSS-17 Sold

I had a P-03 all mahogany a long time ago. Of the three P-03s I've had over the years, I would have to say I liked that one best, although I was very likely influenced by the fact that I found it to be the best looking of the three.

The other two were spruce over rosewood and spruce over mahogany. I really can't say that I heard distinct differences between them, due mostly to the diminutive body size, and the rest I guess is just me.

I marvel at those of you here who can distinguish one brand of light gauge phosphor bronze strings from another, or scalloped braces from non-scalloped braces. I mostly just pick them up and play them, and I'm listening primarily for my own technique and clean playing, note articulation, or to be honest- the lack thereof.
So my experience with the parlors is probably not so very helpful to you in this respect.


I have to agree with you about the looks of a mahogany guitar. I think I'll have to own one just for their looks LOL. As a player, I can easily hear the difference between my Larrivee D-03R and my D-40R regarding the bracing. Anyway, this topic has had me listening to all-hog videos (Waterloo, Gibson. Martin, Larrivee) this morning. I think if I got a smaller body instrument, it would be all-mahogany.
Larrivee D-40R
Larrivee SD-40R
Larrivee D-40
Larrivee D-03R
Martin   DSS-17 Sold

Quote from: William2 on March 13, 2026, 10:43:31 AMI have to agree with you about the looks of a mahogany guitar. I think I'll have to own one just for their looks LOL. As a player, I can easily hear the difference between my Larrivee D-03R and my D-40R regarding the bracing. Anyway, this topic has had me listening to all-hog videos (Waterloo, Gibson. Martin, Larrivee) this morning. I think if I got a smaller body instrument, it would be all-mahogany.
My inclination is that the differences, whatever they happen to be (tone wood, top, bracing, maybe even strings) are further "amplified" (if you'll excuse the term) with the size of the body.
The best sounding guitar I ever owned was Larrivee all mahogany 000-50TSB.
I never should have sold that guitar.

I owned one, several lifetimes back.  Here I am in my kitchen, playing an original from my first EP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ii7ySt-tY&list=PL351PtFDwQxysjYbDRHnRpYG3qTE1Hh6y&index=2

I was trying to repost an old pic of my all koa parlor but couldn't find it but see my opinion below.
Larrivee 2001 DV-10 Koa  LR Baggs active Ibeam/dual-source Crown GLM 200 mic
Larrivee 2002  C-10 Koa LR Baggs Anthem SL
Larrivee 2015 000-40 MT large soundhole LR Baggs active Ibeam/passive Baggs M1
Composite Acoustics Cargo LR Baggs Element/dual source mic

Quote from: Koamon on March 14, 2026, 11:27:17 AMI once owned an all koa parlor. Sadly I traded it out for a CA cargo all carbon parlor when I retired and road tripped through the National Parks with my trailer. Koa is very similar to mahogany, but IMO, a bit more complex. When I bought the koa parlor I was able to compare it against rosewood, maple and mahogany parlors with Sitka tops. This is my take: you lose the upper shimmer and higher overtones, but you get a more even response across the spectrum with a much warmer bass than the Sitka tops, like a pleasant compression added. My people thought it sounded bigger than its size suggested. Great for fingerstyle and single note blues. For me it was great for Travis picking as it kept within a frequency range that did not crowd my vocals. Subsequently, I wanted an all mahogany 12 fret 00 or 000 to replace the parlor and recently acquired an all mahogany 000-40mt as I heard the 000 gets close to the volume of a dread. The thing is a canon like my koa parlor but much fuller. I would pit it against any Martin 000 SM hands down. Just a suggestion but unless you want the portability of a parlor, I would opt for a 12 fret 00 or 0 all mahogany in natural (SB models are too expensive and you are getting the same guitar for much less) I got mine used which was way cheaper than new. It was a SO 40mt and came with a deluxe plush case, a LR Baggs Ibeam, large soundhole and up-graded black button Waverly tuners for $1450. You can probably luck out if you do a thorough search.
Hope this helps!
Larrivee 2001 DV-10 Koa  LR Baggs active Ibeam/dual-source Crown GLM 200 mic
Larrivee 2002  C-10 Koa LR Baggs Anthem SL
Larrivee 2015 000-40 MT large soundhole LR Baggs active Ibeam/passive Baggs M1
Composite Acoustics Cargo LR Baggs Element/dual source mic



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