Forum Guitar discussion

[bluesman67]

Abolane rosette would be my least favorite choice.  I would rather it be the plain 03 rosette.  Herringbone is my favorite but those mosaic or other salty wood ones would be equally as good.  Ebony bound neck would definitely be a nice touch that seems like it would add very little to the cost.  As for a label, the first group were called "Forum Guitar"  the second group had labels that read "Forum II", it seems fitting to simply have, "Forum III" for these.

[ark]

Time to update the LIST.

I need to add Tuffy in the $ list.

I need to correct my typing or misreading Holly's userid - "strawintogold" vs. strawingold.   Thanks for the one who PMed me regarding this - you know who you are.
Holly, for $100 Deposit you're in? Otherwise, no?

Anyone else I need to add to the list?

G'nite. ricky

Ricky,
I'm waiting (impatiently!) to see some of the specs and options.
Al

[es-335]

Ricky,
I'm waiting (impatiently!) to see some of the specs and options.
Al

I guess the spec all depends on what JCL has to say..

[ark]

I guess the spec all depends on what JCL has to say..

Yep -- that's what I'm waiting for. I have an OM-05, so just can't justify another mahogany (or sapele) guitar with the same scale length should that turn out to be what JCL would like to do. So I check here every 5 min or so to see if there has been any feedback from Larrivee! Sigh.

Al

[rpm60912]

Breaking News !!!

I'm posting Jim Holler's message to me as of past 8 this evening whatever the system time zone is.

TaaaaaaaaaaaaaaDaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Ricky,  The news is good that Jean Larrivee has agreed to build the guitars. Here is what I know so far: All guitars need to be the same including the woods used. Only the standard rosewood and mahogany are available for body tone woods. He will do the LS body!!!!   Cutaway and slothead not available.  Italian spruce will be available but must be used on all the guitars it will add to the price.  Short scale is available will add to the price again would have to be on all the guitars. He will do it for a minimum of 10 guitars. This is down from 15.
  I will be able to fill in the pricing once I can talk to the Ricky at Larrivee. I hope tomorrow.   You can post this info on the forum. Do you know how many are interested?

   
Jim Holler

Time to sell whatever old or unused toys we all have lying around, scrape up the piggy bank, beg, sweet talk, whatever it takes to legally gather enough funds to own this Forum Git... at least that's what I and some will have to do & send our coins to Jim once price & deposit are final.

ricky     

[es-335]

does that mean we all have to choose spruce?? no MT?

and is it real hog? or sapele?

[GeeNorm]

Let the movers and shakers move and shake! 

Finalize the spec so us sideliners can make our heads and wallets line up!

Norman

[rpm60912]

does that mean we all have to choose spruce?? no MT?

From Jim's message, if we go Italian Spruce, ALL must have that top.

If we forget Italian, I suppose like the choice of RW or HOG for B&S, we may choose RegSpruce or MT ???   Jim can probably answer this when he hears from LarriveeRicky.

ricky

[es-335]

Thanks Ricky for your work again! 

[tadol]

Hey Danny - The LS will not fit in an 00 case, but might fit into a modified 000 case. The 12 fret/short scale LS might require a little research into a special case, but it shouldn't be a problem.  

The 000 rosette is pretty sweet, but I think it is exceptional on the hog top. I hope they could modify it a bit for a spruce top.

I am trying to figure out which guitar I'm willing to sell to get this - I am NOT going to try and sneak this one past the wife. I've already pushed my luck too far on that possibility.

I would be interested in the Italian Spruce, but not if it adds a huge price increase. If we only need 10, I hope we can do something really special -

This will be the first "new" guitar I've ever bought!

Tad

[rpm60912]

and is it real hog? or sapele?

Jeff, I guess JCL would have specified sapele... tonewoods are "regular rosewood or mahogany"

Is sapele a species of mahogany?  I don't know.   You would think JCL is specific: sapele if he meant sapele only; mahogany for mahogany.

ricky

[rpm60912]

Hey Danny - The LS will not fit in an 00 case, but might fit into a modified 000 case. The 12 fret/short scale LS might require a little research into a special case, but it shouldn't be a problem.
This will be the first "new" guitar I've ever bought!

Tad... I was reading the orig thread the other night. You were the one who suggested the LS-03 concept. You're always a step ahead of us - you're already thinking about the case for this Forum Git.

It sounds like you're coming on board... I must post the list again... I haven't even read everything so far - if others have committed.

Looks like we'll have more than 10.

ricky

[rpm60912]

Thanks Ricky for your work again! 

You're welcome Jeff. I'm just thankful and humbled to be part of this amazing Forum Family. It feels like I gained a whole new community of friends. Man, I even remember specific people here when I'm quiet.

Better go to sleep... as my wife is off tonight. Can't get her irritated about my being on this Forum late night. Besides, she says there's a Christmas Gift (guitar)
besides the OO.

Yeah...!!! G'nite all.

ricky

[ark]

Well, I'm in favor of where we kind of started:  LS 12 fret, short scale, rw b/s, some kind of spruce top. However, I realize the majority will rule. BTW, I wonder what size LS JCL is considering ( apparently there was an original, smaller size, which would be my first choice).

It also occurred to me that if JCL will do this for as few as 10 guitars, maybe he would do 2 sets of 10 to allow for 2 different choices if we had enough folks interested.

Al

[rpm60912]

I will be able to fill in the pricing once I can talk to the Ricky at Larrivee. I hope tomorrow.   You can post this info on the forum. Do you know how many are interested?   
Jim Holler

I need to update the list... so please PM me if you wish to be added; but I guess many of us will want to know the EXACT PRICE.

Remember, italian spruce = ALL orders, no choice of tops...    if we drop italian = RegSpruce or MT (i hope, but not sure, need to ask Jim) - hope this TOP spec info is clear.

ricky

[es-335]

Well, I'm in favor of where we kind of started:  LS 12 fret, short scale, rw b/s, some kind of spruce top. However, I realize the majority will rule. BTW, I wonder what size LS JCL is considering ( apparently there was an original, smaller size, which would be my first choice).

It also occurred to me that if JCL will do this for as few as 10 guitars, maybe he would do 2 sets of 10 to allow for 2 different choices if we had enough folks interested.

Al

For me.. When it comes down to the body, smaller the better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and if we can get 20 people.. doing 2 sets of 10 guitars... that sounds fantastic..

I guess it'd be... btw 2 different tops? or b/s?



and Ricky,

If you could ask Jim, if JCL clarified hog/sapele..

and if MT is even available... and if we go with MT how much more.. $$ we are talking..

and if we drop italian, could we have something like 5 spruce and 5 MT?

also, are we talking that old school small body LS? or the newer body LS..(I assume there are 2 LS body shapes?)



Maybe Danny could tell us the difference between older/newer LS shapes(if there is any)??

[limnephilidae]

If we have the option of Italian spruce then I think the best tonewood would be the rosewood. I'm willing to pay the extra but I think most of the participants will want to know the cost. I think the Italian Spruce Top will really help make this guitar special.

I'm neutral on the short-scale or regular-scale. I'll defer to the forumites because I don't play a lot of nonstandard tunings.

I can't believe this got approved so quickly. Thank you very much Ricky!!! My girlfriend is heading out to Edmonton this Christmas to visit her family; if either of us could bake I would send her with some muffins/cookies/cake (anything but fruit cake) for you. :) Happy Holidays all the same!

[tuffythepug]

Wow.    I'm shocked.   Not that there's going to be a forum III guitar but that it came to this point so quickly.

I don't understand if Jean is offering both rosewood and mahogany as choices for individual guitars or if the whole order must all be only one of the two.   I assume if we forego the Italian Spruce and use Sitka we may then get to choose mahogany as an alternate for the top but that would require that those guitars be mahog. back and sides too.   Some of us may have tough choices ahead.    Not the least of which would be what guitar(s) have to be sold off to accommodate this new acquisition.   I may liquidate a couple of electrics I suppose.  Is it possible I could go from a non-Larrivee owner to a 4 Larrivee owner in 2 years ?   
Apparently so.  This is beyond normal GAS in my opinion.   It borders on sheer insanity.   Yes, yes,
sweet Larrivee insanity.   A guy just doesn't stand a chance around here.

(Let's not forget to ask about the no-fret marker possiblity with the exception of something on the 12th as well as a pyramid bridge which I think would be a very nice touch for this thing. Also the headstock overlay and actual peghead shape)
This is going to get interesting isn't it.

Tuffythepug

[BenF]

This is awkward, as I am sure I am posting whilst everyone else involved is sleeping.  I agree with tuffy that there are some difficult choices to be made re. selling guitars to make way.  Because fo the exchange rate, I may have to sell my D-09 to fund this, but I guess that can be replaced in the future, whereas the Forum III cannot!!

May I be so bold as to suggest that everyone who is definately in for this project list their preferences down to the fine details, and identify which things they are set on, and which things they are happy to go with the general consensus on.  Ricky has done all the hard work thus far, so perhaps it is unfair to ask him to collate all of this information into a single consensus.  Equally, this has been largley Ricky's baby, so maybe it is fair to let him see it through.  We won't know until later when you all get to read through all of this.

Since you won't read this for hours, perhaps I can start, and then you can all tell me to shut up later:

Specifications: -
LS-03 12 fret Satin finish
I am keen on the Italian Spruce - I think this is a great way to set the guitar apart from others
EIRW back and sides (think this will compliment the Italian Spruce the best - at least visually)
standard scale (happy to go with general view on this however)

Details: -
EIRW headstock overlay
Original JCL headstock inlay
No fretboard markers at all, unless a simple unique 12th fret inlay is suggested (perhaps the JCL logo and leave the headstock blank)
Interesting rosette maybe wood, Herringbone or mosaic as already suggested by a few (again, easy on this detail)
Schaller/Gotoh tuners? (accept pings can be easily upgraded, but I feel I will be reluctant to make changes to the guitar considering its origins)
No Pick Guard please

I hope I am not out of line posting this atthis stage.  I already have stuff on ebay for sale to fund a deposit.  This is really exciting!!!!!

[L-fan]

Seems like JCL wants to keep this real simple.  We choose one config and he builds ten or more - we get to makes choices between 1) hog or rw back and sides, 2) between sitka and italian spruce top, and 3) between short scale or long scale.  It's not clear if he agreed to do the LS with the 4 inch deep body or the other slightly deeper body.  One thing about price - the OM-03R 12th Fret Special addition I bought this year was priced at a premium due to its added features (herringbone/squared headstock/pyramid bridge/bone saddle and nut/upgraded tuners).  It's not like I got the special addition OM-03R at the same price as a regular one - the premium I paid at the time was around $400 over what I could have gotten a regular OM-03R for.  It was worth it though!  So I hope nobody here is thinking we are going to be offered a price very close to other 03s - just stating this so we can manage our expectations when the pricing comes through.  I can see this shaping up as an Ital spruce/rosewood LS with a few nice and nonstandard unique appointments.  Very sweet!  However having recently purchased my sitka/rw special addition OM, I am not sure I can justify another spruce/rw, even if it is as special as this one is shaping up to be.  If I get an unexpected windfall, I may change my mind.  But for now, I will be trying hard to resist this temptation.   

So I guess I need to be placed on the "probably not going to buy, but may put in a last minute order" list of folks.  Keep up the great work.