F-IV special order 00-03MT by the forum & Trinity Guitars

[Queequeg]

I've been biting my tongue on this until now.
Mine looks pretty much like Prof_Stack's. Not bad; I can live with it. And my guitar sounds surprisingly good & full, with robust volume.
Since there is typically an ongoing discussion of current and future forum guitar orders here, I hope that this 'quality control' subject is not lost on those who are posting just exactly what it is they want/don't want in special order guitars. The over-arching theme here on Forum guitars seems to have always been to keep the cost down, make it affordable, no frills, and so on.  The pricing pressure does in fact exact a cost in quality. I jumped on this particular forum guitar because I really like hogtops and the 00 size, but other than that, it isn't really what I generally look for in a guitar.
I think we got what we paid for; well, I got what I paid for. I'm not qualified to comment on Peter's situation.
I'm guessing that there won't be any of these 'QC' issues on those 00 Koa -09s and -10s that LA Guitar has on the AGF forum. I would have preferred to put the "Special" back into "Special Order" and then be willing to pay for it, or silently pass on the opportunity if it was out of my price range. But there doesn't appear to be much sentiment for that thinking in any of these Forum guitar discussions.
And, lest anyone think I am being too negative, I wish to repeat that I think this guitar sounds surprisingly good & full, with robust volume.

[BluesMan1]

   Peter, mine wasn't as "rough" looking as yours, though not flush. The heel cap area was a big problem, having a void under that went in. It took about 1-2 weeks to get my RA (as I had mentioned), dropped it off @ Sam Ash to send, had it back within a month. Plus, as I mentioned, a bone nut courtesy of Wendy!
   I have gone over every inch of my F-IV (I'm a little anal when it comes to this stuff) & have found nothing to mention. The OM I'm talking about was an '08, not really relative, but the time you could get someone on the phone & get things done faster. All was handled very well & much apologizing, which I told Wendy I know how a few can slip through. Having seen these joints, it does look like something wasn't done before the bonding process.
   All it will take is time, a couple of months from you to get it back. But I bet you won't regret it. As you can tell & from others posts, these guitars are just special. Can't describe them any other way. Just like my F-III! Two guitars that are lifers. You won't regret the wait, so play it by ear!!
   Here's a pic of the joint after I got it back. Don't have the ones of the gap any longer, but it was worse than your joint. The neck had to be reset & as you can see, no problemos!

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Frasier1]

I have #28 and it looks just like Bltprf502's #27.  I'll take pics after the weekend!

Peter, what number was yours?  #10, is that what I recall?  

This is one special guitar and I'm sorry for your hassle and letdown Peter, but eventually
it will all be good and in your rear view mirror!

Cheers.

[tadol]

Nothing a nice sunburst won't fix -

[Danny]

      I really like this little F-IV and while mine has some small issues as Q has stated above we got these at a special price and little items that are not that big a deal are better off let go and just enjoy the guitar for what it is.
      I know that we all would like our own git to be as perfect as possible. But in the real world not everyone of them is going to be out of 29 that were made.
                                                                   

[PCT57]

      I really like this little F-IV and while mine has some small issues as Q has stated above we got these at a special price and little items that are not that big a deal are better off let go and just enjoy the guitar for what it is.
      I know that we all would like our own git to be as perfect as possible. But in the real world not everyone of them is going to be out of 29 that were made.
                                                                   

I have been following this thread from day one - I agree to a certain extent with what is said above, however I can't help thinking that if someone had said at the beginning "you can have these guitars at a special price but there may be some minor quality issues with one or two of them" there would have been a few raised eyebrows   

Sincerly hope this gets resolved ok.

[pehabe]

...however I can't help thinking that if someone had said at the beginning "you can have these guitars at a special price but there may be some minor quality issues with one or two of them" there would have been a few raised eyebrows   
...

Agree 100%...
If a company agree to give special order with special price and because of the special price they sacrifice quality... hmmmm... then I would say that they should warn or inform the buyer at the beginning that the buyer will get a lower quality with that price.  imho, if they can not maintain it than its better do not accept the order at all.

[Queequeg]

Agree 100%...
If a company agree to give special order with special price and because of the special price they sacrifice quality... hmmmm... then I would say that they should warn or inform the buyer at the beginning that the buyer will get a lower quality with that price.  imho, if they can not maintain it than its better do not accept the order at all.

That is not a decision you get to make. That decision is for the manufacturer. Your decision is whether you want a guitar at a company's opening price point or something greater.
At the risk of repeating myself. I am not referring to your particular guitar, Peter; rather the one I received and a few others, where I find the quality to be acceptable given the price, but I would prefer a special order forum guitar to be superior.
Even the best guitars and/or highest costing guitars can occasionally run into a problem.

[tadol]

If it is a structural defect, it is one thing -  If it is an aesthetic detail, then its another. The offer was to build a special guitar for the Forum, at a special price. It sounds like they did an outstanding job of that. I didn't see any guarrantee offered about aesthetic details. All of them do carry a lifetime warranty for the original purchaser. If any of these little things turn into serious problems in the many years ahead, I'm sure they will take care of it. If it is a small detail that does not affect the playability or sound of the guitar, and it made it past the checks at the factory, and was unnoticed during the set-up and secondary check at the dealer, I tend to believe it is not that bad. If you go through enough pieces of any natural material like mahogany, some is going to be "better" than other. If you hand fit dozens of joints, at one of the last stages of construction, some are going to be more perfect than others. And if you put enough zoom on your camera and look hard enough, you are likely going to find some detail that is not perfect on almost any guitar, although the more you spend, the harder you would expect to have to look.

They look like great little guitars - sorry yours was not perfect enough - hope you come to peace with it one way or another, and enjoy playing it for many years.

[Danny]

    The defects I have on my F-IV did "unsettle" me for awhile. But I made a few adjustments to the action and have just been enjoying playing it and the issues mine has are growing fainter in the rear view mirror.

    Tad's statement above says it all very well. Tad has had a lot of experience with Larrivee guitars and with at least 3 forum guitars for sure. As well as owning "top shelf" Larrivees and other makers as well. I take his word as well thought out and coming from a lot of hands on ownership and his knowledge of wood working as well.
                 
                Last night a young man played my F-IV for awhile. As he started to play he liked it, but as he continued he "really" liked it. In the end he said he loved the action. Which ironically was where my problems were. I told him I was going to lower it even more as I had the time.
                The point is he never knew there was an issue. So for one of us what looms large as an ISSUE is just a minor factor or non existent for someone else.


              I do hope and strongly desire that everyone with a F-IV is satisfied with their guitar.
                                         I believe Larrivee will take care of us all.

               

[Mikeymac]

              I do hope and strongly desire that everyone with a F-IV is satisfied with their guitar.
                                         I believe Larrivee will take care of us all.

Mine is great - darn near perfect. All I've done to mine is lower the string slots in the nut a tad (and also lowered the top of the nut as well, so they weren't sitting down in caverns!). There is one slight nick in the side of the neck heel next to the body - barely noticeable, but I'm a (recovering) neurotic perfectionist, so I see these things. My only other gripe is I have 13's on her and I'm still kind of a wimp, trying to get used to them...but it sounds great, and is my most beautiful acoustic.

Sorry for those like Peter who are going through anguish over theirs - that is frustrating.

[Denis]

I do hope and strongly desire that everyone with a F-IV is satisfied with their guitar.

I am...and I do have a bit of roughness on the heel on mine. 

[appleknocker]

Alright ladies and gents, I may be the first one to fall.  I found out last week that I will very shortly be out of a job.  I'm having to make some tough choices.  One of which is selling off gear...i.e. the #15 forum guitar.  Sadness. 

[pehabe]

@appleknocker: es tut mir leid... I am really sorry for your situation...  I hope you could fnd another job soon so you do not have to sell this amazing guitar.

@all: thank you for input, comments, sharing etc... I really appreciate it.   

today I trade (plus some €) my old Ibanez Troubador TA-35 with AER Compact 60. WOW...
the different between those two amps is like heaven and earth, OK... maybe sky and earth 

Ich liebe es ! 


Peter

[prof_stack]

Appleknocker, you will need little effort to sell #15.  Too bad about your job situation.  It would be good if you can possibly hang on to the F-IV. 

The F-IV is so easy to try new stuff out.  Fretting up past #5 I am amazed how clear the bass string sound.  Have I mentioned how much I love this guitar?   

Now the F-III, that's another matter.  After a week on the Tonerite, half full-on and half at the 50% setting, I put some EJ17's on yesterday.  The guitar still sounds tight to me.  The D string sounds skanky, for want of a better term.  It is missing something.  Me and this guitar have not bonded.  Maybe I should have ordered hog back/sides rather than IRW.  I'll put it back on the Tonerite for another week and see how it goes.  Maybe I'm a hog guy anymore.

Time to play some 00-03MT tunes before I turn in.

[ceemonster]

I've sworn off standard-scale...but if only this was a short-scale, I would be clamoring for a chance to own #15.   

[Danny]

      I am out in New Mexico for awhile and tonight my wife flew out to be with me. So we went out on the roof deck where we are staying and I brought my F-IV along. It had a wonderful tone filling the evening air with almost a harp like sound. Sorry but it just was so sweet sounding with the breeze and pleasant night air that I thought of a harp sound.
      I think I may like this mahogany stuff

[cke]

      I am out in New Mexico for awhile and tonight my wife flew out to be with me. So we went out on the roof deck where we are staying and I brought my F-IV along. It had a wonderful tone filling the evening air with almost a harp like sound. Sorry but it just was so sweet sounding with the breeze and pleasant night air that I thought of a harp sound.
      I think I may like this mahogany stuff

Beautiful imagery, Danny. I did the same thing last night with my 00-03 Special. Amazing how these small guitars float the sound on the air... 

[pehabe]

Hi...
my first attempt recording my bad playing with 00-03MH

Recorded with Zoom H2, 4ch, front mic is guitar, rear mike is AER Compact 60.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9232493


Peter

[Mikeymac]

Peter - that sounds pretty sweet to me - both your playing and the guitar's tone!