World's best electric = RS4

Started by SharkFM, May 08, 2010, 02:40:07 PM

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Quote from: ducktrapper on May 10, 2010, 06:06:28 PM
I was torn with the colour choice. At first, I thought I wanted the sunburst but I have way too many sb's already, then I figured  the charcoal burst and then I saw the amber in real life. Pictures don't capture the true beauty of the amber RS-4. Anyway, my thinking eventually went along these lines. Cherry burst and gold top = too Gibson. Charcoal burst = too PRS. Sunburst = my sixth TSB instrument. The amber is fantastic when you actually get to see how it reveals the maple grain and to my way of thinking the most "LarrivĂ©e" of the choices. It really allows the wood to speak. Visually, that is.



Nice Amber guitar Ducktrapper. I agree that the amber colour brings out the grain. Looks great!
However, I have to ask about the couch....
Peter
Larrivee L-09
Larrivee RS-2 2010
Larrivee RS-4 1983 "Explorer"

Quote from: madoclake on November 15, 2010, 11:32:30 PM
Nice Amber guitar Ducktrapper. I agree that the amber colour brings out the grain. Looks great!
However, I have to ask about the couch....

Thanks. As for the couch. Ask her. We're breaking up and she gets it.    :crying:

Quote from: ducktrapper on November 16, 2010, 08:25:05 AM
Thanks. As for the couch. Ask her. We're breaking up and she gets it.    :crying:

Well played Ducktrapper....
Peter
Larrivee L-09
Larrivee RS-2 2010
Larrivee RS-4 1983 "Explorer"

I have had an RS-4 for about 2 years and I absolutely love it. The neck is amazing and the shape is soooo right for me. My one complaint is that I am growing more fond of single coil pickups and mine has 2 lead Lollar Imperial humbuckers on it. A couple of months ago I took it to my guitar tech and he opened them up and split the neck pickup for me and put a push pull pot on the tone to change from single coil to humbucker. Now my guitar is just about perfect...

Quote from: sahill on December 09, 2010, 09:51:47 PM
I have had an RS-4 for about 2 years and I absolutely love it. The neck is amazing and the shape is soooo right for me. My one complaint is that I am growing more fond of single coil pickups and mine has 2 lead Lollar Imperial humbuckers on it. A couple of months ago I took it to my guitar tech and he opened them up and split the neck pickup for me and put a push pull pot on the tone to change from single coil to humbucker. Now my guitar is just about perfect...

If you're getting into single coils, you own it to yourself to try a Larrivee with P-90's - the RS-2 is a very reasonably priced way to do this. I absolutely LOVE mine!

The P-90's are very dynamic pickups; this thing can do Tele twang and Strat spankiness (esp. with the Fender scale length). I play Clapton stuff on my RS-2 all the time. Plus, the P-90's have a little more gain, so you've got that extra "oomph" when you need it; or back off the volume controls to get closer to a Fender style single coil. They sound great clean and drive the way a good hot single coil/P-90 should.  Just a very versatile guitar!
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on December 13, 2010, 09:39:05 AM
If you're getting into single coils, you own it to yourself to try a Larrivee with P-90's - the RS-2 is a very reasonably priced way to do this. I absolutely LOVE mine!

The P-90's are very dynamic pickups; this thing can do Tele twang and Strat spankiness (esp. with the Fender scale length). I play Clapton stuff on my RS-2 all the time. Plus, the P-90's have a little more gain, so you've got that extra "oomph" when you need it; or back off the volume controls to get closer to a Fender style single coil. They sound great clean and drive the way a good hot single coil/P-90 should.  Just a very versatile guitar!

I've been wanting to try a Larrivee with P-90's for some time, but thought I couldn't afford it. I just recently became aware of the RS-2. That changes everything... One of these days I will have one!

Its very cool ,Perfect...World's best electric = RS4 i love it..

 they made a good choice going with Jason Lollar, his pickups are superb; MUCH better than the generic Gibson & Seymour Duncan offerings ( offal....and awful :D )

Quote from: ummagumma on December 24, 2010, 02:47:57 AM
they made a good choice going with Jason Lollar, his pickups are superb; MUCH better than the generic Gibson & Seymour Duncan offerings ( offal....and awful :D )


Are you aware that Larrivee is now using humbuckers and P-90s that are built 'in-house' by Matthew Larrivee? 

When I first learned about this (a couple years ago when I was getting ready to buy an RS-4), I thought it was a cost-cutting measure on Larrivee's part. Not so ... Their in-house pickups are excellent "vintage-toned" reproductions - Matthew has really nailed it on both models (I have guitars with both pickups in them)!

Just sharing this info (again) so no one is confused by your comment...
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992


ah, I wasn't aware of that, just saw a video where Jean explains the model in French, it most be old because he says they're Lollars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOLUor55lh0




Quote from: ummagumma on December 24, 2010, 05:27:11 PM
ah, I wasn't aware of that, just saw a video where Jean explains the model in French, it most be old because he says they're Lollars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOLUor55lh0

Yeah, that's an older clip - wish I understood French, cuz it looks very interesting.



2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

How are the pickups identified - Like how do you know what you have??  I have serial # 100108.

Not that I would change them because they sound great to me!

PS: If you want a slick single coil sound you can pickup a Danelectro re-issue for chump change. In searching for our daughter's Christmas gift (turquoise colored bass, didn't care how it played):ohmy: I thought of Danelectro's and sure enough sourced one at danguitars.com. it's complex because these are not easy to find in Canada. So to make the shipping worth it i also picked up a mint Korean made Dano 12 string. Then got a Baritone Dano (for sale here locally $250). They play well, sound great & are fun.

Quote from: ummagumma on December 24, 2010, 02:47:57 AM
they made a good choice going with Jason Lollar, his pickups are superb; MUCH better than the generic Gibson & Seymour Duncan offerings ( offal....and awful :D )


over the last two years i've really listened closely to the differences between pickups. To my ears the Duncans win over the Lollars by a good margin. Don't get me wrong, i do like the lollars, but there is alot more going on in the tone of a seth lover and a JB jazz than the imperials. i think people dump on them for being a larger company, but the pickups they offer are very good.

Quote from: bel on December 28, 2010, 11:09:42 PM
over the last two years i've really listened closely to the differences between pickups. To my ears the Duncans win over the Lollars by a good margin. Don't get me wrong, i do like the lollars, but there is alot more going on in the tone of a seth lover and a JB jazz than the imperials. i think people dump on them for being a larger company, but the pickups they offer are very good.

I feel the same way about a number of DiMarzio pickups ... I have them in several of my guitars (all of my Carvins and a couple Warmoths as well). I have the SD JB/Jazz set in a "super-strat" and they sound amazing in that guitar.
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992


ha, well it's a good thing we have the variety of choices in pickups we have, these days

once I discovered throbak, wolfetone & lollar pups, they left the rest in the dust

don't get me wrong, I can totally get by with duncan pups, and I prefer them over stock gibsons, but the others are in a league of their pwn

fwiw I don't use many FX, and usually use very basic old tube amps cranked up to get any distortion...which is where these really shine IMO

using a modern high gain amp or lots of pedals are probably better suited to the duncan's, as they are potted & won't go microphonic etc

but once you start using FX & stompboxes & mesa-type amps, you lose a lot of the character of the pickup & guitar...from what I have experienced, and for the kind of sounds I am going for


cheers


Quote from: ummagumma on January 01, 2011, 11:10:40 AM
fwiw I don't use many FX, and usually use very basic old tube amps cranked up to get any distortion...which is where these really shine IMO

using a modern high gain amp or lots of pedals are probably better suited to the duncan's, as they are potted & won't go microphonic etc

but once you start using FX & stompboxes & mesa-type amps, you lose a lot of the character of the pickup & guitar...from what I have experienced, and for the kind of sounds I am going for

cheers

This is true. I also don't use much in the way of effects. At home it's usually just an old Zoom PD-01 overdrive pedal into my Gibson Goldtone GA15-RV, for worship it's a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 into a Boss Delay (which is seldom used - it gets lost in the mix) into my Carr Rambler 2x10.  So you can really 'hear' the differences and nuances of a great pickup verses a good or so-so pickup...
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

I currently ahve on hand Duncans (JB/Jazz, Custom/59, Pearly Gates, P-Rails, Seth Lovers), Lace Chromedomes, EMG, GFS (Dream 180's, Pro-tube), WCR Crossroads, Dimarzio Area T's, Fender Texas Special and PRS SC250's.  In addition I have had a similar number of pickup sets that are no longer around.  In my opinion The Larrivee wound humbuckers are among the best pickups available.  I love 'em like a brother in my RS-4 and I would really like to try them out in my 335 or my 137.  Not that the ones in my RS-4 are going anywhere.
How do you make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans.


Quote from: wilblee on February 21, 2011, 11:41:58 AMIn my opinion The Larrivee wound humbuckers are among the best pickups available.  I love 'em like a brother in my RS-4 and I would really like to try them out in my 335 or my 137.  Not that the ones in my RS-4 are going anywhere.

Agreed. I'd love it if Larrivee offered these for sale "aftermarket" like Gibson and Fender have started doing with their pickups...
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Let me start out by saying that we all agree that sound is the most important reason for buying a particular guitar. However, there are a lot of great sounding guitars out there and guitar appearance factors into our decision. Some of us even modify a guitar we like to get the sound we want.

I am going to stick my neck way out and comment on the design of the Larrivee RS-4. I hear from forum members that they are not flying off the shelves even though the reviews I have read say that they should be selling for twice the price. My first impression of the RS-4 is that the finish is gorgeous and the build quality is way above par, but I have to admit that I find the shape of the cutaway to be a distraction. It is very functional with the bevelled edge and I like the way the binding ends at the tip, but it just does not seem right to me. Most cutaway's (Venetian and Florentine) point somewhat toward the headstock but this one is kinda like a bite out of the corner.  A closer look shows that the top of the guitar has a more traditional shape.

I think that I would buy an RS-4 if there was one small design change. An identifying feature of a Larrivee is the silver inlay around the headstock. That inlay could be transferred to the body to accentuate the classic cutaway shape that is hard to see. The photo does not show this very well, but perhaps you can see what I mean.  Maybe I am just too used my Les Paul, but I also like daring designs like the Parker Fly even though it looks a bit like road kill. For a superior guitar to gain a big chunk of the market, which the Fly never did, it has to appeal to mainstream tastes. No offense... just one opinion.
:whistling:


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I agree that your suggestion makes the guitar look better.  Accentuating the "traditional" curve more, while de-emphasizing the contour seems like a good idea to me.  However, I think your example is still too subtle.  Why not make it as thick as the rest of the binding or just carry the binding all the way around?  (assuming this is possible).

Regards, Kurt
"Badges?  We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Became a Shooting Star when I got my 1st guitar.
Back in '66, I was 13 and that was my fix.
Still shooting for stardom after all this time.
If I never make it, I'll still be fine.


:guitar

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