RS-4 review by a friend

[pigtown]

I picked up an RS-4 for my son, and loaned it to a friend I am coaching fall baseball with.  We had Sat/Sun games, so he was trying it overnight.  He sent me the following email, and I said just keep it until next week's game...

"OK.....how much do U want for it?  Just kidding...very impressed with this guitar. For a company best known for its acoustics you can tell they really wanted to manufacture a top of the line electric not just a mid to lower model. The finish is great, the neck is very playable for a flat profile and the pickups are super! I believe they are Lollar pick ups ? I was reading they used them at some point in these guitars but maybe not now. It seems to weigh kind of half way between like a Strat and a Les Paul.

Played it this morning and now through my Fender 40W Deluxe Combo...sounds great.

last night I brought it up to my buddies that I talk about on Rowley Hill Rd. I played it through his Epiphone 7 watt head matched with a 1x12 Epi cabinet. He was really impressed. The tone is great from all combinations. The neck pick up gives you smooth tone and open cords sound great. Both pick ups together really balance nicely and sounded great on a jam we play where I play through a MXR phase 90 pedal...the best was though ( again very impressed ) playing on the treble/bridge pick up with the Epi turned up just past 12 O'clock and through a Ibanez tube screamer pedal...awesome natural distortion and you can get this guitar to become a real "chunk" machine playing those rock n' roll style riffs."


Congrats to Matt Larrivee on this project.  This guy has no connection to Larrivee guitars, whether acoustic or electric,

[macsmojado]

Not suprised one bit by your friends review of the "Larrivee RS-4"!

It is a superbly designed and built LES PAUL STYLE guitar with
"PREMIUM TOP-SHELF HARDWARE,ELECTRONICS,PAPER-IN-OIL
CAPACITORS and PICKUPS! As good as the LOLLAR pickups were
Matthew Larrivee now completely custom builds the HB's and P-90's
that Larrivee put in the RS-4 and the newest addition the RS-2!

The RS-2 is what I call Larrivee's version of the legendary GIBSON
LES PAUL Jr. style electric! It comes with the choice also of the
Larrivee HB's or P-90's!

Thanks for sharing the review with us! I have no doubt that you son
will love the RS-4!


What color did you get the RS-4 in? I have a LEFTY RS-4 in the ROOTBEER
finish that is just "STUNNING"!

Mac

[pigtown]

Tobacco burst.  Love that rootbeer, would trade for one in a heartbeat.

[Mikeymac]

Tobacco burst.  Love that rootbeer, would trade for one in a heartbeat.

I have the Rootbeer burst (lefty also) and wouldn't trade it ... but before Larrivee started doing Rootbeer, I was ready to order the Tobacco - still wouldn't mind having one someday - maybe with P-90s.

(Of course, then, after I get my RS-2 with P-90's I'll have to get an RS-2 with humbuckers ... it never ends...  ).

[igrishenko]

The finish is great, the neck is very playable for a flat profile and the pickups are super! I believe they are Lollar pick ups ? I was reading they used them at some point in these guitars but maybe not now.

I've got myself a Larrivee RS-4 Cherry Burst with humbuckers, hands down the best electric guitar I've ever played. I'm thinking about getting a vibramate Bigsby mounting plate and putting a Bigsby B7 and a rolling bridge on it, thats the only thing I feel it lacks, a good tremolo system. The Larrivees used to use Lollar Imperial humbucker pickups, but Matt Larrivee decided to start hand-winding his own pickups. I believe they are now Larrivee 3rd Generation pickups.

[JOYCEfromNS]

I've got myself a Larrivee RS-4 Cherry Burst with humbuckers, hands down the best electric guitar I've ever played. I'm thinking about getting a vibramate Bigsby mounting plate and putting a Bigsby B7 and a rolling bridge on it, thats the only thing I feel it lacks, a good tremolo system. The Larrivees used to use Lollar Imperial humbucker pickups, but Matt Larrivee decided to start hand-winding his own pickups. I believe they are now Larrivee 3rd Generation pickups.

True. Tho not a big fan of the Bigsby some people are. The 80's Larrivees had wonderful Trems with Kahlers and especially the Floyd Rose's. Thus Larrivee have vast experience building guitars with tremolo systems maybe an optional stock upgrade one day.