Larrivée pickups

Started by wilblee, June 23, 2011, 04:44:06 AM

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I've been playing the G2's along with the G3's for a while now and I gotta tell ya, I like both sets - a lot.  I haven't owned every hb pickup on the market, but I've owned a lot and heard more and IMO, Matt Larrivée is making the best pickups available (as well as putting them in the most playable electric I've ever held).  If forced to choose, I would go with the G3's as the more articulate set, but I would pine for the G2's which have a bit more hair on 'em.  

Matt, I'm begging ya.  

1) Hire some gnomes,
2) show 'em how it's done,
3) maintain y'all's [apparently] great quality control,
4) give 'em cool-man names (the pickups, not the gnomes),
5) Offer 'em covered (in gold, nickel and chrome) and uncovered (in black, white, cream and zebra) and
6) get the G2's and G3's (at least - I've never heard the G1's, but I'd be interested) out on the market!!

I'd buy a set of G3's immediately.  Make 'em splittable and I'd buy 2 sets of G3's, a set of G2's and a G2 bridge.  I'm sure the guy I get to install 'em will want a set or two himself and he'll be recommending them to his customers, and so on and so forth...

And I haven't even mentioned your P-90's...

Please!?!?


How do you make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans.


 :+1: been saying this a couple years now. Just not as clearly as you have. Matt LARRIVEE sure knows PUPS
Larrivee Electrics - My Dream then and Now!!!!!<br /><br />Forum IV     00-03MT       #4      (Treasured)

Didn't Matt mention in one of his replies to the "Sure looks like a Tele" thread that he really only has time to wind for their own production? Sure, he could hire and teach, but in truth, they wouldn't be the same. They'd be Larrivee` pickups no doubt, but not Matthew Larrivee pickups. And isn't that the actual "magic" we're hearing?
Kenny

Quote: "You know, all things considered, we are very, very lucky to have all that we do, an embarrassment of riches, actually."

Quote from: tulk1 on June 23, 2011, 09:46:41 AM
Didn't Matt mention in one of his replies to the "Sure looks like a Tele" thread that he really only has time to wind for their own production? Sure, he could hire and teach, but in truth, they wouldn't be the same. They'd be Larrivee` pickups no doubt, but not Matthew Larrivee pickups. And isn't that the actual "magic" we're hearing?

I would love to be able to buy some to put in other guitars, but really, I'm so happy playing my RS-4 and RS-2 that I don't need any more guitars...I don't need the extra temptation. But if I did, they'd likely be Larrivees (like the new Tele we're all waiting on...).

Yes, I do have some guitars I could put the Larrivee pickups in, but I'd hate to see their quality start to suffer in order to make this happen.
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

We will sell pickups on the rare occasion is something asks, but we dont advertise it. The labor and parts invovled are incredibly expensive though so they are not a cheap pickup. The covers alone cost me $30 for a set. Price for a set of humbuckers is around $180.

Quote from: Matthew Larrivee on June 25, 2011, 10:51:32 PM
We will sell pickups on the rare occasion is something asks, but we dont advertise it. The labor and parts invovled are incredibly expensive though so they are not a cheap pickup. The covers alone cost me $30 for a set. Price for a set of humbuckers is around $180.
$180 for a set of handwound pickups? Seems sorta reasonable, to me. I've paid more .... wait, no I haven't!!  :whistling:
Kenny

Quote: "You know, all things considered, we are very, very lucky to have all that we do, an embarrassment of riches, actually."

Quote from: tulk1 on June 23, 2011, 09:46:41 AM
Didn't Matt mention in one of his replies to the "Sure looks like a Tele" thread that he really only has time to wind for their own production? Sure, he could hire and teach, but in truth, they wouldn't be the same. They'd be Larrivee` pickups no doubt, but not Matthew Larrivee pickups. And isn't that the actual "magic" we're hearing?

Well, I have to disagree with your premise that they wouldn't necessarily be the same.  Several companies have managed to produce remarkably consistent pickups using more than one winder.  Seymour Duncan naturally springs to mind.  SD designed some very fine pickups and now has a factory making excellent product.

For that matter does Jean alone make every guitar that Larrivée sells?  Yet are they not consistently excellent guitars?

As for the $180 a set price tag, I'll pay that in a heartbeat.  I've heard lots of hb pickups that cost more that I like less.  It occurs to me that at $180, these would represent the lowest price point (that I, in my ignorance, am aware of anyway) at which the guitar buying public could get a taste of that sweet, sweet Larrivée quality.  That might result in more attention being paid to the finest (in my humble, yet accurate, opinion) electric solidbody guitars being built today.  And when it comes right down to it, if we love our fellow man, don't we, in our mercy, want the guitar players among them to experience the joy that comes from owning and playing an RS?

Can I get an "Amen"?
How do you make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans.


Isn't there a program for a CNC winder? Anyway, Matthew tells a story about watching his dad, at the kitchen table, hand-winding pickups for the 80's electrics. I have one of those and it's very, very good. So, apparently it's become a family tradition. Larrivées know their pups!    

Quote from: wilblee on June 27, 2011, 07:25:08 AM
Well, I have to disagree with your premise that they wouldn't necessarily be the same.  Several companies have managed to produce remarkably consistent pickups using more than one winder.  Seymour Duncan naturally springs to mind.  SD designed some very fine pickups and now has a factory making excellent product.

For that matter does Jean alone make every guitar that Larrivée sells?  Yet are they not consistently excellent guitars?

........  And when it comes right down to it, if we love our fellow man, don't we, in our mercy, want the guitar players among them to experience the joy that comes from owning and playing an RS?

Can I get an "Amen"?
There's merit in that.  :cheers Can't disagree with you. Putting a bit more thought into it than my initial reply, I'm sure Matt would make sure they were up to his standards. I stand corrected, sir!!!  :tongue:
Kenny

Quote: "You know, all things considered, we are very, very lucky to have all that we do, an embarrassment of riches, actually."

Quote from: Matthew Larrivee on June 25, 2011, 10:51:32 PM
We will sell pickups on the rare occasion is something asks, but we dont advertise it. The labor and parts invovled are incredibly expensive though so they are not a cheap pickup. The covers alone cost me $30 for a set. Price for a set of humbuckers is around $180.

Matthew - is $180 your cost to build or the price you would sell them for? It seems you might be saying the former rather than the latter...if so, what would be the public's price for a set of humbuckers and/or a set of P-90's?

I certainly have a few other guitars that would benefit from a set of Larrivee humbuckers, and I have a build in progress that's going to need 3 P-90's someday...
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on June 27, 2011, 10:51:13 AM
I certainly have a few other guitars that would benefit from a set of Larrivee humbuckers,

Me too starting here:

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Larrivee Electrics - My Dream then and Now!!!!!<br /><br />Forum IV     00-03MT       #4      (Treasured)

A 335 is what I'm wanting to do first, as well.  When I first started playing the G3 pickups, I thought, "Man, my 335 could use a set of these."
How do you make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans.


I had this one made so I could swap out the PhatCats for HBs if I found some I like. Bet some 2's or 3's would sound darned nice in it.

Kenny

Quote: "You know, all things considered, we are very, very lucky to have all that we do, an embarrassment of riches, actually."

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