Forum III roll call and reunion

[dazdarren]

Calling all Forum III owners for a little post mortum five years or so after our guitar were built.  What are your impressions of the guitar now?  Where does this guitar fit amongst your "herd"

I have #60/78. It's. Spruce top with hot sides and back.  

When I open my case I still smell of delightful smell of the wood and the light feel of the guitar in my hands continues to amaze me. The quality of the build Is still evident, the guitar has held up very very well and the wood selections still strike me as incredible value for money for what we paid for these guitars.  Mine is very dynamic and responsive to the touch.  My forum III is my number one and go to acoustic.

[tuffythepug]

#3 (hog /hog) is still in my herd and is played nearly every day.  It is my go-to guitar.  Even though I have an L-10, OM-03R and D-40R (the 000-50 has gone to a new home) the Forum III is still my favorite for a number of reasons.   Tone, playability, looks, it's got it all.   And the whole experience of us forum members helping to design and get the thing built is very special.   Going to Vancouver and getting the tour by John Jr., meeting other forum members there, and picking up my guitar right off the bench when it was strung up makes this a guitar that will always remain very special to me.

T

[broKen]

Well, I'm a late comer here with the FIII...bought used about a year ago. Mine is an un-numbered extra with rosewood. It has to compete with the SD walnut, a hard act to follow. But I intend to keep it...it's a fine guitar and sounds great plugged in. I use it at Sunday service and the retirement center.

[flatlander]

Remember this song I wrote (well words anyway) and bashed out for ya'll?  going back and listening it's pretty funny. I like where someone wants Tuffy's Hog and San Fran boy says I'm a peaceful man but that might be more than I can share, and sticks a flower in guys hair..Ha anyway, shows this file was made Jan 25 2009. Oh and I forgot about the silly kazoo at end. But what are you to do when waiting. Play Kazoo of course..

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=13030544&q=hi&newref=1

[ST]

Can't speak to a Forum III then and now, but the memories of meeting people at the Larrivée factory, and the evening that followed; those are still fine.

It was a real treat to meet, and it was the first time that I had gotten together with a group of acoustic guitar centric folks in many decades. I don't know if it was the Larrivée aspect of it, but there was an instant affinity when we got together at Southpaw's house. We're not all as active here now as we were then, but when I see a name from that night light up the screen, it all comes back to me.

All the best to my Forum III compatriots.

[Danny]

     I'm in agreement with the posts before me. Still my favorite guitar, still in fine shape and the memories of Vancouver are very much still there. I bonded with mine immediately and definitely bonded with several forum members as well as employees of the factory.
     Of course my forum III is this months GOTM and it is an Employee playing it the day we received them. Almost six years ago if my memory is correct.
                                                                                       

[nctom]

I've only had my ForumIII (M/IS) for a few weeks, but it has become my favorite. It is unnumbered,but signed JCL and apparently was built as an extra. It is unmarked , seems unplayed, and was bought and sold at least twice before I got it. I am making up for that. It has replaced my other guitars, including an 80's L-09 and a Martin M-21 custom shop as my go-to instrument.

[BenF]

Fabulous guitar, still play it every day and think of all you guys while I'm doing so.  I have had to fight to get it back out of the hands of several other people who have fallen in love with it within seconds of picking it up.

Still never played anything that could touch it for tone.

[Danny]

Fabulous guitar, still play it every day and think of all you guys while I'm doing so.  I have had to fight to get it back out of the hands of several other people who have fallen in love with it within seconds of picking it up.

Still never played anything that could touch it for tone.

Nice to see your post. I think you had number 5 if I remember right and of course you helped a lot with the F-III pictures etc.  Wasn't your F-III rosewood back and sides?

[tuffythepug]

Nice to see your post. I think you had number 5 if I remember right and of course you helped a lot with the F-III pictures etc.  Wasn't your F-III rosewood back and sides?

Danny, you may be thinking of another member.  Ben lives u
In Scotland I believe.  He wasn'the at the Vancouver get-together.  But Linda sent him pics of his guitar

[Danny]

Danny, you may be thinking of another member.  Ben lives u
In Scotland I believe.  He wasn'the at the Vancouver get-together.  But Linda sent him pics of his guitar

I know who Ben is and that he had his guitar shipped to Scotland. He has several youtube videos using his F-III , a lot of Nick Drake covers.

[Mr_LV19E]

Still have mine and yes it is the favorite, everything else would have to go before I would sell the F-III.  Hog sides and back Spruce top with herringbone #13.  Was one of the last to get mine, I think they shipped it separate so that it didn't jinx a whole load.    I've worn shiny spots on the top of mine from playing it so much.

[tuffythepug]

Remember this song I wrote (well words anyway) and bashed out for ya'll?  going back and listening it's pretty funny. I like where someone wants Tuffy's Hog and San Fran boy says I'm a peaceful man but that might be more than I can share, and sticks a flower in guys hair..Ha anyway, shows this file was made Jan 25 2009. Oh and I forgot about the silly kazoo at end. But what are you to do when waiting. Play Kazoo of course..

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=13030544&q=hi&newref=1

HA !  I had forgotten that song.    Got a nice chuckle out of it again !   good job

[Danny]

Matt that was fun to listen to, good job

[Jagadis]

Forum III #19 is still my pride and joy.  Here is a link to all the photos that John L took in the factory while the Forum IIIs were being made.  Nice trip down memory lane.

https://plus.google.com/photos/115706060043912206252/albums/5534979632100362817

Jordan

[tuffythepug]

While on the factory tour when I picked up my F III I spied this taped to one of the machines in the shop.....

[jitterboogie]

I bought number 47 (M/IS) used several years ago off this forum.  It is a great guitar.  When I took it for its first set up, the luthier (a very low key guy) commented on the great volume and tone from a smaller guitar.  I couldn't agree more.  It stays in a regular rotation with my LO3R. 

[teh]

Can anyone provide information on the following:

1) How many Forum III guitars* were ordered with a mahogany top and Venetian cutaway?
2) How many Forum III guitars are still in the hands of the original owner?

*One of these would make a nice companion to my LV-03MT 12 String if one ever comes up for sale.

[tuffythepug]

I'm not sure that any of the 78  Forum III guitars were all-mahogany with a cutaway.  There were quite a few all hog but I don't recall any of them with a cutaway.

[Jagadis]

As I recall, there were no all mahogany Venetian cutaway Forum IIIs made.  The Venetian cutaway version (only 7 in total) were all Italian spruce tops.  I think they were only ordered with rosewood backs/sides but I'm not sure.

My Forum III (see below) is all mahogany and there were only 14 of these made.  Of these 14, only a few were ordered with the extra herringbone purfing (I think 6 in total) so I consider mine to be kinda special.  The other thing I like about my Forum III is that the mahogany top has a really unusual flaming pattern.  I think there was only one other one made with this flaming but some of the Italian spruce tops also had very unique or unusual patterns.

For those of us who are the original owners and lived through the whole design and manufacturing process, I can say that these guitars were built with a little bit of extra love, care and excitement from the Larrivee family and the folks in the factory.  It was almost like they all knew they were building the guitars for some of their most loyal customers and they seemed to put a bunch of extra care and craftsmanship into these guitars.  You can see evidence of this in the hundreds of photos they posted for us on Facebook each week and the extra special welcome that a few lucky owners received when they visited the factory in Vancouver to pickup their guitars.  All in all, it is truly a very special guitar and I suspect most of the original owners still own and play these guitars and will never let them go.

Jordan