L-03 FM review

Started by mike in lytle, July 18, 2016, 04:32:22 PM

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:donut :donut2 :coffee :donut2
I visited Guitar Tex last Saturday to get strings, a new Snark to replace the one our youngest dog chewed up (and to play the Larrivees).
They had just got a new L-03 FM (flamed maple), which if it had been the first Larrivee I ever played, I would have taken it home.
It is a wonderful and beautiful guitar.
The first thing you notice are the maple leaf inlays on the headstock and fingerboard. Understated and outstanding.
The second thing you notice is the abalone around the sound hole and the very dark binding on the body.
The third thing is how good it sounds. It grabs you immediately. I finger picked it for probably 30 minutes total, kept going back to it.
I am not a good judge for sustain and bloom and harmonics and overtones and volume, but it does have all the note separation and clarity you would expect, and is muddy nowhere. It compares to the L-05, but seems more "open".
I also played their D-10, the OM and other D models they had, and was handed an SD-40R ("here, try this 12-fret") which was a surprising tone-rich guitar, as I have not played an SD before. I liked it. I guess they had about 10 Larrivees this time around.
Mike
L-05, C-05, LV-10, L-02-12, RS-4 Forum V #7
Larrivee OM-03, OM-03 laurel, OM-50, L-03 laurel, LSV-03 walnut (Forum VI)

It's hard to beat a good sounding flamed maple guitar....   I owned a P-09FM that is the best parlor I have ever owned....  but all FM guitars are not created equal.....   BobW...  :guitar

I have never met a flamed maple guitar I did not like, but then again it is my most favorite tonewood of them all, right there next to koa...   :humour:

I agree with you, they are usually very clear and open sounding...

George

Maple is a wonderful tone wood and is my all time favorite wood.
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

Quote from: unclrob on July 18, 2016, 09:33:00 PM
Maple is a wonderful tone wood and is my all time favorite wood.
x

Maple makes the best "twangy" sounding 12ers for playing stuff from the sixties.

Quote from: unclrob on July 18, 2016, 09:33:00 PM
Maple is a wonderful tone wood and is my all time favorite wood.

Even on electric guitars too!   :bgrin:
George

I too have a flamed maple Larrivee that is one of a kind.

Your description of your L-03 is exactly how I felt after first playing mine. It is an amazing instrument. Well balanced and elegant. Responsive and vesatile. I really can't use enough superlatives to describe it and I bonded with it immediately after playing the it the first time. This is the third high quality instrument I have owned and it is by far the best. I bought it on line without having ever played a Larrivee. I had a well researched hunch and it has pay off big time.
All things considered I have never felt quite this way about a guitar.
When I'm at work I can't wait to get home to play it.
I feel like a kid with his first serious love affair.
I know it's a little over the top but that's my experience.

They don't just sound great. They are beautiful looking tone woods as well.
Larrivee LC-10 Koa
Larrivee DV-10 Koa
Composite Acoustics Cargo
UnclRob's Parts Telecaster

Mike, Guitar Tex is where I first played a Larrivee.  I bet the maple one you played is about halfway down the page on this link.   Looks amazing! :thumb

http://guitartex.com/larrivee-guitars/

I noticed they had some L bodies with the hybrid scalloped bracing.  I haven't seen those before.  Did you get a chance to play them at all?  I would be interested in how you felt they compared to your L-05.  Thanks.

I hope I'm not beating an old topic to death. I am new to the forum, and a new Larrivee owner.

I bought a new L-03 FM last month, and I just wanted to add how much I love it.

A beautiful guitar, with great woods, and a great voice.  I mostly finger pick, and love the clarity, and the great sustain.

I was wondering if anyone knows if they braced the Maple L-03's differently to get the most out of the maple.

Thanks all, and thanks for the forum!

Joseph

Quote from: clicker7 on July 16, 2017, 04:31:11 PM
I hope I'm not beating an old topic to death. I am new to the forum, and a new Larrivee owner.

I bought a new L-03 FM last month, and I just wanted to add how much I love it.

A beautiful guitar, with great woods, and a great voice.  I mostly finger pick, and love the clarity, and the great sustain.

I was wondering if anyone knows if they braced the Maple L-03's differently to get the most out of the maple.

Thanks all, and thanks for the forum!

Joseph

Welcome, Joseph - and don't forget to bring donuts (and read the forum rules)!

Larrivee uses their same bracing pattern on all their models *EXCEPT* the 40 series (anything with a 40 in it, like D-40, OM-40, L-40); these have a more traditional *Martin-style* bracing pattern. So if you have a standard L-03, it uses Larrivee's long-standing parallel bracing pattern.

:welcome:

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

Quote from: clicker7 on July 16, 2017, 04:31:11 PM
I bought a new L-03 FM last month, and I just wanted to add how much I love it.
A beautiful guitar, with great woods, and a great voice.  I mostly finger pick, and love the clarity, and the great sustain.
Joseph
:donut :donut :donut :donut2 :donut2 :donut2 :coffee
Donuts and coffee on me.
Joseph,
You have a very special, very beautiful guitar. You are one lucky Larrivee owner.
As I said when I played one last year, "if it had been the first Larrivee I ever played, I would have taken it home".
The L-40Ms and the L-03Ms may sound different, but not better. You done good!
Mike
Larrivee OM-03, OM-03 laurel, OM-50, L-03 laurel, LSV-03 walnut (Forum VI)

Hi Everyone,
6 weeks in, and my L-03FM has been either in my hands or on my brain the whole time. This instrument has the sweetest treble bells I've ever heard when chording, and I go well back into the 1900's. The bass response is unique with a deep wispy sweetness, and for some reason the mids just stay even with the lows and highs right through as the chords sustain. No D-string droning long after every other string goes quiet! Weird...and I'm not sure how this came to be possible v/v Jean's designs, but it is marvelous! As I write this its on my lap and doing its bit, with me grinning along.
Cheers!  :wave

Hi JSpe:

Congrats on the new L-03 FM, you will really enjoy it.

I have mine almost three months now-- and I love it!  It has great sustain, and clarity, and is surprising sweeter sounding than I expected (given Maple's rep.).

I love the projection and open sound. It's great for finger-style.

I think Larrivee hit a home run with this guitar.

Joseph

I flirted heavily with an older maple C-09 a while back, but it wasn't saying the right things.
A year ago I had an older l-09 in maple that was very very nice, but not quite "there" ( for my liking).

Very recently I found an older OM-10 FM that has simply and completely put ALL my maple reservations to rest.



"Senior" member means "old" right?
Like over 50?

Too many guitars to list here.
Too few brain cells to be bothered with...

 :drool:

I don't normally care what the wood looks like since I can't see it when I'm playing but crap thats pretty.
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

Quote from: headsup on August 18, 2017, 12:10:44 AM
I flirted heavily with an older maple C-09 a while back, but it wasn't saying the right things.
A year ago I had an older l-09 in maple that was very very nice, but not quite "there" ( for my liking).

Very recently I found an older OM-10 FM that has simply and completely put ALL my maple reservations to rest.


Gorgeous!  Has it been a GOTM yet?  I will nominate it, if it is eligible.
1977 Classical
2015 OO-40
2017 LV-10 50th Annniversary #2/50
2021 LSV-03 Forum VI
2023 Hatfield BJG Strong Tenor low G Ukulele #003

It's a beauty!!

I bet it sounds great too!

Joseph

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