OM-03 Koa Spice test ride

Started by mike in lytle, December 06, 2017, 02:33:43 PM

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 :donut :donut2 :coffee
I was in Guitar Tex to drop a couple guitars off for work, and played the OM-03 Koa spice.
This is a very nice looking Larrivee with a cool headstock and fretboard inlays made of wood.
It was set up better than most Larrivees and easy to play.
It sounded darn good too, altho I admit I am not an expert judge of the OM sound.
It was balanced all across the strings, and did not sound as "tight" as the OMs and smaller Larrivees usually sound to me.
It had pretty good bass too, not as much as an L or D body.
The fingerboard binding was wild looking.
I was impressed. The pic below was taken from the Guitar Tex website.
They also told me they would be getting a used L-03 in next week. They had no L-bodies today.
Mike
Larrivee OM-03, OM-03 laurel, OM-50, L-03 laurel, LSV-03 walnut (Forum VI)

Thanks for the Report Mike!
George

I still hate that they put "koa" in the name when it's not a koa guitar.  Seems like something Taylor would do.
Thanks for the review though!  Seems like a nice guitar.
D-09 Brazilian w/ Eagle inlay. D-02-12
Used to own and love; SD-50, J70 maple Mermaid, SD60sbt, D03R, LV03E.

Quote from: B0WIE on December 06, 2017, 08:37:16 PM
I still hate that they put "koa" in the name when it's not a koa guitar.  Seems like something Taylor would do.
Thanks for the review though!  Seems like a nice guitar.
I looked at the Larrivee site. They show an L-03 koa spice, and it seems true the koa is just "spice".
The bindings, heel cap, the inlays is about it. If the OM-03 is same specs, it would be same application of wood.
But this OM-03 is still a darn good looking guitar. The inlays are what you would see on a 10-series, except in koa.
I did enjoy playing it, although I am not fascinated by OM's.
Mike
Larrivee OM-03, OM-03 laurel, OM-50, L-03 laurel, LSV-03 walnut (Forum VI)

Mike, I played that very guitar when I was in the shop a couple of months ago, and I too was very impressed with the tone.  I agree with you that it had a broken in tone to it and felt that it was a wonderful OM.   Interestingly enough, the owner was talking to me about it and he told me that the back and sides were koa, which I knew was not correct due to information on this board, but the tone seemed a little different than the usual sitka/mahogany guitar.

Quote from: mattwood on December 06, 2017, 09:31:56 PM
Interestingly enough, the owner was talking to me about it and he told me that the back and sides were koa, which I knew was not correct due to information on this board, but the tone seemed a little different than the usual sitka/mahogany guitar.
I will be back to the shop in the next couple of days and have a closer look. I cannot say for a fact that only the trims were koa, only that I looked up the L-03 specs because of what Bowie mentioned. My visual remembrance is that the neck looked really mottled. I will also get the serial number and look it up and try to remember to get some pics.
That is, if it ain't raining like it was today. It was a messy drive.
Mike
Larrivee OM-03, OM-03 laurel, OM-50, L-03 laurel, LSV-03 walnut (Forum VI)


Quote from: Danny on December 07, 2017, 12:38:26 AM
No pics, no Koa.
:donut :donut2 :coffee
Don't need pics. Neck, back and sides were mahogany.
The bindings and inlays are koa.

They also had a D-03 mahogany in perfect shape for 695.00. I played it, and it was sweet. Action and sound. I did not check to see if it had a pickup.
Clear pick guard.
Mike
Larrivee OM-03, OM-03 laurel, OM-50, L-03 laurel, LSV-03 walnut (Forum VI)

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