Larrivee Guitars

racket · Post by **racket** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 7:34 pm

Do any of the other rickophiles out there have a thing for Larrivee acoustic guitars.
I ask for a few reasons. First, I have a model L-05, and it is an absolutely fantastic instrument.
Second, I think that Larrivee has a lot in common with Rickenbacker. They are both relatively small manufacturers. They are both “domestic” only (Larrivee is Canadian and has 2 factories, one in BC, the other in California.) They are both alternatives to two giants in their respective industries (Martin and Taylor in the acoustic world, Gibson and Fender in the electric world). As far as instrument design goes, they both have a unique look and sound.
Finally, there seems to be a similar culture surrounding the Larrivee brand, with a similar “need” to own more than one.

Phil
330 jg
620/12 jg (recently sold)
360/12 mg (impatiently waiting for)

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:08 pm

Hey Phil - I had been interested in getting a 12 string acoustic for years. With the uncertain status of RIC's acoustic production (I have a 700C-12 on order), I finally had to look for an alternative. I was browsing one day at The Twelth Fret in Toronto and totally fell in love with a OM-03 12 string. It has the smaller body and satin finish. The strings were old and worn, but the sound was still fantastic and loud! It will be a great day if the 700C-12 arrives, but the Larrivee is a terrific guitar.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:34 am

I have a good friend here in Marin who is a financial analyst in his day job, but also a semi-pro musician with very sophisticated tastes in most things. He plays a Larivee (which he pronounces lar-i-vay--is that correct, I wonder...)on club dates and it is his only acoustic. He hasn~t seen my Rick acoustic yet...or played it.

woodsgirl · Post by **woodsgirl** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:31 am

It is French, so it would be pronounced lar-ee-vay.
meaning the comer, the arrived, the arrival, or such. I wanted to see if I liked a fretless BG, and I wanted an unmarked fingerboard, so I bought a fretless L'Arrivee bass which was damaged in transit, so I can't tell much about what it would hvae been like, but they didn't make many electrics, opposite of Rickenbacker! They do seem to have that near-boutique appeal like Ric. I think their acoustics are supposed to be a great guitar, and they do seem to have cult appeal! I would like to play one......

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:56 am

I have a D-09. Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides, Mahogany neck, and Ebony fretboard. This is an unbelievable instrument, huge volume with a nice bottom end pop along with great detail on the upper strings. I still use the strings that were factory stock at the time this was built: D'Addario Phosphor Bronze medium .013"-.056". I purchased this new in '98.

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 6:57 am

Larrivee branched into electric guitars and basses in the mid-late 80's. I remember see Brian Adams' guitarist playing one at the time. I've seen a few over the years and they seem to be well built and quite affordable.

icabod · Post by **icabod** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:06 am

I used to play with Marc Jordan, who wrote Rythym of my Heart, he bought a larrivee in 1974, and still plays it, it relaced a Martin...R

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:19 am

When I went searching for a serious acoustic guitar while recording my last album, I went down to a music store's acoustic room and went through the few dozen Larivees they had in stock, and brought home a pair of D03s (one mahogany, one rosewood) to try out in the studio to make a choice. After recording the pair I ended up keeping both, adding a koa later on. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

As for electrics, yes Larrivee produced them (they were available in the late 1970s), they had lots of them at Iron Music back in the day, including a maple bodied doubleneck that must have weighed 50lbs (on top of the weight of the wood, it had a brass block embedded in it to help balance it). Our rhythm guitarist owned an electric six string for quite a while - brass bridge and pickup surrounds, and I still own the remnants of Allan Harlow's (Prism) left handed pink bass (which had the headstock sheared off), which I (unsuccessfully) converted to a long scale fretless six string in my experimental days as a guitar builder. I also have their budget offering under the Attila brand - LPish shape, one pickup, neck the size of a telephone pole.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:27 am

One of my guitarists has a Larrivee acoustic & it is a fantastic guitar. Beautifully crafted & sounds amazing.