Larrivee Guitars

[kap_x]

I never hear of ANYONE else talk about (Jean) Larrivee acoustics! An old buddy of mine had one, and it was absolutely incredible. In my eyes, it was like if a Martin and a Taylor had a baby...(with a beautiful cry)

Seriously, they're incredible. I think they're canadian. They're also very expensive, and if I could I would use my student loans' tuition money to get one for myself, because who needs a future when they have a Larrivee?

www.larrivee.com

PS. Jean Larrivee is an incredible guitarist.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

Never liked them. Sorry! They are beautifully inlaid and look gorgeous but the tone is not as resonant as a great Martin or Taylor. Not the Larrivees I've played anyway.

Lew

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

Never liked them. Sorry! They are beautifully inlaid and look gorgeous but the tone is not as resonant as a great Martin or Taylor. Not the Larrivees I've played anyway.

Lew

You must have gotten a bad one. I've played dozens of them and they are every bit in the same class as Taylor and Martin.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

You must have gotten a bad one. I've played dozens of them and they are every bit in the same class as Taylor and Martin.

I've played a few Larrivees. Not dozens, but a few and I just wasn't impressed. But I have some very nice acoustic guitars...I'm pretty picky.

Most acoustic guitars do not produce a true low E...and if you tune down most cannot produce a low D. Not one with real depth and a strong fundamental.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

I considered buying a Larrivee during times that I was looking for an acoustic, and I wanted to love them, but the Martins and Taylors kept winning the comparisons. And then, I'd put Martin and Taylor head to head, and the Martins came out on top.

By the way, I don't judge playability in guitar stores, because I just accept that they're all setup poorly. I'm not shopping for acoustics now, because I have a great sounding D-28, setup to play perfectly for my touch...by me.
However, I recently stopped at the newest GC in my area and played every single acoustic in the 'quality room,' and there was only 1 guitar that felt like it was professionally setup....a Taylor 810. The rest had action like the Golden Gate Bridge with rusty cables.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

I have looked at several Larrivee's over the years and Lew and Joe are dead on...they are nice but when you compare them to a Martin that pale in comparison. I was never much for Taylors personally but that might just be me. I would say that a Martin or a super nice Guild is the way to go with a flat top acoustic guitar.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

They are certainly very nice. I have a friend who has one. I don't really know how to describe it, but a good acoustic "comes alive" when you play it. It's like the guitar is singing the notes as opposed to simply making the correct sounds at the correct pitch. I didn't feel that from his Larrivee.

I haven't ruled them out as a brand though.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

I have looked at several Larrivee's over the years and Lew and Joe are dead on...they are nice but when you compare them to a Martin that pale in comparison. I was never much for Taylors personally but that might just be me. I would say that a Martin or a super nice Guild is the way to go with a flat top acoustic guitar.

Your entitled to your opinion but I just can't aggree on this point. I played the Martins and Taylors en masse like I did the Larrivee's when I was looking and frankly the Larrivee had better resonance, projection and playability. I can't speak to the vintage pieces but the current Martins did not impress me at all considering the reputation they have.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

Your entitled to your opinion but I just can't aggree on this point. I played the Martins and Taylors en masse like I did the Larrivee's when I was looking and frankly the Larrivee had better resonance, projection and playability. I can't speak to the vintage pieces but the current Martins did not impress me at all considering the reputation they have.

The bottom line is they're a high quality acoustic guitar, and deserve to be seen on par with Martin and Taylor. The truth about tone and resonance is that products made out of wood vary from guitar to guitar, so there's good and bad examples of every brand. Also, there are some very talented Larrivee players, who obviously know a great guitar when they play one. I'd buy a Larrivee if I found one that blew me away. Most of the time I look at acoustics, I'm most impressed with the major brands, starting around $1800 and moving upwards.
At that point, most popular acoustics are pretty nice.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

The bottom line is they're a high quality acoustic guitar, and deserve to be seen on par with Martin and Taylor. The truth about tone and resonance is that products made out of wood vary from guitar to guitar, so there's good and bad examples of every brand. Also, there are some very talented Larrivee players, who obviously know a great guitar when they play one. I'd buy a Larrivee if I found one that blew me away. Most of the time I look at acoustics, I'm most impressed with the major brands, starting around $1800 and moving upwards.
At that point, most popular acoustics are pretty nice.

true enough...

 

[Curly]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

I like the vintage style Larrivees models I looked at recently, especially the D and OM models.

they were light, resonant, well crafted, and affordable, but some felt like they had a wide nut width for me.

http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/larrivee.html

 

[vinterland]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

My dad owns a larivee and a taylor so I've played both many times. I like the feel of the larivee better, though the tone of the taylor is much bigger.

 

[Stratsky]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

I have a Larrivee D10 that I bought in 98. I shopped around for a month before I bought it. I tried alot of different guitars, including Martins and Taylors. It was a toss-up between the Larrivee and a Martin D28. The tone was about equal for both, but I chose the D10 because the neck felt better to me. You can see a picture of it in my "Toys".

 

[MDS]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

It is amazing how far apart people are on acoustic guitars. I don't like most Taylors...they play amazingly well for sure, and they have the bright sizzly high-end that catches everyone's attention, but they don't have the richness or character of so many other acoustics, IMO.

I love Larrivee guitars. I've owned a few and have used them in very serious performing and recording situations with great results. Very well made, great tone, and excellent playability. I think they marry together the modern bright tone of the Taylor with the traditional woodiness of a Martin to strike a great balance. I think some people love a Martin or Taylor sound and don't like Larrivees because they're different. I think the way that they are different is great. If you like one, don't let anyone talk you out of liking it...

All that said, and Taylor snubbing aside, I love acoustic guitars and think both Martin and Taylor make fine products that sound great for what they are...I'd take a Collings or Santa Cruz over all of them though!

 

[seanguynj]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

The sound of Taylors cannot be matched...
Larivees didn't sound too good to my ears... Some sounded worse than my takamine =X

 

[MDS]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

The sound of Taylors cannot be matched...
Larivees didn't sound too good to my ears... Some sounded worse than my takamine =X

Tastes vary, but if you haven't played a guitar that sounds better than a Taylor you need to play some more acoustics!

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Larrivee Guitars

msawitzke nailed it- It's worse than strat vs LP when we get into accoustics- Have a fealing we are showing our diverstity in styles on this one-

Back to the point, Larivees are on the top of my 'midrange' list- Great sounds, consistancy and variety- I also put Taylor in here and Guilds are still overlooked far more than they should be-

I think I can take the style a step farther- If you are into big midrange dreadnaught sounds, go Martin and then Taylor- They can get very big sounds and are capable of some 'intamacy'- Some Taylors can get 'intement' but it's not their strength.

I prefer jumbos and concert sizes for the clarity, response and full range- Jumbos provide a little more bass as well- If you're more into the wider range of sounds, in this price range, Larivees are top of the line-

Now if you want top of the top of the line, I'll send you a photo of my Lowden- But I was looking for a Larivee when I found it