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  #1  
Old 07-22-2013, 08:48 PM
Otis11 Otis11 is offline
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Thumbs up Tell me about your Larrivee Parlor

Loving the sweetness and playability of short scale and smaller bodied guitars lately. I'm loving my Pono parlor in particular. Looking for something a bit higher end.

The SC Firefly is supposed to be amazing, but I can't find any on the used market, and new is a bit more than I was to spend.

I've read great things about Larrivee parlors, and the one experience I had with a Larrivee dread left me really impressed with the maker on the whole. The P09 looks like a beauty, and I've got a bead on a couple of them on eBay. Curious to hear views from Larrivee parlor owners on how they like them?

Thanks,
Otis
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Old 07-22-2013, 08:57 PM
picassov7 picassov7 is offline
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I had a Larry P-09 Lacewood that was beautiful and had a sweet little tone. I got it to use as my travel guitar on an impulse thinking that I could come to love the small body and thinner neck because it sounded so nice. However, I soon learned that the ergonomics of it just were not for me, so I passed it on and got me a Voyage Air.

If you have played Larrivees and like the neck profile and have played parlors and like the small bodies then I would highly recommend the Larrivee Parlor lineup. Happy hunting.
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Old 07-22-2013, 09:07 PM
bohemian bohemian is offline
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One of only 2 or 3 guitars I have ever returned. Mine was an early one .. all flamed koa and represented as 1 3/4 nut.. which it was not.. it was 1 11/16ths. Aside from NNS ( narrow nut syndrome) boxy muffled tone and the action so high as to be nearly unplayable. I would hope they have improved.
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Old 07-22-2013, 09:09 PM
Otis11 Otis11 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bohemian View Post
One of only 2 or 3 guitars I have ever returned. Mine was an early one .. all flamed koa and represented as 1 3/4 nut.. which it was not.. it was 1 11/16ths. Aside from NNS ( narrow nut syndrome) boxy muffled tone and the action so high as to be nearly unplayable. I would hope they have improved.
Yikes. This sounds bad.
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Old 07-22-2013, 09:46 PM
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Jim Owen Jim Owen is offline
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Hi Otis,
I have a spruce over Koa that I have had for over 10 years. I used to travel a lot--often for extended periods. So there were months that it was the only guitar I had.

It's been a trouper for me, very nicely made, a sweet tone and a nice player. Nothing fancy. Just a fine little guitar.
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Old 07-22-2013, 09:56 PM
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Larry Pattis Larry Pattis is offline
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I currently have 3 PV-09 guitars. Two were picked-up 5-1/2 years ago (or was it 6?), and they essentially saved my life...for playing guitar.

They are nearly the perfect guitar for me, ergonomically, and in dealing with some challenging health issues.

As new, well, they were a bit tight and a bit boxy. I simply could not use them for my 2008 recording of my last CD, "What Tomorrow Brings"...the tone was not there. I ended up using a fabulous double-top parlor built by Paul Woolson.

In the subsequent years, however, the PV-09s have opened up very (very!) nicely, and I have several YouTube videos using one or the other.

Here is a link to one piece, titled "Hands of Time". This will eventually lead you to my channel, with other videos using the PV-09, and also a handcrafted OM sized guitar (with the same 24" scale as the PV-09) built by Simon Fay.

I also have a much newer PV-09 that I am having hot-rodded with local super-repair-tech, Dennis Berck. I'm having a 3/16" wide saddle slot created, giving a wider area for compensation. This will also insure less saddle-tilt, and give a better "bed" (the wider slot) for the Highlander IP-1 UST that I love so well. Dennis is doing some other work, but I won't go into that now. As new, this guitar has more presence than the older two PV-09s had when they were new, and so I am hoping for an even more special tone as it matures...assuming I can continue playing.

I'm a parlor-guitar-man for life.
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Old 07-22-2013, 11:14 PM
dneal dneal is offline
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I love the small body and short scale. It is ridiculously comfortable and the perfect "couch guitar". I've always been a fan of Larrivee's neck profile, and the parlor is no exception. They have had 1 3/4" nuts for a while, but things could still get a little tight for some people (due to the short scale).

Mine (and every Larrivee I've seen in the last 10 years or so) comes with the nut slots cut a little high, which makes them a little hard to play. That's nothing a setup won't fix, and once you get it dialed in it's effortless even with medium strings. Larrivee uses pretty fat frets, which I prefer.

The trebles ring and the mids are sweet, although the bass is a little thin. The mids are a little dominant, creating a "boxy" tone that seems to vary across individual examples. I had the braces in mine worked over by a luthier, and it's now louder and more full... but there's only so much air volume in the body and the boxiness is still there somewhat.

For the price of an 03 series (particularly the "customs" with the alpine spruce), it's hard to go wrong... but play one first or make sure there's a return policy.
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Old 07-22-2013, 11:49 PM
JohnnyDes JohnnyDes is offline
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I've had my P-05 Italian Spruce for two months now and I'm completely enamored. Wonderful tone, not boxy to me. With the 24" scale, mediums are best, and with them there is no boxiness. Rather a very refined, rich tone. FWIW, the mediums on 24" scale are only very slightly higher tension than lights on a 25.5" scale. Funny thing is they feel easier because the wider gauges feel nicer on the fingers.

I find it very difficult to enjoy my Martins when the parlor is sooo comfortable. I'm 6'1" tall with long hands and I simply love the 24" scale.

I keep thinking about adding a second for other tunings. Do check out Wildwood music, they have a bunch of one-off customs including some sweet looking parlors.

I have played some Larrivee parlors that sounded boxy to me. I suspect that some may be, or they haven't opened up yet, or they had lights on them.

The hardest part of your questing is that it is difficult to find the parlors in stock anywhere. If I were you I'd go ahead and buy a used one with the idea that you can resell with little/no loss on resale.

JD
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Old 07-23-2013, 12:40 AM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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My parlor is one of the first 200 made.

Larrivee's parlor was designed by Matt Larrivee with some input from Wade Hampton Miller and some other folks over on R.M.M.G.A. (that's usenet for you youngsters)

The first parlors had a 1 11/16" nut which was a bit cramped, so Matt upped it to 1 3/4" on subsequent runs.

Mine has been played enough to get a good collection of dings over the years, and a decent chunk of material is missing from the upper bout. (no idea how that happened) The newer models have body binding (a major improvement IMHO)

They are very responsive little boxes. They originally shipped with lights, but Larrivee now ships with Mediums. I really prefer lights unless using a flatpick. When I've tried mediums it really kills the sound.
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Old 07-23-2013, 05:43 AM
Otis11 Otis11 is offline
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Thanks all. Great info so far.

Wish I could play one in person -- the repeated "boxy" comments are a little concerning. Also the fact that the nut slots are cut high and it's hard to play -- I would have expected these to be a breeze right out of the factory. But as noted above, a good setup should cure all.

I wonder if anyone has AB'd with a Pono parlor, as it's pretty much the only frame of reference I have on a parlor guitar.
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Old 07-23-2013, 07:03 AM
Rosewood99 Rosewood99 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Otis11 View Post

I wonder if anyone has AB'd with a Pono parlor, as it's pretty much the only frame of reference I have on a parlor guitar.
This isn't an A/B test, but two years ago I purchased a Larrivee Parlor (forgot the model) but ended up selling it. It was boxy, and not comfortable to play. I now have a Pono which I like much better.
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Old 07-23-2013, 07:44 AM
dneal dneal is offline
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Quote:
I'm loving my Pono parlor in particular. Looking for something a bit higher end
Quote:
I wonder if anyone has AB'd with a Pono parlor, as it's pretty much the only frame of reference I have on a parlor guitar.
"Parlor" means a lot of things. A Bourgeois piccalo is nothing like a Goodall parlor, in size or tone. Both are amazing in their own ways.

What is it you like about the Pono, and what is it you find lacking (or whatever it is that makes you want something "higher end")? What kind of budget are you at?

Is it the short scale and small body? Are you wanting more bass?

There's the Firefly, PJ or Collings Baby as examples of other little guitars. They're anywhere from $2-4k. Would you be happy with an 0 or 00? My Froggy Parlor is every bit as big as my Collings 00, which are still small guitars.
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Old 07-23-2013, 08:10 AM
Otis11 Otis11 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dneal View Post
"Parlor" means a lot of things. A Bourgeois piccalo is nothing like a Goodall parlor, in size or tone. Both are amazing in their own ways.

What is it you like about the Pono, and what is it you find lacking (or whatever it is that makes you want something "higher end")? What kind of budget are you at?

Is it the short scale and small body? Are you wanting more bass?

There's the Firefly, PJ or Collings Baby as examples of other little guitars. They're anywhere from $2-4k. Would you be happy with an 0 or 00? My Froggy Parlor is every bit as big as my Collings 00, which are still small guitars.
Really nothing I DISlike about my Pono, to be honest. I just sold off a guitar with the expectation of taking the money and spending to add another little guitar. It's not a "need," and there's nothing really lacking about the Pono, just looking for some variety.

Yes, it's the short scale and small body that I love about it. So playable, so sweet sounding for some flatpicking and finger picking both, and great for the kind of jazz chord melody / blues type music I enjoy playing.

I've looked at the 1929 0 as well -- you may be right that a 00 short scale would still fit the bill for me. I just know the Pono hits the sweet spot in terms of size and playability, so I'm looking for another take on that form factor (maybe something with some rosewood, that has even a little more low end warmth, though the Pono is no slouch in that department...that's why the P09 intrigued me given the rosewood, price point, etc.)
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:24 AM
sayheyjeff sayheyjeff is offline
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Had my Larrivee parlor about 4-5 years now. It has been a great guitar for me. Couldn't recommend more highly. I like the sound - particularly with the maple back and sides. The added brightness is just right for my ears and taste. I play rags and fiddle tunes on it using a flatpick. I take it everywhere, but it isnt just a travel guitar. The c shaped Larrivee neck is comfortable for me. While the action is really good, that is something I don't get overly concerned about. I just take the guitar to Todd Stock and he sets the action just the way I like it. Don't know how many parlor guitars I would want. Do like small guitars and the Larrivee and my 00 have me covered and happy. If you have the chance to try a Larrivee parlor, I think its worth trying. If you are in my neck of the woods, try mine.

jeff
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:27 AM
dneal dneal is offline
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I'd love a guitar that felt like the P03 and sounded like the Froggy.

I wish I could test-drive this guitar.
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