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Old 02-14-2018, 08:06 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Pittsburgh suburbs
Posts: 8,309
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My 2006 Larrivee OM-03R. For various reasons:

1: it was a gift. That makes it instantly precious. At the time IIRC the street price was $850-$925.

2: it was EXACTLY what I wanted after falling in love with a "seasoned" (NOS) demo in a store that subsequently closed.

3: I got a GREAT deal on a K&K Pure Western mini with accompanying K&K Pure XLR Preamp ($150 all told) and installed it myself, just as I did the bone saddle from Bob Colosi.

5: it is built like a tank. I've played it so much over the years that it annoys my family and brought my husbanding/parenting priorities into question during a couple of particularly "impactful" displays of frustration. Thankfully, it takes rough handling very well - and rosewood is very easy wood to work with with regards to repairs. The use of laminated birch plywood as a tail block is also ingenious - not to mention that Larrivee uses an oversized tail pin which removes the hardest step for adding an endpin jack when installing a pickup.

My only gripe is that the Larrivee flat top case is built along the lines of Martin's 300 series cases which are not the best and wear too easily. I've countered by adding several redundant means of humidification in the case and storing it in my basement behind locked doors!

6: in addition to the laminated birch tail block with oversized end pin hole, the heavy construction is also beneficial for conversion to an electric/acoustic. Unplugged, it breaks up when played hard but plugged in the smallish size (when compared to a dreadnought) and the symmetrical bracing make it very easy to adjust the plugged in tone with preamp EQ settings.

I have used this guitar in its current configuration for the past 10 years in a church praise band hooked up to a 40W Fender Hot Rod Deluxe electric guitar tube amp (single 10" cone) and the K&K PWM gives it plenty of bass that it otherwise lacks unplugged. Conversely, the guitar is comfortable enough to play on my couch at varying volumes and techniques and IMO balances my voice without having to strain. Ten years of playing it has also allowed its unplugged voice to mature as well.
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023)