The Larrivee Sound

[mageñtto]

I'm wondering how you all would describe the Larrivee sound? I just picked up an OM-03R Rosewood Vine and I've gotta say, it is one of the nicest instruments I've ever played. I've had it for about a month now, and it seems to be opening up more and more every day. It definitely has a distinct sound. I'm hearing an almost chorus-like shimmer to the amazingly long sustain, dreamy harmonic overtones, & a very balanced EQ and balanced string-to-string projection. Quite different than the scooped mids of the mostly dreadnoughts I've owned/played throughout my life. It's got a mid-to-low growl which I really dig as well.

Anyhow, I'd love to hear others' thoughts / comments on the matter.

Cheers!

[Ugly Dougling]

My Larrivee may ("may", I say) have the best sound of all my guitars. Mine is quite a different instrument from yours - mahogany back/sides, 12 frets to body which gives magnificent resonance - but they all seem to have a very clean, bright sound that for my money is more musical and less clinical than Taylor. I am still not sure about the neck; it's a bit wider than my others, and I have a preference for a slightly shorter (24.9") scale. But when I play it for a while I adjust and forget all about that and fall in love with the sound.

A lot of what you're describing, though, might come from an OM/OOO/OO body compared to your dreadnoughts. A lot of us came up just automatically choosing dreads - a "big boy" guitar. Most of our idols carried them on stage and we certainly didn't struggle to be heard playing with others. I also think that mid-scoop left a nice space for our vocals. If those things have become less important I think the even musicality of smaller bodies starts to grow on you. Most retailers agree that the trend is moving away from the dreads. I only have one left.

[Teherie]

My Larrivees include a flamed maple parlor, an all mahogany custom 12 string (LV03) and a Moonwood spruce/American walnut (LSV03). All three are easy to play and each has a distinct tone in part because of the wood choices and body shapes. I use D’Addario lights on the parlor and 12 string and recently put a set of Martin Retros on the LSV which really opened it up.

I have a Martin Dread and OM along with a custom 12 fret 000 (3 piece mahogany back and sides). Both trios are significantly different and well worth the search.

[FingahPickah]

My adult son has had a Canadian made OM-03 (Sitka/Mahogany) for a while. It's what drew my attention to Larrivee.

In 2020, I bought a USA Larrivee 000-40 (12 fret Sitka/Mahogany). https://www.larrivee.com/products/000-40-legacy-series.

It absolutely has it's own voice; crisp and articulate, woody balance with the warmth, projection, volume and sustain of a larger bodied guitar. The whole body resonates. The back and sides vibrate.

I'd describe the neck shape as a bit of a Martin/Taylor blend with a 1.75" nut. I love it.

I have dreads (Maple, EIR, Mahogany, Black Walnut), a Maple jumbo, an EIR OM and a Sapele Grand Concert. To me, my Larrivee shares characteristics of all of them.

[SpruceTop]

Larrivee guitars have a nice clarity to their tone and I've become an aficionado over the last several years, and I hope they maintain an almost boutique mystique. For about $2250 USD it doesn't get any better than this case in point: The Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass JCL Special is a banjo killer with clarity and dynamics! Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass JCL Special Review

[guitararmy]

I have two Larry rosewood/spruce dreads, a D09 and a D03R, both bought used.
To my ears the D09 has a balanced sound, but nothing really exciting.
The D03R, however, has a midrange presence and a round bass that I really like, with a nice top end that has less of that Taylor shimmer.
So which one is the more typical Larrivee sound? I guess I should try to play more Larrivee’s and see!

[Tenn]

Larrivee has 2 basic bracing patterns. While I cannot describe them accurately, generally they fall into these categories

1. Models with zero in front of a number- 03, 05, 09 etc

2. Models with a number in front of a zero-40,50 and 60

The number 2 style are more Martinesque in bracing pattern and produce a tone I like better for what I play-flatpicker. I would say the guitars in the 2 category are a bit more balanced than Martins(good bass but not boomy or woofy) with nice treble clarity and a similar dryness in the mid range.

Great guitars.

[j3ffr0]

balanced, full, with a certain sweetness

[TBman]

I had a Larrivee OM-05. It had a very nice tone, but it just left me a little short in the sustain category. Great fit and finish. It was my first guitar with wood binding and now everything I buy has to have it.

One of my guitar heros, Stephen Wake, uses an OM-03, btw.


Edit
My OM-05 is still available at the Guitar Center in Paramus NJ, BTW.

[Treenewt]

OM-03 owner here. If I could only have one, it would be her. Balance is the word. It does everything I need and does it all well. Love the fit and finish, love the tone.

There is a quality I can only describe like this: when I play a G chord and hammer on the second fret of the G string, the warmth that “A” has is what I love about Larrivee. Every one I’ve owned has it. Just wonderfully made and sounding guitars.

[Wepeel]

Originally Posted by mageñtto

I'm hearing an almost chorus-like shimmer to the amazingly long sustain, dreamy harmonic overtones, & a very balanced EQ and balanced string-to-string projection.

I agree with this description. I have an OM-09 which is structurally very close to yours and should sound similar. It's an amazing guitar, probably my favorite.

Originally Posted by Ugly Dougling

...but they all seem to have a very clean, bright sound that for my money is more musical and less clinical than Taylor. I am still not sure about the neck; it's a bit wider than my others..

I've described it this way too. I like Martins, not so much Taylors, but I love my Larrivee - it has as much bass as my Martin but with more brightness, clarity, control, and texture.

The neck does feel wider than my other 1.75" nut guitars, even though it has the same nut width.

I did have a Larrivee 00 that I wasn't as fond of. Somehow the Larrivee voice translates perfectly to the OM size though (for me).

[Rockysdad]

Larrivée's are the guitars that I seemed to have acquired the most of, mostly L bodies, one LS, one OM.

Sitka, Moonwood, tops and Mahogany, Black Walnut, Flamed Maple, and Rosewood backs.

They all sound different tone wise, have great sustain, are a joy for me to play.

[fretfile100]

While I find my Goodalls the loudest guitars in my stable , I play my Larrivee LS-09 the most because of its neck profile. My DS60 was close in sound to my Bourgeois D260 , but it was considerably cheaper so I sold the Bourgeois. I should mention that I had a Martin D28S 1931 reissue that had wonderful tone but terrible workmanship. I sold it after 2 issues with the binding. Larrivees are greatly undervalued.

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Larrivee guitars have a nice clarity to their tone and I've become an aficionado over the last several years, and I hope they maintain an almost boutique mystique. For about $2250 USD it doesn't get any better than this case in point: The Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass JCL Special is a banjo killer with clarity and dynamics! Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass JCL Special Review

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As an owner of Three Larrivee D40's, I have to say your BlueGrass model is by far the prettiest I have seen.

The JCL inlaid emblem on the 12th fret...is just perfect. Just a little bit of bling that adds a lot of excitement. I have loved many of Larrivees inlays...but this particular one is just right. The size adds a central balance to the aesthetics of the guitar.

Got huge GAS now thanks to you!

Is the nut width on the bluegrass model 1 & 11/16th?

[redwards]

Sound is hard to describe and very subjective of course, but to me my sitka/mahogany Larrivee OM has a refined, almost regal tone. The downside is it can sometimes sound a little too polite depending on my mood, but I wouldn't be without it.