Larrivee Necks

wguitar · #1 05-04-2023, 08:55 PM

Please help me understand Larrivee's neck radius change from compound to fixed (I believe it was 2017). What other brands/makers might the newer necks compare to? What are the old and new neck specs?

Thanks!

abn556 · #2 05-04-2023, 09:19 PM

If I am not mistaken the Larrivee now has a 16” radius all the way up. According to the site below, this is the same radius as Martin.

https://www.musicnomadcare.com/How-T...Radius-Finder/

KevinH · #3 05-04-2023, 09:53 PM

I too believe Larrivee now uses 16" radius. Taylor uses 15". Is it just the fretboard radius you're wondering about, or the neck shape as well?

Thalia has a list of neck radii here:
https://www.thaliacapos.com/pages/fr...tar-make-model

wguitar · #4 05-05-2023, 07:38 AM

Neck shape as well. How do Larrivee necks feel compared to say a Martin or Taylor? Also, With a fixed neck I presume the neck shape and specs are the same up the neck. How does this work with compound necks? Thanks!

oldrocker · #5 05-05-2023, 08:05 AM

To me the Taylor, Martin low profile performance neck, and the necks on the newer Larrivee's feel very similar. If no one else gives more specific info before then, when I get home this evening I'll mike the thickness on both Martin and Larrivee necks and post that info. I no longer own a full size Taylor so that will have to come from someone else. I know that both the Martin and Larrivee keep that same shallow profile for the full length of the neck. They do not have compound necks that get thicker as the neck approaches the guitar body.

KevinH · #6 05-05-2023, 08:28 AM

The Larrivee's I've played have a shallow C neck shape. I've measured the neck profiles on my guitars. Here is a Larrivee 00-40RW, a Martin 00-18V (Mod-V neck), and a Taylor 522ce. I've always thought of Taylor necks as low profile, but the Larrivee neck is even shallower.

np.jpg

abn556 · #7 05-05-2023, 08:31 AM

Definitely agree with the shallow C description for the new Larrivee necks. Mine feels exactly like a shallow C.

Remember that radius of the board is independent of the neck shape.

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scotchnspeed · #8 05-05-2023, 08:37 AM

Larrivee has maintained essentially the same neck shape for years, which I for one love. It is a touch flatter at the bottom as that helpful figure indicates. While I would not call Larrivee particularly slim, I find both Taylor and Martin to be girthier.

abn556 · #9 05-05-2023, 09:31 AM

Neck shape and size and attention to detail on final setup is two areas where modern acoustics have, IMO, dramatically improved over the last 5 years or so. The new Martin necks are super comfortable. The Larrivee necks are very comfortable and the Gibson necks are usually very good. A lot of the new necks - defined as the last 5-6 years - feel to me like Gibson slim taper V2 necks. This is a shallow C profile that is midway between the 59 and the skinniest of the 60s slim tapers.

On the radius of fingerboards, it helps to understand that fingerboard radii are expressed in inches that represent the size of a circle. The larger the #, the flatter the feel to your hand. The smaller the #, the more of a curve that you feel.

Some background on radii - Old Strats and Teles used a 7.25” radius which is small enough to force a compromise on action height to avoid fretting out on 2 step bends in the middle section of the board. New Fenders use a 9.5”. Gibsons use a 12”. Martin and Larrivee use a 16”.

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aK_bAsh7 · #10 05-05-2023, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wguitar

Neck shape as well. How do Larrivee necks feel compared to say a Martin or Taylor? Also, With a fixed neck I presume the neck shape and specs are the same up the neck. How does this work with compound necks? Thanks!

I played a D10 about 2 years ago and the neck carve was not slim -- definitely a medium C, so in my hand, somewhat girthier than Martin's current mod. low oval. YMMV!

Treenewt · #11 05-05-2023, 12:21 PM

I think the shoulders on a Larrivee make it feel heftier than it is in the hand. It feels considerably wider than my other guitars, even though everything I own is 1 3/4. They feel really thin front to back to me, even though the profile above shows them super close to Taylor.

martingitdave · #12 05-05-2023, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aK_bAsh7

I played a D10 about 2 years ago and the neck carve was not slim -- definitely a medium C, so in my hand, somewhat girthier than Martin's current mod. low oval. YMMV!

This comports with my experience.

Jackpocket · #13 09-15-2024, 03:33 PM

I just bought a Larrivée and I like it, but it feels like a D shaped neck…like I feel a distinct should, especially towards the nut. Is this how they all are? Is this a D? Or a c that has been flattened? The back is definitely flat, I just can’t figure out how the shoulder can be a C.

guitargeorge · #14 09-17-2024, 04:59 PM

I've owned, and sold, 3 Larrivee acoustics. Never had a problem with their neck/radius.

Now I have a Larrivee electric, and the neck seems the same as the acoustics I've owned, and I find it too thin. I like a fatter neck.

NickTuneUp · #15 09-18-2024, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitargeorge

I've owned, and sold, 3 Larrivee acoustics. Never had a problem with their neck/radius.

Now I have a Larrivee electric, and the neck seems the same as the acoustics I've owned, and I find it too thin. I like a fatter neck.

Larrivee had several complaints about the neck being too thin for the Baker-T Classic, so they changed it. Now there are three profiles available. The Fast Neck was the one that received the complaints.

-FN (Fast neck)Thickness @ 1st Fret .795"Thickness @ 12th Fret .84"Profile Slim; "C" with slight "V"

-SN (Standard neck)Thickness @ 1st Fret .825"Thickness @ 12th Fret .86"Profile: Soft Oval "D" (comes on this specific guitar)

-HN (Historic neck)Thickness @ 1st Fret .85"Thickness @ 12th Fret .934"Profile :Soft Oval "D"