Larrivee D-03 vs. Taylor 310 (sorry I know you guys hate these)

[jls24]

Hey guys,

I hate to do this to you and I know that you hate threads like this, but Im in a bind. First off Im a beginner I have a Taylor big baby (That Im selling) to step up to a full size guitar. So I want to get a quality one. Heres the thing Im a lefty, so I dont get to try anything. I can strum a few chords backwards but thats it. I can get a D-03 or a 310 at the same price. My local music shop has a righty 310 but they dont carry any Larry's. Im basing this desicions on the great reviews Ive read on the D-03.
When doing searches on forum where these guitars get mentioned the common theme is That D-03 is excellent for the money" Well what happens when you can get the 310 at the same price? I dont really care about looks I like them both. I would like to learn to strum flatpick and fingerpick. The type of music Id like to play is really everything.....

country, 80's ballads, 60's stuff, pop

I know the taylor has a bright tone but the only time I have heard a D-03 is on the clips topic on the larrivee forum.

Does anyone know where I can find some more D-03 stuff or does anyone have an opinion? Also any 310 clips would be great. I know I should let my ears decide but there isnt anyway I could hear a D-03 in person. Thanks for the help

[cpmusic]

I think either will do the trick for you, so it really does come down to a couple of things.

Tone is the biggie. To my ears, the Taylor has a brighter, crisper tone than the Larrivee.

Feel is also important. If I remember correctly, the D-03 has a 1-11/16" nut, while the 310 has a 1-3/4" nut. That may not sound like much of a difference, but it will be noticable to your fretting hand. You already know the smaller nut size, as that's what your Big Baby has. Even though you're a lefty, try just fretting some chords on the 310 and see if feels better or worse. The strings will feel weird, so just focus on the width.

One other thing: The 310 has Taylor's NT neck joint, while the D-03 has a traditional dovetail joint. Both are good and probably indistinguishable to the player, but the Taylor is more easily adjusted, should that be necessary. It may never be an issue for you, but it's something to keep in mind.

[leeplaysblues]

If this is your only guitar consider the L03. This body shape will handle both finger-style and strumming. It’s a great all rounder like the 314.

That said, I compared the 314 to the LV03 in a recent post… heres the link


http://www.larriveeforum.com/smf/index.php?topic=13835.0
http://69.41.173.82/forums/showthrea...61#post1030561

[Working Dog]

I will take a Taylor over a Larry anytime. No comparison IMHO.

[DADGADER]

You really should get to a shop where you can try a D03. Not only is the neck width different, the D03 neck is a bit thicker than the 310. The tone of either is a matter of taste and you should hear it before you buy. The D03 sound clips on the Larrivee forum are pretty accurate if that helps.
You said you're in a bind. Are you being rushed to place an order? Take the time to shop around, even if it requires driving a couple hundred miles. If you absolutely cannot get anywhere to play a D03, make sure the place you buy from has a return policy so you can trade up for something else.

[slewis]

You won't go wrong with the Larrivee, IMO. I've never seen a group of owners -- me included -- who so consistently rave about their happiness with their choice and the value in those guitars.

[Jeff M]

Larrivee.
For me.
Taylor. For some others I'm sure.

[Thrash & Burn]

As a totally unbiased person who owns neither a Larivee or a Taylor but has played both,,,,I think Taylors have a much better tone. And I agree that Larivee owners are the most vocal when praising their guits. So I was dissapointed when I finally got to play one. They are nice guitars but not the "Holy Grail" I was expecting.

[ljguitar]

Hi JLS...
We don't hate these kinds of posts - not all of us.

I think you have chosen two guitars to consider for which there are good examples out there. They are quality instruments, made by reputable companies. It would do you well to take a friend along and go have them play some guitars for you to listen to. This is a good way to hear differences in guitars made by different companies.

You will be taking a risk by ordering a guitar without playing it. If there are good guitar shops in the area - and/or a luthier - then after the guitar arrives you can take it for a checkup and a setup and they can adjust string/saddle height and get the action right for you.

Let us know what you decide, and snap some pics and post them for us to see.

[Jeff M]

Originally Posted by Thrash & Burn

As a totally unbiased person who owns neither a Larivee or a Taylor but has played both,,,,I think Taylors have a much better tone. And I agree that Larivee owners are the most vocal when praising their guits. So I was dissapointed when I finally got to play one. They are nice guitars but not the "Holy Grail" I was expecting.

I also am a "totally unbiased" person who has owned both a Taylor (814CE) and a Larrivee (OM3 and Parlor).....and think that Larrivees have a much better tone.
Really.

Tone is THE feature of a guitar which EVERYBODY has different preferences for.

The "Taylor Tone", to me, is unbalanced. Highs that at first...for a few days or so....are nice and crisp and clean...until the lack of balance in the mids and lows begins to grate and make that tone sound harsh and metallic. You just end up craving a nice "oomph".
I suspect that the reason Taylor "revoiced" their line of guitars a few years ago was that they were hearing the same complaint from lots of folks. The result was a BIT of an imporvement in overall balancce...but minimal to my ears.
I traded my 814CE in for a nice Lowden O25. Ahhhhh..."lap piano".

Larrivees have that balance I like in a guiatar. A bit of a drier sound. There are actually some mids and lows there.

Now don't get me wrong here.
In terms of unifom quality of build, uniformity of tone, customer service I think Taylor is one of the premier (if not THE premier) large builder around...but ......that's like saying that the Olive Garden is the premier large chain Italian restaurant. That's great, but lots of folks don't like Italian food. (Well, bad example...but you get the idea )

No. When it comes to guitar recommendations, realize that you are entering the realm of "bias". Everybody has their likes and dislikes.
The stronger they recommend a cerain builder, the more likely they are influenced BY those biases.
Most folks who understand guitars and how much bias is a factor in what folks like tend to gently guide you to play as many as you can to find out what your preferences are, rather feed you theirs.
Thats one reason why, as you referrenced in your initial post, lots of folks seem to no like these kind of threads. Chevy vs. Ford. PC vs. Mac.

[DADGADER]

[Tony Burns]

i know you dont want to hear this - but its your money my friend - Im not crazy about the D-03 Larry - thou i like larrys alot better as a whole than taylors- but in this contest Id pick the Taylor - but as I said your the one who has to be happy , if it was me Id keep the Taylor and save my money for a higher model Larry.

[ace1979]

see if you can find a shop that has both so you can compare, as they are very different animals. I had a Taylor 310 for a few years, and it was a very solid, easily playable guitar, that was also very durable....but after awhile the tone just kind of boring (not that I think taylors are boring, just giving my input)...recently I got a Larrivee D03WL and really have liked it so far, more character to the sound, bigger sound, and personally I like the appointments better with the maple binding and all, but this is just my opinion after a week...I would say your best bet is to really try to compare them to eachother and have somebody else play them for you as well so you can hear the difference...good luck!

[jls24]

Well guys, I appreciate all of the thoughts and suggestions. I knew it would be a toss up. I was leaning towards Taylor b/c I have heard it before except not the (Revoiced) ones. The Reason why I was in a rush it b/c The Taylor 310 was an ebay auction (I know its not the greatest of ideas, but The seller seemed reputible and honest) I emailed him and he gave me the serial number and it was made in May of 06 so it is a revoiced one. I WON THE AUCTION. And in my opinion I got an Absolute steal! Tell me what you guys think........

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3296&rd=1&rd=1

[DADGADER]

There are risks with sight unseen guitars but I think you got a good deal. He says it was already set up so it should be good to go. Hope the guitar is a good fit for your hands and ears too!

Mark