larrivee OM-40 vs OM-40R

Linde · #1 04-21-2016, 03:54 AM

Unfortunately, I have not the possibility to play on the guitars as there are no dealers near my residence, so the new guitar must be purchased online.

Which of the two would you recommend. Have heard them online and thought OM-40 sounds a little bit more muddy than the OM-40R.

Do not dare to completely rely on the sampled audio I have heard so have you heard them and can give your opinion I will be very grateful.

Thanks!

rokdog49 · #2 04-21-2016, 06:35 AM

Contact Don or Marty at Wildwood Music and ask them their opinion.
Open today at noon.

740-622-4224

Muffinhead · #3 04-21-2016, 06:42 AM

I have the OM-40R and I love it. It is warm and woody with excellent tone and sustain and beautiful overtones that do not overwhelm. But that is my own personal preference.

Either way you will be getting an excellent, world class guitar that is well built with fit and finish second to none and tone worthy of a guitar costing 2-3X as much.

There is a Larrivee forum on the web where you can also get some opinions from. Many AGF members are also Larrivee Forum members.

BTW, welcome to the AGF forum. I am sure you will like it here.

Woodstock School Of Music · #4 04-21-2016, 07:41 AM

I can't imagine a OM-40 being muddy

Shoreline Music · #5 04-21-2016, 07:53 AM

Both are excellent (and our bestselling guitars of 2015). I tend to prefer the mahogany, but among our customers who play them both in the shop, it's an even split between that and the rosewood. The good news is, you can't go wrong

Lacks Focus · #6 04-21-2016, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shoreline Music

Both are excellent (and our bestselling guitars of 2015). I tend to prefer the mahogany, but among our customers who play them both in the shop, it's an even split between that and the rosewood. The good news is, you can't go wrong

I would agree, if the 40 series brings the same qualities to the OM as it has to the D. I absolutely love my D-40R. If I didn't already have my M-38, I'd probably be looking into one of the OM-40Rs (I know they're not the same size and shape, but for my purposes they're close enough).

JohnCambo · #7 04-21-2016, 08:08 AM

I played them back to back a couple of weeks ago and while similar, I preferred the rosewood, that's just my opinion.

I found the mahogany is crisper with more mids and the rosewood to have more bass and overtones, slightly scooped but not really.

ewalling · #8 04-21-2016, 08:10 AM

For the OP, I'm just curious - what attracted you to the 40 series as opposed to the original 03s, 05s, and 09s?

Dru Edwards · #9 04-21-2016, 08:58 AM

Hi Linde, Welcome to the AGF. I'm surprised that the mahogany sounded a little muddy but that could be due to strings or the recording chain. It's a difficult decision to make and I've only played the OM-40 (or was it the D-40) so I was unable to compare the two.

I like the way Shoreline Music put it (and they're an AGF Sponsor too):

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shoreline Music

Both are excellent (and our bestselling guitars of 2015). I tend to prefer the mahogany, but among our customers who play them both in the shop, it's an even split between that and the rosewood. The good news is, you can't go wrong

<<snippet videos>>

TheJackal · #10 04-21-2016, 09:01 AM

If it were me, I'd grab the OM-40 with the Austrian Spruce top at Shoreline Music. I have that model that I bought at Gruhn. It's outstanding. Plenty of clarity, tone, and range.

AcousticDreams · #11 04-21-2016, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJackal

If it were me, I'd grab the OM-40 with the Austrian Spruce top at Shoreline Music. I have that model that I bought at Gruhn. It's outstanding. Plenty of clarity, tone, and range.

I would like to second the Austrian-Moonwood spruce for the Larrivee...it is a couple of hundred dollars more....but the sound difference is sparkling. Helped a friend get one...we played two of these...and they are magnificent. The Moonwood adds a bit more dimension to the sound and really cuts through.

Mycroft · #12 04-21-2016, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linde

Unfortunately, I have not the possibility to play on the guitars as there are no dealers near my residence, so the new guitar must be purchased online.

Which of the two would you recommend. Have heard them online and thought OM-40 sounds a little bit more muddy than the OM-40R.

Do not dare to completely rely on the sampled audio I have heard so have you heard them and can give your opinion I will be very grateful.

Thanks!

Do you have a preference for Mahogany or Rosewood backed guitars?

Petty1818 · #13 04-21-2016, 03:22 PM

I have luckily had a chance to try both OM-40 and D-40 models so I will try to share my thoughts. The downside is that this was over eight months ago. For some reason Canadian dealers in my area never have the 40 models in stock. For such an iconic Canadian builder, it's a bit disappointing. I see them pop up used on kijiji though so someone must be selling them.

Anyway, I am not a big Mahogany guy, except for what it does on a Gibson J-45 or Martin D-18. I just find that in most cases it's a bit too bright for my tastes. However, I preferred it on both the D-40 and OM-40. It seemed to add a bit of clarity to both models, which helped them to project more. The notes also seemed to pop a bit more. With that said, all four guitars I tried had older strings so I might think differently with a set of new strings. I would love to try them a bit more though and see if they are for me. They could be great stage guitars.

The only things I dislike about the 40 models is the narrow nut width for the dreadnought versions, the satin finish and the fact that they don't project as well as I had hoped. You kind of need to dig in to get the notes to pop. However, this seems to be a Larrivee thing in general. I also found the action to be a bit high but that's easily fixed.

Rogerblair · #14 04-21-2016, 07:02 PM

I have the OM40, and highly recommend it. Jean Larrivee works MAGIC with mahogany. Pretty incredible guitars at a very reasonable price point. The new bracing pattern is a winner.

Roger

Lacks Focus · #15 04-22-2016, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

The only things I dislike about the 40 models is the narrow nut width for the dreadnought versions, the satin finish and the fact that they don't project as well as I had hoped. You kind of need to dig in to get the notes to pop. However, this seems to be a Larrivee thing in general. I also found the action to be a bit high but that's easily fixed.

I've run across one D-40R that was that way. The three others I've played (including my own) were just the opposite - some of the "liveliest" guitars I've ever played, and very responsive. I'm not questioning your experience, because, as I said, I've seen that myself, but only in the minority of the small sample I've tried.