'Baby' Larrivee is superb

Subject: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Nov 99 - 06:45 PM

I had an opportunity to do a short "test drive" on the new Larrivee "travel guitar" this afternoon, at the Twelfth Fret here in Toronto. It's really quite amazing. It has a full rich "big" guitar sound, but is virtually the same size as the Baby Taylor (perhaps a half inch longer). This company obviously knows that there's a market for these things, but has taken a long time to get into it. The good thing (for them) is that folks will be able to try it out already knowing what the competition looks and sounds like. It was strung (proper tuning) quite lightly and probably would sound even better with a heavier set of strings. My only complaint is that the intonation is a hair (and I mean a hair ) sharp on the bass string at the twelfth fret. Now considering that I've had the saddle split on virtually EVERY good guitar I've owned, this might be more a reflection on my tuning finikiness than the guitar itself. The design is great and it was fun to play. It would appear to cost about 570 Canadian.(don't know what that would be in Yankee bucks)
Big problem is I don't think I could sneak it by Heather who thinks I have enough guitars as it is!

Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Nov 99 - 06:55 PM

Great comments, Rick! I too was amazed when I saw this thing for the first time. I wrote to Larrivee at their website and told them I was impressed and I got a personal note back from one of the luthiers. He thanked me for the feedback and said that he appreciated how people 'out there in guitarland' feel about the instruments they create. He went to say, exactly as you have indicated, that they spent a lot of time and effort to develop a fine guitar and were pleased to hear that at least I thought they had done so.

Maybe you can convince Heather that the Baby Larrivee is small enough to fit in your Christmas stocking!

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Nov 99 - 11:06 PM

Thanks Liam, but I have enough trouble convincing her why I don't SELL at least 2 or 3 of the 24 instruments now hanging on my studio wall!
Interesting though. The note to you, and the appearance of Mathew Larrivee in the "travel guitar" thread, tells me that even though they're not a tiny operation anymore, they still care what we think.
It comes with a gig bag, but I'm not sure what you do if you want a hardshell. Or perhaps that's not the point with a travel guitar.
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Nov 99 - 11:29 PM

I was likewise impressed that Matthew took the time to read through the thread, and respond. Actually, I have written once before to the addr posted on their website, and Matthew responded. This was when I was asking their advice on preparation of my guitar to Boston from Dallas via commercial air. He actually took the time to write personally.

If you get a chance, you might check out their video on the web - it'll take a while to download, but it shows the guitar making process at Larrivee. I thought it was a good film.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: MichaelM
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 01:41 PM

I also got a chance to drive the same Baby Larrivee that Rick did and liked it enough to buy it. Being in the midst of guitar consolidation I took my Baby Taylor and my Tacoma Papoose in to play against the Larrivee. It made toothpicks out of both of them. I was particularily surprised by the gap between the Taylor and Larrivee. The Larrivee sounded like a real guitar despite being maybe 10% bigger in overall dimensions. BTW I do not work for Larrivee or any guitar store. This is the first Larrivee I have ever bought although I have played a number of them, both old and new. I hadn't heard a Larrivee that was this much ahead of the pack especially in this price range. The only one I haven't played is the Baby Collings and it is in the 3,500+ Can range.

Michael

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 02:15 PM

Congratulations Michael - you may be the very first Mudcatter with a baby Larrivee, but I gotta feeling, there'll be a few more pretty soon!

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: --seed
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 04:27 PM

I compared Baby Taylors and the Larivée travel guitar--two of each--at the guitar center in El Cerrito (near Berkeley): My tone memory isn't fantastic and there is always a bit of seperation between them involved in putting one down and picking up and positioning the other, but--despite the fact that it looks a bit less serious--I prefer the Taylor, which I think has a nicer neck while the Larivée has a marginally better tone, comprimised by the rattle I got from the bass strings because of the inferior setup. The Larivée with a good set-up job may come close to the Taylor without one--except I like the feel of the Taylor neck exclusive of the strings (as well as with them as factory prepared). I had the action lowered on my own BT and I wouldn't part with it. Anybody want my Martin? (Mike, I couldn't in good conscience make that swap--your Vega is worth at least a thou more than my Martin.)

Mick, ya gonna join me in defending the Taylor's honor?

--seed

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 12:16 AM

Now I heard Michael say that "I don't work in a music store", but I can tell you my friends that he'd LOVE to! The only problem would be that then he couldn't afford to indulge his perfectly wonderful (in my book) habit. One of my secret ambitions (and I'm not joking) is to be a "pitchman" in a mall or a fair, selling vegematics or that "only on tv stuff". Now the funny thing is that had I actually done that years ago I WOULD be rich! I know it would have been more fun than singing in bars.
I played the Larrive and Taylor next to each other for a half hour and there just wasn't any comparison as far as sound goes. Now seed has a valid point about set ups. It can make all the difference in the world with the sound of the instrument. Now just to throw another monkey wrench into the debate, the very small Seagull is a close second in sound to the Baby Larrivee, but the best I've ever heard was the Martin "Songwriter". Can't remember the model number, but I have an old album with Conway Twitty playing one on the cover, and it was in a catalogue I had from about 20 years ago. I played one and it sounded excellent and cost virtually the same as a D-28. Gibson also made a very small sunburst guitar that I owned (George Hamilton the fourth had one, ditto Marty Robbins. Sounded okay, but it was SMALL!
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 12:30 AM

As the thread creeps...........

Marty Robbins had a veritable boatload of wee-tiny bodied guitars. Every performance seemed like he had a different one. In his earlier years he had played some of the big fancy electrics which were all the thing in Nashville for awhile and I also saw some clips with a D Martin. But when he went to the dwarf things he had a ton of them. Typical of Nashville stars to have a lot of guitars in those years especially....but to finally get to the question........What others do you remember and why did he go to the little jobs? The way he held them? Was that "staging" or could he hear somehow better or what?

Just curious.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 12:33 AM

Ten to one it was "staging" Paw. Remember Tom T Hall's style?
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 12:47 AM

Yeah, you're right. I always had the feeling it was part of the image. But gawd knows he had one! I was living in Nashville when he died and it was like----Geeziz I don't know what it was like...unbelievable!!! I had the feeling that all the flags were at half mast. During the "death watch" there were news reports all the time breaking into every show.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: alison
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 10:54 PM

Is there a specific model number/ name for this? Or is it just a Baby Larrivee? I'm still looking for a baby guitar, but I reckon they could be hard to find over here...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 11:03 PM

alison - Larrivee calls it their Parlor guitar. They have a distributor in Sydney, I found this name and addr at the Larrive website:

Transit Music
576A Harris Street Ultimo
2007 Sydney NSW
Australia
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: alison
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 11:45 PM

thanks Liam.. I'll check it out

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 05 Dec 99 - 12:55 AM

You'll love it Alison. Let us know.
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Bob Haight
Date: 05 Dec 99 - 04:33 PM

Has anyone tried a Baby Taylor or Larivee or any decent travel sized guitar in "Nashville tuning" with octave strings on EAD? For some reason, I've been thinking about setting up a Nashville guitar and thought perhaps the baby sizes would work well. The bridge would have to be recompensated, of course...

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 09:07 AM

Bob - fogive my ignorance; what is Nashville tuning?

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Easy Rider
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 10:40 AM

I played a "baby" Collings, at Mandolin Bros. Saturday. It was Rosewood and Spruce, with a 14 fret, 23" scale neck, and it sounded and played beeuuuuteeefulll! Really.

It was also $2,600.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 11:26 AM

Larrivee's parlor guitar sounds and plays beautifully for about $350.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: MichaelM
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 12:16 PM

Nashville tuning (aka high-strung)is a stringing of the guitar which replaces the wound strings EADG with strings tuned an octave higher. The easiest way to picture this is to imagine a twelve string guitar with the lower-tuned string of the pairs taken off (this is actually a cheap way of trying Nashville tuning i.e. buy a set of twelve strings put the regular strings on your regualr guitar and the octave/spare strings on your high strung).

Michael

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 12:29 PM

Liam, the studios guys in Nashville used it to "thicken" a rhythm track.
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 02:00 PM

hmmm, sounds pretty interesting. Could I try it with an old guitar? Are there major implications with the bridge and nut? Or could I get an idea just by restringing?

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 22 Dec 99 - 05:57 PM

Well, as luck woudl have it, I just happened to be along with Santa during her final Christmas preparations ... so she asked me to be sure I picked out the best Baby Larrivee from the guitar store's inventory. Since I knew it would be the last time I played it 'til after Christmas, I took a very careful look/listen to both instruments they had in stock - just to make sure I made the correct choice, mind you ... not to play it for as long as possible. It seems Santa has been very thoughtful indeed, this year!

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Dec 99 - 06:41 PM

Lucky you!
By the way "Nashville tuning" shouldn't involve any other adjustments. Just string it up!
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From:
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 07:02 AM

I just read a posting on RMMGA about the Larivee Parlor. The guy said that in its case it is smaller than a SoloEtte in its case, which is considered by some the best travel guitar. I'm impressed.

Murray

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 08:43 AM

What is RMMGA?

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 09:00 AM

Dear liam,

I notice you have a choice of 2 Baby Larrivees. Purchase both! Take your time and choose the one you want. You may not be aware that Larrivee has a new return policy on all their instruments. This info is not as yet on their website, so I'll pass it along to all of you.

Larrivee will take back any instrument that is not to your complete satisfaction at a central return center. Simply ship your unwanted Parlor model (shipping charges may be C.O.D.) to the Larrivee Central Return Center. This is true for ALL models as well. Perhaps someone of you has an LS-09 that isn't quite right, maybe one with the "Rose Lady" peghead inlay. Send it to the center located at 411 Purvis Ave., Bremen, Ohio, 43107. Nothing could be easier!

Happy to pass along the info.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 10:56 AM

Now THAT's the "Spaw humour" that helped me make the decision to become a mudcatter.
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 11:12 AM

I do love that wacky shithead.

Rick, do you ever consider the effect you have on folks????????I have this lovely Baby Taylor that I bought for my wee girl (sure, Mick, it's your story, tell it any way you want.....) and now I am thinking of swapping it for a Larrivee Parlor guitar............THANKS, BUDDY!!!!!!!!

Much Love,

Big Mick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 12:40 PM

Just ran across this press release Mick.

PRESS RELEASE:

"It was announced today that Taylor has now come on-line with the Larrivee, Martin, Collings, Goodall, Santa Cruz, Lakewood, Wechter, Guild, and others in combined use of the Instrument Return Center. Ship back (COD shipping paid) any models you are dissatisfied with to 411 Purvis Ave., Bremen, Ohio, 43107. Age of the guitar is irrelevant. Taylor Guitars sincerely hopes this will solve any and all problems with customer dissatisfaction."

Thought you'd want to know.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: alison
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 08:12 PM

Hey Spaw... I heard that they had to go back via quality control which is located in Australia which will then forward any defective ones to the Bremen address you mentioned...... strangely enough the quality control department will accept any instruments not just guitars... address available upon request.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 09:20 PM

Just bye the bye. It was the small (at the time) independent Taylor company and their wonderfully playable instruments that got Martin and Gibson off their asses. 30 plus years ago Takamine practically drove Martin out of business, but this time the "big" guys looked and listened. Collings, Santa Cruz, and Larrivee also got their attention, but it was Taylor who gave us all the amazing choices available today.
Ten to one the rest of them won't let Larrivee steal this market from under their noses. They'll be back!
Deering is currently doing the same with their inexpensive banjo line...especially their "Good Time" model.
Rick

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Dec 99 - 09:37 PM

Yeah Rick, we've talked about this before, but it does seem worth saying again. Banj just started the thread on the Deering "Goodtime" and I know its doing well.

I know a lot of folks hate the very idea of competition, but it has its place. Without Tak and Taylor, would we be going through this "Golden Age of Lutherie?" Do you ever wonder what Martin and Gibson for that matter would be like today without the ass kickin' they got from Tak? Without the more and better approach of Taylor?

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From:
Date: 24 Dec 99 - 04:54 AM

Liam: RMMGA is an acronym for the newsgroup:

rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic

which as its name implies concentrates on acoustic guitars, the music for it, etc. Amongst its participants are a number of people interested in gathering (or in some cases seriously collecting :) guitars and so when a new guitar comes out there is usually informative discussion about it.

Murray

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 24 Dec 99 - 10:11 AM

Thanks Murray. Sounds like a group I should check out!

Spaw - I think the guitar return center will not be very busy. Good idea, though.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Dec 99 - 10:41 AM

Well nothing has arrived yet, but there's always prayer............Wait a minute, the UPS guy just drove up..........................Hey! TWO packages!!!....Kinda' small though......(ripppp).....damn plastic peanuts..............from Sandy Paton though.....(ripppp)....what a mess......OK, here we go....................uh,huh....soundhole from a Larrivee..looks to be the same one he sold to Cletus.....(flip)..........So let's see what else..This one's from Rick.......(rippppp).....geeziz what a mess these peanuts make, Karen's gonna' kill me......(ripppp)..............so here we have a............what the fock is this, a broken saddle?..........hmmmm, here's a note.........uh, yeah.........right then.........Seems this is a broken saddle from a Framus 12-string that has been used by the goalie of a field hockey team for the past 27 years........says they're keeping the rest of the guitar but want a new saddle as this one is broken.....makes the shots pull left......yeah,right..........Well its a start.

C'mon folks, surely you have an ax you want to send back. Feel like you took a real shafting on that 4-0 series Martin? Have a Guild 12 that's just too heavy for you? And surely someone has an LS-O9 with the Rose Lady or even the Dragon headstock? Somebody? Anybody? Ditch that clunker and send it to the Instrument Return Center in Bremen, Ohio.

Now lessee, I got some saddle blanks here.......where's the damn files........oh, here they are.........(shooka-shooka-shooka-shooka-shooka).............

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 25 Dec 99 - 09:14 PM

Well Spaw, as it turns out, Santa brought just the one, and I ain't plannin' to send this one to the return center. The family has been patient with me playin' it off and on all day, though - it is Christmas, after all. I got a feelin' this one won't see much time in its case!

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: alison
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 03:01 AM

I have been looking around for one of these in Sydney, (the dealer listed doesn't appear to exist anymore... or at least they don't answer their phones)....

but of the music shops I have asked in.. they say that the Larrivee is a great sounding guitar, but the glue does not survive the rigors of the Aussie climate.... therefore they do not stock them .....

so I'm still looking for a decent baby guitar....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 07:57 AM

alison - I am highly dubious about their opinion, I would seek additional opinions before I accepted it. I can't imagine why a Taylor or any other guitar manufacturer would not have exactly the same problem.

I have had my Jumbo for more than two years in the similarly difficult Dallas climate (we have months of extreme heat - and significant swings in humidty) - it has survived superbly.

The Larrivee website still lists the Australia dealership noted above, so if they are not answering the info on the web may be wrong. I'd be curious what Larrivee has to say about the comments you had heard.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 10:22 AM

Dear Alison,

Like liam devlin and as a former instrument repairer, I would be highly sceptical of what the music shops told you. Unless you leave a guitar, for example, in full sunlight behind a window or in the back or boot of a car, it is unlikely to become hot enough to affect the glue joint. Of much more importance, given that guitars are normally assembled in controlled environments of, say, 40-45% relative humidity, are extremes of humidity. Of these extreme low humidity for long periods is probably more damaging and less reversible than problems caused by high humidity.

I think Larivee, and certainly Lakewood (which I play) have further information about such problems on their websites. Like liam, I would be interested in what Larivee might have to say about the issue before taking on face value what the shop said.

(tongue in cheek) Maybe they were trying to sell you a Maton? (:o)>)

I personally haven't seen or tried the Baby Larivee (living as I do in the cultural backwater of the Surreal Kingdom of Belgium) but, having played many of their guitars and seen the quality of their materials and workmanship, would have every reason to believe in its virtues as extolled by many above!

All the best,

mcmoo

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 11:48 AM

mcmoo - I didn;t want to sound cynical, but like you, I suspected that the dealer/s alison spoke with didn't carry Larrivee and came up with a convenient excuse 'why not' on the spur of the moment ... still, it may well be a heart felt conviction of the Aussie dealer/s. And if so, I would really want to be sure it was a valid comment.

By the way, my wife bought me a baby Larrivee for Christmas (actually it is called their Parlor guitar). It has an amazing sound, and plays beautifully. It's difficult to believe all that sound coems from that little body! I have a pic of me with my Parlor guitar in Phoenix here . It was our first 'show' together!

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 12:00 PM

liam - I agree, sounds a strange excuse to me too. I'd be interested in Larrivee's views.

Thanks for the link, looks like a very neat little guitar, I prefer the look to the baby Taylor and Martin backpacker.

All the best,

mcmoo

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 12:12 PM

Hey alison....Liam and the Moo man are right.....That's complete crap. I can write you a dissertation on glues and all that, but Jean Larrivee is a superb luthier and has built with controlled growth so you still get that homespun kind of "touch" even at the volume they are built at today. Buy the damn Larrivee and if it falls apart, I'LL give you your money back and you send it to me ... I'll have someone take pix while I eat it!!! BTW, played one at SMC last week...GREAT...I envy you Liam.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 12:26 PM

Hi Alison. The Twelfth Fret just got two more in. I've played 'em both, and I found them superb. Far superior in sound and design to anything else I've seen. What Taylor did for the 12 string about 10 years ago, Larrivee has done for the travel guitar. I don't mean to sound cynical, but the comment about "glue" is just patently untrue. There is not one company operating today stupid enough to eliminate a major market on the basis of their choice in glue. Take your time, you'll get one. They're worth it.

WAIT A MINUTE!!! I've got an idea. Send me an e-mail, and I'll run it by you.

Rick

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: DougR
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 05:13 PM

Is the 'Baby' Larrivee you are referring to the same as Parlor guitar?

DougR

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 09:53 PM

Yes Doug, we are incorrectly labling Larrivee's Parlor Guitar the Baby Larrivee. Maybe they should change the name, I like baby Larrivee better!

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: GUEST,Matt
Date: 19 Jan 00 - 10:00 PM

Play the Santa Cruz PJ.

You won't consider anything else.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Jan 00 - 11:41 AM

Matt - I have a Santa Cruz 000/28. I love it, so I am not surprised they make a fine parlor size guitar. Actually I am hoping to get one of their baritones in the near future.

Subject: RE: 'Baby' Larrivee is superb
From: alison
Date: 21 Jan 00 - 03:02 AM

I spoke to the Larrivee importer in Sydney today.... he said he was not at all surprised at what I had been told......

he said.. as did many of you that the other makers use it as a trick to sell more of their own..... he said that it happens in the US too.. but that he has had no problems with Larrivees and he lived in North Queensland, (tropics)...

he hopes to get some parlour guitars in later in the year.. so hopefully I will get to see one then.....

slainte

alison