Larrivee D-03R

This guitar was made in 2001 I think. Bought it new from the Guitar Center in Seattle, great bunch of Folks. I bought the D-03R because I needed a reliable flatpicking guitar to hold up to strong Celtic backup playing and I only had under a Grand to spend. This guitar has no laminations, solid Rosewood back and sides, nice Spruce top with a Mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and bridge. But a Plain-Jane guitar as they go. This is no problem to me because the feature I wanted was the tone of this thing! Great Rosewood guitar value!!

I'm a Fingerstyle - Flatpicker, Celtic, Blues and some Bluegrass, which means I pick for whatever the song calls for. The action was a bit low and there was some initial buzzing and honking while playing in the higher registers. After I raised the action a bit it played fine, fast and accurate all the way up the neck. This guitar opens up when you play hard, which is what you'd expect from a Rosewood unit. After playing everything in 6 stores that went for $1900.00 and under, I picked this guitar over most, and at what I paid, it was clearly the best. Normally a Mahogany guitar fan, this Rosewood just blows them away for Flatpicking, and I own 3 other nice (Mahogany) acoustics by Martin, Taylor and Gibson.

As I mentioned, the action came in a little low. After I added a Piezo pickup, the action came up a bit and the buzzing stopped and the volume increased! Larrivee makes a great guitar even at the pace of production they must be trying to maintain. This guitar was near perfect. I may want to have the frets dressed one of these days, they don't look perfect and may have contributed to those 'Honks' I'd get.

After 30 years of trying to be a good guitarist, my playing is still mostly done in someones living room. I do play festivals during the summer and that is exactly why I bought this specific guitar, it appears extremely reliable and sounds as good as any newer Martin under $2000.00 (Can I say that online?). I always bring my Martin D18 to the festivals because of the 'Snob' factor around those Bluegrass guys but I doubt I'd need a back up for this Larrivee.

Can't rate this, only had the beast for a month. The last Larrivee I had (Stolen), never needed a thing after 5 years.

I own too many guitars (yes, it's possible). All of them are name brand, well made guitars - Taylor 314ce, Martin D18VS, Martin 16SGT, Gibson J50, Fender P-bass, Liberty Dobro, Fender American Strat, Peavey Delta Blues and Bassman 100 for amps. Just sold a Hamer P90 Goldtop and in the process of buying a Tricone from National, selling the J50 soon (not all that great for the $$). The 314CE is great amplified and the Martins are what I fingerpick. I bought this guitar to really play hard and have fun with. This will be the last of it's kind I'll buy but I'd replace it in a heartbeat with another Rosewood D3 model if stolen. This guitar is the best Rosewood Dreadnaught value out there!!

2000 model, made in Vancouver Canada, Dreadnaught body style -- spruce top, rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard, ebony bridge. I had to buy the case -- bought it at Guitar Center. Overall, I like GC but these cats don't give you aything for free.

The only reason I give a 7 for features is because this is the BARE BONES, folks. No mother of pearl inlays, fancy gold-plated tuners, no diamond-studded bridge-pins, etc. I would have liked a prettier guitar, but lately I've become too much of a tone freak to compromise sound over looks. I give it a 7 to be objective about it.

I play mostly solo acoustic - folk, folk-rock, folk-pop, folk-whatever, etc. -- I'm a singer and a strummer, not much fingerpicking, and the D-03R fits my playing style well. When you're the only one on stage, the sound has to be full. The D-03R has a really full sound - the bass is clear and deep, the highs are nice and crispy. It's sound when strummed is a smooth, nicely blended tone. I've got a high tenor voice, and the guitar fills in the necessary spaces to make my nasally white boy voice sound alot better than it really is.

I use a Fender Passport PA system on stage, and I play the guitar miked straight into that -- I've never been in a band situation with an acoustic guitar and so I don't have much use for amps and pickups, and to tell you the truth, I've never gotten a good acoustic sound through an amp or a pickup, but I'm too lazy to try really hard, so don't take my word for it.

It sounds great, nice and clear and not overwhelming.

The action was perfect for me -- low, but not low enough to rattle the frets. No flaws that I could see -- it seems to have been put together well.

The tuning pegs work smoothly, and I've played the thing for hours and hours at a time and I usually don't have to tune it.

It's also very light -- my previous acoustic was a Charvel 625 acoustic/electric, and although the Charvel is not a heavy guitar, I noticed the difference when I strapped on the Larrivee.

Again, the only reason I can't give it a perfect score is the blandness of it's looks -- it's well made but not pretty.

To be perfectly honest, I've had the thing for about a month now, so I'm not sure about overall durability. I can tell you that it seems like a guitar that, if not bounced around alot, will be a family heirloom long after I've gone to the Great Open Mike Night in the Sky.

Haven't dealt with Larrivee yet, but I'd like to know if they all have French accents, so I'm gonna call them up soon just for fun.

I've been playing guitar for about ten years now, most of it as an acoustic player. I currently own a Charvel 625 acoustic/electric guitar, a 199-something Fender Stratocaster, and a little Epiphone amplifier -- I've had much better gear in the past but due to theft and acts of God, my nice collection was greatly reduced.

I'm a singer/songwriter (which is just fancy talk for a pretty good musician who can't find any other people who like the same kind of music to play with) My songs are mostly all acoustic, Toad the Wet Sprocket/Barenaked Ladies/Smiths-esque, so a smooth sounding and playing acoustic guitar is a must. The D-03R fits the bill.

I played every acoustic guitar under $1000 in the store
trying to decide which one to buy -- Martins, Taylors, Larrivees, etc. etc. It was a choice between the Larrivee and a Taylor -- the Taylor sounded great, but the Larrivee was a smoother play....and Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies, my favorite band, plays a Larrivee, so that kind of swayed me a bit.

There's not much I would change about this guitar -- it's a spectacular value for the money I paid for it, considering that the $1500-$3500 range guitars didn't sound much better than the D-03R did at $899. I would probably jazz up the looks a bit, but for the sound this baby makes, it can stay ugly.

One thing that I really love: it has a strap-knob thingie (see how technically inclined I am?) underneath the neck so you don't have to tie the end of the strap onto the headstock.

If I lost this guitar, I would cry, beat my head against the wall many times, and then go out and buy another one. If it were stolen, I'd have the sorry SOB that stole it drawn and quartered. I might, at some point, scrape up the cash to buy a higher-end model, but it will most likely be another Larrivee.

My D-03R was purchased about new in 1999. All solid wood, spruce top, rosewood back/sides, ebony fretboard and bridge. It has a matte finish, clear pickguard. It is very spartan from a cosmetics point of view -- tiny dot fretboard inlays, black body binding and a very simple rosette. Some have called the overall look "understated", but you might also call it "plain jane". Mine came with a good quality hardshell case.

Its clear the Larrivee concentrated the money and effort in this guitar into the features that affect the tone -- good solid woods and solid craftsmanship. This price for an all-solid-wood, rosewood guitar is a very good deal.

Ample volume, nice jangly highs and strong bass response. Mine sounds somewhat attenuated in the midrange. The high-end is terrific and rich in harmonics; very nice. Because of the mid-range reponse, I find my guitar works better for strumming rather than fingerpicking. I use medium gauge (.13) strings to improve the guitar's power and punch. The matte finish causes noise from your clothing to be amplified through the guitar; a well-known problem with matte finishes. But that hasn't been a major issue for me.

Overall, my guitar produces a nice pleasing sound. However, given that I tend to play a lot of single-note lead lines, the mahogany back/side D-03 model would have probably been a better fit for me. I think its stronger midrange response would fatten the sound of single note lines and just work better for that style of playing. I think you could make a case that the fault is really with me for buying what turned out to be the wrong model, not with Larrivee for building a flawed product. Nonetheless, I wish my guitar had a strong midrange response, so my rating has to reflect that.

The action on mine is perfect -- fairly low but not buzzy. It should be noted that I had the dealer set mine up before I took delivery of it and we talked at some length about the way I wanted it done. If you buy a decent quality guitar from a dealer, I believe you have the right to ask for this service and I highly recommend you do so. Anyway, from a craftsmanship point of view, my guitar is extremely well constructed. Clean joints and a well-leveled fretboard. Decent finish work; just one flaw that I could find -- a small dimple on the back of the neck. What I've seen of the inside of the body looks clean and neat. My only complaint, and its a minor one, is that the frets could have been more finely polished. I like them to be shiny and slick; my D-03R's fret, while well-shaped and leveled, aren't that finely polished. On my first string change, I polished myself with #0000 steel wool.

I've had it for two years. Played it a lot and gig with it moderately. Its been very reliable.

I haven't had to deal with the company so I can't comment much on their support. They do have a lifetime warranty on their guitars, which is obviously very nice.

I did a lot of research trying to find the best sounding dreadnought I could for under $1000. I looked at all the usual suspects. It came down to the entry-level Taylor or an 03-series Larrivee. I chose the Larrivee because the woods they use in their entry level models are well-known for tone and how they age -- I wasn't very interested in alternative woods.

This is a late model (1999 I believe) D-03 Rosewood dreadnaught, purchased online from a Canadian music store, in excellent/barely used condition. I have had this guitar ~1 month. See Larrivee's website for all official specs. Guitar has a very light-colored solid spruce top, solid rosewood body, and satin finish w/ clear pickguard; nice ivoroid-bound fretboard, bound body, (I believe) ebony fretboard and bridge, black plastic bridge pins, metal end pin, Larrive chrome tuners, synthetic (tusq?) bone-like nut and bridge. Neck I would call a comfortable medium heft. Fretboard has very small pearl microdot markers. The guitar included a good quality but non-Larrivee hard case, neck adjustment tool, and larrivee guitar booklet. Very nice and clean, but understated appointments and appearance; nothing fancy but a good rating is deserved in comparison to other similarly priced guitars.

Dealers as well as other owners, including virtually all the other reviews here on Harmony, give raving scores (~10) for the sound. I have to grade it more conservatively. I had played a couple other Larrivees, incl. a standard mahogany D-03 whose power and punch really impressed me. I went after this one for bluegrass picking, expecting the rosewood to offer even more volume and bass. Its volume is good but I would say not exceptional; picked notes have a good clean sound and it is light and responsive, but it falls noticeably short of the more expensive but clearly bigger-sounding Martin D-28s which predominate in bluegrass jams. Tonally it is interesting; deep and woody and darkish, but even the highs though clear are not bright sounding. The tones in the different low, mid, and high spectra don't seem to mix or blend much. I like the sound more when playing alone than when it is mixed in with other guitars. This is the first rosewood dreadnought I have owned, and really have only heard them as a listener and not as a player; I may have misunderstood what sort of tone to expect, but it doesn't have the volume and punch I hoped for given all the rave reviews. The guitar is still very new as far as playing time, so I may not have yet given it a full chance to express itself.

The guitar is nicely and carefully finished. The woods have nice graining, the body and fretboard binding is seamless. The visual appearance is great in my opinion, with the dark rosewood body and ebony FB and headstock veneer really standing out nicely against the light spruce top. Nothing in the construction or finishing appears sub-par and in fact is very good and clean. The clear pickguard takes some getting used to. I like the idea and the appearance of the top without a thick, dark plastic pickguard. However, I don't understand why they use this funny, almost square shape; it doesn't extend past or protect the top above the middle of the soundhole. I would like to see the standard teardrop shape. As far as playability, the setup of this guitar falls disappointingly short in several regards. The neck appears to be adjusted well/normally, with just a bit of relief, the fretboard seems good and flat, and the frets are smooth and comfortable. The action, however, is set up uncomfortably high, especially at the bridge/saddle. Even so, there is very little room to take the saddle down, as these guitars have a taller than usual bridge profile and an already low saddle height. Bar chords are difficult to play cleanly up the neck. A couple of the lower frets are not quite clean or level, giving some annoying string buzz when fretting normally or just capoing is around the 2nd-4th frets or so, even though the action at the 14th fret is at least medium to medium-high, and lowering the saddle would only make this worse. Since I play bluegrass, I have tolerated this initially, and changing to medium strings reduced (but not eliminated) the buzz in the lower frets. Still, this is subpar setup bordering on outright poor, given that these guitars are almost uniformly described as having low, comfortable action. Only the fact I am mainly flatpicking make it tolerable. I haven't been able to fix it with minor twiddling and will probably need at least a few frets leveled and a new setup.

Even given the moderate rating above, I am giving this guitar a good tryout at jams to work it in and give it a chance to grow on me tonally. Though light in weight it feels nice and solid and I don't have any reservations so far about its durability. Tuners appear to be good quality. The finish is very light and so is going to be susceptible to scratches and dings. There is no reason why it wouldn't be fine in solo or group performing. I will rate it well based on my impressions although the guitar has still had very little use.

No direct dealings, only with the Larrivee website which is very good. This guitar is not warranteed as I got it used.

I own 4-5 other acoustic guitars, including Guilds and a Martin, that all had comparable prices if new ($800-$1100). Like this Larrivee, all were bought used through ads at substantial savings. I based my assessment and decision to buy them on playing other guitars, though of the same or similar model, in music stores/shops, counting on the consistency between individual instruments. This expectation carries some risk and proved at least a little disappointing in several cases. Each of them is pretty good to very good in some aspects, and each falls short of being the perfect, no-regrets purchase. All were good or even great buys overall, but it was maybe unrealistic to think that an individual $800 guitar is going to turn out to be perfect. I'm still in the guitar-trial stage. I like having several, but may eventually opt for one really good $1500 Taylor instead of two $800 Larrivees or Martins. As with my other instruments, I only wish I could have had the best of both worlds: a chance to play several and pick the best but still with the same savings. I would still like to try a Larrivee, but if I could do it over, I think it was a mistake to pay for the more expensive rosewood. I would shoot to save another couple hundred to try the regular D03, which might be more to my preference of bright yet loud acoustic sound. So if you're out there with a nice loud mahogany D03....

1998 Canadien model, dreadnought body style, ebony fret board and headstock, clear pick guard, rosewood sides and back. came with no controls, and a very low action, which is great. satin finish. thinner neck which provides very fast action. i didnt want all the bells and whistels. this guitar stands on its own merit, and needs none of the extras to make it sound any better than it does. less is WAY better in this case. just the nice woods and finsih were what i was after. this guitar looks so good, and plays/sounds that much better. that in and of itslef is worth twice the price...but it wasn't!!

i have only played acoustic guitars (5 years), and i have taken very few lessons. i have my own style, which probably makes theorists and purists scoff, but i dont play for them, i play for myself. knwing this, the do3-r could not be a btter guitar. the action, the neck, the sound, and it seems that the more i learn (from styles of music, to styles of playing) the more suited this guitar is to me. it just sounds better and better every time i play it. the sound is so rich and full, and i have been unable to reproduce it picking up any other guitar, even higher priced larrivees.

action is awesome. i have smaller hands, so the thinner neck suites me well. no matter the music, be it finger picked blues, or rock, the action is great for all occassions.

fit and finish are very solid. i do have slight seperation at the dovetasil, but this is in no way affecting the sound, and with the lifetime garauntee, i am not at all worried that larrivee wont make it good, should it come to that. i do have trouble keeping the b string in tune, but this is not uncommon from what i have seen with other guitars. there is also some fret buzz, but this should be taken care of with a tune up, no pun intended.

the wood is gorgeous, and the satin finish is perfect!! the underdog of the acoustic world!!

it is a rather light guitar, but is is solid. i do not play out much, but would have no worries if i did. this thing is a trooper! the wood, finish, etc are all very solid. i added a strap button, and so far it is right on. i would gig w/o backup. im not there yet, but i will be! no worries at all.

i have not yet experienced customer support yet.

I have been playing for 5 years. i own only the larrivee, and have a fender acoustisonic30 (AWESOME amp!!), and a VOX wah-wah (846). yes, i play thorugh a wah-wah with my acoustic. save your remarks until you have experimented with the set up!! i also added fishman amp, internal, no cutting into the body. no eq, just the amp.

i bought this guitar after looking at taylor, fender, martin, guild, gibson, etc. it was the best sounding by far, and i still go into guitar center and try to find something that sounds better. here i am, almost three years later, still looking. 1500, 2500, 5000. nothing compares in my opinion, period.
the sound, the looks, the quality, the value, the sound, the sound, the sound...get the picture here????
if this got stolen, i wouldnt buy another one....i would hunt down whoever stole it!!! i love this guitar!!!!!!

Vancouver, B.C. dreadnought, bought in late summer 2000 from Guitar Center. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony bridge, ebony fretboard, and ebony headstock overlay. Satin finish. Not flashy, but this guitar is a diamond in the rough. I was amazed at how good this guitar was for the money I paid. Came with good stock Larrivee tuners and Elixer lights (.12).

This is one of the greatest sounding guitars I've played. I like a deep bass response and the rosewood gives it. But still, it doesn't skimp on the mids and highs. Classic rich, full solid rosewood sound. I strum a lot and this baby lets you hear every string. I had to play a $1,400 Taylor to find something that sounded better. Truely a wonderful sounding instrument. I look forward to micing it in the studio one day.

The action came quite low. Super fast. I recently raised the action a bit and like it much better this way. The neck is fast and thin, and the satin finish allows for quick hand movement. It's now hard for me to play anything with a glossy neck. Great craftsmanship, too.

This guitar seems about as any solid wood acoustic. The neck joint is a true dovetail, making it very sturdy, but not as easily adjustable. I had a strap button put on the heel, since it didn't come with one. Both buttons are still solid.

I have had only casual contact with Larrivee through e-mail support. They were very kind and helpful. Every Larrivee has a lifetime warranty for the original owner. The online warranty registration was simple.

I have only been playing a year, but I have played lots of guitars, and I know what I like. This guitar is what I like. The value is unbeatable. As I mentioned before, I had to play something that was $600 more to get a better guitar. I compare it with a Taylor 810, giving the 810 a slight lead. I wouldn't trade this guitar for the world. This D-03R and I had a connection in the store. Maybe you know what I'm talking about. It's hard to explain. I LOVE THIS GUITAR!! Please consider a Larrivee for your own collection. But don't listen to me, go play one. These Harmony Central reviews can be kind of iffy sometimes.

Canadian made, manufactured 10/2000. All solid rosewood, spruce and ebony. Satin finish, thin neck and nice Ping tuners.

Well balanced, crisp highs and deep bass. The best sounding guitar. It sounds as good as much more expensive Taylors. Blows away any guitar in it's price range.

Great quality craftsmanship. Very small amount of glue on neck binding was the only flaw.

Any fine instrument is fragile. I am very careful with it, because I value it. I think it would last a life time if properly cared for.

I bought mine at the Guitar Center. They back their stuff. NO dealings with Larrivee though.

I had to negotiate the good price on this guitar. They normally sell for about $1000 w/dhsc.This is the best guitar I know of in this price range. I played Martin, Taylor, Ovation etc. and found it to be superior to the other fine guitars in this price range. The Taylor Big baby is an excellent value though, but is lamenated back and sides. I actually liked my lower end Larrivee compared to the high dollar ones. I will probably add a Fishman pickup with an outboard preamp. I would probably buy this guitar all over if it were to be lost. Some people like the gloss rather than the satin finish. I think the satin allows the sound to resonate through the wood. I prefer the sound, the gloss is sharper looking. However, I also like the understated looks of my D03R. Oh yeah, I've been playing for 25 years. I play finger style and pick strumming. No cutaway, to me it only allowed 1 or 2 fret reach more and not worth the tone compromise.
Very pleased with my purchase.

All solid wood model, with rosewood back and sides, spruce top and ebony peghead overlay, fretboard and bridge. The tuners are manufactured by Ping and are pro quality. The frets are thin. This guitar is beautifully plain with a lovely satin finish. I desire no other feature and with the great price being considered it deserves a 10.

This is a light guitar and the satin finish allows the sound to breath through the wood. This is a bassy yet very balanced sound. I like the way you can feel the sound resonate through your body when you play. There are no tinny overtones that have always annoyed me with other guitars. It is a very smooth sounding instrument. The bass string (as another reviewer mentioned) is boomy when fingerpicked with the flesh of your thumb. And I'm not sure this would be the best guitar for fingerstyle recording, smaller body guitars are more suited for that. I considered all of this before I purchased it. Changing to different strings, pick and technique can rectify the boomy bass. But, the tight bass and elequently balanced treble strings outshined all of the high dollar Larrivees, Taylors and Martins I played for about half the price. The satin verses high gloss makes the clear difference in the big sound of the D03R.

Absolutely flawless! Beautiful craftmanship and action. Plays like a dream.

Every Acoustic guitar must be taken care of. Temp, humidity and exposure must be monitored and considered. I must rate it a 10 with the thought in mind that a fine wood instrument is delicate and the owner should be responsible for proper care. With proper care this guitar could be passed down to another generation.

Have not contacted Larrivee for any reason yet.

I looked around for about a year and considered Taylor (overpriced)and Tacoma (great sound and value). The Larrivee struck me as looking and sounding elegant. It was the big beautiful sound I was looking for a fantastic price. I did have to negotiate this price being the dealer had it in stock and others would have to order it. Came with great deluxe hardshell case. I have not found a better guitar and better value.

This is an all solid wood Dreadnuaght Guitar.. top, sides and back...Mahogany neck..Rosewood Back and sides...Spruce top..Ebony fingerboard and bridge...Ebony Headstock overlay and Ivroid neck binding.(Ivroid??? whatever)Tuners are????but they are good..Hand Fit Dovetail neck joint..Satin Finish..Elixir strings... Transparent Pick guard....Well if you want more details go to their website..great site

The sound...wow...incredible ..I have only been playing for about a year....well playing seriously...and I went through a few cheaper ..and what I though were ok sounding acoustics...I was tired of getting nosebleeds from that Cheap Guitar high action crap.. so I went on a mission to find my last good true acoustic(well thats what I told my wife anyway)
Went all over and played a lot of 500-800 Guitars...Martins seemed like the way to go..solid top and if your lucky a solid back..
fairly low action and ok sound.(if you played them hard) No extras on a 500-800 Martin...After playing quite a few Guitars I could afford..and a few I couldn't, I was getting up to leave when the guy said I can't let you go without trying this Larrivee D-02..
I did and wow,the action was greatand the sound was better than the cheap martins..He then told me it was all solid Mahogany..I was really impressed... Then looked around for other Larrivees..
Thats when I saw the rosewood D-03.. This was incredible...Tone that projects..wow. Tight deep bass clear highs and great mids...and sounds sweet played soft too..The rosewood is well worth the extra...This is the least expensive model Larrivee puts rosewood on. You must hear this one .....

All Larrivees are built the same..Nice to know that this Guitar was given the same attention as a 4000.00 model and it shows..
Action is great...fit and finish is beautiful...no flaws...but then again I have never owned an acoustic that costs this much ...maybe this is what you would expect

I dont gig... this one doesnt leave the house...or my hands for that matter....seems solid.. but still light ...Satin Finish maybe? The again if I wanted a Tank I would have bought a Guild...

I registered the guitar on line.. very convienient...and emailed Larrivee with a question on the care and feeding of the Satin finish,
and a few other questions.....The very next day I had an email from them... I dont expect to have any problems but if I do I think they will be great to deal with...Lifetime Warranty....if you dont let it dry out....Get a Damp-it Humidifier.....Ten Bucks to save a great guitar

Been playing seriously for a year....Own a Strat..(doesnt everyone?)and a DeArmond Starfire.(Great guitar)... Peavey Delta Blues Amp (tube)...Best sounding Acoustic I have played...this guitar sings so sweetly...Larrivee has to be one of the best kept secrets... the rosewood is a must...nothing else in this or even the next price range compares...this guitar even makes a novice sound good..
I was told that they were going to discontinue the Rosewood on the 03 model and make it only as an option on the higher models....if thats the case this would be then out of my reach...play one and maybe buy one... before they get out of everyones reach....

1997 Model. Dreadnaught, with modest appointments. I find all the Larrivee lower end guitars to be understatedly elegant. Good groveresque tuners, satin finish. All the Larrivees are solid wood guitars. The D03 stock guitar has solid spruce top, w/ mahogany sides and back; they offer a rosewood upgrade, hence the "R" at the end of the model #. Ebony fingerboard and bridge.

I've been looking at and playing a LOT of guitars lately, and this is the one I was looking for. I'd been seeking that D-28 sound that D-28's don't seem to provide anymore.This stacks up to any Martin, I've ever played, and beats the Taylors, which to me have no guts. This one's the proverbial 'cannon'

The action is just what I was looking for; medium height(with medium gauge strings) with headroom up and down on the saddle. It plays perfectly. The top, sides ,and back are nicely bookmatched for the price. The rosewood is very nicely figured

I had more fun banging on this thing the first time I played it out than I think I've ever had playing anything. I felt like Jorma Kaukonen (without the chops). I bought it used, and the satin finish is getting shiny in some spots, but the guitar is beautiful.
It seems very light and delicate, until you play it. Then it seems the more you lean on it, the more it responds. We'll see how it lasts.

Amazing folks - as I said, I bought it used, and I needed replacement bridge pins, and a truss rod adjuster. I emailed the company to ask how I could order these items, and they sent them to me immediately, no charge! I feel like it's still under warranty.
By the way, the folks at Randy's Pawn shop (thanks, mike), whom I had never met, were outstanding!

I've played pro for almost 30 years; researched and played a lot of guitars, and this is one of the best. Given the consistent good quality of the Larrivees I've played, I would definitely buy another one, it this one disappeared. I may get another one, anyway. I love the way it plays and sounds. As i said before, it compares well to that nebulous D-28 sound we all remember, but can't saeem to come up with. I tried out the Larrivee J-09, which is their close to the top-of-the-line Jumbo, and this one sounds as good or better.
Get one.

Year 2000, solid rosewood back and sides, spruce top.
The plain jane of Dreads. Dove tail joint and awesome craftmanship.
No pearls, no Abalone, no Thrills, just a hardworking blue collar dread. Great case included to house this satin finish beauty.
It is the girl next door guitar, simple elegance beauty and natural curves. This is the one you take home to Mom.

A cross between Taylor 710's and Martin D-28's
Somewhere in the middle. Super even and clean. No big booms or shrilling highs. I played about 40 guitars before buying this one.
I think these guitars blow away any Martin 1200$ and below and any Taylor 1200$ and below.

Jean is the man, or at least his workers.
Super playability, Taylor style on the action.

We will see, It seams a little lite without all that heavy varnish.
Can't wait to put some years on it and see how the resin ages.
Hopefully its soul will develop with some scraps and nicks. ( I like that, it shows character)
Great stage guitar if you put a fishman in it.

So far so good.
Cool web site

I have been playing for 8 years. I have learned to appreciate good wood guitars. Solid rosewood sounds so good I would love to panel my living room with it. For 800 dollars this is the best guitar out there flat down, no questions asked. If I had more dough I would like to get a D-35 and record it over top a Larrivee. Very important to play many guitars and you will find one that speaks to you, but I would feel fully confident on ordering mail order as long as you have the option to return. Also, I think Shawn Mullins uses the D-9, so listen to his early stuff to understand the Larrivee sound. Man I love this guitar.

Dreadnought style with Solid Spruce top, Solid Rosewood back and sides, Mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard and bridge. Made in Canada, perhaps in 1999 or early 2000. Top and fretboard are bound. Satin finish, clear pickguard and absolutely no abalone. Larrivee chrome tuners (made by gotoh ?). In terms of looks, the understated elegance of this guitar is awesome. Standard 25.5" scale, and 1 11/16" neckwidth at nut (typical of dreadnoughts). Giving this a 10 because I don't expect any more features in a dreadnought acoustic.

Use this guitar primarily to strum or fingerpick accompaniments for a small prayer group (unamplified). The tone is gorgeous - crisp, sweet, with clear highs and deep lows - just as I would imagine a spruce/ rosewood dreadnought to sound. It is also fairly responsive to fingerpicking - perhaps not as responsive as smaller guitars, but more responsive than the typical dreadnought. Also, compared to less expensive Mahogany bodied guitars, Rosewood was clearly the choice for me. Great bass and clear trebles, big sustain - seems to forgive my sloppy technique ! Giving a 9 because 10 means perfect, and I don't know what that might be.

Came fitted with Elixir light gauge strings (12s). Low action all the way to the 14th fret. Couldn't find any flaws. Overall, very clean workmanship.

Looks solid and reliable. Would exercise the same amount of care as when handling other acoustic guitars.

They have a good website and respond to emails fairly fast. No other interaction with the company.

I've been playing ~14 years, and my other guitars include a Godin LGXT, Yamaha Pacifica, Godin Multiac nylon, and a Lowden S25J (nylon). I love to use the Larrivee for strumming chords and general song accompaniment. When shopping for this guitar, I ruled out Tacoma and Taylor since they seemed excessively bright for my tastes. Low-end Martins sound okay but the thicker neck, and high price for models with solid back/sides put me off. Generally I liked Seagulls, but they don't have a comparable Spruce/Rosewood model. Simon $ Patrick was also good, but I felt the Larrivee D was more balanced and a bit more responsive. The D03R has a great tone that is hard to beat, even in guitars costing thrice as much. If lost or stolen, I'd get another one right away.

Made in Vancouver, Canada, All solid wood guitar: spruce top, indian rosewood sides and back, mahogany neck. unstained ebony fingerboard and bridge. Satin Finish. I love the understated beauty of the guitar, but have not made up my mind if I like the clear pickguard or not.

Lean towards bluegrass and folk/rock. I was drawn by the complexity and depth of the rosewood. Would love to own the mahogany version also, but had to have the rosewood (my wife even agreed after listening to both, knowing it would cost $100-200 more) I have restrung the D-03R with a set of John Pearse 80/20's, which compliments the guitar very nicely.

I lowered the action a little, due to the factory set-up being hire than my liking. The nut seems to be high, making fretting in the first position more difficult than up the neck. Two fairly large dings in the neck (does not affect playability)-unsure if shipped from the factory like this or whether they were obtained in the showroom (annoying either way). Most of the other Larrivee's I have looked at have been flawless.

The guitar seems pretty light, unsure of the durability. I assume it is on average with most solid wood guitars. No current plans on banging it around.

Have answered question via e-mail in a timely manner, seem to be very friendly. Sent neck adjustment tool upon request.

I have been playing about seventeen years. Also own a Takamine f-341, Baby Taylor, and japanese Telecaster. In my opinion this guitar could compete with many guitar's costing twice as much. I would definitely purchase this guitar again if lost or stolen. An affordable solid wood guitar. Will probable have a bone saddle and nut made for the guitar in the near future.

Made in 1996 in Vancouver, BC, Canada all solid woods: rosewood back and sides, spruce top, ebony fretboard clear pickguard, mellow finish, minimal decorations. Hard case included. Paid 1300 Canadian dollars, but after the tax return and exchange rate it ended up costing about 900-1000 US Dollars. Bought at Italmelodie in montreal

I play all kinds of acoustic music, folk, jazzy, celtic, middle eastern. I use the skin of my fingers for fingerstyle and a heavy pick otherwise. This guitar is well suited for all styles but i would say it is better suited for flatpicking in terms of the tone. I find that unless i capo up my bass is a little muddy when finger picking the low e and a strings. This is becasue i use just my fingers and the rosewood responds beatufully but needs a little more punch to get the volume up in the bass. Overall the tone on this guitar is absolutely gorgeous!!!! It responds to every nuance you can come up with in terms of how and where you hit the strings. When flat picking the bass is thick and strong but the middles don't get muddled out. the highs are crystal clear. Although in the higher frets the higher notes seem to kind of echo inside the guitar rather than resonate out of it, if that makes any sense...I have to say the depth and variety of sounds that can be made with this instrument are huge and it is still teaching me things daily.

the action was just right, i like it a little low. The guitar looks great, very toned down chilled out look no fancy inlays, harldy any decoration but it looks real smooth and understated, you are paying for the exceptional sound and playsability not the looks. One flaw is that the finish is kind of peeling from the side of the fretboard at one point but it was like that when i bought it about a year ago and it hasn't gotten any worse.

I play live with the thing and it stays in tune forever. I take it in and out of the cold car and warm stage and the thing stays in tune, don't ask me how. The tuners are solid, no frills tuners they do the trick. I can't say if this guitar will last through the years like a pre-war martin but it seems to have been constructed very carefully and solidly.

haven't had much interaction with the company.

Overall I absolutely adore this guitar. i have been playing for about four years. i shopped around for a while and played martis and taylors and I have some friends with martins and those are beautiful guitars but i do like the particular quality of the tone of my larrivee, very well defined notes,extremely resonant and responsive, opens up your creativity I love the way this thing sounds! the one thing i am regretting is the muddyness of the low e string when i fingerpick. trhough i think that if i learned to use a thumbpick this problem would be solved, becasue flatpicking the balance is perfect. I have played orchestra model martins and larrivee and I decided to go for the boom of the rosewood and dreadnaught shape but there is something to be said for a clean OM/Mahogany sound, i got carried away loking for the boomiest bass sound i could find. If it was stoelon i would look for the exact same guitar, but maybe give the mahogany version a try at the store to see how it responded to fingerpicking. Plus its cool that it is a canadian guitar and if you are american you get a good deal buying it in canada and its good to support our northerly and more enlightened neighbors. If you are canadian, sore-ee abute your econamy eh?