Larrivee D-05E

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO MY PREVIOUS REVIEW OF THIS GUITAR.

Mftd in 1993 [I think... give/take one year]
More or less standard dreadnought specs: 1 11/16 neck, 22 fret
Symmetrical bracing pattern with a pretty high X crossover
Solid spruce top, solid Mahogany body w/one-piece back [unusual], ash or something wood binding, ebony bridge, ebony fingerboard, intonated hard bone saddle. Fishman undersaddle pickup from factory.
Hard gloss finish [aging nicely], clear pickguard.

The sound of this guitar as it has aged is just spectacular.
Very hard to put into words. Like a previous Larrivee L09 I had, this one is at a midpoint in life where it the sound is growing constantly. With every string change I'm stunned by the tone: more refined, more subtle textures, more brilliant sustain, incredibly tight note-to-note balance, zero dead spots, blossomy bottom end.
Every real pro that hears this guitar or touches it wants to know all about it [I keep a sharp eye on them cause some would run off with it if I were not watchful!]. I do not know how to beat the sound of this instrument. I have played a few other guitars that I would love to own, soundwise, but they are not better, just different. Some costing four times what I paid [which was criminal... read below]

Superb, superb, superb, NOW THAT I finally had the right action work done on it. In a previous review I made a long fuss about the original action. It did not suit me well from the factory. I had two very excellent luthiers work on it. The first one made the mistake of doing exactly what I asked him! Spent too much money, and still was not right. The second was smarter. He understood the goal, and took careful measurements of one of my other guitars, which has best playability I have ever encountered. Luthier 2 matched it perfectly and it has been like heaven-come-to-earth. Amazing transformation.

This is a Canadian made Larrivee, pre-dating the California shop. I have not hear raving reviews for the ones made in California, sadly.

Fit/Finish: This guitar is as near perfect as can be done with modern techniques. The only flaws are the DINGS I have personally put on it [crying with each one... that's life]

I give it an 8 instead of 10 only because the setup is raw when bought new. you need to work on it. Fit/Finish are a 10.

As elegant as it is, this one is a working guitar. I grimace at some of the licks it has taken banging around in close quarters. It takes it all fine, and proudly wears the 'stigmata' of my hard use of it.
Very light, low mass design, it is tough, however, and has only given me one problem.

Early in its life it exhibited some truss-rod 'buzz'... more of a sympathetic 'whistle' sound. a luthier put some foam up in the cavity, but it turns out that its just tweaky. The sound returned once recently, but just by moving the tension nut a tad one way or other, it goes away.

I have not had to send this one to Larrivee. I did ask for help with a previous Larrivee and the shop in Vancouver was just SUPER to deal with. no surprises.

Been playing acoustics for over 30 years and this is my favorite, easily. If lost or stolen I would be on suicide-watch.
If I could get another [and I have tried], anywhere close to this price, I would do it in a heartbeat. But, these days they cost around $1200 or more, best price/deal.
I had another larrivee, an L09 and it is/was super sound, just couldn't quite get comfy with the wider neck. Have had Guild, Martin, old vintage Yamaha, 2 Yairis, etc. IMHO Larrivee was the sleeper of all high end guitars; an incredible bargain. Now, however, the USA is catching on, and good ones are bringing higher and higher prices.

Again, I can never quite get over the sound/tone of this guitar. So superbly, finely balanced, big warm bottom [especially fingerstyle], bright lively highs, perfect sustain, can be loud or soft, sweet or aggressive, manages several string gauges/mixes and rings the most from them, intonates better than any guitar I have ever had, stays in tune a long time [weathers well], not fussy about tuning. I am blessed. It only gets better with time. My advice is FIND An OLDER Larrivee and you will be stunned. Buy a new one and you'll be set for a long time, but the older the better IMHO just because they age so stinkin' well.

This is a 2002 or 2003 California made D-05E. It has a solid spruce top and solid mahogany sides, back and neck. It has built in electronics from the factory, which for the price is icing on the cake. The maple body binding,pearl inlay and pearl dots on the bridge pegs are absolutely beautiful. The neck has cream binding. It has a gloss finish all over that is also beautiful, the mahogany body is a natural light tea color. The neck is a nice size, like the Martins & Guilds I compared it to, but not as large as the Taylors. The frets are average sized. I found no other instrument as attractive in its price range, or with factory electronics.

It has a very sweet mahogany sound. It seems to have more range then a Guild D40, and while it does not sound like a Martin D18, I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I had a Guild D50, and have tried a Larrivee D-09, and Martin D28. I think the D-05 has a sweeter sound and I like it better (rosewood vs. mahogany). This may sound really shallow but I really like the looks of rosewood body guitars, and planned on buying one, but like the sound of mahogany better. I can wrench on it pretty hard with a heavy pick, but I don't think it can take the beating a D40 can and still sound good. It sounds so nice with a light touch though that I am considering taking up finger picking. I can get a very nice jazzy sound while moving up the neck if I palm mute with my pick hand. I'll have to get used to playing with a little lighter touch.

It was set up perfectly. The action is low with no buzz all the way as far as I can reach up the neck. Everything fits perfectly, I am impressed, is has a much nicer finish the the Guild D50 had. The top had one little mark about 3mm long below the neck joint otherwise perfect (It took me a long time to find it). The other reason I bought it was it was set up so perfectly, I just wanted to keep playing it

I think it will hold up, time will tell, I'm pretty good to my gear though. The gears seem to be of good quality. It has a very nice finish, the top coat is thin enough to let it sound and still strong. There are no strap buttons per se, but the cord jack looks like it could be used as one. I could use it on a gig without a backup because I would guess no one would be there (joke), always have a backup.

I haven't needed Larrivee yet, but the dealer was a great guy. There is a lifetime warranty (limited of course).

I have been playing off and on since 1976. I wish I had asked if I could get a two for one deal and got the D-09 too before I bought it (probably not). If it were lost or stolen I would get another one if I could get a similar deal. If it were the same price as a Martin D18 I'd flip a coin. I would definitely buy this guitar over a Guild D40 or D50, any of the Taylors in its price range; it has better features (nicer binding, and trim, and I like the sound better). It's beautiful and sounds great. I wish it had a strap button by the neck, it's too pretty for me to ever drill into, so I'll do without.

Just a note on buying guitars. Mail order and internet sales are getting popular. I mail ordered a Guild D50 before I bought this guitar. UPS left it on my front porch without even getting a signature in sub freezing temperatures, when I brought it inside after work the top finish had cracked in several places, it broke my heart to see it. When I called Fender to see if it could be repaired I had to wait on hold for 30 minutes. They recommended I send it back where I bought it and to find a local dealer and buy there not mail order. I went to the local "Mega Store" (u know who) and they took a deposit to order me a D50, held my money for three weeks and the called me to say they were no longer a Guild acoustic guitar dealer. I called Fender to ask about this, waited on hold for 20 minutes and then gave up on Fender. I got my money back and committed that I would not buy a Fender/Guild because they don't answer their phone and that I would buy from a local dealer, even if it cost me a little more. I picked up this guitar and it was like it was made for me. I played a bunch more and I kept coming back to it. The dealer is located in a cozy old house and was very friendly and helpful. So what's the point of this? Vote with your dollars. Buy from manufacturers that respect you enough to answer their phone, and support your local dealers or there won't be any place but guitar malls to buy from. Mail order may be cheaper, but keep the money in your community. Peace

I bought this guitar because I loved the maple body binding. NICE TOUCH no plastic here folks

This guitar sounds nice and full, and REALLY WELL BALANCED . Not muddy, or tinny. I like to do a little flatpicking, and some fingerstyle. It is great for both styles. Crisp , clear , notes on all strings. If only I could play like Doc Watson.......

This guitar actually buzzed real bad at the store. String guage was too light. With the right strings this guitar came to life! PERFECT ACTION. I didn't even touch the truss rod. I've had a few Taylors, and the action on this Larrivee is every bit as good or better. Incredibly easy to play. Awesome neck shape and feel. Finish is really nice. This guitar had a small ding on the top, so I got a nice discount. Maybe the wood is soft? I don't know, but the ding saved me $300 , so I kinda like it!

I don't gig, or abuse my guitar, but I think it is made really well, and I would think it would be very dependable.....

I contacted the company and they sent me a truss rod adjusting tool. Very nice to deal with. Maybe a little slow to respond, but hey, they probably get alot of email, and they definitely are WAY faster than Seagull.....

I had a few "collectible" Taylors, and decided to sell them and get a "player", and am happy I did. I think they really do nail it when they say hand fit dovetail. It does seem that they spend some time to get their necks "right". This guitar plays like a dream.

1998 or so D05E, this one without the EQ contraption, which is they way I like it. Made in Canada, of course.
As other reviewers have said, all solid woods of exceptional quality. Sitka spruce top with heavy silking, wood binding [its gorgeous] and mahogany backs/sides. Fishman Gold [I think] factory pickup, active

I own an Alvarez-Yairi hand-made DY-61, and have in the past owned very old Yamaha, 20 year old Guild D50, and an older Larrivee L-09. This one's sound is really unique. It has a very distinct "voice" that balances all notes from bottom to top quite evenly. It is not boomy on the low end but pretty solid, and super articulate all the way up. Even played very hard, you cannot make the sound "harsh". It is "sweet" and even. One thing of note, however, is that the action [see more below] can be your enemy on sound, so it took some tweaking. The guitar can get to loud volumes with higher action [price to pay]. Plugged in, I have a very "lucky" sound. I do not like piezo pickups as a rule, but this one is unusually "woody", and has tremendous gain before feedback, especially good bass sound.

Fit and finish is incredible. I have always favored Larrivee for this. There simply is no comparison to the quality of material and workmanship, all the way up to handmade, small-volume luthiers with $4000 to $6000 price tags.
The action is a different story. It is my studied opinion that every Larrivee I have played suffers from a neck geometry issue that disallows the optimal string clearance. It seems that the fretboard at the body is very slighly higher than the fretboard across the neck. Its "in the way". Could be solved by an expert luthier but I have not wanted to spend that money thus far. Also, for a while the guitar had a truss rod "buzz" which was very elusive, and was finally solved by tightening the truss adjustment, but this at the expense of the fretboard problem mentioned above [worse].

Very durable guitar. This is way more sturdy than a Santa Cruz D that a friend of mine has, which suffers from a wavy top with lots of wrinkles and dimples and a distressed bridge plate. I would say it is second only to the Guild D50 [a TANK] in the sturdiness dept.
However, the truss rod and action issues mentioned above keep me from giving it a `10'

I have dealt with Larrivee on a few issues, going back to the L09 and with the D05. They were sometimes cranky and rude, but in the end, they do the right thing because they are very proud of their instruments. If you sound knowledgeable, they'll cooperate well.

I have been playing for well over 20 years in all kinds of settings, favoring acoustic rock and rocky-folk, but also gentle fingerpicking [no fingerpicks]. Larrivee in general is about my favorite overall brand [way higher quality then Martin, for example] but I wish they would work harder on their action issues. I love the sound, LOVE the high quality look [virtually perfect] Love everything about it except the action. For that, I love the Yairi DY61 way better [see my review].

I believe mine is a 2001 D05E model with Fishman Prefix Pro Blender on it. It is a Sitka spruce top, Honduran mahogany back and side, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, ebony bridge. I think there is a maple binding on the body of the guitar which looks great close up. The finish is gloss. It is a dreadnaught guitar with Larrivee logo which is mother of pearl on the head and then Larrivee logo on the tuners. Also came with Larrivee Hardshell case.

It sounds full and bright. This was my second Larrivee since I originally had a D04 but I returned it cause the action was a bit high, I was gonna buy another Larrivee elsewhere but GC offered me this guitar for less than what I paid for my D04.

Ok so about the sound, it sounds great accoustically. I used to have a Taylor 412 but I got sick of it`s thin sound and I wanted more. Although a 412 is a grand concert body guitar which can`t be compared to a dreadnaught, I think Larrivee`s have a fuller sound compared to Taylors in general. I tried a 310, 410, 510, 710, 810 Taylors and I couldn`t find a full sounding guitar than this. Also for the price it is alot better than a Taylor can offer. I think their Mahogany line may cost over a 1000 dollars easily, plus the sound may not still be there on Taylors.

I haven`t tried the Fishman PU`s yet since I don`t really have a use for much. But I am looking forward to plugging it in soon.

I am giving it a 9.5 cause there is probably a better sounding acoustic guitar out there.(for an incredible price....)

Action is good. It isn`t that low like a Taylor but for an acoustic guitar with a dovetail joint, I think it is great. There were no flaws in the finish, it is gourgeous. The maple binding and abalone soundhole rosette looks great.

Everything looks solid and the gloss finish looks thick enough. I would imagine it would be a great guitar for live use.

I emailed them prior to purchasing the guitar and they were helpful in answering my questions. I heard that they are opening up a new factory in Oxnard, CA which is about an hour and half away from I live so I am looking forward to visit them one of these days.

I have been playing for quite awhile. For acoustics I have gone through an ovation, Taylor, Larrivee D04, and finally this one. I play most of the time electric guitar but this guitar is a dream and I look forward for many many years of it. I compared with Taylors, Tacoma, and other Larrivee`s before purchasing this one. Also Guitar Center was generous enough to offer me this guitar at the price. Their 30 day policy allowed me to return my D04 and then offer me a D05E for less than what I paid for the D04. I was skeptical at first and I thought it would be a poorly treated guitar or some sort with bad sound, it was actually better sounding than the D04 and with a Fishman Prefix Pro Blender.

I don`t like to say "for the money it is an amazing guitar" cause it sounds like Larrivee`s are cheap or something like that, but I think for under a $1000 dollars, you can`t beat the craftsmanship, Honduran Mahogany sides and back, binding, etc etc and not to mention that Fishman Blender PU for that price. Try other brands such as Taylor or Martin, and I don`t think you can get the same quality guitar for this price.

My new 2001 Larrivee D05E is an all solid wood dreadnought with active electronics on board. It features a lovely bearclawed, Sitka spruce top and Honduran mahogany back and sides. The neck is mahogany, the fretboard and bridge are ebony, the binding is Eastern maple. It features a lovely abalone soundhole rosette as well as a Mother of Pearl logo w/silver border. It has an adjustable steel truss rod and a hand fit dove tail neck joint. Equipped with Gotoh tuners with the Larrivee trademark. The nut and saddle are a composite. Tusq, I believe. The finish is a wonderful gloss. It has microdot fretboard markers and the Fishman Pro Blender. It is a full sized dreadnought. 41" long. The scale lenth is 25 1/2". It has 14 frets to the body (20 in all) and a nut width of 1 and 11/16". Complete with a 5 clip, arched Larrivee HSC.

I play all styles of music and the D05 makes it all easy. I use a Fender Princeton chorus which so far works well with it and have been using it with a Roland BR8 digital recorder with ease and have been getting good results. With the Blender, it is an extremely versatile machine, capable of handling any thing I ask of it. Great acoustic sound and able to sound like a hollow body electric with ease. The Fishman Blender also allows you to easily control feedback.

This guitar was set up as close to perfect as one could hope. The action is, as they say, like butter. The bearclawed top is gorgeous but the one piece mahogany back is incredible! The only flaw was a rough spot on one of the end pins that was irritating my right hand. Easily fixed with an emory board. Should I take a way a point for a burred end pin? Hmmm. Ok. Actually 9.75.

I wouldn't hesitate to gig with this guitar. That's why I got the one with the electronics. I can't wait to try it on stage. Everything's very well built and I think it will easily handle the demands of live playing.

It comes with a life time warranty on workmanship. In prior dealings with Larrivee I have found them friendly and helpful. I own a 1975 Larrivee L09 bz. It supports itself. I've only dealt with them to get a case for my L. There was no Larrivee dealer in town at the time and it was a struggle but they arranged for me to get one. They're really busy and sometimes don't get to emails right away. Nice folks though.

I have been playing for 37 years. I also play a Larrivee L09 Brazilian, a Fender Stratocaster, Fender Jazzmaster and various other instruments and amps. I researched this guitar purchase for almost a year and believe I got it right. I Played as many high end guitars as I could including numerous Martins, T*****s, 2 Lowdens, a Santa Cruz and all the usual suspects that I could get my hands on. Ok the Fishman is an eyesore on the side of a beautiful instrument, granted. It does, however, do exactly what I want it to do with ease. There is no BETTER dreadnought available as far as I can see. And at this price well.....................
In 1966 or so I played a bandmate's brother's Gibson Hummingbird. That was the first nice acoustic guitar I had ever played. When I picked this Larrivee up and strummed a D chord, it brought me right back there. It has all the Vroom. I love it!