Larrivee D-10

2004 California-built Larrive D10 w/Fishman Acoustic active matrix pickup. Standard dreadnaught. Has the most gorgeous abalone inlays all around top and soundhole as well as position markers and wings on saddle. Solid Canadian spruce top, extremely high quality dark rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck. Bone nut and saddle, ebony fretboard, ebony endpins with abalone. Ping tuners, form fitting Larrivee case.

I have been on a long search for my "lifetime" guitar. This one is it. I played every Martin and Taylor I could get my hands on, as well as some Santa Cruz, Collings, and Breedloves. Nothing compared to this. I realize sound is subjective, but this is the most balanced, beautiful guitar I have played. I had narrowed my search down to Martin D41 Special and OOO28 EC. If you want some more lowend thump, go for the D41. But my Larrivee handles all styles better than any other single guitar. I like fingerstyle and flatpicking, but also like to strum hard sometimes. This guitar sounds awesome no mater what I play. It has crystal clear trebles and a nice bass that resonates in your chest.

I picked this up very slightly used, with a Fishman endpin pickup installed. Nice, with no holes in the beautiful body. Perfect bookmatched top, great bearclaw grain. Previous owner had the action a tad too high for my likes, but that was easily adjusted.

Don't really have a long history yet, but it appears to be well built. Finish seems excellent.

No experience.

I have been playing for over 30 years. Have a vintage Yamaha FG200 and a DW5S. If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely buy another. It would be the 1st thing I would take if the house was burning. Compared it to Martin D41, 00028EC, Taylor 810. Bought the Larrivee because it simply blew the others away. The D10 is the kind of guitar you never will part with, just pass it down to the next generation.

Been here twice already, so I'll not repeat myself. Just coming back again to say how much I love this incredible guitar. She's a beauty in terms of features and would cost you much more if it had the "M-----" or "T-----" name on it.

One thing I'll add is that this one was made in Vancouver back before the California plant was born. I believe in Vancouver, but not so much in California.

Gets better and better, I'm not kidding! I have owned a Taylor 512, a 712, a Larrivee Parlor Rosewood SE, a Martin CEO-5, a Martin '67 Uke, a Seagull 20th Anniversary Spruce, a Tacoma DM-9, a Larrivee SD-60, and a couple of others. I have sold everything but the SD-60, the CEO-5, and the D-10 (and the Martin Uke). The D-10 is the only one of the three remaining 6-strings that I know will never have another owner.

The CEO-5 booms, but is most powerful in the bass and midrange. Amazing guitar, but the D-10 just punches through in all registers and just burps an "o-ho, wo-how" from my face every time I play it.

Eckslint!

Had it for awhile now and no problems whatsoever. It's always been my most reliable guitar. Never do I need to grieve over fret buzz or any such malfeasance.

Always helpful. The customer is important to them. Actually, there are very few companies out there anymore who actually realize that the happiness of the customer is directly related to job stability. This is not one of those companies.

I love this guitar. It's one that you can't go wrong with, and if you do, I'd bet my furry gerbils that it's your fault.

One thing I've noticed is that I never see these guitars on eBay. Sure, I occasionally see a fully decked Brazilian Rosewood version, or one with special inlays, but even those are rare. If my experience with this instrument is any indication, I can say that you don't see them because they're truly worth owning. Not selling. What a great guitar.

This is a follow-up to a review I submitted one year ago. I read a review on a Larrivee OM-9 and the guy talked about how everyone seems to give their new guitars high ratings due to the "Honeymoon" effect. "Good point," I thought. I then thought I'd come back here and confirm all the perfect 10s I gave this guitar before!

My D-10 is has lots of MOP and abalone, etc. I believe the tuners are "Ping." They work very well and the guitar often stays in tune for several days. Indian rosewood back/sides, Sitka Spruce top, Rosewood binding, ebony fretboard, headstock veneer, bridge and bridge pins, mahogany neck (one piece), gloss finish. It's the top shelf model with all the features.

She's an incredibly beautiful guitar that I often enjoy simply looking at as much as I enjoy playing. I know it will sound strange, but I have actually sat and "beheld" this guitar many times like a fine work of art. After all, that's exactly what it is. I did that just the other night, in fact.

The guitar was built in 2000 and it sounds better today than it did when I purchased it. The finish has also darkened slightly to a more amberish color, which looks amazing.

I'm still on my honeymoon with this guitar, and I can't imagine my mind will ever change. I love Larrivee guitars, and if Jean had a daughter, I'd marry her.

Sound is extremely rich. I play John Pearse, Elixr Nanoweb, or D'Addario Phospher EXPs. Amazing tonal balance with a complete lack of mud. This thing shines like the sun.

I play bluegrass, country, folk, rock, classical, and it sounds amazing no matter what I'm playing.

I have this D-10, a Larrivee P-09, a Tacoma DM-09, a Seagull 20th Anniversary Spruce, a Taylor 512, a '67 Martin Baritone Ukele, and a '78 Hohner HG-300 (dreadnaught), and this is the "chosen one" every time. Did I mention how much I love Larrivee guitars?

In my previous review, I gave this category a 9 in the written text, but a 10 in the little rating box (by accident). There are a couple of hairline cracks in the finish (not the wood) that I noticed. One was in a seam in the rosette and the other was in a seam in the neck binding near the headstock. Both very small, and both very unnoticable as they run along the seams. You can only see them under certain lighting conditions and angles. I could care less. The rest of the guitar is amazing. I bought the guitar used, so I'm going to give this a ten.

The only thing I'd change about the guitar is the width of the neck at the nut, which is 1 11/16". I'd prefer a little more room, but that's my problem, not the guitar's. It's not a big deal at all and I can play it just fine, but I just fine wider necks to be a little easier to play due to my wider fingertips. I entertained the notion of selling it for a Larrivee model with a wider neck, but the notion lasted all of three or four seconds. I couldn't possibly comprehend ever letting go of this guitar.

I've had no problems with it at all. The actual gloss finish is very touchy, however, so I'm extremely careful. I like it, though, 'cause it's aged to a nice amber color. Beautiful.

I've emailed them many times, and called also. I think they must only have one guy, Bryan T., 'cause he's the fellah I talk to each time. I'm hesitant to contact them, though, 'cause I think they're probably tired of hearing from me! Bryan is extremely helpful, and email questions are always answered in a timely manner.

I can't praise Larrivee guitars enough. I like Martins and Taylors and have played a huge number of both, not to mention a huge number of other high-dollar, handmade brands. I first came across Larrivee in a store in Ft. Worth, Texas and I've never looked back. One thing you'll read and hear over and over is that you get more bang for your buck with these guitars. I couldn't agree more, but something about the statement seems to diminish the beauty of the Larrivee picture. I'd like to say, instead, that you'll find they're worth every penny, no matter what price you pay. They are currently much less expensive than the Martins and Taylors of the world, but I can guarantee you that's only because they're still not as widely known. Give 'em a few more years and they'll be just as expensive. Then consider that Martin makes many of their guitars in either Mexico or China - can't remember which, while Taylor uses a bolt on neck. The Taylor necks are now made with three pieces of wood so they can get more necks out of a single piece of wood. Now, go look at their price tags. I don't know about you, but I always feel insulted!! I own a Taylor 512 (that I really bought for my girlfriend who's googoo over Taylor), but you can bet your boots I didn't buy it new. I'll say that Taylor's do sound great, and so do Martins, there's no doubt about that, but in my opinion, I simply don't think they sound as good as a Larrivee. If my D-10 had the Taylor or Martin name on it, it would have cost me anywhere from at least $500 to $1000+ more.

One other thing. Of all the things I own, my Larrivee D-10 is among my most prized possessions. If my house were burning down, I'd grab that guitar (and my Larrivee Parlor guitar) on my way out. I love it, I'll never sell it, and I plan on owning one or two others - an OM and an SD - with the same name on the headstock.

All I can say is that you owe it to yourself to play a Larrivee before you go spending all that money on the other brands. It's a better sounding guitar. The price tag only sweetens the story.

Made in 1995 in Victoria, BC D-10 Custom with tons of abalone & mother of pearl. Mahogany neck, sitka spruce top, rosewood back & sides.

Great sound. Nice balance bass to treble. Rich for finger picking, and not too full with pick. Sounds great live or recorded.

Factory setup was good. No factory pickup which was nice because they didn't cut a hole in the side of the guitar. Top was matched nicely as should be expected for a D10... they reserve only their best tops for a level 10. They are very specific with their selection of woods as well... I know a guy who worked at a mill that supplied Larrivee guitar wood when they were based in Vancouver.

Very durable guitar. I look after it, but am not afraid to take it travelling, or play it when it's a little damp outside. I've taken it on at least 25 flights over the past 7 years. Stays in tune. I had it set up after having it for 2 years, and had a custom bridge made. Very nice to play.

I was very impressed with their customer support. I called their assembly plant, and they give free tours. I even called Jean up on the phone before buying the guitar to ask him if he thought it would be a good investment... (bought it on Ebay from Miami, and I live in Vancouver).

I've been playing for 14 years. Definitely buy a Larrivee guitar if you're on the fence. I could sell it today for more than I paid. A great investment, and you get to play it while you own it!!!

Engleman spruce top with indian rosewood body. Abalone inlays in fretboard, sound hole, and trim of the body.

This guitar, like many rosewood guitars gives a deep sound. it sounds amazing unplugged.

Low, soft action. can play for hours without pain =)

if taken care of properly this guitar can last forever. in any situation it has the potential of sounding awesome. if you are someone who likes to bang on a guitar this may not be for you, but if u are gentle it will sound great.

i've been playing for a little over 7 years. i own a guild acoustic/electric. i happened to sumble on a deal of a lifetime so i had to jump on it. my guitar came with electronics too! much of the price comes from the looks. it is a pretty guitar, but not really necessary. for the price i paid it is the best guitar. larrivee makes a very quality product and i wouldn't mind playing any of their guitars. Comparing them against taylor. Taylors do sound amazing, but for the price you pay Larrivee is the way to go

This guitar is a dreadnaught with solid sitka spruce top with bearclaw figuring in the grain, solid indian rosewood sides and back (bookmatched). Beautiful abalone/black and white pinstriped rosette and purfling on front, combined with rosewood binding. Rosewood binding with black and white pinstriping on back. Ebony fretboard with mother of pearl (MOP), intricate, three-piece fretmarkers (I think they're the "floral" design. The "vine" design is more circular-looking). The neck is one-piece mahogany with an ebony headstock veneer that has the Larrivee logo inlaid in MOP and a sterling silver inlaid borderline around the face of the headstock about an eigth of an inch from the edge of the veneer. The fretboard is also bound in ivoroid and the heel cap is ivoroid, as well. The bridge and bridge pins are ebony. The pins have abalone accent dots. I've forgotten what kind of tuners (chrome) it has, but they work extremely well. No strap buttons, no electronics, and has Larrivee's clear pickguard. High gloss finish. Absolutely beautiful acoustic guitar.

Before I purchased this guitar, I did a great deal of research. I played at least 50 Martins and the same number of Gibsons, Guilds, and Taylors, not to mention a few Tacomas, Lowdens, Legends, Collings, Rainsongs, etc., etc., etc. The guitars I tested ranged in price from $7500.00 on down the scale. I walked into a music store one afternoon and saw a few guitars on the wall I'd never heard of. Larrivee? Who's that? I pulled the plain-looking guitar, I think it was their D-03 base model that sells for about $750, sat down and started strumming. I cannot explain to you how incredibly blown away I was by the sound. The instrument boomed in my arms. The projection balance from string to string from the low to the high E was perfect and mind-blowing. I could hear each string sing in perfect harmony with the others. One strum, an open G, and I immediately exclaimed, "Oh my G@D, how much is this thing?!! Holy sh!t, you've gotta be kiddin' me!!" That thing boomed like a cannon, sparkled like a crystal glass of champaign, and left not even a hint of a hole anywhere in between. I honestly couldn't believe my ears. That $750 guitar sounded far better than any I had played before I walked in that store. Don't get me wrong, the Martins, Taylors, Collingses, etc. are all incredible, too, but this simply outshined all of 'em. It just had a more rich, full sound. I went home and researched the company on the internet and ended up purchasing the D10 from a guy on Ebay for $1600.00. I absolutely love the guitar. In terms of sound, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the Martins, Taylors and the like a 10. I give this guitar at least a 15!

Perfect action. Low enough for fast playing, but high enough to hammer on it. I play nearly every type of music, from classical to bluegrass to country, blues and folk. This handles all with perfect finesse. Fit is great too. It's about your average-sized dreadnaught and it fits comfortably in my arms.

Finish is not so perfect. I've noticed a hairline crack running from the bottom side of the fretboard along one of the seams in the rosette between the spruce and the abalone. It's difficult to see as it runs with the lines of the rosette, but it's there and it's grown about a quarter of an inch. There's another slight finish crack at the seam between the ivoroid binding and the mahogany neckwood on the top of the neck at the nut. Again, it's hard to notice as it runs with a seam, but it's there. I'm not really happy with the gloss finish material itself. It seems soft. I have a Seagull that I can damn near play raquetball with and it never shows a scratch. If I barely bump this one, though, I'm forever reminded of the mishap. I give it a 9, but with great hesitation.

One of my favorite things about this guitar is how well it stays in tune. I can play it for hours, put it down, and pick it up two days later and it's still in tune.

Durability is slightly off due to the finish gloss mentioned above, so I won't count that here.

I'd gig with this without backup.

They're very helpful. I emailed them with a question once and they replied fairly quickly. Unless you're plagued with poor luck, I doubt you'll ever need to contact them for anything serious.

Top quality, unreal sounding guitar. I've compared it to many, many premium guitars and it easily, in my opinion, outshines 'em all. Aside from my Larrivee, I also own a Seagull S6 20th Anniversary (Dreadnaught) with solid spruce top and laminated cherry with blonde flamed maple veneer, a Tacoma DM9 (Dreadnaught) with solid spruce top, and solid mahogany back and sides, an Alvarez Regent classical guitar that was given to me and that I never play, a Yamaha SG 500 Gold Top with dual humbuckers that was also given to me, and a five-piece Tama Star Classic drum kit with premium zildjian cymbals. I've played drums for 20 years and guitar for only a few. Whether you've played for forty years or forty-five minutes, you'll hear the exceptional, unparalleled sound quality of the Larrivee guitar.

If this guitar was stolen, I'd find the SOB who stole it and I'd give 'em a 230lb. Texas cowboy style ass-kickin' like they ain't never had before, and I'd wear a necklace of their teeth each time I played on stage. If that didn't work, I'd buy a new one.

Larrivee D-10 Deluxe
Abalone & ROSEWOOD BINDINGS
MOP INLAYS ON THE NECK AND BRIDGE
INDIAN ROSEWOOD SIDES AND BACK
SITKA SPRUCE TOP
MAHOGNY NECK

This guitar projects sound as well if not better than any Martin that I've played over the last 30 years.I'm extremly impressed with the tone of this guitar.

This guitar came to me with A really great setup."LOW AND FAST",But this is A personal prefrence,and one that can easly be changed.Everyone likes something different,but this particular guitar came just the way I like them set up.Only one tiny flaw,it appears to be A scratch but it's under the finish,Not noticable unless it's pointed out.If that's the worst thing that ever happens to this guitar,I can certainly live with it.

This is A pretty light guitar,But very well constructed.I don't see any reason why,with proper care, my great grand children could be gigging with this guitar.

I e-mailed Larrivee with some questions,they were answered promptly.

I can honestly say that in thirty years of playing,I like this guitar better than any other,I've owned several other guitars comprable to this.The only thing that I regret is that I did'nt purchase A Larrivee ten years ago.If something dreadful ever happened to this guitar"God Forbid"I would go straight out and buy another one just like it.Larrivee, you dont take back seat to anyone in the industry as far as this guitar player is concerned,Keep up the excellent work.Five Stars *****

In my possession is a fairly new Larrivee D10 that I bought slightly used. It ranks as one of Larrivee's best sounding guitars with all of the deluxe features you'd expect from the rosewood deluxe 10 series - beautiful solid spruce top, striking solid (w/ purple accents) rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, rosewood binding, abalone EVERYWHERE on the rosette, around the body and along the fretboard. The neck is mahogany (I wish Larrivee stained the necks to match the wood of the rosewood body!). The frets themselves are a bit sharp - could result in sore fingers with extensive play. But overall this is a beautiful guitar that will go to battle with a Martin D28, a Santa Cruz D and those pricey small company guitars like Collings and Froggy Bottom. I love the features on this guitar!

In addition to the features above, I recently installed a Highlander IP-1 under saddle pickup and it sounds awesome! The guy who installed it did a messy job, but the end result is that the pickup works and simply adds to the versatility of this guitar. I also took off the clear pickguard (never really cared for them) and added a custom OM style black teardrop pickguard which adds to the custom feel of this guitar. I feel like I'm playing a $4000.00 for much less.

I've owned four Larrivee's in my life thus far (J09E, DV05E, C03RE and this one). This D10 is THE best sounding Larrivee I have ever owned. It has strong volume projection and is well rounded with good balance between the bass, mid and treble. String balance is clear and defined and the sound travels on this one. It isn't boxy or boomy or twangy - just clear and present - the perfect guitar to fill a room nicely. My other guitar is a Guild D55 and this D10 cannot match the Guild's bottom end resonance, but I bought this D10 not wanting to match the Guild, but simply to complement my collection with a nice alternative. The D55 is big, loud and heavy, this D10 is lighter, more delicate and yet authoritative in terms of sound and presence. I love having this to complement my D55!

The action and playibility on this D10 is awesome. I've always been impressed with the Larrivee necks - always straight and easy to fret up and down the neck and yet without string buzz. I can lightly strum this baby, fingerpick and aggresively attack it and it still maintains its integrity and ease of play. I can't put this guitar down, really!

I think the Larrivee name and company are first rate. Their product has always impressed me. Even though I've preferred the bulk and girth of Guild guitars, I've come to see the strength and durability of the Larrivee guitars as well. The sad thing about this beautiful guitar is that if I continue to play it like I've done with my other guitars, scratches and smears and dents will ineviteably come. I like this about older guitars that have been through a war or two - but this Larrviee D10 is so beautiful that I'm almost afraid to take her out and get her roughed up. Oh well. Every guitar I've owned has ended up with bumps and bruises - but that's also a reflection of it being well loved. I suspect this D10 will grow old with me and we'll share battle scars as a result.

I've always had a great time dealing with the people at Larrivee - they're quick to respond to specific needs, they've sent me spare parts like truss rod tools free of charge. I have nothing but great things to say about them - I can't understand the angst that some fo the other writers have had with this company.

This is a great guitar and I feel blessed to have it. It came to me with some bruises on it and so I got a good deal for it from the guy I bought it from. Since I work in a church, I can't afford the really expensive guitars out there - but with this used D10 with my highlander pickup and my Baggs para-acoustic DI box, I feel like I can conquer anything and sound just as good (if not better) than the professionals with their pricey setups. I will always be a Larrivee fan, and so if I were to lose this, I would definitely replace it with another Larrivee - but maybe a DV10 or JV10. Looking at this review, it's hard to be critical when I've already been sold on the Larrivee name and product - and besides, this is an awesome guitar to behold and play.

2002 special order Larrivee D-10 with custom Lucia gal headstock with the arbor made in California, solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fret board/bridge, gloss finish. Very nice abalone around rossette, sound board, bridge and fret board. Very nice hard shell case

The sound of the D-05 I played at the store was so good I custom ordered a D-10. The sound of the D-05 was very clear and balanced

here is the heart breaker...when my custom D-10 arrived to the dealer, it was unplayable due to horriable fret buzzing. The dealer tried to adjust the truss rod, but the truss rod was stripped and could not be adjusted (still cant believe that it left the factory like this) So the dealer called Larrivee and they said that the fret buzzing would "probably go away when spring came (it was in the middle of winter early January). I rejected the guitar and the dealer sent it back to Larrivee to be fixed. I get a call E-mail from larrivee telling me that the headstock got split during shipping but not to worry because they have a lifetime warrenty that they stand behind and the repaired headstock will hardly be noticable. I called them up and informed them that I had not bought it yet and I would not play 3 thousand dollers for a brand new "fixed" guitar. They said they would build me another one. The next one that was sent to the dealer sounded good and played good but had some serious cosmetic issues, that I think that the top of the line guitar should not have a finger print under the finish on the top, A black spot the size of a golf ball (it was a giant knot) on the back of the guitar and basically very subpar wood used on both the Back and the sides...the top was very nice except for the finger print and the abalone around the rosette looked like they ran out of abalone 3/4 of the way around the soundhole and just used droppings off of the floor to finish it which made it very un uniformed looking and was very noticable.

cant say here.....I had to reject this one as well (broke my heart)

they were great, stayed in touch with me the whole time this problem was going on via E-mail as well as through the dealer

I ended up getting my down payment back from the dealer and I bought a Martin D-42 for the same amount of money.

Year 2001 D10. Solid Sitka top. Solid East Indian Rosewood back & sides. Ebony fretboard. Beautiful pearl intlays. Abalone bound top & headstock. Deluxe fretboard inlays. Rosewood binding. All the good stuff is here

I have always been a fan of Larrivee's strong, glassy sound and this guitar is no exception. The sound is huge, very loud and it responds to your touch very well. Intonation is perfect. I play alot of funk and jazz, this guitar will play any style.

I had to lower the action "Ever so Slightly", but it didn't bother me. The deluxe thompson truss rod system is perfect, and no matter how low or high you want your action, you get perfect neck pitch. A couple of black spots on the inside, but practically invisable.

This guitar is built solid and I know it will last. I just bought it, so I am unaware of it's life, but if it's like my other larrivees, it will last forever. Records well, plays live well.

The company is very friendly to work with, however they can sometimes be a little late with your requests. They are gems to talk to on the phone, but don't expect quick results.