Larrivee D-50

Larrivee combined features from the D-18 and HD-28 Martins to make a fantastic guitar! It has a solid Canadian Sitka top with a little bit of bearclaw, enlarged soundhole, solid mahogany back and sides with a light stain, beautiful maple binding, small herringbone purfling and rosette and abalone dot ebony bridge pins, an interesting tortoise-like pickguard, free leather strap and cleaning cloth, and the special Allen wrench for adjusting the truss rod. The open-backed tuners have nice,engraved butterbean knobs, and they're better than the ones on the Martin D-18v's. The metal end pin is big and looks a little clunky, but they did this on purpose so that no drilling is needed to install an endpin jack if you add a pickup.
The mahogany neck has a nice satin finish and is very comfortable. The only reason I'm taking a point off here is that I'm not wild about the color of stain on the back and sides - they're a little too orange for my taste!

The sound of this guitar is exactly what I was looking for. I've had a rosewood Guild dread for years, and finally decided it was too muddy on the low end for me. I'm doing more flatpicking now, and the Larrivee has that clear, dry sound that bluegrassers crave. Great volume, great separation and balance. I took it to a jam last week and got great comments about both the sound and the looks! Can't wait to hear it after a couple of years of playing. I expect it will warm up a bit with time.

This guitar had been around the shop I bought it from for at least a year before I took it home, so I don't know how the setup looks when it was fresh from the factory. The action was a bit high when I first started test-driving it, but a quick truss-rod adjustment was all it needed. Now it's about medium-high with .013 - .056 strings - perfect for my playing style. The neck profile is really nice for my hands - not V-shaped or too chunky. Workmanship is exceptionally clean - perfect joints, great fretwork, beautiful finish in general. There are two minor finish flaws on the back, where it looks like the stain didn't penetrate as well, leaving spots of lighter wood. That's the only flaw I can detect - otherwise perfect!

Seems to be very solid, even though quite light in weight. The finish seems thick enough to hold up without being overdone. Tuners are very tight and smooth-functioning (and beautiful!) I wouldn't hesitate to play it out - unlike my Lowden, which is SO light I'm always afraid it's going to fall apart! (sounds incredible, though)

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I've been playing for about 30 years. I own a 1981 Guild D-50 which I plan to sell since getting the Larrivee. I also have a Lowden F-22C with a cedar top/mahogany back and sides for fingerstyle; a circa-1915 Washburn parlor guitar, and a 1950's Kay jumbo (cheap, but sounds amazing). If the Larrivee were ever lost or stolen, I'd have to look for another one, although I'd be hard-pressed to get such a great deal again! I chose it over several 1970's Martins, a 1973 Mossman Great Plains, a used Martin D-18v, and a Lakewood D-14 (very nice guitar!). I had also tried out comparable models from Santa Cruz and Collings. In honesty, I have to say that my decision was strongly influenced by the incredible price I got during a store clearance sale, but I have had no reason to regret it! I've even gone back and played several of the other guitars I didn't buy, and I'm still thrilled with the Larrivee!

This guitar is a work of art. I can't say enough about it. Herringbone inlay around the spruce sound board, Tortis pickguard, Abolone Inlays around the enlarged sound hole and diamond fret markers on the African Ebony neck. Small square cut headstock overlaid with Rosewood and inlayed with "Larrivee" . Oh yeas the bridge ebony bridge pins are crowned with Abolone as well very nice touch, the neck is bound and the frets arejust right not to high or too low, not tooo wide or too narrow. The open gear tuners that really keeps the guitar in tune. The guitar came with an archtop case. very nice leather guitar strap, picks, polishing cloth and a care manual. Super value. I think Larrivee really gives you more in a guitar for the money than anyone else.

Sound is loud and clear. Very balanced from string to string. The guitar pops when you he play it, the sound projects out it. For a mahogany and spruce box it is super. The enlarged sound hole and forward bracing really help, and the guitar is lightweigth. No rattles or unexpected phantom sounds from this guitar. Full, loud and clear. The intonation up and down the neck is more acurate than my Martin D-28. Also the Larrivee is louder and for some reason easier to play even though the action is set -up to the exact same specs as my Martin.

I actually playing the Larrivee a little more than the Martin. For on thing it's lighter and easier to play. I can play just about anything from Jazz to Pop, and this guitar is fun to play and really sounds great.

I tried Taylor (sounded like a Yamaha not bad but thin) Collins (very nice too much $$$) Breedlove (sounded great wierd headstock) Martin (have one). The Larrivee just has that magic I was looking for.

Set up was spot on from the factory. I bought the guitar on line and the only thing I did was change the guitar stings to Martin SP 12s. First rate fit and finish. The wood that Larrivee uses is without question some of the best tone wood I've seen and heard. Top is silked and for the most part, narrow, tight and fairly straight grained. The mahogany is natural in color not dark stained like most guitars so over all the D-50 is a very beautiful. Tight fitting case too.

The guitar stands up to live playing very easily. And as I am not a sting breaker, it does just fine.

Haven't dealt with the company

I've been playing for 30 years and have a 2002 Martin D-28 that I think is standard for acoustic guitars. I tryed a Larrivee D-50 and just had to have one it sounded so good. So I got lucky and found one on line. Also own an Ibanez Jazz Guitar and an Ultrasound amp for Jazz gigs. I think I'll put the Martin away for the Grandkids and play the Larrivee everyday. Sweet guitar. I hadn't really tried a Larrivee before; I should have it is really a fantastic value.

2003, Handmade in Larrivee's California facility. All solid woods, beautiful bearclaw figure in the spruce top, solid mahogony neck, back and sides. Jumbo frets, fairly flat radius ebony fingerboard and bridge, curly maple binding(refreshingly beautiful upgrade from typical plastic bindings!) with abalone inlay around the soundhole. Features include engraved "Waverley Style" tuners, Tusc nut and compensated saddle. A form-fit, archtop hardshell case, polishing cloth and engraved leather strap were included! A strap button is not included, however, and is useful as many flatpickers and bluegrass musicians play standing up. This guitar is styled after the concept of a vintage Martin with a "diamond joint" headstock detail, Clarence White/Tony Rice-approved enlarged soundhole, Tor-tis pickguard and dry-as-a-bone dreadnaught punch.

Aimed at the flatpicking/Bluegrass market, this guitar delivers the dry, sparkling punch that the style demands. The guitar is very even across the tonal range (from high to low), and this evenness and punch was even more pronounced when I strung it up with a set of Thomastic .13's! This guitar has a lot of "headroom" (doesn't "crap out" when you really dig in), and is very responsive to changes in dynamics - likely due to the solid wood construction. This is a loud instrument (the term "cannon" applies here) and easily holds its own in an unamplified session with fiddle, mando, banjo and upright bass. I'm not sure how much the enlarged soundhole aids in volume, but I'm told it does have an affect on the resonant, fundamental pitch of the soundbox.

Action was set a bit high at the nut for my taste, but I haven't changed it as I'm getting used to it and I'm afraid lowering it may sacrifice some of the volume I'm enjoying. The finish is meticulously applied and internal details of construction are neat and tidy. The fitting of the nut in relationship to the shape of the headstock and the details of the binding work and joinery are all first-rate. I bought the guitar at a serious discount because of a tiny dent in the top that occurred in a shop accident. I'm not bothered by this at all and certainly the guitar did not ship from the factory with this minor flaw.

One small quibble is that frets 12 and 13 are high (and buzz) due to a bit of a hump where the neck joins the body. I've seen this many times on inexpensive instruments and is disconcerting here. Luckily the jumbo frets leave a lot of room for the problem to be corrected by some fretwork up there and I don't regularly play above the 12th fret anyway. This is why I knocked three points off my score here...

This guitar feels quite solid and built for the long haul! Larrivee has a reputation for high quality in terms of sound and construction. The construction and hardware here are all first-rate and with reasonable care one should expect this guitar to last several lifetimes!

Lifetime warranty to original customer, easily submitted at Larrivee's website. I've never had to contact Larrivee (and hope I don't have to), but the website seems well-maintained and regularly updated.

I've been playing guitar (all styles, electric and acoustic) for twenty years or so. I've owned many nice guitars (including Gibson and Martin) over the years and I'm VERY happy with this Larrivee! In fact, this is my second Larrivee (I also own their little parlor guitar and LOVE IT!!!). If I had to choose one guitar out of my collection I'd keep this Larivee without hesitation! If it were lost or stolen I'd definitely look into getting another!

Larrivee went for the flatpicking crowd with this guitar and hit a home run. Gorgeous wide-grained Canadian Sitka top, oversized soundhole, choice mahogany with a very light stain, maple binding, small herringbone purfling, abalone rosette and abalone dot bridge pins, Tor-Tis pickguard, free leather strap and cleaning cloth, and they give you the specially shaped Allen wrench needed to reach the recessed truss rod nut. Even the Waverly knock-off tuners have engraved butterbean knobs. Way cool. One thing that really stands out is that they use the same appointments for both the mahogany guitar as the rosewood model, which is a nice touch. Only thing that looks cheap and out-of-place here is the metal end pin screwed into the gorgeous maple butt wedge. On a guitar of this quality, they should put a nicer end pin on it (and every dreadnought guitar ought to come with a strap button on the heel, but that's another story).

Right out of the box, this guitar is VERY loud, crisp and dry, just the way most flatpickers who love mahogany dreadnoughts want their guitars to sound. I A/B'ed this guitar with several very high-end mahogany dreads from other top manufacturers, and it was a very close call which sounded better - very impressive for a guitar at this pricepoint. It is a bit glassy and piercing on the high end, but changing to a bone nut and saddle should reduce that noticeably, and as the guitar opens up it also should warm up significantly.

There was a minor string buzz on the high E, but otherwise it plays great all over the neck. The finish is reasonably thin and well-applied, although I am no fan of the new UV-cured plastic finishes. The joinery is up to Larrivee's high standards, with virtually no glue slop inside. As one of my fussier guitar friends would put it, the guitar looks "tidy." Intonation was very good. One very nice touch is the satin finish on the neck, a touch many flatpickers will love (myself included).

Can't see any reason this guitar shouldn't last for generations with proper care and humidification.

Not needed, but the folks at First Quality Musical Supply in Louisville outdid themselves setting this up for me and reducing that string buzz.

Even without the nice pricepoint, this guitar would contend with every high-end mahogany dreadnought on the market. It's just a great-sounding, nice playing, gorgeous guitar that I can play with confidence on any gig or at any bluegrass festival and not feel outgunned. But to get it at this price for an American-made instrument (using parts made in Canada), well, that's just awesome. I had never played a Larrivee before this model that I thought was useful as a flatpicking guitar, but this D-50 totally changed my opinion. The D-60 rosewood model is very nice, too, but the mahogany model is just too good. Don't buy a new D-18 style guitar without checking one of these out first. They're that good.

This guitar seems like a vintage Martin. Open tuners, large sound hole, etc.... Great tone and punch given from top quality mahogany sides and back. Arch top case and nice leather strap included with purchase.

This is a flat picker's dream. Sounds like a Martin, plays like a Gibson. (that's what an old timer told me anyway) Sounds extremely bright.

I haven't changed a thing from the factory. I still find that hard to believe. I pulled it off the truck myself, and it came out of the box sounding awsome.

Too early to tell. We've got a gig this weekend in the July heat, and I'm not worried a bit. It has a lifetime warranty to the original owner!

Graet guys that are willing to help!

I have been playing the guitar since I was six. I am thirty-five now, and all my life I've been taught that if it ain't a Martin, don't buy it. I have to say that I've played this guitar along side a lot of top martins, and this guitar turns heads. It combines everything I grew up loving about a guitar. It's a D-18v, D-28, and HD-28v all rolled up into one. And.... all for about $1500.00. I'm happy.

USA made of parts manufactured in Canada. Solid mahogany sides and back. Solid Spruce top. Curly maple body bindings. Beautiful herringbone trim. Prewar style headstock. Waverly style tuners. High Gloss finish with the exception of the back of neck which is satin finished. Ebony finger board and bridge. Tusq nut and compensated saddle. Abalone diamonds in the fretboard and abalone Larrivee logo in headstock

I really like the sound of this Larrivee. I like acoustics that sound "crisp" and this one has that sound. And it has excellent separation and is a very articulate guitar.

The guitar was really set up great from the factory. I can't complain about the fit and finish...both are great.

Its new, so I haven't had a problem. One major draw back..no strap buttons. I wish Larrivee would make that feature standard.

Brian Trepanier, customer service rep at Larrivee, is great. He was a real big help when I had questions. You can call him at 604-253-7111.
I am sure he will be glad to help you if you have any problems or questions about Larrivee guitars.

So far, I think its a great guitar. If you want a guitar that looks and plays like a $2200 copy of a prewar Martin, this is a great value.