Larrivee P-05

2007 model P-05 "Parlor". Size 0, 12 fret body style; solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, one piece mahogany neck; ebony fingerboard, headstock overlay, bridge, and bridge pins; schaller knock-off tuners with black (plastic?) buttons; plastic ivoroid binding on neck; maple binding on body; abolone rosette; gloss polyurethane finish.

24" scale, 1.75" nut width; nice low, wide frets. Strung with medium gauge strings.

I put a set of D'Adarrio EJ17 medium phosphor bronze strings on, and the sound improved over the Cleartone coated strings that came on it. It definitely opened up, especially the bass strings. But even so, the low E is pretty dead above the 7th fret. Thump thump thump is about all you'll get out of it, and the intonation for the E and A goes south at the 12th fret. The high strings do sound lovely though, even well above 12. Very clear, woody, and full. Yes, full - it's obvious that they overbuilt this thing going for a big guitar sound in a small package, and that's pretty much what you'll get. This is not a copy of a vintage parlor guitar, to spite the name. It does have its place though, and I thoroughly enjoy it for playing Robert Johnson country blues tunes on it. Light strumming in the first position is going to please most people also.
I use only fingers and thumb - no pick. FYI.

Ok, here's where my real disappointment with Larrivee begins.

1) The nut on this guitar was cut very badly - there is an enormous gap between the E and A strings, and the strings sit in very deep cuts - well over the top of the string. Also, even though it was shipped with 13's on it, it was cut for 12's, and squeeks on all the wound strings. Was this the intern's first try at nut making?

2) There are air bubbles, and several other (dirt specks?) finish imperfections underneath the urethane finish. This is in several areas. It looks like an amateur refin to my eyes. The excess around the neck joint is starting to crack a little.

3) Larrivee installs a fiber board reinforcement plate on the inside of the upper bout, just in case someone wants to install electronics there in the future. They also drill out a 1/2" jack hole and install a chrome strap button, instead of using a tradition end pin. Now, I realize these don't alter the guitar enormously, but this seems robotic and industrial to me. This guitar was not an "E" model, and never will be. Why go through the motions of almost making it one? Their assembly line is that inflexible? And the fiber board is quite simply an eyesore when you look inside the guitar. Does it affect the sound? Well, it can't improve it, that's for sure.

Bob Colosi sold me a 1/2" bone plug to replace the ugly chrome strap button.

I'm giving it a 5, because this guitar cost 3 times what my Chinese guitars cost - and they came with perfect nuts, and better finishes; and they're built as acoustic guitars, not as E models that somebody left the electronics out of.

The wood on this guitar looks excellent, and all the joints and bracing look solid and well done. The case is excellent - very solid, plush, and in an archtop style.

No idea. I do my own work on my guitars. I have yet to find a "tech" who has the same concern for quality that I do.

I really wanted to love this guitar, but maybe I'll end up selling it. The sound is mostly enjoyable, although it never blows me away. It is comfortable to play. Unfortunately I needed to buy a new nut and jack hole plug to get it to where it should have been on day one, and I can't fix the finish flaws.
Knowing what I do now I would not buy a Larrivee, or this particular guitar, again. I would probably get a Blueridge BR-341, for half the price I paid for a P-05.
People seem to love these though, and they also rave about Larrivee's other guitars - so maybe I got the only bad one they made? Strange.