La Patrie Presentation

2004 La Patrie Presentation Model

My main purpose in reviewing this guitar is to warn those who will potentially buy one given the glowing feedback reviews it has had.

Read my woes under 'Action, Fit & Finish'

Ive had it for around 5 months now, and to be honest the sound is ok (not FANTASTIC and certainly not better than a Ramirez as one reviewer seemed to think!). The playability is good too.

My one qualm is with the finish (or lack of it). I bought this guitar because it had a good sound for the price range, but also because it looked damn nice. The problem with the finish though, is that it is scratched just so damn easily.

Forget touching the fingerboard at any time - if you accidently let your nail touch it, you're gonna have a noticable ding in your guitar. Basically anything with a small amount of force will severely mutilate your guitar (eg fingernail, ding from a guitar case, cat/dog walks against it). The finish is just so thin that anything will scratch it. In a week I had scratches on it from who knows what - probably microbes in the air.

And its not just my guitar either, I checked with another in the store and another in a different store and they all have the delicate finish thats so easily scratched.

In 2 years this guitar will look 30 years old, and ugly too. In 10 years forget about it.

Now you might not care about the cosmetic appearance of the guitar, but in case you do, dont fool yourself into thinking you'll take good care of it and keep it safe - this thing will get scratches and dents in a padded safe.

Read my woes under 'Action, Fit & Finish'

N/A

Decent playing/sounding guitar but will only live for a couple of years cosmetically speaking (If this matters to you, which it does to me).

For what it is, it has everything it needs. Solid Cedar Top, Solid Rosewood Back, and Rosewood Sides with Poplar between the pieces of rosewood. Rosewood Bridge and Fingerboard.The bridge is nice because you can use ball end nylon strings.

This sounds incredible. It is very rich and warm. However, it is for Classical so don't try rhythm with it, the sound breaks up. But for Classical leads it is perfect. It doesn't do as good for Flamenco either, but it's not made for that. It sounds perfect for what it is made to do.

I love the satin finish. It is smooth and resonates wonderfully. This is the best playing Classical/Acoustic guitar that I have played. It is handmade in La Patrie, Quebec, Canada.

This was only $300, but I am scared of hurting it. I love this guitar. Very reliable.

Never talked to them.

Whether you are looking for a backup nylon string, or a main instrument, every Classical player should own one of these. This is easily my favorite model in the La Patrie line. They are all very nice, but this one seems the nicest. I love mine.

Not sure what year it was made, since the label just says

Model/Modelele Presentation
Handmade in La Patrie & Princeville, Quebec, Canada.
(followed by French version of above)

$349, no case, rosewood back, gold tuners

Very rich, full, expressive, romantic sounding guitar. Sounds beautiful. I have a Taylor CE310 and took it in for a string change. The shop was slow that day, so I had two hours to pick up and play every guitar they had hanging in the acoustic room (except lefties, since I am a righty) - ovations, yamahas, takamines, etc. This sounds hokey, but I just couldn't put this guitar down!

Great action, no flaws whatsoever. My fingers want to fly up and down the neck endlessly. One big difference between my Taylor CE310 and this guitar (yes, I know, comparing steel vs. nylon) is that my hands never seem to get tired or achey playing it.

Owned it for just over a month now and playing the heck out of it every single day, at least 4 hours a day, and it feels dependable. I don't do gigs or play live.

Heard good things from everyone about support, although haven't had to contact them yet.

Been playing for a few years now, other guitar is a Taylor CE310.

Love everything about the Presentation: it's got excellent sound and plays very*10 easily. I'd suggest that anyone looking for a guitar check this out... it's worth your while.

I've been visiting music stores for the past 5 months and played every single classical guitar for more hours (Total) than the owners would care to see me. This particulare model guitar too my humble ears is superior to everything I've played. I can hardly wait to purchase it next month. Don't believe me,...and forget all the reviews you're reading. Go play this La Patrie MODEL : The "Presentation". The other La Patrie models lack the rich separation of string sounds that I so love. I dislike a muffled sound. This guitar is warm, yet keeps the individual string sounds separated and beautiful. Try it, you'll like it. The Presentation is my guitar of choice until I learn a solid repertoire of Bach.

I bought my La Patrie in Honolulu Hawaii 2001. I was in a guitar shop that sold quality high end guitars and came across this guitar. I was looking for a replacement for my beginner classical guitar. I came across the Presentation La Patrie and fell in love with its sound a playability. I love it to this day.

The sound is rich, full, and carries well. When in full tune it vibrates and hums with a deep resonant echo. All strings when in tune will vibrate slightly and it gives this rich, deep, and powerful sound.

I tend to have short and stubby hands. This guitar has the best action of any guitar I've own. I've owned guite a few. Generic Classical, Fender Steel String (California), Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender Strat, Indiana Steel String, Herb Ellis Hollow Body Electric, Epiphone Electric Hard Body, and others. This is by far the easiest and most comfortable to play.

I've incountered a few dings over the time that I've owned it. Minor dings on the top. Could be from the light finish, or from cats that like to explore guitar cases. Overal I've been happy with its ability to maintain tonation in varying climates.

I've been playing guitar off and on for about 15yrs. If this guitar were stollen I would definatly look to replace it. Out of all the guitars I own and have owned, I value this guitar the most. I love it's tone and playability. It is a guitar that makes you want to continue playing. I hate the fact that I'm an amature player and can't show the true capability and beauty of this guitar. My favorite feature is probably the neck. It's thin and narrow making it easy to negotiate. I did compare this guitar to others. I played Martin, Guild, Takamine, Yahmaha, Gibson, Fender, Washburn, Ibanez, Tacoma, and others. I liked this guitar the most. I choose this guitar because of its looks, sound quality, playability, and price. Out of all the guitars I've ever played, this guitar is the one I enjoy playing the most.

2001 Model. Made in Quebec, Canada. Solid Cedar top, laminated rosewood sides, and get this - SOLID Rosewood back. Contrary to the brochures, I heard that all Presentations have solid rosewood backs. If you are uncertain, check the grain patterns between the inside and outside of the back. No electronics, no cutaway - the way guitars should be.

The Sound - is it better than the high end Takamines? Yes. Yamaha? Yes. Ramirez? Yes. Oribes? Maybe. Esteve? Maybe. It blows away those new Taylor Nylons (NS32, NS42, NS62, NS72) series everyone seem to love. In other words, it can compete and exceed top production guitars. I even played it against a local very high quality hand-made luthier guitar with Engelmann Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood. The sound was about the same. Must be something with this thin finish the guitars in Lasido are known for.

Setup is good. Workmanship is good - it's a beautiful guitar, especially for the price. I'm getting a little bit of buzzing in the 4th string after changing the old strings. I think it's seasonal though, but I will have it adjusted by the seller.

I'm sure I can depend on this guitar for years to come. It's built solidly.

Haven't dealt with the company, but I've heard a little bit about their customer support - which is pretty good.

I've been playing for 20 years. Have several Taylor guitars and some Fender electrics. If lost of stolen, I would buy the Presentation or it's gloss counterpart, the Collection. I love this guitar because of the great sound and even better price. You can't go wrong with any of the LaPatrie guitars. If I were to choose another Classical, it will be a handmade one with an insane price. But I'll be perfectly satisfied with this Classical guitar if it will be the only one I'll have my entire life.

Bought new July 2002 for $380 including the case, made by Lasido in Canada. Solid cedar top, rosewood back/sides, low gloss finish. Gold colored tuners, no electronics though it is an option for $150. Hard case with nice soft interior.

The sound! Being a beginning guitarist, I was looking for an entry-level solid top. I played the Yamaha, Cordoba, Takamine, and Alvarez, but the La Patrie series had the best tone. I ended up with the Presentation rather than the Etude since I wanted the rosewood. Incredible sound for the price.

The finish is a low gloss, not shiny, and looks great. The back seam is very slightly off center. The set-up/action is perfect, but the tuners are a bit sub-standard with one being a little too loose. The frets are even, very easy to play.

The top feels fragile, this could be due to the thin finish, but I believe that just adds to the sound. The neck feels solid. I'm looking forward to this guitar aging and the sound getting even better!

It comes with a warranty, and I've heard the company is very good to deal with.

I bought it frm musiciansbuy.com, they were very helpful with the purchase and they had the best price I could find. I would definately buy from them again.

I've been playing for 6 months, and I'm planning on playing this guitar for a long time. If it were stolen I'd get another from the same place, and probably spring for the electronics. I'm very happy with this purchase, it's a great guitar for the money and probably worth much more...

As a beginner, I relied on this site to focus on the LaPatrie guitars as a possible choice. When I went to my local music store, I was able to play several brands of guitar - both Spanish and Japanese. The LaPatrie was the best value for the money, and it's sound matched or exceeded that of the other guitars in the store.

I am a beginner, and the hand-me-down Japanese made guitar that I was using did not motivate me to learn. The Presentation has a rich, sweet sound. I am getting a little buzz when I am lazy with the 6th string, but I am sure that is user error.

The guitar was in excellent shape when purhcased. The finish is beautiful and natural looking. The top, sides and back are flawless. I may consider installing a better set of tuners once I have been playing longer.

The retailer will back this guitar, but not too sure about the factory.

It has a ceder top with rosewood back and sides. The fretboard, and bridge is rosewood also. The year of mine is 1998. The first two numbers of the serial number tell you. It doesn't have a pickup or any electronics at all. It would be a crime to do anything such as that. It a has a satin or very thin finsh. I like the look, which it said in the manual that it helps the tone of the guitar. Which is very true. It doesn't have that glossy look most classical guitar have like Yamaha. The only problem is the cheap tuners. That way I didn't give a ten.

I has the most amazing sound. Nice full and beautiful. Depending on the room it has a very boomy sound. Very defind sound. Nothing is clutered and you can hear every note you play. I love every sound that comes out of it.

The action was great. The frets were beautifully done and had no buzzing. There were no flaws at all. The tuners were crap that was the only problem. The nut was nicly cut. Everything was perfect. Except the tuners

I had rent a La Patrie guitar before and I found the cedar top to be incredably delicate. I had the guitar in the cheap case they gave me and it sliped out of my hand. It was say 4cm away from the floor and it put a crack it the top. Also it is very easy to scrach the top or even to put a finger nail or pick right though. The tuners like I keep saying were bad. Mostly put on to keep the cost down. I don't think I would need a back up.

Only work I had done on it was the tuners being replaced. I had no problems at all.

I would give it top value because it is amazing. I would by another one if it got stolen or lost. I have been Playing for three years. I going to college for classical guitar. The only things I don't like is the delicate cedar top and the tuners. I think they were around $85. I would tell anyone and everyone who was thinking of buying a classical to buy this brand.

I bought my Presentation new in March 2000. It was made in Quebec, Canada probably late in 1999 by Lasido. They are the people who also make Godin, Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick and Art & Lutherie guitars.

The Presentation is a full-size hand-made classical with solid cedar top, rosewood back, sides and fingerboard, and mahogany neck. The cedar has quite a tight grain. The finish is satin - but it looks and feels like unfinished wood. Very nice! And it smells like cedar.

The neck is of medium thickness, in spite of the adjustable truss rod. The first time I held it, the neck felt natural.

This guitar has everything you need to play beautiful classical music, and nothing more. Unnecessary extras would only spoil the classic look. A saddle pickup option is available, if you need it.

This is the same guitar as the Etude, but with rosewood instead of mahogany for the back and sides. If you like a gloss finish, they have an identical model (rosewood/cedar) called the Collection. I think the glossy Etude (mahogany) is called the Concert.

Magic! I tried a number of guitars, mostly Spanish and Japanese, of various prices, and was not particularly impressed. But one strum on the Presentation and I was in love. I had to have it. The tone is sweet like honey. I have had it since March and play a lot, and I still have to smile every time I play it. It's painful to play any other guitar now - even at three times the price.

The sound is deep and resonant, with great sustain. I'm told that's a characteristic of cedar-top guitars. Most other guitars sound harsh to me now. The Presentation produces good volume.

I haven't measured the action, but it feels great. There are no buzzes anywhere on the fingerboard. The intonation is perfect (bearing in mind the straight saddle). The woodwork is flawless. The joins of the book-matching are undetectable. In three months of use and close inspection, I have managed to find three specks of dust in the finish (not visible). Where the neck meets the body, a small amount of adhesive is visible if you look for it.

The tuning assemblies (gold-plated) look a little cheap, but I have had no problems with them. The guitar holds its tune. The original strings looked questionable (oxidized), so I replaced them with d'Addario from the start.

Overall, this guitar is hand-made, and it shows.

No problems so far. The satin finish would probably hide most minor scratches. The adjustable truss rod would compensate if the neck were to bend - nice feature! I expect that the plastic heads of the tuning keys might break at some stage - not a major problem.

I emailed their office in Quebec and their local distributor (here in New Zealand). Both were courteous and very helpful. The local distributor was very quick, but Quebec took a couple days due to volume of email traffic.

Mine came with a one-year warranty, which I haven't had to use.

I haven't found a guitar I'd rather play - at any price. Before you buy any classical guitar, you must try this one! The sound alone will knock your socks off. And the quality of a hand-made guitar is immediately apparent.

I paid NZ$579 (US$280) without the case. They could charge double for the Presentation, and it would still be good value. Get yours before Lasido wake up and raise the price.