# Larrivee making electrics again



## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

More info here: http://www.12fret.com/new/NAMM_2008_Larrivee_pg.html


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Man..those loook nice...but i expect them to be VERY pricy.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Very nice. I never understood why they stopped totally in the first place.......


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Really nice components. On top of that, it has a neck that looks thick like the one on my SG, which I love. Man, I want one so bad...


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## Eric Pykala (Jul 1, 2006)

Every time Fender makes a set-neck HB guitar it bombs. 
Every time Gibson makes a Fender-style guitar it bombs. 
Both Larrivee and Martin have tried electrics before; they bombed.
Taylor is making spudboy guitars now; we'll see.
I love my Larrivees, but when you build such awesome acoustics is it really necessary to jump (back) into the solidbody wars?
Before I do the 'holy internet pronouncement' thing I'm going to actually play one...Eric


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

ya, noticed this......looks interesting, definately would like to play one.

maybe alot of these different builders are listening to the cry's of the people!!! "make quality again........we want quality"...............................I love gibson, but you REALLY have to run the racks of every store @ your disposal/or get mightly lucky to find a good gibson these days (imho of course .........and this looks like comp for the beloved lester 

not sure I love the shape, but honestly, shape means nothing to me, if it feels great and sounds great and rings out ...............great !


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

al3d said:


> Man..those loook nice...but i expect them to be VERY pricy.


...three big ones, i believe.

-dh


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...three big ones, i believe.
> 
> -dh


Okay, I don't want one that bad anymore...


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

I've played the Taylor it ins't nicer than my Les Paul IMHO

I'll try the Larry but will prolly feel the same way.

Going in with the wrong attitude could save me a couple of grand.

I also love my L09.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

Accept2 said:


> Very nice. I never understood why they stopped totally in the first place.......


because the necks were so thin, when you used the whammy bar, you could literally watch the headstock move...


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Never ever had that on any of mine. In fact I dumped my Larrivees because the necks were too big..............


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I had a Larrivee superstrat in the 80s. It had a Kahler pro and EMGs.

One of the best guitars I've played.




These new ones are ugly as hell IMO but are sure to be great instruments.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...three big ones, i believe.
> 
> -dh


wow, not gonna put out 3000$ for a larrivé, problem is those guitars NEVER keep their value. That is one bad marketing realy...sell 10 at 3000$....or 50 at 1500$!?. It might be as good, look as good as a Gibson, but in 10 years, you can sell your Gibson and almost loose no money, a Godin, or Larrivée?..no way.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

I dunno that I would put a Godin and a Larrivee in the same league, resale-wise. I'm thinking a Larrivee acoustic retains a lot of value ten years down the road.... don't know if you could say the same thing for the Godin family of brands.

As to whether or not one of these new Larrivee electrics will hold their value well, it depends. I doubt they'll be able to touch the resale status of Gibby or Fender, but for some collectors perhaps they'll do fine. Some folks love to drop large coin so they can say they have a piece of history - "this is one of the very first of the 2008 wave of electrics Larrivee released after years of being acoustic-only, etc."


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## Mogwaii (Feb 16, 2007)

Kenmac said:


> More info here: http://www.12fret.com/new/NAMM_2008_Larrivee_pg.html


Bleh! :zzz:
Looks boring


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Electrix said:


> Bleh! :zzz:
> Looks boring


Maybe, but it's all about the sound, isn't it.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

I had a custom V built by Larivee back in the early 90's... awsome gtr... nice to see them back in the electric guitar game.


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## xbolt (Jan 1, 2008)

Glad to see them back at it :smilie_flagge17:

This is my Larrivee built electric...


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Larrivee switched to producing mainly electrics in the early 1980's when the acoustic market bombed. The experience they gained from new machining, tooling and production methods really paid off dividends when the acoustic market rebounded. The fact that they can build a quality, all solid wood acoustic guitar better and cheaper than anyone else has a lot to do with that.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Don't rip my head off..but Signature guitars were built at Guitabec, in those day there was only Guitabec and Norman making guitars. Guitabec as been since renammed Godin, formally making Kramers, Jacksons, Charvel, AND signature guitars.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Only bolton Signatures were Godin, the neckthrus were Larrivee. I dont think they ever made Charvel or Jackson either. As for Kramer, I think I remember a company named Sports making the necks for some of the their guitars, but most Kramers back then were ESPs......


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

No one is ripping your head off.

Interesting, never heard of Guitabec. My understanding is that Godin used to make necks for Fender before producing his own guitar designs.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

in the early 80's, Guitabec, now known as "GODIN" was making guitare parts. I should know, we used to go there at buy direct, we bought Kramers, Jacksons, charvels for VERY cheap, we just needed to assembled them. they came in a box with everyting from body, neck, and all hardware. you could buy a "US Kramer Barreta for 400$ with everything when it was sold at steve for over 1200$, i bought a Randy Road Flying V for the same price as well and many more. We had a tour of the place and that was so cool, they were preparing a bunch of Signature Axe for Alex from Rush to be shipped. Walking in a room with LOADS of necks and body waiting to be assembled was just nuts.

Those shops, Guitabec and Norman are 20 minutres from my place, we had a lots of friends working there. If we ARE talking about http://www.larrivee.com, those guitars were never made in Quebec, but rather in BC and other places in the West as far as i know. 

Accoutic guitars from Quebec that i know are Godin formaly known as Guitabec, Norman, boucher guitars, these are the ones made in quebec, the big names that is, each makes different series doh known under different names.


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Yeah, I knew Larrivee was a west coast operation, although an old guitar tech friend of mine says Jean Larrivee used to live in Toronto just down the street from him in the early 70s, before he moved out west.

As for Godin, I really admire the guy for the legacy he's built up.

And yeah, about guitar makers rebranding product... possibly the biggest maker out there, Samick, makes entire lines of guitars for all sorts of companies, and has been doing so for years and years.


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

I can see Godin building Kramers, because they even approached Lado - they were barking up the wrong tree there - but not Charvel/Jackson. Ghost building goes on alot. There was a time long ago when Gibson was building Washburns because Washburn was in large demand and Gibson was not. For the longest time Dean's US production is handled entirely by other makers...........


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Accept2 said:


> I can see Godin building Kramers, because they even approached Lado - they were barking up the wrong tree there - but not Charvel/Jackson. Ghost building goes on alot. There was a time long ago when Gibson was building Washburns because Washburn was in large demand and Gibson was not. For the longest time Dean's US production is handled entirely by other makers...........



What can i say.. they did charvel and Jackson as well...


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Youre going to have to elaborate on that. If Godin would have been involved, it might fit into the Boogie Bodies (pre-Charvel) period, but I cant see them in the picture at anytime else. Most of the 80s Charvels were made in Japan and none were being made in the US after 1985. As for Jackson, the production in the 80s was quite small starting in 1983, most were neckthru, which Godin seems to not build, and they are accounted for by the guys who actually built them, some even with photos as they were being built. Sorry, just cant see it at all. Charvel/Jackson production is well documented for that period, but not in the Boogie Bodies period......


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Accept2 said:


> Youre going to have to elaborate on that. If Godin would have been involved, it might fit into the Boogie Bodies (pre-Charvel) period, but I cant see them in the picture at anytime else. Most of the 80s Charvels were made in Japan and none were being made in the US after 1985. As for Jackson, the production in the 80s was quite small starting in 1983, most were neckthru, which Godin seems to not build, and they are accounted for by the guys who actually built them, some even with photos as they were being built. Sorry, just cant see it at all. Charvel/Jackson production is well documented for that period, but not in the Boogie Bodies period......


at that perdiod, early 80's it was'nt called Godin and i THINK, not sure of that, it was owned by the same people if i recall. Godin came in later. Not all Jacksons had trough the neck body in those days i think. But anyway...just take the Kramer exemple, it was fully made their and just assembled in the US, hehe..so much for US made instrument....oh, and they did makes a LOT of fender style neck..were they for fender?..i could'nt tell, cause in those days i was'nt into fender to much


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Accept2 said:


> I can see Godin building Kramers, because they even approached Lado - they were barking up the wrong tree there - but not Charvel/Jackson. Ghost building goes on alot. There was a time long ago when Gibson was building Washburns because Washburn was in large demand and Gibson was not. For the longest time Dean's US production is handled entirely by other makers...........


I love that term, "ghost building." But regarding the Washburn/Gibson statement, can you supply a general timeline for that, just out of curiosity's sake?


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Before the 1950s Washburn was the biggie in the guitar world. When Fender and Gibson started making electrics, Washburn dismissed them as a fad, and maybe because they were so successful in the acoustic world, they probobly didnt think it was worthwhile diverting capacity to these things. The same thing happened in the horse buggy industry when the car was invented. Of course the rest is history, Gibson is now the biggie and Washburn while big, has a tiny US shop and electrics now make up about 50% of their total production. Its interesting to look at Gibsons total production in which acoustics are almost invisible...........

Edit: I think I simplified it way too much. Between 1850 and 1950, the people and the companies that were involved with Martin, Gibson and Washburn were very intertwined. The history is much more complex than what I put above. In fact in 1938 after the depression wiped out Washburn, Gibson owned it until Regal bought it from them. As well, the early Gibson pickups were actually designed with Gibson AND Washburn engineers. Its hella complicated...........


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

Eric Pykala said:


> Every time Fender makes a set-neck HB guitar it bombs.
> Every time Gibson makes a Fender-style guitar it bombs.
> Both Larrivee and Martin have tried electrics before; they bombed.



Tell that to Collings. They are making some of the finest setneck electrics on the planet. Those Larivees look nice.

CT.


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## xbolt (Jan 1, 2008)

As Accept detailed the neckthrough Signatures were Larrivee built.

Here is an informative link to some Lasido History FYI
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/LaSiDo-Inc-Company-History.html 

I have a couple of Lasido (Godin) built Signature bolt-ons too and both have aluminum dot markers on top of neck. 
Here is an early one with no S#...









The history is a bit mixed but early Kramers strats and beaks were US assembled with Sport & ESP parts up to 83 like this one.









Here is an 84 Lasido built Kramer...which used Lasido parts around 84-85 for the nanner necks with scarf joints, again with aluminum dot markers and French date stamps.









This is also an 84 Lasido built Kramer.









Most of the Focus line was built by ESP in 83-84 (A few early beaks by Matsumoku) All the later pointy neck Kramers are also ESP.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

your 2 last kramers were built in QUebec not by lasido, that, i can confirm, and not by ESP.


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## xbolt (Jan 1, 2008)

La-si-do is in Quebec...and was founded by Godin.
http://www.lasido.com/

BTW 
Guitabec USA is a principal subsidiary of Lasido


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

xbolt said:


> La-si-do is in Quebec...and was founded by Godin.
> http://www.lasido.com/
> 
> BTW
> Guitabec USA is a principal subsidiary of Lasido


yes i know what lasido is, yet the shop was called Guitabec in those days...hehe..that's what the big sign said on the door..


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## Archer (Aug 29, 2006)

I'm sure Long & McQuade will be getting a bunch of Larrivee electrics in the near future. They got a bunch of the Taylor electrics straight away.

My understanding of the Kramer connection was that they used Lasido first and then ESP. I have never bothered looking up the info in any detail though.

www.vintagekramer.com










my old Pacer


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## xbolt (Jan 1, 2008)

al3d said:


> your 2 last kramers were built in QUebec not by lasido, that, i can confirm, and not by ESP.


Ok so let's clarify...You say that they were built by Guitabec...Guitabec was and still is a subsiduary of Lasido which was incidentally incorporated in 1978...Sooo is Pontiac built by GM or not...?
Anyways...they are one and the same.




Archer said:


> I'm sure Long & McQuade will be getting a bunch of Larrivee electrics in the near future. They got a bunch of the Taylor electrics straight away.
> 
> My understanding of the Kramer connection was that they used Lasido first and then ESP. I have never bothered looking up the info in any detail though.
> 
> www.vintagekramer.com


Actually, some of the early bolt on strat heads and beak heads were made by ESP...
84-85 nanners were mainly Sport, Lasido...
86 and later pointies were ESP again...


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## fretman57 (Nov 9, 2007)

*Cutaway To That Cutaway!*

That is a nice guitar but that cutaway is superlative!

Scotty


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

Bumping this thread up. Now that I've seen the Larrivees in person, I'm very interested in getting one in the fall. Any new opinions? Who has one? Whose played one? Pics???


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## BlairWatson (Apr 21, 2016)

Hope they make Vs again. I'm on the hunt for another Larrivee Flying V. If anyone is holding hit me up!


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Well, I can honestly say I haven't seen many ---- no, wait, any ------ in the last 6 years (since the post before yours) so I don't think much happened. I'm a music store whore. It's likely I would have seen them if they were built.

Good luck with your quest though. I'm sure they were good guitars - just a really tough nut to crack. Ask Martin.


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