Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 I've played the Martin, but not the Larrivee. Aside from the difference in the fretboards (rosewood vs. ebony)............how do these two compare tone wise? Thanks.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 54merk Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 I realize that you played a Larrivee and did not like the ebony fretboard. Personally, I cannot feel any difference between the two. Ebony is more prestigious and costly so rosewood is usually a somewhat less expensive alternative. That said, these guitars are very different. The OM21 has a great sound but I find the neck a bit clunky for my hands. I can still play it without any pain, but it's just not all that comfortable. The Larrivee has an easier neck, and sounds quite different. Larrivees have their own character and sound, as so Martins. They both sound great, just different. The worst thing about Larrivees is that they are not that easy to find, and when you do find a dealer, they don't have many instruments in stock. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Podium Guitars in Minneapolis when I had to time to kill before a flight and they had an exceptional stock. You can get a great deal from forumite Nathan (Riffdaddy) at E.M. Shorts or Dave at Guitar Adoptions, both with a full return policy. Both guitars cost about the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasonA Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 You really need to find one to try. I much prefer the Larrivee OM-09, but I'm sure there are numerous Martin guys who like the OM-21 better. The neck doesn't really bother me on either one, I just like the sound of the Larrivee better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 10drum Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 I think tone, fit, and finish may appear better on the Larrivee, but beware. I've owned 2 Larrivees and both had set-up problems. A C-10 that wouldn't hold it's set-up and a OM-05 that had the bridge in the wrong place which caused intonation problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 6, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Originally posted by 54merk I realize that you played a Larrivee and did not like the ebony fretboard. Personally, I cannot feel any difference between the two. Ebony is more prestigious and costly so rosewood is usually a somewhat less expensive alternative. Thanks 54merk, I think you may have me confused with someone else re: your 1st sentence. I never claimed that I did not like an ebony fretboard. I have a Yamaha CPX15EA with an ebony fretboard that I like very much. I too felt the neck on the Martin was a little "clunky"..............but love the tonal balance. Just need to try the Larrivee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 6, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Originally posted by JasonA You really need to find one to try. I much prefer the Larrivee OM-09, but I'm sure there are numerous Martin guys who like the OM-21 better. The neck doesn't really bother me on either one, I just like the sound of the Larrivee better. Thanks JasonA............. How would you describe the sound difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasonA Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Well, words are always subjective and inadequate when it comes to tone... but I find the Larrivee more sparkly and lively. The balance seems better to me. I don't really know how to describe it properly. Some people say Larrivee's tone is between a Martin and a Taylor, and I suppose I agree with that. I've owned a couple Martins and a bunch of Larrivees. Both of them do vary. I've played Larrivees that were killer and some that were adequate but nothing special. Same with Martins. I wouldn't recommend buying either sight unseen (okay, I'm a hypocrite I know!) unless there's a return policy or it's a good enough deal that you can easily recoup your money after living with the guitar for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 54merk Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 I think you may have me confused with someone else re: your 1st sentence. I never claimed that I did not like an ebony fretboard. I have a Yamaha CPX15EA with an ebony fretboard that I like very much. I too felt the neck on the Martin was a little "clunky"..............but love the tonal balance. Just need to try the Larrivee. My apologies surreal. Someone else said this about a Larrivee ebony neck in another thread recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 6, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Originally posted by JasonA Well, words are always subjective and inadequate when it comes to tone... but I find the Larrivee more sparkly and lively. The balance seems better to me. I don't really know how to describe it properly. Some people say Larrivee's tone is between a Martin and a Taylor, and I suppose I agree with that. I've owned a couple Martins and a bunch of Larrivees. Both of them do vary. I've played Larrivees that were killer and some that were adequate but nothing special. Same with Martins. I wouldn't recommend buying either sight unseen (okay, I'm a hypocrite I know!) unless there's a return policy or it's a good enough deal that you can easily recoup your money after living with the guitar for a while. Thanks again JasonA............... I've found the Martin 16 series to be rather "hit & miss" quite unlike the 15 series. That's part of the beauty...................to find that special instrument that "sings"............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 6, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Originally posted by 54merk I think you may have me confused with someone else re: your 1st sentence. I never claimed that I did not like an ebony fretboard. I have a Yamaha CPX15EA with an ebony fretboard that I like very much. I too felt the neck on the Martin was a little "clunky"..............but love the tonal balance. Just need to try the Larrivee. My apologies surreal. Someone else said this about a Larrivee ebony neck in another thread recently. No prob.....................just please keep the great comments comming................I very much appreciate................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GretschGuy Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Ebony is more prestigious and costly so rosewood is usually a somewhat less expensive alternative. I have a Guild D-55 with an ebony board and it sounds like crap. Very nice looking guitar though. My '59 Martin is brazillian rosewood and if you think ebony is more 'prestigious' I would advise you to take a look at what a brazillian anything goes for. Ebony tends to be bright and harsh sounding, rosewood tends to be a little more mellow. It's a matter of preference of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasonA Posted January 6, 2004 Members Share Posted January 6, 2004 Umm... they were talking about fretboards. An ebony fretboard is not going to make your guitar sound harsh or bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted January 7, 2004 Members Share Posted January 7, 2004 My apologies surreal. Someone else said this about a Larrivee ebony neck in another thread recently. My bad: I'm the one who said that about ebony fretboards and it's just my uninformed opinion that I will freely re-evaluate. I've only ever played lower-quality laminated-body guitars that were already broken in. I recently tried a Larrivee OM-03 and this was my first real run-in with an all-solid model with an ebony fretboard to boot. I prefer rosewood necks that are well-oiled for faster response and the Larrivee's ebony fretboard seemed to slow me down. Just my opinion and I would love to try another Larrivee or Martin again to revise it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 54merk Posted January 7, 2004 Members Share Posted January 7, 2004 Originally posted by GretschGuy I have a Guild D-55 with an ebony board and it sounds like crap. Very nice looking guitar though. My '59 Martin is brazillian rosewood and if you think ebony is more 'prestigious' I would advise you to take a look at what a brazillian anything goes for.Ebony tends to be bright and harsh sounding, rosewood tends to be a little more mellow. It's a matter of preference of course. That black wood between the frets of your '59 BR Martin is ebony. Nice guitar. I'm jealous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ksargent Posted January 7, 2004 Members Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've owned both guitars - I had an OM-21 a few years ago and have an OM-09 now. The others are correct, they don't sound very similar. The Martin has 1/4" scalloped bracing and is very lightly built - it has a deeper bass response than the Larrivee and an overall warmer sound. The Larrivee is a little heavier (depending on the individual) and is a little more bell-like - a bit brighter. As far as build quality - one would have to give the nod to the Larrivee - the OM-21 is a "stripped down" OM-28 while the Larrivee has some nice aesthetic features - the wood binding for example. Also, I think you might get a higher quality top from Larrivee than you will on the OM-21. Martin is known for using progressively better wood as you go up through their line; you are already there with the Larrivee. Whether a nicer top equates to better sound is a matter of opinion, but it is part of the package. Both are fine guitars and I would encourage you to try them both before you put out your money. All else being equal (i.e. sound), the Larrivee represents a better value in my opinion. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 7, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2004 Originally posted by ksargent I've owned both guitars - I had an OM-21 a few years ago and have an OM-09 now. The others are correct, they don't sound very similar. The Martin has 1/4" scalloped bracing and is very lightly built - it has a deeper bass response than the Larrivee and an overall warmer sound. The Larrivee is a little heavier (depending on the individual) and is a little more bell-like - a bit brighter. As far as build quality - one would have to give the nod to the Larrivee - the OM-21 is a "stripped down" OM-28 while the Larrivee has some nice aesthetic features - the wood binding for example. Also, I think you might get a higher quality top from Larrivee than you will on the OM-21. Martin is known for using progressively better wood as you go up through their line; you are already there with the Larrivee. Whether a nicer top equates to better sound is a matter of opinion, but it is part of the package. Both are fine guitars and I would encourage you to try them both before you put out your money. All else being equal (i.e. sound), the Larrivee represents a better value in my opinion. Ken Thanks Ken, I've had the opportunity to spend some time with the OM-21.........but never have heard the Larrivee. I appreciate your expressed opinions. I don't like hearing that the Martin has a deeper bass response and is warmer........as these are two very important aspects to me. A friend of mine has a Larrivee D-09.........and I can hear that wonderful "bell-like" quality. It sounds warm in that aspect alone, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ksargent Posted January 7, 2004 Members Share Posted January 7, 2004 Surreal, Of course, I was not saying that the Larrivee was not warm (as I'm sure you already realize). I think the lighter bracing of the Martin is going to enhance the bass more - at least it did on my guitar. I do think that the Larrivee is more balanced - at least the example that I have. One thing I forgot to point out is that the neck profile is different as well, the Larrivee being a bit rounder. Even though I have relatively small hands, it seems to fit a little better. I was never completely happy with the OM-21, although it, like the OM-09, represents an excellent value. They should be priced similarly as well. You can always buy both Happy hunting Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tomthebaptist Posted January 15, 2004 Members Share Posted January 15, 2004 For what its worth: I own an OM-21 and love it. The neck is as comfortable if not more so than any Taylor I've played. Also, I do a lot of flat-picking and play in a bluegrass band and I've found this little OM21 just as loud as any dread I've played, and its a heck of a lot more fun to play!!! I can't say how it would compare with a comparable Larivee. However, I also own a Collings D-2H that's a killer, but I find the OM21 much more enjoyable to play. Maybe its because I'm not very big, and I prefer a petite woman in my arms than one that weighs more than I do. Also in my collection, I have a Martin 0018-V (2003, great fingerstyle and blues.. equally fun to play); 1999 Taylor 414-Koa (nice playing guitar, but sound seems brittle to me); a 1940 Martin D-18 ( a wonderful guitar that was given to me last summer as a gift, and is presently in the shop for a neck reset, and repair to some of the braces). I've owned and sold a 1976 D-35, and an HD-28 -- neither guitars popped my corn! So, there's my story! The OM-21 is the most satisfying guitar I've ever played on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SurrealMcCoy Posted January 15, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 15, 2004 Originally posted by tomthebaptist For what its worth: I own an OM-21 and love it. The neck is as comfortable if not more so than any Taylor I've played. Also, I do a lot of flat-picking and play in a bluegrass band and I've found this little OM21 just as loud as any dread I've played, and its a heck of a lot more fun to play!!! I can't say how it would compare with a comparable Larivee. However, I also own a Collings D-2H that's a killer, but I find the OM21 much more enjoyable to play. Maybe its because I'm not very big, and I prefer a petite woman in my arms than one that weighs more than I do. Also in my collection, I have a Martin 0018-V (2003, great fingerstyle and blues.. equally fun to play); 1999 Taylor 414-Koa (nice playing guitar, but sound seems brittle to me); a 1940 Martin D-18 ( a wonderful guitar that was given to me last summer as a gift, and is presently in the shop for a neck reset, and repair to some of the braces). I've owned and sold a 1976 D-35, and an HD-28 -- neither guitars popped my corn! So, there's my story! The OM-21 is the most satisfying guitar I've ever played on. Thanks Tom....... nice collection........ interesting how you find the Martin the most satisfying....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members maineman Posted January 16, 2004 Members Share Posted January 16, 2004 I only played an OM21 at a guitar center and although it was fine, I don't think it measured up as a total package to my Larrivee OM09, which I have had for a year. The Larrivee also looks a little fancier without being at all gaudy. I think my OM09 is a very special guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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