| And then there is the not so
obvious criteria ... what I like to call the X-factor. A player walks
into our store and is faced with literally hundreds of high end acoustics.
After many visits and countless hours of playing great guitars, the
field is narrowed to a few potential choices. That is when it gets
down to the X-factor ... that intangible attraction to a particular instrument
that is often difficult to put into words. Yes, I know I'm
leaving myself open for all sorts of criticism and hey, maybe it's
just me, but I maintain that some guitars just have more heart
than others. Really ... strip away the slick marketing machines of
some companies and all you are left with is a line of sterile looking units
that are technically faultless but completely void of a personality!
I am convinced Larrivee Guitars is one of those
rare large production shops that has maintained it's heart ... that character,
grit and unique quality that I felt back in the seventies when Jean's production
was very small. I'm certain that a large part of the spirit of Larrivee
Guitars is drawn from the fact that there is still total involvement of
the Larrivee family. Yes, you heard me ... family. We've all
got one. That group of blood relatives that sometimes drives you
crazy and at the same time, is the foundation of your life. To my
mind, it is the family dynamic ... the collective intelligence,
resolve, creativity, stubbornness ... the complete and absolute
commitment of the Larrivee family, that gives this inimitable brand of
musical instruments it's soul. Call me crazy, but I really
believe it!
At the core of the Larrivee line is of course
the original L body, created by a young Jean-Claude Larrivee back
in the early seventies. This guitar is a testament to the fact that
if you make a unique guitar design, but make it extremely high quality
... it will eventually be accepted. Well, the Larrivee L-09
and it's cutaway cousin C-09 has been more than accepted. Over the
last forty years these models have been embraced by professional and serious
amateur musicians around the world as possibly the most versatile flattop
steel string guitar design in our business.
This is why I chose the L-09 and C-09 as the Twelfth
Fret 2009 Larrivee Limited Editions. This year we are able to offer
three non-cutaway and three Florentine cutaway versions of this classic
Larrivee design ... with a few notable upgrades. These stunning sounding
instruments feature numbered Alan Magee labels signed by the maestro himself,
original mosaic soundhole rosettes, clear mylar pickguards,
precision Gotoh 510 tuners with 1:21 ratio in brushed brass finish,
and just to be a touch exotic ... very rare Snakewood body binding,
frame wedges and peghead veneers! |
