The Larrivee Forum VI Guitar
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The Larrivee Guitar Company has, over the 16 years or so, produced five "Forum" Guitars.
A history of these guitars is at this link: https://toonz.ca/bose/wiki/index.php?title=Larrivée_Forum_Guitars
These are guitars have all been designed by a group of Larrivee forum members that are interested in buying such a unique, limited edition, custom made instrument.
The Forum VI was spec'd out almost 10 years ago but never materialized for whatever reason. There is a link to the discussion page for the Forum VI 2012, on the page I linked above.
Back in May 2021, we started talking about actually getting a Forum VI spec'd out and we spent about 30 forum pages figuring out what we all would like to see in a guitar made exclusively for us forum members. I was 20 days, and 9 pages late into the discussion. I had not been visiting the forum as often as I used to as I tend to do with all forums. lol
Having a group of forum members settle in on the design of this guitar in about 30 days, made an impression on Jean Larrivee. He was all on-board with making our dream come true. The entire family is involved with the creation of this guitar. Jean has selected the woods, a combination of American Walnut for the back and sides, Austrian Alpine Spruce for the top, and African Mahogany for the neck. It is based on their LS or LSV ( V = optional venetian cutaway) classical body. It will have their Hybrid Scalloped Bracing for the top and be a 12 fret body join, which will give it a nice warm and punchy low end. It will be rather spartan with no fancy bling or inlays save a Roman numeral VI inlay at the 12 the fret. No other fret board markers except for the small micro dots on the side of the fretboard binding which is usually Maple. It will be constructed using all solid wood.
John Jr, has been posting progress photos to the Forum VI Waiting Room thread. It's getting closer to completion every day. Very exciting!
I ordered the LSV version with the venetian cutaway.
Maybe some of you might find the following photos interesting.
• LS-03 Walnut Custom
Custom Spec
• Austrian Alpine Spruce "Moonwood" Top
• 12 Fret Neck Joint
• Scalloped Bracing
• "VI" 12th Fret Inlay
• Custom Signed LabelOptions
• Venetian Cutaway
• Left-Handed
• LR Baggs Pickup -
Nice pics!
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Very cool!!
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There were many more photos posted to the forum. If you want to take a look at the rest of them, they are here: https://postimg.cc/gallery/PX2YMwy
My guitar is shipping today. Very excited to play and hear it.
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This guy, Vic Flick, played everything on this guitar.
Everything, with everybody
I hadn't heard this before, what a history!
I just came across this on Facebook today.
Link to video -
The nice thing about the acoustic is it will get better with age.
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@mark said in The Larrivee Forum VI Guitar:
@copper Cool video. I did not know him.
Flick appeared on a 2013 episode of the History Channel show Pawn Stars titled "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service". Here he brought in his 1961 Fender Stratocaster guitar to shop owner Rick Harrison, who, after consulting Jesse Amoroso, settled on a price of $55,000 for the guitar.[8] The guitar sold at auction in 2014 for $25,000.
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@klaus said in The Larrivee Forum VI Guitar:
What are the kinds of things that make this custom guitar different from a standard off-the-shelf guitar in a similar price range?
In this instance, the guitar was based on an existing production body shape and size, the LS/LSV model. The wood combination of Black Walnut and Alpine Spruce has been done before but not in this model. The 12 fret neck join, the bracing pattern on the top (soundboard), the absence of the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 15th fret dot/diamond inlays, the custom 12th fret inlay, all combined to create a unique guitar that Larrivee had never built before.
Now there are 19 Limited Editions in circulation.
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Looks beautiful!
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@lufins-dad They really hit it out of the park. I can't put it down. Even with a cut on my right hand ring finger, I just keep plating through the pain. Who knows? Maybe I will write some blues. lol
While I try to find time and inspiration to actually sit down and record something...
I designed and printed a guitar pick to commemorate the Forum VI guitar. I am sending one or more to every person that bought a Forum VI.
Thought you all might like to see it and some of the variations I designed coming up with the final simple result in the last photo/video
I narrowed it down to two versions. I am not opposed to the more complicated designs, I just decided to keep it simple.
Printing one of the final designs in brown and terra cotta
Link to videoFirst batch of 9 complete.
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The guitar looks awesome!!
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Ten of us lucky people have received the guitar so far. I have sent out 10 small cards with 5 of the 3D printed picks attached, so far. Six people are still waiting to get their guitars. I also sent a pick pack to Larrivée.
One of the forum members put together this photo of all the backs.
Even though they are all spec'd the same, they are all individual, unique, creations.