I just bought a Larrivee OM-05E on Ebay. Now of course Ill be nuts till it arrives.
I got a great deal - there was a three inch scratch on the bottom side that removed some laquer. Other than that it is almost mint. I can live with the scratch. Truth is I am kind of clumsy with guitars anyway - wouldn't have been long before I scratched it myself.
I told my wife and was expecting to get creamed, but she was ok with it.
So now I must wait and suffer!
Cheers,
Max
Congrats! Make sure you tell us how she sounds when you get her in.
I've never bought anything "on-line". It must feel like having a baby, i.e.......you don't know what you get, until you see it for yourself.
Well I got my guitar today!
It came with old strings and was a little dusty but with some new strings and a light cleaning it looks and sounds great.
It was obviously well cared for. The scratch was overstated in the listing. Overall the guitar is in excellent condition. I am most impressed with the sustain - much better than my Yamaha.
Ill share the ebay details for anyone considering buying there.
This was my first Ebay experience and I was a little nervous. But the guy had lots of feedback. His few negative ones gave me the impression of people being too picky. he sells a lot of used guitars.
MSRP 2150 US
Online price 1550
I paid 650 plus 40 S&H plus 7% GST (Canadian gouge em an screw em tax)
If I had bought it at the local shop I would have likely paid about 18 or 19 hundred US plus 15 % tax.
Cheers,
Max
Congratulations, Larrivee is a great guitar maker.
How about this... I just received my Richard Mermer Koa parlor yesterday.
I called Rich at Mermer guitars, ( http://www.mermerguitars.com ) and he told me it is the very first "Morningstar" model he made in '91. Also this guitar graces the front cover of his current catalog. Rich must have liked it. He kept it to play himself until '94.
Anyway, I paid $900 on Ebay.
If you were to buy this guitar new:
$500 deposit to secure the building time slot
$1500 once building begins
$2000 upon delivery
That's for standard which includes:
• Master Grade Sitka spruce or western red cedar top plate (solid)
• Indian Rosewood or Mahogany back & sides (solid)
• Mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod
• Figured koa binding with turquoise colored wood highlights (body only)
• Purfling with turquoise colored highlights around the top plate
• Ebony/rosewood/koa peghead overlay
• Ebony/rosewood fingerboard
• Ebony/rosewood bridge and bridge pins
• Turquoise 12th fret position marker
• Turquoise rosette inlay
• ‘M' inlay on peghead
• Hand rubbed, high gloss lacquer finish
• Bone nut and fully compensated saddle
• Chrome Schaller tuning machines
Then you have the options:
$450 for Koa
$400 for the cutaway
$200 bound fingerboard and headstock
$150 Highlander pickup
$150 Case
It struck me that I paid less for the guitar than the options cost.
The guitar has a couple of minor almost un-noticeable surface scratches, but that's it. It plays like buttah. The action is great.
You never know what Ebay will deliver.
So you would have paid 5k for that guitar new and came out under 1k used... holy crap.
Learn this well younglings, if you need a guitar on a budget, BUY USED!!!
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
Congrats max and Nick! Wow, I wish I had a guitar(or both) like one of those... 8)
Stairway to Freebird!
Beautiful guitar Nick. I am kind of a wood freak and the Koa back on that guitar is strikingly beautiful.
So I guess there are some deal to be had on ebay.
I emailed Larrivee the serial number and asked for some info and this was the reply
Your guitar was started in production December 1995. By started in
production, I mean the sides were joined at the blocks, a serial number
assigned to the instrument, and the serial number registered in our
books.
The back and sides are South American Mahogany, the top is Sitka Spruce, the neck is Honduran Mahogany, the bridge and fingerboard are African Ebony.
Cheers,
Max
