Larrivee
"Marie"
Make: Larrivee
Model: D-03
Name bestowed on her by Lily
Manufactured: November 30, 2005
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Acquired new: March 6, 2006
All Solid wood Construction
Body:
sound board: Canadian sitka spruce; Canadian maple binding; beveled tortis pickguard
bracing: Canadian sitka spruce; symmetrical x-bracing
back: mahogany
sides: mahogany
satin finish
Neck: single piece mahogany (S. American); dovetail neck joint
Fret board: African ebony; Ivoroid binding; microdot markers
radius: 17"-21" compound
frets - nickel/silver - width: 2.5mm - height: 1.0mm (0.0394")
Bridge: African ebony
Nut & saddle: TusQ
Scale: 25.5"
Nut Width: 1.6875"
Upper Bout: 11.875"
Waist: 11.125"
Lower Bout: 16"
Depth: 5"
Body length: 20.125"
Overall length: 40.5"
Rounded Larrivee Headstock with White Inlaid Larrivee Logo
Ping Tuners w/ 18:1 Ratio
Setup for light gauge strings: .012-.016-.024-.032-.042-.053 (D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Light)
After the Aiko neck took a turn, I began saving for a new acoustic. My criteria were 1) solid wood construction and 2) dreadnought body, although the latter was flexible. I took a day in March and traveled across half of New England before finally found Marie at Maple Leaf Music. The owner herself, Kate, set my up in a chair and surrounded me with instruments in my price range. It actually came down to Marie and a real nice Martin, a D-18 I think. I'm not saying there was anything wrong with the Martin, but to my ear, on that day, that specific Martin did not sound as sweet to me as the Larrivee. She was and remains my favorite guitar.
