Seagull Coastline S6 folk

TheMadMick

drofluf said:

TheMadMick said:

Well folks, went out to try a Seagull Coastline S6 and came home with a Larrivee. Couldn't turn it down, although I'd have preferred a cutaway, this OM was simply lovely. Bank balance took quite a hit though.

Pictures or it never happened

Congrats!

Completely incompetent at getting pics on here but the ad is still on the webpage with pics.

https://www.fretsguitarcentre.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p3786_Used-Larrivee-OM-03-Silver-Oak-Acoustic-Guitar.html

You may have to be quick or you'll miss them. You can also see I got a really good price. The instrument is immaculate and if you'd told me it was new, I'd have believed you except for one of the tuner buttons that was slightly corroded (and replaced).

drofluf

OK I'll give you a pass on that. Lovely guitar I can see why you snapped it up.

Tannin

An excellent pickup unless I miss my guess, MadMick. Larivee have a very good reputation (though I've never had the chance to play one) and it certainly looks the goods. 

The back and sides timber is an interesting choice. (Skip to the next post to avoid more than you ever wanted to know about it.) The correct name for it Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta), or sometimes "Southern Silky Oak" to avoid confusion with an unrelated tree called Northern Silky Oak. It is a moderately common medium-size tree native to southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, and the largest of all grevilleas. (There are 350 -odd species in the genus; almost all are small to medium shrubs with spectacular flowers. I can only think of two tree-sized grevilleas, the sub-coastal Silky Oak and, from arid inland Australia, Beefwood (Grevellia striata) - which is also used as a tonewood. Although Silky Oak is native to sub-tropical Australia, it grows happily as a planted ornamental in cooler climates - and indeed, as a shade tree for tea plantations in India and Sri Lanka. 

Cole Clark use it as a back and sides timber and sometimes for tops as well. Here is an  example: https://coleclarkguitars.com/portfolio-item/ccan2ec-sso/ I played an all Silky Oak Cole Clark dreadnought a while back. It was pleasant and unobjectionable but didn't make a big impression for good or ill. I think I'd prefer to match the Silky Oak back and sides with a conventional top timber such as Bunya or (as with your Larivee) Sitka Spruce. Cole Clark describe the timber on their tonewood page by saying " This is a very well balanced timber, beautiful to look at with delicate rays. It has quite a rounded sound." That fits with my impression of the one I played.

There is at least one boutique European maker who uses Silky Oak too: from memory, I think it might be Stoll. 

Anyway, I'll shutup now.  Great looking guitar, may it bring you much pleasure.

TheMadMick

"Cole Clark describe the timber on their tonewood page by saying " This is a very well balanced timber, beautiful to look at with delicate rays. It has quite a rounded sound." That fits with my impression of the one I played."

I was a bit nervous about the oak as I had played both rosewood and mahogany based bodies. But I needn't have worried. A couple of strokes with the plectrum and it was obviously a lovely tone that suited my ears very well. The only hic-up (if I can call it that) is that it is fitted with 80:20 bronze strings. I prefer phis bronze or monel. If I'd thought, I should have blagged a set from the dealer but I'm getting on and the old brain don't work as quickly as it used to.

Cheers for all your good wishes.