What Larrivee is this?

Amigo

Am I right in thinking that it's an L-05 from 1992? Or something else entirely? No experience with Larrivee guitars, nor any useful knowledge about them, just a hunch.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285597781106

TimmyO

I thought the -5 and up had an inlay line around the headstock - but that may be a more recent thing. 

Paging @thomasross20  ! 

bertie

Id ask for some more pics, and certainly a better one of the serial no.

TheBigDipper

I've got a 2004 L-01 - an L series body,  but with the least amount of bling.

Here's the label inside the body: 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/95oixpsstduwk9mke65qr/L01sn.JPG?rlkey=2y7620l7zw0h9t38mz10vap9b&raw=1

 It's a bit different to the label in the pic, but my L-01 is the only L'Arrivee that I've every handled, so... 

Here's the whole guitar: 

 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/58hrvagxfs73d5ft547fp/L01.JPG?rlkey=mnenyefti393tu6n4dds6sod6&raw=1

 The serial number should be stamped inside the body, on the neck heel. You can't tell where the serial number is stamped on the eBay photo, but the format (model number above, serial number below) looks right and the font looks similar to mine. The L'Arrivee website says that serial number belongs to an L-05 made on 3rd Sep 1992 and/or a C-10 (same serial number, different model no) from later that year.

 My L-01 has tiny dot markers on the fretboard in the usual places (double dots on the 12th fret, singles elsewhere). I can't detect any dot markers in the eBay pic. 

 My bridge is compensated for the B string. I can't see how it is in the photo, but I'd expect it to be the same. The bridge and nut have yellowed slightly over the 20 years since leaving the factory - significantly more than the white binding on he sides of the neck. 

 My headstock is not parallel like the photo. It's slightly (only a tiny bit) wider at the top, but that could be the angle of the photo giving the wrong impression. My headstock top has a dark piece of veneer that is darker than the fretboard material, not lighter. The neck itself and the headstock underneath is a lot lighter.

 So there are a few differences between my L-01 and this one, but I wouldn't be surprised if L'Arrivee made some changes as they developed the model. 

 Edit: Forgot to mention that my L-01 is a spruce top with mahogany body and neck. I think the L-05 would be the same. And you can see the tuners on mine (stamped L'Arrivee) have large square-ish metal buttons, not the smaller rounded (plastic?) ones on the eBay guitar. 

Amigo

Thanks to all, but especially @TheBigDipper for the photos and for the contribution. I asked the seller the model and the year and he said just "Lo5 1992", verbatim, consistent with what @TheBigDipper said.

I agree that the photos on Ebay are not very good, and the terse response from the seller is not exactly confidence-inducing to me. I also noticed in the 4th photo on Ebay that the visible side of the headstock shows some peeling of the veneer, if that's what it is. Either way, if it looks too good to be true...

Thanks a lot to all!

thomasross20

Sorry, unable to open the listing for some reason. If you want a brand new L-05 I've a mint for sale in classifieds for not much more. Looks like per above serial is taken into account. I wouldn't bother if seller being funny and looks like ended now, anyway. Imo they do mahogany best - I am preferring smaller bodies of late due tinnitus in one ear.

Amigo

The guitar was withdrawn by the seller "because there was an error in the listing" an hour after asking if he had clearer photos.

thomasross20 said:

[...] a brand new L-05 I've a mint for sale in classifieds [...]

Yeap, I oggled that, but it's way out of my league. Good luck with the sale, though!

thomasross20

No worries at all

thermionic

Amigo said:

The guitar was withdrawn by the seller "because there was an error in the listing" an hour after asking if he had clearer photos.

Was the error "get a bargain"?

TheBigDipper

thermionic said:

Amigo said:

The guitar was withdrawn by the seller "because there was an error in the listing" an hour after asking if he had clearer photos.

Was the error "get a bargain"?

It was described as "electro acoustic" yet had no details about the pickup, IIRC. 

And, FWIW, my first reaction was "fake", but then as I went through it, I realised I didn't know enough about L'Arrivees in general, just stuff about the one I've owned since 2005 or so. So I decided to be factual rather than have an opinion.