I am too much of all the things that cripple a guitar shopper: uncompromising, demanding, paranoid and greedy. I set out to find an OM that would be perfect for my preferences--with full awareness of the madness of that task. The OM-40 is simply the best guitar I've ever played. I was aware of Larrivee's talents with mahogany and they show up here with astounding results. The clarity and depth of tone are to die for. There is a simple beauty that is built into these guitars. Very light, airy feeling body with expert craftsmanship. No detail is left unattended. But these woods...goodness...perhaps you have played a lot of sapele/spruce--there are some good ones made by Martin and Taylor, and I've owned them. Premium mahogany is a treasure IMO. I'm sure the rosewood OM-40 is excellent too, but I was seeking a clarity and woodiness that I just was not finding in expensive, rosewood guitars. The depth and punch of this guitar is rare. The price is ridiculously low compared to the cost you face from other big name, high-profile acoustic guitars. I don't need or want a larger guitar. Everything I desire is in this OM-40. The neck is ideal. Playability is off the charts--and I'm comparing to Taylor's best. Versatile? The very definition. Fingerpicking, crosspicking, strumming...well...this instrument just rises to whatever style you're embracing. The guitar has a heart. You can feel it when you play. You can feel the rumble...the intonations...the subtleties, the definition...the wood! This wood doesn't just deliver sound, it delivers a life of its own. And for this guitar player, well, That. Is. Everything.
Thank you John for selling the best, for standing by the best with a bold return promise--that won me over in the end. There are so many variables that come into play when buying a guitar of this quality. It ain't easy. But sometimes you hit it big. The Larrivee OM-40 is a marvel. And I really can't remember the last time I reacted to a guitar so positively. Amen.
