It’s easy to understand why dreadnoughts are the best-selling acoustic guitar type. On a shop floor and in the heat of a quick test drive, the average dread will sound bigger and bolder than just about anything else. But you have to wonder, if the average buyer had a whole day to lounge about and compare the average dread to a small-bodied flattop like the three guitars reviewed here, how would the big guy fare? Comfortable, pretty, compact, versatile, and nuanced—small bodies like 00s, 000s, and grand orchestras are full of personality, color, and subtlety. And they’re typically pretty forgiving, if not flat-out superior, in recording situations.
The three guitars profiled in this roundup—the Larrivée OM-40, Martin 000-15M Burst, and Taylor 214ce SB DLX—offer a sometimes-startling breadth of sonic options in the $1,200–$1,500 range. If you’re ready for an upmarket move from your affordable or mid-priced acoustic, each is an intriguing option full of surprises and rich rewards.
Click next or choose the flattop you want to see and hear more about:
Larrivée OM-40
Martin 000-15M Burst
Taylor 214ce SB DLX
Larrivée OM-40 Review
Like a benevolent mad scientist, Jean Larrivée bends acoustic design convention to beautiful and original-sounding ends. At first glance, the new OM-40 looks like one of the least idiosyncratic Larrivées in memory, but bracing modifications beneath the trad exterior help make this mahogany-and-spruce guitar a unique and often potent-sounding OM.Trad with a Twist (or Two)
As the headstock shape, herringbone purfling and rosette, and diamond inlay less than subtly suggest, the OM-40 is partly an homage to Martin’s OM-28. But this isn’t some slavishly exact replica: The body and neck binding are pretty Canadian maple, the back and sides are mahogany like on an OM-18, and the whole guitar has an exceptionally smooth satin finish.
The bracing, with its aggressive scalloping and parabolic shapes, also deviates from tradition. The craftsmanship is, for all practical purposes, perfect. The only trace of irregularity I found was the point where the two ends of back purfling meet—an offset of a fraction of a millimeter. Otherwise, the guitar looks like it was obsessively examined for blemishes with an electron microscope.
Properly Orchestral
Fingerstylists love OMs for their wide string spacing (1 ¾" at the nut). On a 25.5" scale, 14-fret neck, that means plenty of space for intricate picking, cool chord voicings, and bends. The Larrivée is inviting on all of these counts, though players with smaller hands may want to spend extra time with the guitar to determine whether the wide spacing inhibits playability or induces fatigue.
Ratings
Pros:
Beautifully sensitive, dynamic, and responsive to light fingerpicking. Near-flawless construction. Resonant bass.
Cons:
Brash midrange when strumming.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$1,424
Larrivée Guitars OM-40
larrivee.com
A spacious fretboard isn’t the only way the OM-40 is oriented toward fingerstylists. It’s very responsive to a soft touch, and it feels especially dynamic and expressive when you go easy with your picking hand. The flip side to this sensitivity is that the midrange can sound downright explosive if you play heavily or use fingerpicks. At times, the midrange was aggressive enough to overpower the ample bass output, which is impressive for a guitar of this size. Tuned down to D, the bottom string generates the kind of rib-shaking low end you associate with a jumbo, especially with the extra punch of a flatpick. Played with a bare thumb, is has a pretty, blooming resonance.
As lovely as the OM-40 sounds when plucked with the fingers, it can be bratty and brash when strummed hard. Notes that sound lively and ringing (especially on the third and fourth strings) can seem upper-mid heavy when you dig in with a flatpick. Even with a lighter touch, the sonic sum of all six strings strummed sound a little, well, contemporary—hopped-up in the mids and bit compressed. Given how expertly this guitar is built and how great it sounds when played lightly, you have to wonder if time will soften these tendencies. At least some of the brashness from first-position chords seems like the result of new strings meeting glimmering new frets without a trace of mellowing patina. The guitar just feels like it needs a little breaking in.
The Verdict
The OM-40 is really a fingerstylist’s machine. Even though this guitar is likely to achieve better balance over time, its midrange is just a touch too aggressive to sound sweet for heavy flatpicking. But if you tend to forego flatpicks and fingerpicks for the feel of bare flesh and nails on strings, you’ll find the OM-40 beautifully balanced and full of expressive range. While our test guitar had no electronics, it’s easy to imagine how a nice pickup—particularly a magnetic one—could mellow out the twitchy and sometimes explosive midrange, making this a killer stage guitar for fingerstyle players. The OM-40 isn’t for everyone, but it could be a go-to machine for nuanced fingerstylists. —Charles Saufley
Watch the Review Demo:
Martin 000-15M Burst
Taylor 214ce SB DLX
Martin 000-15M Burst
How do I love thee, mahogany? Let me count the ways: I love thee on old Les Pauls. I love thee on Fender-style “parts” guitars. (Try it and see!) But I most truly love the crap out of thee on small-bodied steel-string acoustics.
So no surprise that I adore this pretty new Martin. It’s a simple but elegant 000 brimming with gorgeous, studio-ready tones at a sensible street price of $1,399.
Simple, Not Plain
There’s no purfling or binding here—only a minimal rosette and understated pearlescent position markers. Instead, Martin invested in what counts: great-sounding materials and stellar workmanship. But despite its simplicity, this guitar is a looker, with an eye-catching burst top beneath a simple satin finish.
The 000-15M felt and sounded great right out the case. The frets are comfy, and the build is flawless. Yeah, there was some new-guitar tightness, but after an hour or so of playing, things seemed to open up, though maybe that’s because I was learning how to exploit the guitar’s expressive nature.
How expressive? Incredibly! This instrument boasts stunning dynamic range. I swear, it makes you play with increased drama and contrast. The same goes for its tonal range: Shifting your picking hand in small increments yields big color shifts. I especially love the response when you pluck toward the fretboard—the warm, fat tones can sound almost like a nylon-string classical. (Thank you, mahogany. Did I mention that I love thee?)
Getting Picky
But before you run out to buy one of these, be aware of what small-bodied mahogany guitars can and can’t do. This isn’t a very loud instrument. Nor is it zingy: Notes have clear, decisive fundamentals, but you don’t get the high-end sizzle typical of many modern acoustics.
Ratings
Pros:
Great build. Good looks. Ravishing tones.
Cons:
Easily overpowered by aggressive strumming.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$1,499
Martin 000-15M Burst
martinguitar.com
(Fine by me—I prefer these burnished, vintage-flavored tones.) All registers are beautifully balanced. There’s no shortage of lows while recording, but the 000-15M tends not to project them strongly across the room.
Also, the guitar’s hair-trigger response may simply be a little too volatile for some players. I don’t want sound like a jerk by saying this is an instrument for advanced guitarists, but those with solid picking-hand technique will probably feel most at home here. And while I loathe the cliché that big-bodied guitars are for strumming and small bodied-ones are for fingerstyle, it’s kind of true in this case. Pickstyle strumming can sound great at moderate levels, but aggressive strumming easily overpowers the guitar, and bearing down harder can paradoxically make tones seem smaller. The 000-15M probably isn’t the right axe for heavy-handed open-G strummers.
But dang, does it record well! Savvy session players often prefer small-bodied acoustics because they realize that the lows and mids those models lack are precisely the frequencies that tend to get deliberately filtered out come mix time. Here, the pre-EQ sound is fabulous (though engineers are likely to boost the highs in many cases).
The Verdict
I love this pretty guitar and its warm, supremely expressive tones. The 000-15M doesn’t respond particularly well to aggressive strumming or inconsistent technique, so this may not be a great choice if you’re Woody Guthrie bashing away at a rowdy union rally, or just someone trying to project unamplified acoustic tone to the back pew in church. (Note, though, that this model is also available with built-in electronics, and it would probably sound great in big rooms when properly amplified.) But the 000-15M is most sublime in the studio, close-miked to capture all its gorgeous tonal detail. Provided you know what you’re getting into with this body style and these materials, I can’t recommend this guitar more highly. —Joe Gore
Watch the Review Demo:
Click next or choose the flattop you want to see and hear more about:
Larrivée OM-40
Taylor 214ce SB DLX
Taylor 214ce SB DLX
While Taylor makes exquisite and extraordinary high-end flattops, they have a well-deserved reputation as a safe bet for the everyman guitarist. The company’s manufacturing practices—especially in the affordable and mid-priced ranges—emphasize consistency as much as productivity. Bob Taylor has always placed a premium on a well-rounded playability and agreeable tonality that work across many playing styles. It would be hard to find a guitar that better embodies these facets of Taylor’s design philosophy than the stage-ready, solid-spruce and layered-rosewood 214ce SB DLX.
Eager to Please
At a glance, the Mexican-made 214ce SB DLX seems designed for players seeking a little flash in their lives. The rosewood-veneer back and sides boast spectacular (and expensive-looking) grain pattern. The pearloid rosette and deep amber-and-wine hues of the tobacco sunburst add additional splashes of fancy. The look isn’t overstated or garish, but it has a stage presence that will appeal to those unburdened by puritanical flattop design notions.
Like most Taylors we see, the 214ce SB DLX is pretty much flawlessly assembled. There’s not a trace of poorly sanded bracing, no telltale marks of errant glue application. The seams at the neck joint and around the binding are perfect.
Bright Kid In The Class
I’m accustomed to (and happiest with) the mellow, toasty sounds of all-mahogany and mahogany-backed acoustics. So it’s easy to be struck by how bright and willing the 214cs SB DLX feels in comparison to those flattop types. It’s super-defined in the upper midrange. Fingerpicked notes and flatpicked arpeggios have popping immediacy well suited to the transparent-sounding electronics.
Ratings
Pros:
Beautifully playable (especially with a light fingerstyle touch). Flawless build. Transparent-sounding electronics.
Cons:
Midrange-heavy. A little compressed when you dig in hard.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$1,249
Taylor Guitars 214ce SB DLX
taylorguitars.com
The bright sonic profile means you don’t have to fight too hard to generate ringing fingerstyle tones. The guitar also has excellent string-to-string balance that highlights the detail in melodic fingerstyle runs and chord melodies. The low-end output complements the chiming mids and highs. It’s neither too burly nor anemic, with an almost piano-like sustain, especially in lowered tunings.
If there’s a downside of this light-touch agreeability, it’s that the guitar can sound a bit hyper when you dig in. Flatpick stabs that many bluegrass and blues pickers use as a matter of course can seem a bit thin compared to the contoured, overtone-rich sounds you get from flesh and nails on string. This tone recipe often works out well, especially when strumming with abandon. Here, the almost compressed quality of the Taylor reacting to the flatpick keeps chords nicely controlled for percussive or syncopated strumming. Beware though: To take advantage of this capacity, you must have a high tolerance for contemporary, midrange-heavy sounds.
The Verdict
The 214ce SB DLX has the personality of a willing, able, and well-dressed buddy riding shotgun. The forgiving electronics, mid-centric tone palette, and overall playability suggest that you could fill every role from rhythm support in a band to mellow fingerstyle accompaniment. What’s more, the Taylor feels ready for the rough-and-tumble rigors of steady gigging. It’s beautifully and sturdily built.
If this guitar comes up short with anyone, it will probably be fingerstylists who seek woody, earthy nuance, or singers and bands who prefer a more mysterious, husky acoustic sound. (Lo-fi artists who dig the subdued character of a dusty old Harmony need not apply.) If you could attach a short, all-encompassing description to the 214ce SB DLX (tough for a guitar that does so many things well!) it would be “high fidelity.” If you like your acoustic tones lively, present, and distinct, this Taylor provides the perfect path to those ends.
—Charles Saufley
Watch the Review Demo:
Click next or choose the flattop you want to see and hear more about:
Larrivée OM-40
Martin 000-15M Burst
But the biggest change came in 2001, when Larrivée opened a factory in Oxnard, California. Originally the smaller of the two facilities, this US location has now eclipsed the Vancouver shop in size and production, in effect turning Larrivée into a primarily American manufacturer. The company recently introduced a new line of guitars called the Legacy Series, and we checked out the D-40R dreadnought.
Vintage CharacterLarrivée guitars typically bear some mark of Jean Larrivée’s very individual design sense, but the D-40R is clearly influenced by Martin’s classic dreadnought designs. According to Matthew Larrivée (one of Jean’s sons, who runs the Oxnard facility), this is no accident: “We’ve been hearing from customers who want more traditional looks and that classic vintage American dreadnought boominess, and this new design is the response.” In the case of the D-40R, the “looks” part of the equation translates into a classic dreadnought shape, herringbone purfling, a squared-off headstock, and open-back Grover tuning machines.
But what’s happening under the hood is perhaps more important: Rather than being built with Larrivée’s original symmetrical and tapered X-bracing pattern, Legacy Series instruments feature what Larrivée calls “Scalloped Parabolic Hybrid” bracing. As the name suggests, this pattern combines a parabolic brace shape with some strategic scalloping. It also makes use of an angled pair of tone bars in the lower bout, rather than relying on the 90-degree to centerline approach used in other Larrivée guitars.
Jean Larrivée is as much a lumberjack as a luthier (he is also major supplier of Sitka spruce to other manufacturers), and he travels the world to source the woods used in his instruments. No surprise then that the materials in on our review D-40R are top-quality, good-looking stuff. The Sitka spruce top is beautifully colored, evenly grained, full of attractive silking and medullary rays, and would look at home on a much more expensive custom guitar. The Indian rosewood of the back and sides is of similar high quality—deep chocolate in color and straight-grained. Larrivée chose a satin finish for the Legacy Series, which reinforces a subdued elegance.
The D-40R has a genuine one-piece mahogany neck, attached to the body with a traditional dovetail joint and equipped with a double-action truss rod. The ebony fingerboard features simple diamond position markers and ivoroid binding. Ebony is also used for the guitar’s bridge, which is outfitted with a CNC-shaped bone saddle. The guitar’s craftsmanship is superb throughout, which attests to the 40 years Larrivée spent refining building techniques.
Dreadnought PunchOur D-40R came strung with medium gauge D’Addario EXP 17’s, and its setup struck a compromise between action high enough for digging in with a flatpick, but low enough to not require too much fretting effort, especially near the nut.
Ratings
Pros:
Excellent value. Balanced tone with a great dynamic range. Super clean craftsmanship and beautiful woods.
Cons:
Slightly boxy-feeling neck shape.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$1,425
Larrivée D-40R
larrivee.com.com
Since dreadnoughts tend to be ideal for flatpicking, I got out my heavy Wegen pick and played some bluegrass runs around a first-position G chord. The D-40R is a punchy ax in these situations, with great bottom-end, volume, and dynamic range. And while the guitar has more vintage dreadnought “boom” than I typically associate with a Larrivée, it retains much of the clarity and balance that the company’s instruments are famous for. This quality is especially evident when strumming. Neither bass nor mid frequencies are overbearing under heavy pick attack. It’s the kind of guitar that would stay present within a larger band sound.
Even though dreadnoughts and flatpicks are commonly regarded as a match made in heaven, plenty of guitarists use this guitar type for fingerstyle as well. I tried playing John Renbourn’s “Judy,” a tune in A minor with a descending bass line and a melody played primarily on the first string. The Larrivée had no problem communicating the polyphonic intricacies of the piece. While a dedicated fingerstyle guitar might offer slightly quicker response and more volume with a soft attack, the D-40R held its own.
The VerdictThe Larrivée D-40R is a very cool dreadnought. For a street price of less than $1,500, it offers high-quality solid woods, craftsmanship comparable to instruments costing much more, and a sound that can hang in the high-end league. Anyone looking for a great deal in a mid-price, traditionally styled flattop should check Larrivée’s Legacy Series D-40R. And anyone who thinks they know what to expect from a Larrivée dread should be ready for some very cool surprises.
TOP: With its quality tonewoods,
high-end appointments, and detailed
inlay work, a pre-owned Larrivée OM-
10 is a relative bargain considering
its current value of $1,600 to $2,000.
BOTTOM: The OM-10 sports rosewood
back and sides and a single-piece
mahogany neck.
Hey Zach,
I’m a big fan of Jean Larrivée and
his guitars. I used to own a Larrivée
OM-10 and sold it for $1,450 in
2002. Could you provide some history
on Larrivée and tell me what this guitar
is worth today? I feel like Larrivée
is an underappreciated luthier and I
don’t hear much about him. I’m curious
if I sold this guitar too cheaply!
Thanks,
Stan in Portland, OR
Hi Stan,
Jean Larrivée has been building for more
than 40 years and many of his instruments
feature beautiful inlay work. Like
you, many guitarists aren’t familiar with
Larrivée’s history, so before we get into the
OM-10 you sold, let’s take a moment to
recap the Canadian luthier’s journey.
Larrivée began studying classical guitar at the age of 20, and four years into his study, he met German classical-guitar luthier Edgar Mönch. Larrivée began an apprenticeship with the luthier in Toronto, and built two guitars under Mönch’s guidance before starting to build guitars on his own in his home workshop.
Larrivée Guitars officially launched in 1968 and Larrivée moved into his first true workshop in 1970, which was located above a theater. At first, he focused exclusively on classical guitars, but then in 1971 he built his first steel-string. After a period of extensive experimentation, he began introducing his own body styles and shapes, as well as original bracing systems and other unique features. In 1972, Larrivée married his wife Wendy, who designs and engraves the inlays on many of the company’s guitars.
Larrivée Guitars grew throughout the 1970s, and by 1976, the company had eight employees and was building between 25 and 30 guitars a month. In 1977, Larrivée moved operations to the island city of Victoria, British Columbia, providing access to the wet, coastal forests of Western Canada. Five years later, Larrivée moved the company to the mainland of British Columbia, right around the time most acoustic guitar manufacturers were going through their toughest times. But instead of consolidating operations, Larrivée began building solidbody electric guitars in 1983. Production of his electric guitars lasted through 1989, when the market had improved enough for him to focus solely on acoustics again.
The 1990s marked a resurgence in guitar manufacturing and the company moved to an 11,000 square foot factory in 1991, where they employed 35 people and built 25 guitars a day. In 1997, Larrivée Guitars introduced the lowest-priced model in their lineup with the D-03, which would firmly establish Larrivée in the acoustic guitar arena. In 1998, they moved into another new factory with 33,000 square feet, employing 100 people and producing 60 to 72 guitars per day. Three years later, Larrivée opened a U.S. factory in Southern California, just ten days before September 11, 2001.
During the next two years, Larrivée overhauled and streamlined their production process, ultimately building the 03 Series guitars in Canada and all remaining models in the U.S. In 2005 Larrivée introduced the Traditional Series guitars, and in 2008 the company again ventured into the electric realm with the RS-4 model.
Today, Larrivée is very much a family operation. Jean, his wife Wendy, son Matthew, and daughter Christine all work in the California plant where they build the company’s gloss-finish guitars. Larrivée’s other son, John Jr., operates the plant in Canada, which produces their satin-finished models. The company continues to offer several body shapes—including traditional designs and a few of Larrivée’s own—and several decoration levels for their models, from simple to highly ornate.
The Larrivée OM-10, as its name implies, has an OM-style body. Specifications include a Canadian Sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides, abalone rosette, abalone purfling, and a mahogany neck. The OM-10 boasts other high-end features such as the ivoroid-bound ebony fretboard with deluxe abalone inlays, sterling silver headstock border with mother-ofpearl inlay, and an ebony bridge. Currently, this guitar is worth between $1,600 and $2,000 in excellent condition.
Considering what you sold it for and what it is worth today, I don’t think either party should feel cheated. Regardless of the owner, I’d treat this guitar as a treasure. Typically, you can’t buy guitars with such exquisite inlays for under $5,000, which makes this very fine flattop a relative bargain.
Zachary R. Fjestad
is author of Blue Book of
Acoustic Guitars, Blue Book
of Electric Guitars, and Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
For more information, visit
bluebookinc.com or email
Zach at guitars@bluebookinc.com.