Larrivee ukuleles

RafterGirl

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
1,731
Reaction score
522
Location
Utah
Tell me about Larrivee ukuleles. I'm still pondering what to buy next and the Larrivee mahogany on HMS sounds nice. I talked with one of the guys at HMS today, and he said the neck size is similar to the KoAloha, so on the slimmer side, and they are made in the US. He thought it would be a good choice if I wanted to go with mahogany.
 
I never heard of this brand before reading your post.

Might you have a link for those of us that are uninitiated?

Thank you kindly :)
 
I have played many mahogany soprano ukuleles over the years - Martin, Loprinzi, Black Bear, Pohaku, Ko'olau, Pono, Kala Elite, Bruko, etc.

I had an all mahogany Larrivee a short while ago. It is the one I miss the most. Wish I hadn't sold it! Super nice bark/volume, beautiful build, and an awesome soprano overall.

The Larrivee and Pohaku were the best sopranos I ever owned.

Sold the Larrivee to help fund a double bass. Some friends wanted to start a bluegrass band last year. Sold the Pohaku in 2010 in order to finance the purchase of a family dog. My yellow lab is the best dog our family has ever had, so I guess it was worth it. Still miss both of those sopranos though!
 
Thanks for the info folks. This is the one that's available at HMS
https://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-by/size/concert/larrivee-mahogany-concert-uc40mmo.html

From what I've read, Larrivee has been making guitars for awhile and has a good rep. They tried making ukuleles back in the 90s, but stopped. They started again in 2015 I think.

I have two uke jams to attend today, so I'm hoping to talk with people and possibly play/listen to some koa ukes.
 
Last edited:
Larrivee have an EXCELLENT reputation in the acoustic guitar world. If you want a mahogany concert this would be top of list. If you want a koa concert go for the Koaloha. I have played both these instruments and owned two Koaloha concerts. The Larrivee is nice but from a purely personal point of view I would choose the Koaloha. Resale will be better, they have more volume, dynamics, resonance and projection. They are tone monster concert canons. But if you prefer a sweet mellow mahogany tone then the Larrivee is great.
 
Of course you know what this means......one Koa and one Mahogany.:D
 
I had an all 'hog soprano and loved it. It has a larger body and slightly longer scale than a traditional soprano. Craftsmasnship was excellent. I loved the tone and playability. I consider Larrivee one of the best values in a production uke.
 
Larrivee has a well deserved excellent reputation. I own 2 Larrivee guitars and would never part with them. The Larrivee owners I've spoken to who own their ukes are very pleased.
 
How is the neck....thick, medium, or slim? The guy I talked to at HMS said it's similar to the KoAloha neck. It has a 1 13/32 nut, so a smidge wider than a 1 3/8, but not as wide as the KoAloha at 1 7/16 or Kanilea at 1.5

One uke jam down, one to go this evening. No Koa ukuleles. Mahogany all around except for one Blackbird Clara. Tonight should be a larger group, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for a Koa uke to try out.
 
Last edited:
I had one several years ago. I should have kept it.
It was one of the 20th Century Sopranos. It had a Koa body and spruce top was a lovely instrument to play and simply elegant to look at. The body was slightly larger than a Martin so the case I had for it had to be just right.
I was under the impression that it was made in Canada. Am I wrong? Did they move to LA?
 
I had one several years ago. I should have kept it.
It was one of the 20th Century Sopranos. It had a Koa body and spruce top was a lovely instrument to play and simply elegant to look at. The body was slightly larger than a Martin so the case I had for it had to be just right.
I was under the impression that it was made in Canada. Am I wrong? Did they move to LA?

Larrivee was originally based in Canada. I don't know when it was but Jean Larrivee started building guitars in the USA. I also do not know if he still produces instruments in Canada. I do know that he started out up there.
 
Top Bottom