NORTH AMERICAN ALL-SOLID ACOUSTICS · OXNARD, CALIFORNIA
Larrivée
Larrivée is a North American acoustic specialist whose current steel-string line is all-solid wood. The brand is easy to underestimate if the name is unfamiliar, but a D-03, D-40, OM-09 or other Larrivée deserves exact model identification before any used price is attached.
MODEL SEARCH
Know the model number?
Enter a full or partial model number or model name. The brand is added automatically.
OVERVIEW
What to know quickly
“03” is not a beginner-series code. The D-03 became famous for bringing an all-solid North American-made guitar under $800 in 1997; current pricing is much higher, and older Canadian examples form their own used-market story.
IDENTIFY YOUR GUITAR
Which Larrivée do you have?
Larrivée uses body letters plus series numbers—D, OM, L and other shapes combined with 03, 40, 09 and related series. Look at the interior label and serial, then separate Canadian-era and California-era examples when researching age.
- Read body + series together. D-03, OM-03, D-40 and OM-09 are not interchangeable; the body and series both matter.
- Use the label to establish era. Larrivée publishes a visual label history covering Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver and current California labels.
- Confirm wood family. 03 and 40 lines can appear in mahogany or rosewood versions; upper series change woods, trim and finish.
- Photograph serial, label and neck/body details. Older Canadian production can be especially worth documenting before searching comps.
SERIES & CURRENT RETAIL GUIDE
Find the family first
Representative official Larrivée prices observed October 2, 2026: D-03 $2,149, D-40 $2,249 and OM-09 $3,899 before optional pickup upcharges. Pricing is subject to change.
USED VALUE GUIDE
Start with the exact model
Used Larrivée can be a sleeper market because older Canadian examples and current California models overlap. Clean 03-series guitars may appear well below current new cost, while upper rosewood and specialty models remain much higher.
- Find the complete model number before comparing prices.
- Check the neck, action, frets, bridge and overall structural condition.
- Test electronics, pickups, switches, controls, output jack and onboard preamp when equipped.
- Look for cracks, bridge lifting, battery leakage, missing hardware or previous repairs.
- Compare the exact or closely related model with current retail and recent used-market evidence.
CURRENT USED MARKET
See what the market is doing now
Use the exact body/series code and manufacturing era. A Canadian D-03, current D-03 and rosewood OM-09 do not belong in one average.
COMPARE
What else lives in this neighborhood?
Use these as research neighbors, not automatic substitutes. Match body style, construction, country/era, condition and actual specifications before drawing a price conclusion.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Before you buy—or price—one
- Canadian vs. U.S. era. Label history helps place the guitar before you assume age or factory.
- Neck angle / saddle room. As with any used steel-string, setup geometry can overwhelm cosmetic condition.
- Top/back wood. Mahogany and rosewood versions can share a series number; verify the suffix/specification.
- Pickup version. “E” variants and aftermarket pickups should not be treated as the same thing.
- Original case. Many Larrivée guitars are sold with hardshell cases; a missing case affects replacement cost and resale presentation.
HISTORY & COMMENTARY
From Toronto to California—with the all-solid idea intact
Jean Larrivée began building in Canada in the late 1960s. The company moved through Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver before opening a California shop in 2001; production was ultimately consolidated in Oxnard. In 1997, the D-03 became a landmark value model: an all-solid North American-made guitar priced under $800 at the time.
Larrivée’s own current series page states that every current Larrivée acoustic uses all-solid wood—no plywood, laminates or “layered” woods. That makes the brand name a useful first filter, but series, body shape, tonewood and era still determine the practical value.
WHAT PLAYERS LIKE
Why a Larrivée can be worth picking up
- All-solid baseline. Current acoustic construction gives the brand a strong material floor before series upgrades.
- Long production history. Canadian and California eras provide a large and interesting used population.
- Logical series ladder. 03, 40, 05, 09, 10 and traditional families give the buyer a model framework to follow.
- North American manufacture. Current production is associated with the Oxnard, California factory.
- Used sleeper potential. Older clean examples can appear at prices far below a comparable new Larrivée, making exact identification worthwhile.
CURRENT RETAIL & REFERENCE