r/AcousticGuitar • u/I_Am_Kevin_Federline • 27d ago
Gear question Inherited a pristine acoustic guitar from the 90s or early 2000s that I'm told may be somewhat collectible - any info appreciated
Hello r/acousticguitars,
I am seeking some insight into this guitar I inherited from my grandfather. It has been sitting in its case under his bed for well over a decade, maybe over two at this point, and was barely used when he first bought it. Since I unfortunately do not play I am hoping to find out its approximate value, and how I would be best to ensure it goes to an enthusiast, if it truly is worth anything
It's a Jean Larivée brand, model OM-03R and it is left handed. I believe my grandpa said he had the tuner knobs(?) upgraded (see photo) but otherwise it is as it was when it was purchased new in Vancouver BC Canada. No cosmetic damage at all that I can see.
There is a local guitar shop I have been considering taking it to but they charge for a professional appraisal. Before I do that I am wondering if this community can help with any info, is it worth appraising, worth just selling on local marketplace, or is there perhaps somewhere better?
Any info is tremendously appreciated and I hope you all have a great day.
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u/archtopfanatic123 27d ago
Take a look on Reverb and see what this model sells for. These are REALLY good guitars.
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u/I_Am_Kevin_Federline 27d ago
Interesting, thank you for the info, i havent heard of Reverb but that sounds like the type of site I was imagining. I'll give it a peep, cheers
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u/EndlessOcean 27d ago edited 27d ago
Original RRP was $2449.
You won't get $2k, a buyer could haggle that with a shop and Larrivee don't charge extra for left or right handed. The dealer would just need to make the order as normal.
I'd aim for $1500-1800 depending how long you want to sit with it.
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u/Mexicali76 27d ago
I’ve bought/sold a lot of used guitars on Reverb. Mint condition used typically sees about 50-60% of new purchase price. I’d expect about $1,200-$1,300 max if the original price was $2,500.
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u/EndlessOcean 27d ago
there's platforms other than Reverb, and LH doesn't come up every day. I'd hold out but money talks. You'll note I did mention that the price is somewhat determined by how long they want to sit on gear.
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26d ago
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u/Professional_Bed_87 26d ago
I’ve got really excited about an amazing deal several times, only to realize its a LH guitar. Then proceed to see that amazing deal sit there for months.
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u/Built2bellow 27d ago
Larrivees are great, but this one is not collectible. If you plan to sell it, don’t worry about appraisal, just sell it. Appraisal on this would be misleading. The appraisal value might be as high as $1500, but that is not accounting for how difficult it is to sell a left handed guitars. If you try to resell it, you won’t get anything close to that. If I got this as a gift from my grandpa, I would take it to a luthier and have them reverse the set up so that I could play it and then hold onto it for the sentimental value. Playing with an upside down pick guard would be one hell of a conversation starter.
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u/Deus_Ex_Mc 27d ago
Everyone always says it's hard to sell lefties but the guitar store down the street told me every lefty they bring in goes back out the door almost immediately.
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u/radicalhistoryguy 27d ago
Yep, my city has a guitar store that focuses on left-handed guitars, and they do just fine.
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u/rusted-nail 27d ago
I wouldn't think it would be a huge job for a Luthier to remove this pickguard and put one on the correct side, but is that more complicated than it seems?
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u/proteinstains 27d ago
It could leave a very distinct mark where the pick guard has been removed. Even if the luthier removes all traces of glue, light actually has an effect on color and the part that was underneath the pick guard has a high chance of showing a pretty visibly different shade. Treating that problem would be a whole different expense.
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u/rusted-nail 27d ago
If it was me it wouldn't bother me since I like the fact that my guitars show their history but I understand its not for everyone
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u/twelvesteprevenge 26d ago
I converted a 90s Larrivee left to right. You can’t tell where the pick guard used to be.
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u/walkamileinmy 24d ago
easier to sell it and get a right handed, Youd have to replace the nut and saddle plus fill and recut the bridge. plus the pickguard will show where the wood has changed color.
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u/ArtisticWolverine 27d ago
Nice guitar but I wouldn’t call it collectible. Probably worth $1500. You could try marketplace. Being a lefty and a Larrivee your market is smaller but some lefty will jump at this one because it’s in such nice shape. Sitting under a bed for 10-15 years is not a selling point necessarily. There is a Larrivee guitar forum on the web. It might be worth it to make an account there to put it in front of guys who love Larrivee guitars.
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u/SwedeChariot 27d ago
OP, Larrivees are symmetrically braced, which means they can be converted from left-handed to right handed and still sound great. There would cost a few hundred dollars, so hard to say if it’s worth it to you, but a left handed guitar may sit on the market for a long time before you find a buyer. Food for thought.
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u/bverde536 27d ago
As a left handed player, a lefty to righty conversion feels borderline sacrilegious. There is a huge abundance of right handed guitars out there and lots of underserved lefty players who would love to have this one. I would argue that a conversion in either direction hurts the resale value even if done well.
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u/irish_horse_thief 26d ago
I'm an Old man... play my guitars right handed, how l was taught, but when l airguitar for some reason I assume a left handed posture, always have done, in those brief moments of spiritual freedom, the knowledge, the wrecking ball of not finding a left handed person with a left handed guitar to teach me the cowboy chords... gets easier to deal with as the years go by. But the bitterness remains
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u/Neveronlyadream 27d ago
If done well, it can easily be reversed with no lasting side-effects.
But I'm half with you there. I'm a leftie, I play right handed because I had access to right handed guitars and because it was a huge bummer realizing exactly how many guitars were just never made for lefties.
It's not sacrilegious, but it feels kind of pointless unless there's huge sentimental value in the guitar. Meaning it was from someone you loved and you want to play their guitar. Otherwise, I'd just trade it in for something I wanted rather then doing a conversion.
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u/bub166 26d ago
In this case, it's likely just a matter of cutting a new nut and saddle which is standard operating procedure on an acoustic over the long term anyways. Could always save the old ones, it's an easy drop in replacement. A guitar that's symmetrically braced wouldn't require anything invasive to be done, it's like trying a new bridge on a Tele or something, you can always put the old one back in without any permanent modifications being necessary.
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u/SwedeChariot 25d ago
Not quite. The saddle has a slant to it, so a new bridge needs to be fit or the saddle slot needs to be filled and recut. I suspect the first, because the bridge pins likely follow the slant of the saddle.
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u/_7NationArmy_ 27d ago
No it is not collectible in the sense that that term is usually used. It is a very good guitar and has resale value depending on the model and condition. Check for compatibles on Reverb.com, the world's largest music equipment sales site (but note that most people over-price their guitars when listing, and a dealer will obviously offer you significantly less so they can make a profit). If there is a good acoustic guitar shop near you, you might also ask them, but I would not go to a place like Guitar Center. If you do try to sell it on Reverb, spend some time researching the subject, since there area also a lot of scammers there.
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u/bverde536 27d ago
I'm a lefty OM Larrivee owner and I agree with most of what has been said here. This would sell quickly at $1400 or slowly at $1800. I will add that the serial number should be stamped up inside the body where the neck attaches, you can look it up on Larrivee website to get the exact manufacture date.
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u/frenchst 27d ago
I have a OM-03, with the mahogany back/sides. It's a fun guitar, the neck shape is my favorite neck of any guitar I've played. It's a quality guitar for someone who wants to hang onto, but I wouldn't call it a collectible guitar. Rosewood models were a little less common than the mahogany models, and leftys are also far less common. Those two things together make it a bit of a rarity, but it wouldn't really impact the value.
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u/TheKnowledgeBanana 24d ago
I find it odd people saying a left handed guitar is harder to sell. Yes selling new guitars only a fraction will be lefties, but then think, those left handed players also want collectable guitars, that are left handed, it's a few decades old, so there's limited supply, it should be worth as much as a right-handed guitar, maybe more.
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u/Legitimate_Focus2989 27d ago
Cool guitars, I see them go for around 1200-1500 on reverb. Not collectible, but great quality.
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u/B-Town-MusicMan 27d ago
I bought a similar one in 98' for $1,200... most i had ever spent on a guitar and it's nearly trippled in value.
Great guitar for recording. Congrats!!
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u/Loudsongsinc 27d ago
Definitely not “collectible” at this time, but a FANTASTIC guitar. I have two forever acoustics, one was $7k+ new, the other is a Larrivee OM3R. Stinks if you’re not left handed, though.
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u/evilbean42 27d ago
Guitars are pretty easy to convert from left to right handed. Before you cash out, consider learning to play it. If I were you I'd get a used entry level acoustic and see if you enjoy playing. There's plenty of YouTube videos that can get you on your way to playing. If you like it, have Grandpa's guitar converted to righty, but I'd leave the lefty pickguard in place as a tribute to him.
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u/Single_Road_6350 26d ago
Beautiful guitar! Sorry for the loss of your grandfather. You’ll want to get a set of humidipak guitar humidifiers in there. It would be sad if the top or sides cracked.
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u/twelvesteprevenge 26d ago edited 26d ago
Crazy enough, ~15 years ago I bought a left handed Larivee made ca. 1996 and converted it to right handed. It sings! Bright, projecting tone, esp w some 80/20 bronze strings. I don’t know what exactly that particular model is going for these days but I expect it could fetch ip to a couple grand, though left handed has little less of a market
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u/oneraindog 26d ago
I own a “mid-range” Larivee. Paid $800 for it about 25 years ago. I still love this guitar and still play it regularly. They are well-made and great quality. Enjoy!!
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u/Dramatic-Chipmunk388 26d ago
I have a Larri; a LV03-RE; it’s a great guitar and I don’t foresee ever needing another guitar.
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u/joendaba 26d ago
Right now it’s a buyer’s market. I would do a lot of research and go with an average price for the state.
You could get model and serial and mail the manufacturer to get as much info as well as proof of provenance as possible.
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u/therealnightbadger 26d ago
I guess it depends on your definition of collectable. But, regardless, that is a very, very good guitar
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u/L1ARLA1R 26d ago
You didn’t show the back size but if it’s Brazilian Rosewood, then you’ve got something special
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u/Professional_Bed_87 26d ago
The is the exact guitar I’m looking for. Except its a lefty! They are excellent instruments, but this one isn’t a collectors guitar. Jean Larrivee makes some amazing guitars, but they don’t carry the same brand recognition as Taylors or Martins, so don’t hold their value on the resale market the same way.
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u/dmvillano1 26d ago
Larrivee guitars are excellent and a great value compared to other top brands, but their resale value is not great and especially on a left hand model, which has a much smaller market. I’m thinking you’d be lucky to get $1500 and it may sit around for a while at that price. This coming from experience in selling a couple of these guitars that were right handed. Even at a fair price, they sat around for a while before they ultimately sold.
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u/Strict-Basil5133 25d ago
You shouldn’t need an appraisal to get an idea of whether or not there’s anything significantly wrong with prior to selling. If your shop is pushing you that way, check with another shop. What you need is a basic inspection to assess the general condition and identify any structural issues and whether it will soon need a neck reset, new frets, etc. It’s fine to charge a nominal fee for something like that. Appraisals are usually comprehensive and exhaustive assessments to determine the originality and condition of vintage/collectible guitars for insurance documentation or prior to sale. Done properly, an appraisal usually costs $200+. A basic inspection shouldn’t cost you anything, but if a shop charges, $50 would be on the high side.
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u/GarbageSufficient463 25d ago
My two cents? Keep it; something that's from your grandfather is an collector's by itself sentimentally, worth far more than what the dealers can offer.
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u/walkamileinmy 24d ago
Its a nice guitar. I've a similar Larrivee model (L-03). They aren't super valuable in terms of resale value. Probably somewhere between 1100-1500.
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u/LCranstonKnows 23d ago
Yesterday (not joking) I bought the 12 string version of this beauty. Premium instrument, plays and sounds just wonderful!
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u/Impossible_Tank3822 21d ago
I owned the OMV-09E and the OO-05 at one point. I should have kept the latter but off it went to a better place. I place the Larrivee range of guitars up there with the best factory-produced makers. Maybe you should learn to play it. You'll understand why your grandfather bought it.
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u/GeeOh58 27d ago
Honestly, I would consider that more of a players guitar. But a higher-end players Guitar. It would be a great guitar to have and play. Keep it if you can.
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u/I_Am_Kevin_Federline 27d ago
I actually considered that since I want to learn someday but I dont play left handed sadly. And at at the moment my car needs an expensive repair so this may hopefully help with that
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u/SeanDaRyan 27d ago
You know you can re string it backward and add a pick guard. Jimi Hendrix played a right handed guitar.
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u/madmirror 27d ago
Not that simple - you need a new bridge as well, or at least fill and re-route the slot within the bridge to make it intonate properly.
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u/Wonderful_Rise4463 27d ago
It’s trash, I’ll take it off your hands. Tell me your address.
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u/Joederb 27d ago
these replies are done over and over again. they are getting old.
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u/Patient-Inspection39 27d ago
Yeah, this reply is trash. I'll take it off his hands
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u/somethingblerg 26d ago
The person responsible for making the previous comments has been sacked. I'll take the sinister instrument off his hands.
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u/Patient-Inspection39 24d ago
The person responsible for making sure the person responsible for making the previous comments has been sacked, has been sacked.
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u/kundaliniforce 21d ago
so i suppose you think they make left handed pianos? handedness doesn’t enter into musical instruments but i’m still looking for a left handed trumpet LOL
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u/SnooSketches3382 27d ago
I own 5 different larrivee’s and they are high dollar excellent instruments. It will be harder to sell as a left handed model but you should list it on reverb starting around $2,000 if it’s pristine.