1998 Larrivee C-03 Cutaway Acoustic Electric Guitar w/ Fishman Active Preamp, Case

Up for sale, a 1998 Larrivée C-03 acoustic electric guitar in excellent conditions and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case, hangtags and documentation. The original and discontinued iteration of the C-03, preceding the current Tommy Emmanuel signature edition, this Larrivee was finely crafted in Vancouver, British Columbia, featuring a Florentine cutaway and onboard active Fishman electronics.

Tonewoods include a spruce top with Larrivée’s proprietary symmetrical X-bracing, rosewood back and sides, a one-piece mahogany neck, and an African ebony fretboard. This guitar has exquisite balance and projection, with exceptional string-to-string clarity and an overarching sweetness in every register. The wound strings have a smooth growl, offering ample power when digging in hard with a flatpick, and the ebony fingerboard ensures a glassy articulation and pristine treble response. The active Fishman electronics faithfully capture the natural tone of the instrument, with plenty of tonal sculpting tools. This Larrivée weighs 4lbs 12oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 12-53 bronze strings and easy-playing action.

The mahogany neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with generous, well-rounded shoulders in every register, measuring .815” deep at the 1st fret and .910” at the 9th. The slab African ebony fretboard is framed by grained ivoroid binding, and the slender fretwire retains its full factory height and well-rounded crowns, showing moderate wear beneath the plain staring on the crowns of frets 1-6. This guitar plays cleanly up the straight neck and 25 1/2“ scale, with 14 frets clear of the body (as opposed to the 12 fret neck on the Tommy Emmanuel C-03). The bone nut measures 1 11/16” in width, and on the headstock, the chrome-plated Larrivée-branded, Schaller tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch.

The ebony bridge sits flush with the top on all edges, and the compensated saddle still has a bit of room for future adjustment. The Fishman electronics all function as intended, powered by a 9V battery; the Bass, Middle, Treble, and Brilliance sliders all have a +12dB/-12dB sweep, with Notch and Volume knobs and a two-way Phase toggle.

The satin finish is framed by multi-ply top and back binding, and cosmetic wear includes some scuffing along the strum path both on the bass-side upper bout and on the treble side of the soundhole, as well as a handful of minor nicks on the body as a whole, largely along the rims on the lower bout. The smooth gloss finish on the neck profile feels fast in the palm, with a few shallow marks along the profile length that don't distract the palm while fretting.

The original Larrivée-branded hardshell case is included, along with all of the original hangtags/documentation and a set of brass bridge pins. Some stickers have been added to the case, and the back case edge has been reinforced with duct tape, but the case is secure and entirely functional.