DESCRIPTION:
Read the review: http://bit.ly/LarriveeOM40Review

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.

To continue reading the review, visit: http://bit.ly/LarriveeOM40Review