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‘23 Larrivèe Baker-T Classic (1 of 1) w\OHSC - $1,699 (Berthoud)
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color.
Pay with credit card on reverb dot com. Just search the guitar model.
The guitar is in the Longmont/Berthoud area but I’m flexible on meeting places.
I’m sure most folks have never seen an electric guitar by Larrivée. This is a rather long description, but I feel it’s necessary to express the quality built into this guitar. I have several more photos but I can only post 10 here. If you want to see the others just let me know.
This beauty is in better than excellent condition without any signs of wear that my eyes could see.
Larrivée, known for their quality built acoustic guitars, pulled out all of the stops and knocked it out of the park in the build quality of this Baker-T Classic electric guitar.
The Baker-T was built in the shadow of the ‘53 Blackguard Telecaster with its vintage electronics and superior quality USA components coupled with modern ergonomic considerations.
To begin, the Baker-T‘s body, fashioned from a single piece of ultra-light Swamp Ash, was traced from a ‘53 Blackguard Telecaster. This particular guitar weighs in at 6lbs 13.7oz
Larrivée then relieved the back of the bass side with a traditional “belly cut” not typically found on a Telecaster style guitar. This allows the guitar to lay against your torso without the thick, blunt edge of a standard Tele body. They didn’t stop there. They also gave it an arm relief cut on the top side to provide comfort for your strumming arm. The end result is a significantly more comfortable playing experience.
All of the hardware, except the Japanese made Gotoh tuners, is machined right here in the USA. That’s something that Fender cannot claim for their highest end guitars
When I say hardware, I’m speaking of the nickel-silver fret wire, the stainless steel bridge, the compensated brass saddles, stainless steel control plate, stainless steel control & 3-way switch knobs, the extra thick stainless steel neck plate, the stainless steel string ferrules, all of the stainless steel screws (neck mounting screws, saddle intonation & height screws, pickguard screws, etc) and all of the brass screw inserts.
The brass screw inserts are pressed into the neck paddle and the body where the pickguard and control plate, etc. attach to the body. That’s a deluxe feature that you don’t find even on most of the higher end USA guitars. Seeing that these are the screws that are removed most frequently, it avoids the enlarging of the screw holes in the wood or the inadvertent misaligned screw that gets put back into the wood crooked.
The forethought of these details is Incredible.
The lip on the ashtray bridge is shorter on the treble side, allowing more flexibility in pick placement when you’re playing those high note guitar leads. As mentioned above, the USA made large brass saddles are compensated, making this the easiest 3 saddle Tele to intonate. The string through body design is pretty typical, except Larrivée countersunk their stainless steel string ferrules so that they are not proud of the guitar body.
On the control panel, the 3-way switch tip has extra space between itself and the volume knob, combatting the common complaint that adjusting the volume (or switching between pickups) interferes with the other.
The slab fingerboard is made from Indian Rosewood, not the Pau Ferro or Laurel used on high production guitars of today. The fingerboard has mother-of-pearl dot inlays and at the very top is the high density bone nut. High quality appointments all the way around this guitar. Larrivée offers 3 neck profiles on the Baker-T Classic. This beauty has the fastest Tele neck I’ve ever seen with the Fast Neck (Slim C) - 1st Fret 21mm / 13th - 22.1mm. It really is amazing.
The fingerboard has a CNC machined radius of 9.5” at the nut, evolving to a 14” radius at the 20th fret. If you’ve never had a compound radius fretboard, you are in for a treat as the flatter surface at the neck joint makes bends much easier.
Under the Rosewood slab is a dual action truss rod with the adjustment mechanism being a spoke wheel located at the heel of the neck for fast and easy adjustment. The spoke wheel adjustment tool is in the storage compartment of the Larrivèe hardshell case.
The matching headstock proudly bears the Larrivée logo stamped with a custom metal vapor logo in black chrome.
The Gotoh SDS 510 Nickel Tuners w/CARD system are, of course, made in Japan. The Gotoh brand speaks for itself with years of a reputation for quality.
Key Functions of the C.A.R.D. System:
C - Carbon Fiber: Made from a lightweight, durable carbon fiber composite.
A - Align Center: A molded guide helps position the tuner post perfectly for error-free mounting.
R - Resonant: The high-density material efficiently transfers string vibration to the headstock, enhancing sustain and overtones.
D - Defend: A slightly thicker base acts as a protective buffer, preventing damage to the headstock finish from tuner edges or over-tightened screws.
If you’re not convinced yet that this is the finest Tele style guitar ever created, take a look at the electronics, the heartbeat of this Twangcaster!
The pickup low-down;
The Baker-T Classic features pickups that are built in-house and are hand-wound by Matthew Larrivée and his team. They are wound on a vintage 60 year old Leesona pickup winder with 43 gauge plain enamel. The pickups are connected RWRP for humbucking when played in the center switch position. Both pickups are yarn wrapped.
The bridge is an AlNiCo 5 large pole pickup that has been potted to prevent feedback. The neck is a Custom Alnico 6 also potted with a nickel silver cover. They feature push back cloth leads. They are, hands down the best sounding Tele pickups I (and many others) have ever heard. Be sure to check out the video to hear this very guitar by going to YouTube and searching “ '23 Larrivée Baker-T Classic in Shoreline Gold”
Moving on to the electronics, the pots are custom Bourne low drag potentiometers (250k audio taper and a 300k linear taper).
There is a vintage style paper in oil (0.047uf) capacitor. The switch is a traditional CRL 3-way. It also has a Puretone jack with 4 contact points mounted in an Electrosocket jack mount. The Baker-T Classic has 50s style wiring to complete the phenomenal sounding pickups with the highest quality electronics.
So, it doesn’t start with an “F,” but this is most definitely the finest built and finest sounding T-Style guitar I have ever known. I am quite certain that if you become the new owner of this guitar that you will absolutely agree.
In an email from Junior at Larrivée, he told me that the Baker-T Classic was only produced in Shoreland Gold twice as they were custom orders. I believe that with this neck profile, it is the only one like it, making it a 1 of 1 production. The other one is a little different.
The Baker-T Classic is offered in 5 different colors, but Shoreline Gold is not one of them. It is possible that the previous model, The Bakersfield T was produced in this color.
The body is a hand-sprayed ultra-high sheen gloss pure acrylic. The Rock Maple neck has a “Super-Satin” hand-rubbed satin finish.
This guitar is all stock except for the pickguard. I think the previous owner replaced it
Finally, this beauty is housed in a high quality Larrivée branded case that is in excellent condition. There are a small number of scrapes on it but nothing hideous.
From Larrivée;
The all-new 2023 Baker-T Classic is our latest precision-built American-made electric guitar. Its fantastic new features include our much sought-after pickup design by Matthew Larrivée, custom polished stainless steel hardware, and exclusive vintage electronics.
The Baker -T Classic has five stunning new finishes; Burgundy Mist, Ice Blue Metallic, Copper Metallic, Diablo Red, and Surf Green. We paint the headstocks to match the body and stamp them with a custom metal vapor logo in chrome and black chrome. All headstocks are fit with high-end Gotoh SDS-510 tuners for ultra-smooth precision. Capping it all in is a multi-layer CNC-made pickguard secured with brass inserts and machine screws.
Larrivée Baker-T Classic Specifications:
PRICE: $1999
BODY:
• Single-piece ultra-light Swamp Ash body
• Traced from 1953 Blackguard
COLORS & CODES:
• Burgundy Mist • BKC-BM • 844256024928
• Ice Blue Metallic • BKC-IB • 844256024904
• Copper Metallic • BKC-CM • 844256024881
• Diablo Red • BKC-DR • 844256024898
• Surf Green • BKC-SG • 844256024911
NECK/FRETBOARD DETAILS:
• Single piece Rock Maple neck
• 25.5" Scale Length
• First Fret 0.825” - 12th Fret 0.875”
• 1 & 11/16 Nut Width
• CNC Machined Compound Radius. 9.5” Radius at the nut, 14” Radius at the 20th Fret
• Dual Action Truss Rod w/ Spoke Nut Adjustment at Body
• Indian Rosewood Fretboard w/MOP Dots
• High-Density Bone Nut
NECK PROFILES:
• Fast Neck (Slim C) - 1st Fret 21mm / 13th - 22.1mm
• Standard Neck - 1st Fret 21.5mm / 13th - 21.7mm
• Historic Neck (Deep U) - 1st Fret 22.3mm / 13th 23.8mm
NECK JOINT:
• Traditional 1950s Deep Pocket Bolt-On.
• Stainless Steel Threaded Neck Inserts / Stainless Steel Neck Screws
• Neck Angle Machined into Neck Pocket/Heel for Perfect Saddle Height
FINISH:
• Hand-sprayed ultra-high sheen gloss pure acrylic body
• “Super-Satin” hand-rubbed satin finish neck
• Matching color headstock
HARDWARE:
• Gotoh SDS 510 Nickel Tuners w/ CARD system (Made in Japan)
• Polished Stainless steel Larrivée bridge plate (Made in USA)
• Stainless Steel String Ferrules (Made in USA)
• Stainless steel "extra thick" neck plate (Made in USA)
• Custom stainless steel polished control plate. Volume knob is further from the switch. (Made in USA)
• Compensated large barrel brass Larrivée saddle (Made in USA)
• Stainless steel threaded neck inserts & neck screws (Made in USA)
• Compensated large barrel brass Larrivée saddle (Made in USA)
• Stainless steel threaded neck inserts & neck screws
• Dual-action truss rod w/ easy access spoke wheel adjustment
•Nickel-silver medium fret wire
LARRIVÉE PICKUPS:
• Yarn-wrapped AlNiCo 5 large pole bridge - Potted to prevent feedback
• Custom Alnico 6 neck pickup potted with. nickel silver cover
• Pickups connected RWRP for humbucking when played in center switch position
• Pickups wound with vintage 43-gauge plain enamel
• Cloth pushback wire leads
ELECTRONICS:
• Traditional CRL 3-way switch
• Custom Bourns "low-drag" 250 audio taper pot
• Custom Bourns "low-drag" 300k linear taper pot
• Vintage paper-in-oil capacitor (0.047uf)
• Puretone jack w/4 contact points mounted in an Electrosocket jack mount
• 50s style wiring
MISCELLANEOUS:
• D’addario XL110 Strings
• Hard Shell Case