Larrivee C-03R-TE Tommy Emmanuel

Built in Larrivee’s Custom Shop in California, the C-03R-TE Tommy Emmanuel Signature guitar has been designed from the ground up to meet the virtuoso’s exacting requirements. The tone wood foundation is classic: Sitka Spruce combined with Indian Rosewood, resulting in that characteristic combination of attack and complex overtones. This guitar’s secret weapon, though, is its 12th fret neck joint. Really opening up the voice of the instrument, the 12th fret joint allows the soundboard to vibrate to its full potential. A Florentine cutaway facilitates full access to the entire length of the ebony fretboard, so there’s no tradeoff in playability either. Supplied in a Larrivee hard case.

The Larrivee C-03R TE Tommy Emmanuel Signature guitar is now available from Merchant City Music, online and in our Glasgow store’s dedicated acoustic room. Every instrument we sell is fully checked over and professionally set up before dispatch, for your peace of mind. We ship fast to the UK, Europe and worldwide.

Note: Images show actual stock guitar.

Larrivée C-03R-TE Tommy Emmanuel Signature Acoustic Guitar

Tommy Emmanuel is credited with giving rise to Larrivee’s first production 12th-fret acoustic guitar. Though common on classical guitars, the 12th fret joint fell out of favour on early 20th century steel string acoustics due to the slight volume increase obtained by placing the join at the 14th fret. This increase in volume came with a tonal trade-off, forcing the luthier to place the guitar’s bridge in a less optimal position for sound quality. For Tommy’s playing, the emphasis has been returned to tonal response, allowing every nuance of the guitarist’s input to be expressed through the instrument.

With this in mind, there couldn’t be a more rewarding tone wood pairing than Sitka / Rosewood - the woods used on this Larrivee Tommy Emmanuel C-03R TE model - to combine with a 12th fret join. One of the all-time great acoustic guitar wood combinations, this guitar maximises the rich overtones of the rosewood and responsiveness of the spruce. It’s a match made in heaven for the player, with few tone wood pairings offering similar levels of reward.

Larrivee prides itself on being plugged in to the entire process of producing a finished, hand-made guitar, from log selection on the forest floor to final quality control in their Oxnard, California workshop. Their aim to build not the most guitars, but the best, is evident on the C03R TE. Aesthetically, this guitar features a satin finish, with elegant maple binding to the body and fretboard. Ebony is used for the fretboard itself, along with the bridge and headstock face. A bone nut and saddle offer superior tonal transfer from the strings, while closed-back Larrivee tuners provide accurate and stable tuning.