Jean Larrivée opened his first shop in Toronto, Ontario in 1968, following a year and a half apprenticeship with world-renowned luthier Edgar Munch Sr. While Larrivée's focus was initially directed towards crafting classical guitars, musical trends and pressure from the Toronto folk scene prompted Jean to build his first steel-string guitar in 1971. The next several years brought steady growth for the Larrivée brand. During this period, many of this country's most renowned guitar builders honed their trade under Jean's watchful eye: Grit Laskin, Linda Manzer, David Wren, Serge DeJonge and others were employed by Larrivée in those early years and were well equipped to flourish in their own careers by the time Jean moved his family and his guitar building to Victoria, British Columbia in 1977.

Built two years into Larrivee's west coast production, this 1979 L-27 is a beautifully crafted guitar that is very much on par with his finest Toronto-era instruments. The Larrivée L-27 - rebranded as the C-19 in the early 1980s - is a 16" wide cutaway flat top with a German Spruce top and rosewood back and sides. This particular guitar features a Cleopatra portrait headstock inlay, Grover tuning machines, mosaic rosette, rosewood body binding with multilayer wood purflings, bound ebony fingerboard with Torch and Wing inlays, and an ebony bridge. 

Pairing classic tonewoods with Larrivee's unique brand of X-bracing, this L-27 offers a wonderfully balanced response with excellent note separation and definition. Expect thick, clear trebles and an open bass, glued together by a rich and supportive low-midrange presence. The guitar's voice has matured beautifully over the better part of five decades, delivering the well-developed overtone content that can only be found in a vintage instrument. 

A well preserved vintage Larrivee, this L-27 is a nearly crack-free guitar with less than average play wear. Small chips, dents, and scratches can be found throughout the instrument's finish. The neck boasts a wonderfully worn-in feel, with areas of finish that have worn off throughout the length. The original bridge has been professionally replaced. Apart from a hairline crack within the guitar's cutaway which Folkway Music's repair team glued, this L-27 is crack-free. Action is currently set at 4.5-6 64ths of an inch at the twelfth fret and the guitar’s saddle has a healthy amount of height for adjustments.

Scale length of 25.5", nut width of 1-3/4", 1st fret depth of 0.802", and 9th fret depth of 0.932". Weight of 5bs 3oz. 

With hardshell case.