Larrive Guitars Slope Dreadnought, Model SD-50E August 14th, 2008 . by MacNichol As do all Larrivee Guitars, the Traditional Series have a magical quality to them. When I first picked up the Slope Dreadnought model, I felt as though I had been transported back to the early 20th century, with the instrument’s traditional construction features such as a 12-fret neck and slotted headstock with volute give the guitar the look and feel of an instrument from a bygone era. Yet, the SD-50 also contains such modern features as a Tusq nut and L.R. Baggs iMix No-Cut System, resulting in great mix of traditional and modern. For those unaccustomed to playing a 12-fret neck, it can take some time getting used to when playing beyond the twelfth fret, as your mind may see the connection between the body and neck and think that your hand is at the 14th fret, but this is fairly easy to overcome. For those who play purely below the 12th fret, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice much difference. Here are the specs from the Larrivee site on the differences between Larrivee’s regular dreadnought body and the Larrivee sloped dreadnought body: Dreadnought Lower Bout · 16” Upper Bout · 11.875” Waist · 10.875” Depth · 5” Overall Length · 41” Scale Length · 25.5” SD - Slope Dreadnaught Lower Bout · 15” Upper Bout · 11.25“ Waist · 10.5” Depth · 4.875” Overall Length · 40.5” Scale Length · 25.5” For information on the history of the transition from 12- to 14- fret necks, please visit: http://www.lutherie.net/12-14-evolution.html Larrivee’s SD-50E produces a rich and warm sound with plenty of volume. It is exceptionally versatile and will accommodate many different playing styles but is particularly good for strumming and fingerpicking. Features include: All Solid wood Construction, Single Piece Mahogany 12-Fret Neck, Canadian Sitka Spruce Sound Board & Bracing, African Ebony Fretboard & Bridge, Canadian Maple Binding w/ Herringbone, Mahogany Back & Sides, Shifted Symmetrical Parabolic X-Bracing, Hand fit Dovetail Neck Joint, Enlarged Soundhole w/ Herringbone Rosette, Slotted Headstock w/ Pearl Logo & Volute, Custom Milled Stainless Steel Tuners, Ivoroid Fretboard Binding, Larrivee Custom Beveled Pickguard, Mother of Pearl Diamond Fretboard Markers, Traditional Angled TUSQ Nut, Limited Lifetime Warranty, L.R. Baggs iMix No-Cut System, Arch-top Case. Posted in Acoustic Guitars, Larrivee Guitars | Comments are closed.