Find the Correct Saddle for Your Larrivee® Acoustic Guitar

Looking for a Larrivee steel-string acoustic guitar saddle? Finding the proper saddle for your guitar can prove difficult as there’s no single saddle size. Although forward line B compensated saddles are the most common, Larrivee has been making guitars for many decades and different saddle sizes and compensation patterns have been used.

Although this guide will help, we suggest that you also measure your guitar’s bridge saddle slot for a proper fit. If you are not the guitar’s original owner, someone may have installed a different saddle, adjusted the saddle slot, or even installed a different bridge or neck at some time, thus producing different specs from the factory’s original specs.

Forward Line B Compensated Saddles

As mentioned previously, forward line B compensated saddles are the most common saddle compensation pattern seen on Larrivee acoustics, starting in the 1990s. Please see our Guide to B Compensated Saddles for more information. These saddles often have a 16 inch top radius, are around 72 mm long and 3.2 mm thick. Maximum height varies for each guitar, but are often around 8 to 9 mm for Larrivees with undersaddle pickup, and around 9 to 11 mm for Larrivees without a pickup.

Bone Saddle - Fits Many Larrivee Guitars - 11 mm Height 1
B Compensated Saddle

The forward line B compensated saddle type and radius has been used with many of the post-2017 16 inch radius fretboards. If your Larrivee was made pre-2017 and has a compound radius (16 to 21 inch) fretboard, then there’s a good chance that it came with this saddle type. Please note that forward line B compensated saddles made for Taylor Guitars look almost identical, but will have a 15 inch top radius versus the 16 inch top radius used for Larrivee saddles.

Forward GDA Wave Compensated Saddles

Some Larrivee models from the 2000s and 2010s may have a forward GDA wave compensated saddle. This saddle has more fluid compensation lines that place the treble E about 0.5 mm further back away from the soundhole, and the bass E about 1.5 mm further back away from the soundhole.

Bone Saddle Fits Many Larrivee Guitars Wave Compensation 16 inch Radius 71.2 mm Length Angle
Wave Compensated Saddle

If your Larrivee has a B compensated saddle, you might be tempted to replace it with a wave compensated saddle. However, we typically advise against this. First, the Larrivee wave compensated saddle has a shorter length – 71 mm long versus 72.0 mm long for the B compensated saddle. Second, additional backward saddle compensation is not necessarily an improvement. Guitar builders will angle the saddle slot itself as compensation taking into account saddle compensation pattern, scale length and string gauge. As such, adding more backward saddle compensation could negatively affect your intonation, rather than improve it. Please see our Guide to Wave Compensated Saddles for more information. 

Non-Compensated Saddles

Larrivee models from the 1970s through the 1990s often have center line non-compensated saddles. Please see our Guide to Non-Compensated Saddles for more information. Unless you are having specific intonation issues that a compensated saddle could correct, we advise that you use a non-compensated saddle replacement.

Left-Handed Larrivee Saddles

A large number of Larrivee models are left-handed. Please note that saddles designed for right-handed Larrivee models will not work on left-handed models. Even non-compensated saddles, whether center line, forward line, or diagonal line will be made specifically for right-models in that the bass side is typically one mm higher than the treble side is.

A Note on Compound Radius Fretboards

Prior to 2017, Larrivee models often used a compound radius fretboard (16 to 21 inches). Saddles used on these models had a 16 inch radius. Since 2017, Larrivee has used a 16 inch radius fretboard and saddle. You can contact Larrivee with your serial number for information on your guitar’s fretboard radius and which saddle radius they advise. 

Which Saddle Size Does Your Larrivee Need?

If you are still unsure which saddle your Larrivee needs, please contact us with the below information:

  • Your Larrivee Guitar’s Year, Model
  • Current Saddle Length, Height, Thickness (must be measured with a caliper)
  • Guitar Saddle Slot Length, Thickness (if different from your saddle specs)
  • Current Saddle Compensation Pattern (please send a picture if you are not sure what type you have)
  • String spacing at the bridge

We will respond within 48 hours.