also possess a biting toppiness. This blend
of percussiveness and sweet vocal quality
inspired me to run through my favorite
Cornell Dupree licks.
The flat pole piece “Real Broadcaster”
bridge pickup packed major twang and
awesome sustain on bluesy bends. The
pickup’s energetic twang factor is reinforced
by a boosted midrange that, in combination
with the Bakersfield’s robust bass output,
gives the bridge position a relatively hot and
aggressive voice.
The bridge pickup is an excellent
match for the mini humbucker, powerful
in output and warm enough to make the
pickups sound related. That is not to say
it can’t provide bite—some of the most
fun I had playing the Bakersfield was ripping through cutting lead lines and spanky
pinch harmonics all over the fretboard. And
REVIEW > LARRIVÉE GUITARS
low-string runs demonstrated how readily
the pickup can move from snappy to low-midrange grunt.
The Verdict
Tele-style purists may balk at the body
contours or the Les Paul-style input jack,
but it’s important to remember that the
Bakersfield was built to acknowledge the
earliest modded Teles, as well as the originals. In a sea of Tele-style guitars, Larrivée
put together something significantly different in the Bakersfield, executed at a level
that’s competitive with custom builders, yet
more accessibly priced. It’s got all the sweetness and wicked twang you need to cover
the traditional bases in a country application, but with added power and girth to
handle the heavier ranges of your repertoire.
If that expanded sonic range, a wide, flat
fingerboard, and the meatier neck of a ’ 52
Telecaster is your thing, the Bakersfield
should land high on your list of slightly
twisted Teles.
Rating:
Buy If...
you want a bigger neck
on a nicely tweaked, well-
crafted T-style guitar.
Skip If...
you like a more radiused fretboard.
Larrivée Guitars
Street $1798
larivee.com
or use a mobile device to download
audio clips of the guitar at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/jan2012
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