# Thoughts on the New Godin Stadium HT's



## XLaff (Jul 9, 2020)

Was just wondering if anyone has one of the new stadium HT's and is willing to share their thoughts on them. I was looking into buying one as I do not have a telecaster style guitar, but the only demo posted doesn't really showcase much.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

@ 750 dollar price range Canadian seems to be a decent guitar.
Here is a video that kinda tells you all about it.
G.


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## XLaff (Jul 9, 2020)

Ye I have seen a bunch of footage describing it but unfortunately not many demo's of the tone.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

there are a thousand variables that influence tone...
pedals, amplifier, pedal and amplifier settings, and many many more.
Just because someone can get a good tone in a well produced video doesn't mean that much to me anymore.
Actually, the total opposite is true....I see many videos where they get terrible tone out of a perfectly good guitars and amplifier setup.
G.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

I don't have this one, but I've owned or tried a fair number of Godin guitars in the past.

I found their maple necks are pretty consistent regardless of the model: flat, fast and thin. 12" radius and a bit wider to avoid fretting out.

I think Godin started getting more serious about winding their own pickups with the Passion RG-3. I borrowed one for a time. That guitar was a showcase for what they could do. The pickups on the RG-3 were hotter than vintage strat output, but still in normal single coil range. I found they were well-balanced. You basically get what you put in.

I imagine the pickups on this guitar are similar. Maybe a bit more twang in the bridge for the tele thing.

The guitar body is basswood. Not the sexiest tone wood, but nothing wrong with it either. I always recommend checking for weight. I've owned Godins that were light as a feather or total boat anchors-- sometimes within the same model.

Godin knows how to make a comfortable, fast-playing guitar for the money. I don't always like their pickup choices or electronics, but that can easily be changed.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk


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## XLaff (Jul 9, 2020)

Thanks for the replies!


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## VanillaTrice (Feb 24, 2016)

I don't know about this one specifically but I do own a 2018 '59 Stadium Custom from them. I absolutely love that guitar. Easily one of my most versatile guitars with outstanding build quality for the money. That's the one with the Duncan in the neck and the Godin Custom Cajun pickup in the bridge. I really like the Godin one, surprisingly. I'm not sure if they are making these in house or having them imported from overseas, but the sound of it is great. Quite a bit hotter than your regular Fender fare but cleans up nicely and can get you some excellent country twang. The revoice circuit they have is crazy as well and incredibly useful. I find I use it live all the time when I'm sitting in another guitarists frequency range. It seems to add or remove just enough to put your sound in a different area without engaging the other guy in a volume knob war .


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## PJ_T (Nov 11, 2021)

XLaff said:


> Was just wondering if anyone has one of the new stadium HT's and is willing to share their thoughts on them. I was looking into buying one as I do not have a telecaster style guitar, but the only demo posted doesn't really showcase much.


I just bought a Stadium HT 4 months ago. I own a 2007 Gibson LP Custom and a Squier Tele Standard. I think I like the Godin Stadium HT best. I haven't been able to play my LP, which is in the states, because I haven't been able to return since COVID stranded me in paradise (I mean Canada). The Stadium plays just as well as my LP and way better than my Squier which cost as much as the Godin. The quality is amazing. Go touch one...


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

I've played my share of Godins over the years. And I don't recall ever playing a bad one, they are extremely solid players. But I do remember virtually all of them looking funny (for me) with their strange designs, peculiar pickguards and questionable body routes/carves.

This one is the exception though.


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Played one recently and liked it. It had a nice feel to it...I remember hearing some tones in this review:


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## Xevyn (Jul 14, 2021)

Sherwood also made a tone video a couple of months back:


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## Jim Soloway (Sep 27, 2013)

Some really nice design ideas in this one. I like the top mount jack and the angled switch on the plate. The weight's impressive too. And I found a really decent tone demo. Anyone know what the neck profile is? There doesn't seem to be much detailed info on the dimension or shape of the back of the neck.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Jim Soloway said:


> Anyone know what the neck profile is?


I tried one briefly a while ago when I was at L&M. It definitely isn't as thin as older bolt-on models. It felt like an asymmetrical profile to me. (I'd have to pick it up again to be sure.) It seemed quite comfortable, overall.


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## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

Tried one at the Belleville L&M. It was black with a maple fingerboard. Very comfortable (light) weight. Neck was a bit thin front to back but nice to play. Frets were well finished, hardware was solid. All in all very impressed with the construction. I didn’t plug it in so I can’t comment on the pickups but they appeared to be standard tele sized if they needed to be replaced. I liked it.


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## PTO (12 mo ago)

I’ve had a Stadium HT (black/maple) for a year or two and would recommend. I’ve had a Progression before, which I thought was excellent, but I wanted more of a Telecaster with two pickups. I considered the Stadium ‘59 for a while but didn’t want all the tonal options, so the HT is a better value in my case.

Neck/fingerboard: I’m used to at least a 12” radius so this works for me. I would have preferred medium or vintage frets, but my only real issue with the jumbo is the bevel making it easier for the high E to fall off. The string is a _smidge_ closer to the ends than my other guitars. I haven’t tried any neck or nut adjustments yet though.

Electronics: The pickups are fine, but I admit I don’t use the bridge as much as most Tele users so am not as discerning. I like that the neck pickup is RWRP for hum-cancelling in the middle, and it sounds good for Strat neck tones. I plan to change it because I’m not after Strat tones, but it works for now, and having that routing gives me more flexibility than a Tele neck route would.

Switches and pots work well. I haven’t pulled up the control plate to check values but I assume 250k. There’s too steep a drop-off at the low-end of the tone knob IMO, but I might be atypical in that I often have the tone rolled way back. I may look into a different pot after the pickup swap.

Body: Relatively light and very comfortable. I can take or leave the tummy-cut but I am glad it doesn’t have a forearm contour. Some don’t like the jack on the front control plate, but I actually prefer it for sitting down (which I usually am). It’s easy enough to get a right-angle cable if it looks awkward while standing.

Finish: The black matte is nice; I’m glad it isn’t glossy. The guitar kind of looks like Gilmour’s black Strat and Waters’ black P-Bass gave birth to a Telecaster. I’ve seen the other finishes and the Havana Brown is much nicer in person. I’d be happy with it or the white, but the white has a Rosewood fingerboard so I’d probably make my decision based on that before the finish.

I do wish there were a pick guard option. Doesn’t look like aftermarket Tele guards will fit, and the control plate also eliminates a modified Session or ‘59 guard. Godin added a pick guard to the Progression later so maybe that’ll happen here.

That’s a wrap! I’d definitely buy it again. I also love that it just came down the highway from Quebec to a great shop near me (The Acoustic Room in Hamilton).


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