# Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I have checked out this guitar, albeit, unplugged and was amazed at how much it feels like my acoustic.

I have one of these:










And the S&P above felt very similar to the 5th Avenue below and to me, this is not a bad thing.










Has anyone else checked out the 5th Avenue in any of its versions? What is your opinion of the guitar?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I like them.

When I was out looking for a guitar last time, I wound up buying an Ibanez AF95 and am very happy with that choice.
This version was not yet available, (Nor was the one pickup version) so I had to try it out later.

I'm still happier with my Ibanez, but whether someone else would be will depend on who that other person is.
One reason I'm happier with the Ibanez is that I am rough on satin finishes--my S&P 12 is quick scuffed up.
But that's not the main thing.

I just like the way if feels and plays better.

Still I would not mind having any of the 5th Avenue versions and at one time was heavily leaning towards the no pickup version.

If you're looking into an archtop and not spending a ton of money--it's a good option.
If I do ever get one--it will probably be the one pickup version--they sound better to me acoustically, and for my playing bridge P-90's don't work so well, but that could change over time. I never used to like P-90's at all--but over time as my playing has developed I really like them in the neck position.

But bottom line--to wrap this rambling up--I would not try to dissuade anyone from getting one fo these guitars if they can afford it.

They're nice guitars.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Zontar: I too have an Ibanez archtop. I guess that's why we are both interested in the Godin 5th Avenue. I have an AG-75 that I've had for about 4 years now. It's very nice and I like the feel of it slightly better than my S&P Cedar as the neck is slightly slimmer. However, if I buy another guitar, I think it will be the Kingpin II. I was quite impressed with the acoustic abilities it has. It is much better acoustically than my AG-75 but, of course, they are two different guitars; similar but different.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I've pretty much decided that my next electric will be a 5th Avenue - probably the 2 pick-up version. (I, too, play an S&P Dreadnought as my main guitar.)


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

They are both hollowbody archtops with pickups & all that entails, but yes different.

I believe the 5th Avenues have a thinner top.

The AF75 is similar to the AF95, but the differences go beyond nicer looking wood and fancier inlay--although the pickups are the same, the 95 feels different to play, and it suits me better.

And the feel of the 5th Avenues is nice too. They certainly invite more playing.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bw66 said:


> I've pretty much decided that my next electric will be a 5th Avenue - probably the 2 pick-up version. (I, too, play an S&P Dreadnought as my main guitar.)


Yes, for the difference in price, I can't see any reason not to go with the Kingpin II.


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## nutter (Aug 29, 2009)

i tried one at L&M a few weeks ago, didn't try it plugged in but almost bought it on the spot. beautiful and plays great


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

FlipFlopFly said:


> Yes, for the difference in price, I can't see any reason not to go with the Kingpin II.


For me it wasn't the difference in price as much as I wouldn't use the bridge pickup much and I thought the one pickup versions sound better acoustically--so I'd be better off with the one pickup version-or I could put a humbucker in the bridge--but the way this guitar is made I could mess up the guitar doing that--unless I put in a mini-humbucker. Even then the acostic sound wasn't as good for me.

So I think I'd be better off just getting the one pickup version--even if I miss out on the cutaway--which would be another reason to go with the two pickup versio.

But whcihever version you prefer, they are nice guitars.


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## GuyPaul (May 4, 2010)

*I just bought a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin*

I have been checking these guitars out for some time. Long and McQuade had the cognac sunburst with a P90. Tried it out and decided to buy it as they took an Epiphone SG in on trade. The guitar sounds great connected to a small tube amp. Played acoustically the guitar has that unique archtop honk - clear definition - not much sustain. A great variation from the 3 flat-tops I have had for several years. I would not buy one if it were to be my only guitar, but makes a great addition for varying a blues sound or a country sound for that matter. I have tried it with slide and considering my limited talents in this area, I was able to draw some pretty good sounds out of it. I would be very interested in hearing from other Kingpin owners what type of strings they have found work best.


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

I am gassing for the single pick up version, and it probably will be my next purchase as well. Amazing guitars. I have just recently developed an interest in the Seagull Coastline (Parlor) Grand with electronics as well, so it might be a difficult choice until I get them for a head-to-head shootout.
-Mikey


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## tonydawe (Feb 25, 2009)

theres a single pickup model in my house and i love it. the day i ordered my gibson i guess my finacé was feeling a little left out so she decided to get something as well. as first it was a faded hollowbody epiphone. i'm sure it sounded good plugged in but i wasn't much of a fan.

i saw the godin and picked it up, strummed a few chords and she turned around to see what i was playing. she fell in love and decided on that. we didn't even plug it in as it's acoustic sound was enough for us.

i also never play bridge pickups so the single pickup on this suits me just fine.

+1 for these guitars!


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## forscw (Aug 24, 2010)

Thanks for the posts guys - I just came across this thread today. I play a S&P Woodland CW Cedar GT A 3.2 and have been thinking of getting an entry-level archtop to play around with. Some other sites have mentioned the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin so I'm glad to hear of your experiences have been good. Now does anyone know where I can get one? L&M in Calgary's out of stock...


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## tonydawe (Feb 25, 2009)

pfft. so what if they're out of stock, have them order one in. if you don't like i don't think you have to purchase it. L&M seem to be good like that.
on a side note, i'm still loving the kingpin!


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

I have an original 5th Avenue, and it's one of my most played guitars.

I'll admit to lusting after a Kingpin with the cutaway, but I really wish they offered that body style with just the neck pickup.


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## Jaggery (Mar 12, 2006)

I am considering the cutaway with 2 pickups.
I have the same question as GuyPaul about what strings (Electric/Acoustic)
and gauge to use.


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## John Watt (Aug 24, 2010)

Maybe I've been looking at too many Gibson Les Pauls since the sixties,
but it still looks funny to not to see the right-angle of the top of the body,
where it comes off the neck. All those straight parallel strings need some body accent.
Godin's changing things to give it their own slant, but it's all slant.
Something tells me if the photo showed someone standing there with it strapped on,
I'd think the repositioned strap holder with the strap on would look sloppy.
But that's just me, seeing Gibsons endlessly... from a lefty perspective.


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## GuyPaul (May 4, 2010)

Took me awhile to figure out what you were getting at, but agree that the Godin looks quite different from Les Pauls and similar to the L5 archtops of vintage years. In regard to the strap holder though, remember that the 5th Avenue is incredibly light and quite well balanced which may account for the strap holder getting little consideration.


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## GuyPaul (May 4, 2010)

*Strings*

Going back to my post a couple of months ago, I am still seeking advice as the the best strings. The ones that came with the guitar are to accommodate the P90, which it does very well, but at the expense of the acoustic tone. I have been told that acoustic strings (phosphor-bronze or bronze) would cause too much imbalance for the pickup, but I have soundhole pickups on a couple of my dreadnoughts and they work fine with acoustic strings. Thoughts.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I realise this is a fairly old thread. Just wondering if anyone has any recent input on these Godin Kingpin guitars. I'd like to get a hollowbody with P90s without spending Gibson type money. According to the L&M website they don't have any in stock in Ottawa. I'm assuming they could order one for me if I wanted to try it.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

bagpipe said:


> I realise this is a fairly old thread. Just wondering if anyone has any recent input on these Godin Kingpin guitars. I'd like to get a hollowbody with P90s without spending Gibson type money. According to the L&M website they don't have any in stock in Ottawa. I'm assuming they could order one for me if I wanted to try it.


 I just bought a 5th Ave Kingpin with the single P90 last weekend. I find myself playing it constantly, maybe just because its a new toy, but there really is something about it that compels me to keep playing it. I love the tone - a little fuller than most archtops - and each note sounds so pure and distinct. Chords sound more like a harmony of seperate notes than the kind of wash of harmonics produced by a large body flat top. It seems perfect for flat picking and melodic passages. It also has a solid percussive attack on both single notes and chords. And it is much louder than I thought it would be - when I compared a single PU model to a double PU in L&M they both sounded kind of low volume accoustically in the sound room. The one I did purchase was definitely much louder when I got it home than I had expected - for sure loud enough to be heard in an accoustic session with other players. I can see why this type of guitar was used in orchestras in the 40s and 50s.

I've come to love the fat balanced quality of P90 pickups and the P90s on the Kingpin do not disappoint me. On mine the single P90 amplified produces a very warm woody tone which is very accoustic sounding especially on the wound strings. The amplified 1st and 2nd strings don't have that sharp edge that I usually get with a mag pickup on an accoustic guitar. The notes all seem to have the same volume and tonal quality over the entire fretboard.

The only drawback to the non-cutaway models is that you can't easlily play above the 12th fret - even more so that other accoustic guitars in my opinion. If you like to play high on the neck, you would definitly want the Kingpin II I would think.

Am I happy with my 5th Avenue Kingpin? No. I am extatic with my purchase. I had a 1964 Epiphone Texan from the mid 60s to the late 70s. When I was forced to sell it or starve on the street, it was one of the most trumatic things I've ever experienced. I think losing this guitar would be a similar experience down the road when it would be difficult to replace.


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## GuyPaul (May 4, 2010)

bagpipe said:


> I realise this is a fairly old thread. Just wondering if anyone has any recent input on these Godin Kingpin guitars. I'd like to get a hollowbody with P90s without spending Gibson type money. According to the L&M website they don't have any in stock in Ottawa. I'm assuming they could order one for me if I wanted to try it.


 I'm sure if you want one they can get it. I have had mine for almost 2 years now and play it a lot through a fender acoustic amp, a fender mustang 2 and my old peavey pa system and it sounds fine on all of them. They do tend to want to feedback and this is more easily controlled with the acoustic amp. I restrung mine and found that I had to buy a wound G string as the unwound string was driving me nuts. The wound G just made everything balance better.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I have D'Addario EJ 21 (12 - 52 w/wound 3rd) sets on all my guitars. They seem to work well on my Kingpin.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

bagpipe said:


> I realise this is a fairly old thread. Just wondering if anyone has any recent input on these Godin Kingpin guitars. I'd like to get a hollowbody with P90s without spending Gibson type money. According to the L&M website they don't have any in stock in Ottawa. I'm assuming they could order one for me if I wanted to try it.


Try Metro Music on Bank Street in the Glebe


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

I just got a used 5th Avenue Kingpin in Cognac Burst today.
It sounds fantastic unplugged or plugged in and it's nearly mint.
Looks very classy and feels well made.
The neck is a little bigger than I am used to, and it's equipped with 12's.
The case is a trip. It weighs about a pound.
They show the case in some of the on line video's of the Kingpin in action.
The guitar is extremely light as well.
I traded a M.I.M. Telecaster for it- even steven.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Just spent another hour with the Kingpin.
Lowered the bridge by several turns and the action is really really nice now for chording.
Can't believe how loud this guitar is unplugged.
Can anyone tell me what the results might be if I put lighter gauge strings on; perhaps 10's ?
I'm becoming a geezer and I can't bend these 12's.
Godin's web site says these come with 12's and I suppose that's what the guitar is best with.
Would I have to fool with the nut? or bridge?
Can't afford a pro set up at the moment.


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## GuyPaul (May 4, 2010)

Hey Big Frank. I'm glad you are enjoying your KingPin. I have tried lighter strings on my kingpin with mixed results. First off the guitar really needs heavier gauge strings on the bass side to get a good bass sound. Also, lighter strings generally come with an unwound G string which drove me nuts as it really created an imbalance with the tone and it didn't want to stay in tune. I have D'Addario hybrid strings that are heavy on the bass strings and light on the treble. They came with an unwound G, so I also had to get separate wound G. 
Bluzfish sent a post suggesting D'Addario EJ 21's which are likely a good choice for this guitar, but are fairly heavy gauge. I may try these once the current ones wear out. I am also thinking of trying flat wounds - has anyone tried them?


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

GHS White Bronze strings are great for archtops with a pickup. Better acoustic tone than nickel/steel strings, but still magnetically active for the pickup.Flatwounds don't sound great acoustically, but are wonderfully smooth to play, have no finger noise, and have a great sound electrically. Make sure whatever you use that there is a wound G; the bridge is compensated for that.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Good suggestions. Think I'll stick with the heavier heavier strings. D'Addario's on there now with wound G.


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

Just sold my car and am considering a kingpin 2 ( cognac ) but have heard they are prone to cracking @ the f - holes. Have any owners experienced this?


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I use Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing Flat Wound Light strings on my Kingpin (11-47). The strings are balanced all through out and the tension I find is less than other strings.

@stringer - I haven't read nor heard of that issue. I've had my Kingpin which is the original one with the p90 on it for close to 3 years now and no issues whatsoever.


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

stringer said:


> Just sold my car and am considering a kingpin 2 ( cognac ) but have heard they are prone to cracking @ the f - holes. Have any owners experienced this?


I've owned a 5th Avenue and a Kingpin II - still have the 5th Ave. I had no problems with cracking or any other structural issues with either guitar. I do not take any special precautions, other than using the TRIC case for transport.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

stringer said:


> Just sold my car and am considering a kingpin 2 ( cognac ) but have heard they are prone to cracking @ the f - holes. Have any owners experienced this?


I have never heard of this before on any of the 5th Avenues or Kingpins. They are basically build like any other hollow body type guitar and the only way that would happen is if the guitar was abused in some way or somehow the guitar got through the stringent QC checks that Godin does before shipping the guitar out to a dealer.


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks Merlin & Steadfastly. I am glad to hear that you guys are unaware of structural issues. A coworker whos opinion I value told me about the splitting f-holes, but he has never owned one so it is probably something he read on the internet. The Kingpin 2 is still under consideration.


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## corailz (May 1, 2008)

I've tried a KingpinII at a gig with friends and i was amazed by how this low budget guitar's nice!!!I'm a P90 guy and i can tell that the seymour duncan are brilliants! If i buy one, i think i'll have it tuned on DADGAD or alternative tunings for slide and folk music! Even MuteMath are using a Kingpin in their "accoustic" shows !


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

I've never owned a guitar with p90's in it. What types of music do you guys play on these guitars. Is there anything/style you would avoid with this guitar. I like to play some blues, do a lot of chording and fingerpickin. Not much lead as of yet, but the recent addition of an 87 mij fender strat has me venturing into this territory. ( I find myself uninspired by my epi les paul ultra) I have been seduced by the look of the kingpin 2 in cognac, but I live about 1000kms from the nearest godin dealer so a hands on test drive is out of the question. With the little info I've provided regarding my playing style would you recommend I stay away from the kingpin 2 or would you say go for it?!


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## corailz (May 1, 2008)

This guitar can easily cover Jazz, Blues, Rockabilly, Rock and more(I've heard some guys playing metal with P-90 equiped guitars)! It's a no-brainer, but the feel on the fretboard si a bit different than you average electric guitar...It fells a bit more stiff. P-90's are in fact single coils but they are more warm and they growl at reasonnable ovedrive amount!!!That's totally sick and i like the way any tube amp breaks as the volume increases on a P-90 equiped guitar. The choice is yours depending on your tastes!


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## stringer (Jun 17, 2009)

corailz said:


> This guitar can easily cover Jazz, Blues, Rockabilly, Rock and more(I've heard some guys playing metal with P-90 equiped guitars)! It's a no-brainer, but the feel on the fretboard si a bit different than you average electric guitar...It fells a bit more stiff. P-90's are in fact single coils but they are more warm and they growl at reasonnable ovedrive amount!!!That's totally sick and i like the way any tube amp breaks as the volume increases on a P-90 equiped guitar. The choice is yours depending on your tastes!


Yeah, that sounds nice. I have a little tube amp that should like those p90, and I've alway liked Rockabilly. Judging by the pictures I'd guess the fretboard/neck to be very "acousticky", which is good for me cuz that's what I play mostly. I've had an electric for quite a while, but got caught up in acoustics for a couple of years, went to a jam and suddenly got into the electric a lot more so.


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

They just announced that the Kingpin (single p/up, no cutaway) is available in a lefty variant, in Cognac colour only. Looks a bit different from the "Cognac Burst". My order is already in! Should get it some time in April....


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> I have checked out this guitar, albeit, unplugged and was amazed at how much it feels like my acoustic.
> 
> I have one of these:
> 
> ...


You and me are opposites...I want my acoustics to feel like electrics, not my electrics to feel like acoustics, lol.
when i think of the feel of acoustics i tend to think of bulky, unforgiving and slow.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Diablo said:


> You and me are opposites...I want my acoustics to feel like electrics, not my electrics to feel like acoustics, lol.
> when i think of the feel of acoustics i tend to think of bulky, unforgiving and slow.



When you practice five hours a day like Roy did, it doesn't matter whether you play and electric or an acoustic. He is good and fast on both.

[video=youtube;lxDQQDF6j0Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxDQQDF6j0Y[/video]

See next post for the acoustic version.

However, I should have been more specific in my post; I meant the neck was the same on both the 5th Avenue and my S & P Cedar 6.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Here is Roy's acoustic version.

[video=youtube;QhiKgeJV3k0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhiKgeJV3k0[/video]


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