# Experiences with Godin A6 Ultra as acoustic for live gigging?



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

Anybody doing this? I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pick one up tomorrow and try to use this as an acoustic plugged through a pedal board into a PA. It sounded pretty good yesterday plugged into an acoustic amp at L&M


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Guest (Oct 13, 2016)

See about renting it first?
What you heard in the store may/may not sound the same through your set up.


----------



## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

It will sound like an electric-acoustic, not an acoustic, imo. If that is the sound you are going for, it is a great choice.


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

laristotle said:


> See about renting it first?
> What you heard in the store may/may not sound the same through your set up.


Not a rentable item unfortunately. If it goes bad I may just use their return policy to rent it!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

ronmac said:


> It will sound like an electric-acoustic, not an acoustic, imo. If that is the sound you are going for, it is a great choice.


I'm assuming you mean a plugged in acoustic with piezo, which is exactly what I've used in the past. I don't fiddle with guitar mics ever on acoustic 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

I have one. It doesn't quite sound "acoustic" but the Peizo gets relatively close. Plays more like an Electric strung with 10's from the Factory.
I would agree with laristotle to rent one first, or use the 30 day return policy if buying from L&M.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy playing mine but it has a unique sound that may not appeal to some.


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

Thanks for the opinions! I'm not looking for a Martin or Taylor sound, I'm pretty sure that I can EQ it to sound at least reasonable for live work. And worst case I guess it's return to store and go for the actual acoustic I've been looking at. I like the feel of these "hybrid" guitars and I've been looking at them long enough that I figure it's worth a try


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Slooky (Feb 3, 2015)

I have a Godin LGX and I use the zoom A3 and it gives a very nice sounding acoustic sound going through a P.A. It probably has the same pickup as the A6


----------



## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

> I'm assuming you mean a plugged in acoustic with piezo, which is exactly what I've used in the past. I don't fiddle with guitar mics ever on acoustic


No, my experience is that the A6 and similar have their own type of sound. Perfectly suitable for some purposes, not so much for others. Being a solid body style, it is not going to have the resonance or overtones that an acoustic guitar equipped with a piezo has.

Like any pickup equipped instrument, a large impact on the ability to get it to sound "good" is up to the signal chain you use.


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

ronmac said:


> No, my experience is that the A6 and similar have their own type of sound. Perfectly suitable for some purposes, not so much for others. Being a solid body style, it is not going to have the resonance or overtones that an acoustic guitar equipped with a piezo has.
> 
> Like any pickup equipped instrument, a large impact on the ability to get it to sound "good" is up to the signal chain you use.


Except it's a hollow body (albeit a thin one) and doesn't rely on sims and modeling for its sound. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Understood.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I have not played the A6 but I came very close to buying the Acousticaster a couple years back. It is a very fine guitar and I would expect its cousin, the A6 to be so as well.


----------



## blueshores_guy (Apr 8, 2007)

ronmac said:


> It will sound like an electric-acoustic, not an acoustic, imo. If that is the sound you are going for, it is a great choice.


This.

Former A6 Ultra owner here. I think the true value of the A6 Ultra is when you set up for stereo use, with the humbucker going to one amp, and the piezo another. Truly astounding soundstage.

The piezo sound from mine sounded sorta-kinda like an acoustic, but not really.

Here's some demo clips I did a couple of years ago......note I had no way to record the stereo soundstage I referred to above.......

Godin A6 Ultra demo by Wheezing Geezer


----------



## iamthehub (Sep 21, 2016)

My old guitar teacher, Rob Tardik I think uses/used an A6. I'm not sure if this is the guitar you are referring to in this video.






Sounds good to me  

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

I used an A6 Ultra for a while in a trio. Acoustic side went to PA, the electric side to a volume pedal, then dirt, then amp. Used the VP to bring up the humbucker and introduce dirt to the acoustic sound. Very useful...


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

Picked it up today. Last black one at any L&M in Canada apparently. I was very happy with the sound plugged into the soundboard in the little while I played. It remains to be seen on Sunday how it fits in the mix, but I'm pretty positive I can make it work. The A6 ultra has an extra humbucker in the neck unlike the regular A6 that I believe that video shows. Mixing in about half volume on the humbucker adds great "body" to the guitar when in the PA. Vadim took a look on the insides with me and we were pleasantly surprised to find it's actually a complete hollow body! I was expecting a solid pc of wood down the middle but it stops just after the neck joint. The strings are attached just as an acoustic to the body with pins and the under saddle pickup wiring was very minimal and clean. So far I'm pretty happy with it


My son playing around on it. 
















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

Same as mine exactly.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

urko99 said:


> Same as mine exactly.


The son or the guitar?


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

After action report:
All went well, I'm not sure if anyone not in the band even noticed I wasn't using a traditional acoustic
The only real comment I would make is that if you depend on actually hearing your instrument without a proper monitor then it might be an issue. I've been using in ear monitors for a while now and so it didn't even register on me, but the other guitarist noticed when I was turned around facing him. When he heard me through the speakers he said it was not an issue. 
Probably a result of trying to lower stage volume means you hear more of the acoustics of the instrument on stage and this thing doesn't do a nice unplugged sound. All in all worth continuing to use it for now 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

After after action report:

Just returned the A6, and not for the reason that I was hesitant for in the first place. I went to a practice and tried to use it as an electric- and that's where it showed me the difference. 

As much as I enjoyed how easy it was to play and the sound quality as a plugged in acoustic- the electric sound just didn't do it for me. It seemed fine at home through my amp but when I took it on stage at louder volumes I just kept thinking I wish I had brought my electric. It wasn't the same at all! I probably could have changed to lighter gauge strings, but the whole point was to have a guitar that could do both without a lot of changing effects or strings, and since this didn't I returned it for a straight out acoustic (Taylor 110ce). 

It might be that I'm just not used to that hollowbody electric sound, but I had to make a decision before my 30 days was up.

I'm glad I tried, and if money wasn't an issue I would love to have kept it and a "real" acoustic on the side, but $900 is too much for a guitar thats not quite what I needed or wanted. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

