# Are Godin electric guitar good?



## noobfret (Nov 25, 2007)

I've recently heard of the brand Godin and after doing some research noticed that it is Canadian made. 

1. Does anyone know if their solid body electric guitars are good? 
2. How do they compare against the like of Gibson, Fender, PRS or Ibanez?
3. Are those guitars made in Canada, how's the price compared to the expensive brands or the cheaper ones?
4. Does anyone like their LP looking guitars, the top part seems to extend a bit further.


----------



## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

noobfret said:


> I've recently heard of the brand Godin and after doing some research noticed that it is Canadian made. [?quote]
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

Ripper is right on the mark.....Godin makes great guitars........


----------



## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

Nice guitars indeed. And usually cheaper in Canada than in the US.

I have owned an A6, a Solidac, and a LG signature with a beautiful flamed top.

I will probably own a Montreal or a Flat Five in the future.

The shapes are Godin shapes, period. They are not trying to copy other designs exactly.


----------



## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Grrreat guitars. I have two LGs, an Exit 22 and a cheerful yellow Radiator. Superb comfort, playability and tone.


----------



## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

Maxer said:


> Grrreat guitars. I have two LGs, an Exit 22 and a cheerful yellow Radiator. Superb comfort, playability and tone.


I just missed a black/black pearloid radiator. I know the guy that got it so I might have to work on him a bit. I like those radiators.

I've also been eyeing up one of the A6 Ultra with the humbucker in it.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

dr_iggi said:


> The shapes are Godin shapes, period. They are *NOT* trying to copy other designs exactly.



I assume that is what you meant.


----------



## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> I assume that is what you meant.


Yes, thanks. I edited my post. I actually dig the unique shapes of the Godins.


----------



## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Godin makes excellent guitars. They are keepers.


----------



## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Maxer said:


> Grrreat guitars. I have two LGs, an Exit 22 and a cheerful yellow Radiator. Superb comfort, playability and tone.


Oh, certainly. It's obvious that a lot of thought was put into the design of the LG.


----------



## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

At the risk of sounding like a redundant bore, once upon a time I thought the typical Godin profile raw and unrefined. Nowadays it's different for me - it's a shape which is by turns elegant, pleasingly spartan, and suavely pragmatic.

My biggest craving of late has been for a Tele-type guitar with that classic long and twangy scale length, but with the super-comfy scooped profile of an Exit 22... armed with a maple fretboard for that increased attack and vitality. To my knowledge, such a beast had got to be something of a rarity. I love my Exit 22 and I also dig Teles but I'd like to own something that smacks of a Tele yet doesn't have quite so much of that blocky, squared-off plank vibe.


----------



## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

Maxer said:


> At the risk of sounding like a redundant bore, once upon a time I thought the typical Godin profile raw and unrefined. Nowadays it's different for me - it's a shape which is by turns elegant, pleasingly spartan, and suavely pragmatic.


I'm exactly the same way. when I first had anything to do with them, I thought, not much in the looks department. Then I played one...and I was hooked and I have come to really appreciate the Godin look, and the fact that it is it's own look.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I've never played a Godin I didn't like, although I'm not sure if I'd like the Redline series.
But that's more what I'd look for in a guitar, not a fault of those guitars themselves.

That shape thing does take some getting used to--but, so what--it's more in how it plays.

I'm looking at getting a 5th Avenue or the pickup version--the Kingpin--a bit different than the solidbodies you're asking about--but they're all great guitars.

And not just the Godin brand itself, but their other brands are all good guitars--overall they give great bang for the buck, from the lowest priced to the highest priced.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

noobfret said:


> I've recently heard of the brand Godin and after doing some research noticed that it is Canadian made.
> 
> 1. Does anyone know if their solid body electric guitars are good?
> 2. How do they compare against the like of Gibson, Fender, PRS or Ibanez?
> ...


Well..not to be the sound of evil here, but i think the fact that they are made in Quebec makes them MORE interesting then they are personnaly. Are they as good as Gibson or Fender?, to me, no, to others?..maybe. Assembled in Canada...yes, All made here!..no. 

Resale value?..almsot none unfortunaly since outside Canada, and mainly Qc, they are fairly unknown. 

I owned a Exit 22. nicely built, but guitar had no soul. did'nt sound interesting realy. 

Sorry, just how i see those. i've tried a few that were better. but never to warrant buying one.


----------



## jcayer (Mar 25, 2007)

If they would make more lefties models than just one (Exit-22), I'd own a couple more...


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I think Godin makes excellent guitars and mandolins.

As good as the big makers? Absolutely and in fact much better in terms of inovation and thinking outside the box.

I have an A8 electric mandolin and it's an amazing instrument.

I would seriously consider a Multiac or similar if not for the fact that I have more than enough guitars at present.


----------



## Archer (Aug 29, 2006)

Godin guitars are extremely well made (Fender can't touch them) and are a solid value.

An earlier poster has their info backwards on the location of Godin's construction. They are made in Canada and assembled in New Hampshire in the USA.


----------



## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Milkman said:


> I think Godin makes excellent guitars and mandolins.
> 
> As good as the big makers? *Absolutely and in fact much better in terms of inovation and thinking outside the box.*
> I have an A8 electric mandolin and it's an amazing instrument.
> ...



Yes, and the wormanship is top notch.


----------



## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

al3d said:


> Well..not to be the sound of evil here, but i think the fact that they are made in Quebec makes them MORE interesting then they are personnaly. Are they as good as Gibson or Fender?, to me, no, to others?..maybe. Assembled in Canada...yes, All made here!..no.
> 
> *Resale value?..almsot none unfortunaly since outside Canada, and mainly Qc, they are fairly unknown. *
> 
> ...


I'm not complaining. I bought my Godin LG second-hand.


----------



## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

I bought all my Godins but one second hand. Only way to go... got some serious deals on those babies.

And for what it's worth, I don't give a rat's patootie about resale value as I've no intention of selling 'em. I'd have to sell other guitars first before I let go of my Godins.I do have one beat-up LG I'd look at selling but as it's been damaged I'll never get the resale value it once would have achieved.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

that's true used Godin are VERy cheap compared to new ones. if you buy it with the intend of keeping it?...used is a sure way to go.


----------



## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

al3d said:


> that's true used Godin are VERy cheap compared to new ones. if you buy it with the intend of keeping it?...used is a sure way to go.


Even if you don't keep it I've never had a problem getting my money out of the very few used Godins I got rid of. They seem to reach a point and the value of the used ones holds there.

Their value is starting to go up in the US as the word is starting to get out on these wonderful guitars. I mean, if its good enough for Steve Stevens, then it's got to be good enough.:smile:


----------



## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Yeah, slowly but surely the word is spreading.

Didn't Godin start out making necks for Fender... or did I hear wrong?


----------



## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Maxer said:


> Yeah, slowly but surely the word is spreading.
> 
> Didn't Godin start out making necks for Fender... or did I hear wrong?


I think that they are still making them !

I have a Freeway Classic : a real bang for the buck ! And a Flat Five X wich is a superbly built and very versatile guitar.

And for al3d : "Assembled in Canada...yes, All made here!..no. " I think that it's the contrary : all the pieces are made in Quebec and assembled in New-Hampshire at least for the guitars that are sold in the U.S. They had to have something "made" in the U.S. in order to have the right to sell in the U.S. !


----------



## Archer (Aug 29, 2006)

??

they have 'the right to sell in the US' Items dont have to have something made in the US to be able to be sold in the US.

By having some construction in the US Godin is able to tap into the elite 'made in the USA' group of companies. For a lot of buyers that means a LOT....more than it should really.


----------



## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

GuyB said:


> I think that they are still making them !


Really? That would be surprising. I think it was a repair tech at L & M who, when giving me my newly set-up Exit 22 a couple of years back, praised the company and volunteered the info that Fender used to contract with Godin to make necks for them. But Godin (and that umbrella of related companies) is now fairly large and I sort of expected that they were no longer making stuff for third party companies.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Maybe it's foolish, but I don't care about re-sale value when I buy a guitar. I'm buying it because I like it. I like what John Entwhistle said about guitar collecting--I'm summarizing here though.
Buy them, don't sell them.


----------



## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Hey Maxer.

What you may need to look for is a mid to late 90's Godin TC Artisan - tele style and string scale. There are some with maple fretboards, some with stock single coils (the HB's have a push/pull on the tone knob to split the coils). This is my go-to guitar in most instances (although it's in Open E tuning right now). Great guitar. Bought mine new for $700 all-in at Walter's Music that used to be on Yonge between Eglinton & Lawrence. Think they moved down closer to Davisville the last time I heard. See them pop up on ebay and Craigslist every now and then in the $700 range.

I won't be selling mine anytime soon. It will be due for some new frets though.








[/IMG]


----------



## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Fretboard: nice guitar. Seen one or two of these around on Craigslist. I also just spotted an SDxt the other day that I've been working on getting. Not at all a Tele style like yours (which is a beaut, by the way); it's the classic Godin profile, but it does have the longer scale. I'm not impressed by the tremelo systems that come with Godins, however.... if I score it I'll just lock it down.


----------



## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

fretboard said:


>


The old Artisans are fantastic!


----------



## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Hey Maxer - I'm sending you a PM.

This has not been my day...


----------



## thecornman (May 13, 2007)

I am a big fan of Godin electric guitars. In fact out of the four electrics I still own three of them are Godins. As far as are they as good as this brand or that brand that really depends on personal taste. They are well put together and have decent hardware. I have owned guitars from some of the bigger company's in the past, but have never felt as good as I do playing the Godins.


----------

