Godin 5th Avenue

pretty simple. all laminate cherry. built like the old harmony's etc. but with a nicer build quality

important...take the time to fit the bridge properly to the body. Use the taped sandpaper technique. It will improve the sound 3 fold. Now a richer nicer sound, not as brittle. You could drive a VW underneath the original bridge to body fit..

really well built. again, fit the bridge to the body

built like a russian tank. I play over 100 shows a year and don't bring another guitar with me..just my banjo

very nice folks to deal with.

I got the Cognac burst, satin finish laminated cherry, they're all arch-top, f-holes, traditional (no cutaway, neck meets body at 14th fret, thin neck, 21 frets, no electronics. Mine came with one of those Tric cases, which weighs zero pounds somewhow but protects like a hard shell case. Made in Canada.

My favorite style is swing and standards so this is a guitar I've been looking for. It has a typical arch top sound: with regular strings you get a very bright tone on the plains and middles and a loud but tinny tone on the basses. I use Galli acoutstic bronze flatwound strings (made in Italy, hard to find, but perfect for the feel and sound I want) which savrifice some volume on the mids and bass but produce an ideal swinging sound on this guitar. When I put them on I was in heaven.
I get the Galli strings from http://bigcitystrings.com/:

Set up out of the box was only a little tuning. I got it from TheMusicFarm.com in Ohio and they do a set up before they ship so I don't know how good the factory set up was. Don't care; I do set ups all the time for all my guitar playing friends. Looks: well, that's why I had to get one. This is an extremely handsome guitar with the classy look of the old arch tops. No flaws, no problems, frets cleanly polished and level, very well made.

Arch tops are legendary for their sturdiness - I have a Harmony Hollywood cheap arch top that's probably 50 years old with a crack in the top which still plays perfectly well. Not using it for gigs, I use an electric.

Dunno.

Playing 45 years and have eight guitars: Cort Yorktown, Fender Strat, Gretsch Rancher Jr, Venson AS-830, Epiphone 12 string, Surf City Chicago (dobro), Jay Turser Classical, and that Harmony. I got this guitar to replace a Kay I had in the 1970s which I really liked and got stolen. This is much better that the old Kay, which we used to call "plywood" before the word "laminate" became cooler. I don't really need it but really wanted to have one to recapture the acoustic arch top sound that I love so much. Nothing like playing a Bob Wills song on this Godin or a classic like "I'm in the Mood for Love." Makes me feel I'm in the 1930s. This is a niche guitar - if you love swingy jazz or early country music it's the best. The only thing on the market that compares is the Gretsch G-100 which I've played and is also great. Otherwise you need at least four thousand dollars more to get a Gibson.

I ordered mine with the natural finish, and it is quite beautiful.

I disliked stock tuning machines. They had a very cheap feel, and the knobs were way too small to get a good grip. I replaced them with Grover Rotomatics. Now it is much easier to tune and it still looks great.

The tone is, as expected, more "midrangey" and "woody" than a flattop. The bass strings make a nice thumpy sound without springy overtones- perfect for alternate bass fingerstyle. The treble strings have a nice round pure tone without a lot of bright harmonics. The mids come out clear in the mix, giving it an overall "vocal" tone. It has that old-fashioned vibe reminiscent of old 78's. It's a more subdued, introspective, and personal sound that I can really connect to.

The 5th Avenue responds extremely well to both fingerpicking and flatpicking. In either style, the tone is great anywhere on the neck. However, it isn't so great for strumming big open chords with a heavy pick action over all the strings. (Kum Ba Ya, anyone?) Save that style for your flattop.

One thing I really like about the tone is the reduced sustain of the strings. This is usually considered a "bad" thing, but I find it imparts a much drier and cleaner sound. It makes it easier to get picked parts to sound very clear and distinct.

Also, this guitar is somewhat quieter than my flattop, so I can practice late at night in the living room without waking anyone. As a result, I get in much more practice time than usual.

My guitar had a few technical problems from the get-go. Two of the strings buzzed like crazy, and the tone was weak. So, right away, I had to put on my guitar tech hat and fix the problems.

The buzzing was caused by poorly cut slots in the bridge - too deep and wide. I sanded the bridge edge down, beveled a nice sharp knife-edge, and cut appropriate sized slots (just slight arcs) with my nut files. That fixed the buzz problem.

The weak tone was due to the floating bridge not being well fitted to the body. I could see light between the bridge bottom and the archtop. I taped sandpaper to the archtop and rubbed the bridge over it to impart a matching contour. Now the guitar sounds MUCH better!

The intonation is near perfect. None of the usual sharp bass notes around the 2nd or 3rd fret, or intonation problems around the 12th. Of course, the floating bridge makes setting the intonation very easy.

The finish is very nicely done. It's nothing fancy, but there are no visible flaws.

The ergonomics of the 5th Avenue are excellent. It is very light and easy to hold, well balanced, with no tendency for the neck to tip up or down. The body is fairly thin and well contoured. It fits snugly and very comfortably against my belly and in my right arm. The neck profile feels great in my left hand. However, the thick neck heel makes the reach above 14th fret somewhat challenging. The pickguard is at the perfect height to stabilize the right hand when necessary. The bridge is very well placed and comfortable for palm muting.

Probably due to the choice of woods (cherry and maple), the 5th Avenue doesn't stay in tune with temperature as well as some of my other guitars. On a given day, it can be as much as 50 cents off when I take it off the wall hook. No big deal, I just plan on tuning it every time I take it down. However, it seems to stay in tune fairly well for the hour or two I play it, and I generally only need to re-tune strings I've been bending.

I wouldn't use it as a cricket bat, but it seems fairly solid and should hold up well with reasonable care.

No experience here.

I was looking for an alternative to my Alvarez Yairi - something with a mellow, old-timey vibe more suited to the older country, blues and ragtime styles I like to play. I had been listening to and watching David Rawlings play his 1935 Epiphone Olympic, and realized that an archtop acoustic was exactly what I was looking for. After several days of searching, reading reviews, and price shopping, I settled on the Godin 5th Avenue.

This guitar is fantastic deal for just over $500. There really aren't any similar acoustic archtops out there to compare- it is a very unique guitar.

After 8 months, I've grown to really love my 5th Avenue. It had a few setup problems at first, but they were well worth fixing. The tone and playability are outstanding, and it is just what I was looking for to compliment my flattop. I would definitely replace it if it were lost or stolen.

Kluson copies nice and tight. Archtop. Made in beautiful Canada. Laminate wild cherry.

Is far superior than the Silvertones and Harmonys.

The machineheads are typical for a Godin, very good. The action was perfect. Mine is a factory second.I can't find the flaw and confident because I dealt with a honest dealer.I am not fond of the satin finish I prefer a gloss.

The guitar is typical Godin solid.I have a set of real Klusons but don't feel the need to change to them.

I have never dealt with a better company in my life. Every question or issue is handled with lightening speed.

I have been playing for 30+ years. I own an Epi Chet Atkins(nylon),Medusa LP copy(modified with Seymour Duncan Trembuckers,Kluson machineheads and Tone Pros bridge)Jay Turser 335 copy (modified with Seymour Duncan Phat Cats and Schaller machineheads),Seagull Artist CW,M6 Gloss and Grand, A&L 6 & 12 strings and a Norman B18.
I've owned Martin,Guild and Gibson. Godin is definitely competative.

I have the black one, feature listed previously seem accurate. The lyre tailpiece in the catalogs was not used (evidently because they come apart- I went through two). A typical trapeze tailpiece is used.
It is very lightweight, and resonant. Mine is surprisingly loud.

It's simplicity is on of its greatest features.

Came strung with very light strings, still sounded good...but I switched to 12's and set it up a little and it really cam alive!
I would call it a very balanced sound, and I use it for rockabilly, folk, jazz and general purpose acoustic guitar gigs, standard-tuned.
Great neck, holds tune, sounds wonderful...what more could you want?

I waited a few months for them to release these things, and have not been disappointed!

Great setup, especially for an mostly electric player. Acoustic purists may want heavier strings/higher action, and it does that well also. No flaws to be found inside or out!
I will seek out Godin for another guitar in the future!

I have used it regularly since May, and it is made as well or better than the ones it was styled after. I do take another archtop (Aria FA70-tuned open G, and an 87 MIJ Takamine classical, tuned open D ) to the gigs for variety, but wouldn;t be afraid to use this alone.

As good as I've ever encountered! When the guitar came in (in the first shipment to MF), it had the plain trapeze, inlioke the pictured lyre tailpiece. I was bothered by that, and emailed Godin. They immediately responded every time I contacted them! MF refunded me a small poertion, since it was misrepresented, and I found the lyre tailpiece from a Canadian aftermarket shop. Well, the chrome lyre was too lightweight, and popped apart on two separate occasions (my gold one is still holding), so maybe that's why they switched? Either way I was satisfied enough with the guitars looks and sound and feel to move on. They were great.

I started guitar in 1980 (age 11 or 12), and went on to guitar school, gigging, teaching, teching for others, and still do all of that.

If something unfortunate happened to this, I'd be finding another ASAP, maybe Cognac burst. I may get one anyway.

I love everything about this guitar-exactly what I was wanting, without taking on vintage issues at the same price.

I've compared it to vintage Silvertones, Harmony's, and Regal, etc...it eats them up, honestly.

Godin *nailed it* with this guitar!

This is Godin's recently introduced archtop/f-hole acoustic. A "cognac-burst" satin finish over a cherry (prominent grain) top give the guitar a classy, vintage look...cream binding, vintage-style tuners and elegant proportions complete the look. The square-shouldered neck feels very thin, especially near the nut, and while it took a little getting used to, it feels good and is very fast. The body, as I understand it, is laminated with a molded top and back, which makes sense at this price point. The guitar is built in Quebec. I bought it from Musicians Friend, and a case was not included.

My other acoustic is a Martin D-1, and I've always wanted an archtop to contrast with the Martin's deep, bassy tone and traditional dreadnought feel. The Godin fills the bill perfectly; single notes jump off the top, and chords are crisp and mid-rangy, but the guitar has a nice balance in the low and top ends as well. Godin says that they voiced the guitar with this in mind, looking to achieve a more contemporary, versatile sound than a traditional archtop. I would say they were successful, but thankfully, it still retains a lot of the classic archtop sound. Replacing the round-wound strings with flatwounds would probably enhance the traditional archtop character of the sound, but I like it as-is. Projection/volume is about average, not as loud as my Martin, but better than some f-holes I've played. Django-style flatpicked runs have a nice twang, and fingerpicking gives a really pleasant, chimey tone. I played a carved, solid-top Loar at almost three times the price recently, and the Godin sounds better. Great tone!

I took this guitar out of the box, tuned it, and it was good to go. The action is perfect, and the neck has just the slightest amount of relief...exactly how I like it. The frets are well-dressed, and there are no dead spots or buzzes on the neck. The overall satin finish is nicely done and seems fairly thin, but there is a small (1/8") depression in the grain near the edge of the right f-hole. The binding looks good, and I've read about poor bridge-to-body fit on some of these, but it is nice and tight on mine. The tortoise-color pickguard is well-supported and looks great. Tuners are solid and do not slip. I could do without the strap buttons, but some may appreciate them.

While I haven't subjected it to any extreme conditions, the guitar is solidly put together and seems like it should hold up well. The laminated top/body may actually be an advantage when it comes to changes in humidity, which can be pretty drastic where I live. The hardware all seems to be quality stuff.

I haven't owned the guitar very long, so I have not had to deal with customer service. This is my first Godin.

I've been playing, mostly recreationally, for over 25 years...rock, blues, some Richard Thompson-style folk and a little gypsy jazz. I've got a bunch of Strats, a Les Paul, a Peavey T-60 and the Martin D-1. The terrific price on this guitar (I bought it during a Musicians Friend 15%-off promotion) has finally allowed me to justify buying an archtop, and if it were lost or stolen, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another for a couple hundred bucks more than I paid for this one.

Nice satin finish. Very well made with nice materials and appointments. Neck is nicely proportioned for my fat fingers in first position. Made in Canada and still reasonable priced. The Cherry ply is enhanced by the sunburst finish and looks great.

Great sounding instrument. I like to play diffrent styles and they all sound good. Not real loud or ringing but with a nice mid range smoothness that's great for jazz.I was pleasantly suprized by how much it sounds like a regular acoustic when trumming or picking closer to the bridge. I've had it awhile now and the sound is starting to fill-out and mellow.

A very well put together guitar. simple but well made. no flaws on this one. Action is a little buzzy on the low E when pushes hard but only when playing open position.

I'd say it bullet proof, but I've only had it for a few months.

Playing for 30+ years. building guitars and ukulele's for 5 years. I would buy another, I'm thinking about a black one with that new S.D. p-rail pick-up. Maybe swap-out the pickguard, bridge and tail piece with some ebony parts.

Black satin semi-gloss finish with cream single bound laminated cherry 16" width, with 3" deep (at the rim) archtop body. Black plastic pickguard with cream colored bevel trim.

Gloss black painted headstock on maple neck with "scraped" binding ala PRS. Nice shape/size. Looks quite elegant in its own way.

Metal button vintage kluson style tuning machines.
24.84" scale length maple neck with 21 vintage but meaty enough frets (16" radius); 1.72" nut width; rosewood compensated adjustable wooden bridge.

A minimalist approach: no cutaway or fancy baubles, but a nice affordable and good sounding/playing/looking instrument on the say, Gibson L-48/50 pattern.

There's also an electric version available.

Jazz on this guitar for mostly around the house, but also most other styles of acoustic duties get played on this.

Classic laminated 16" archtop sound. Midrangey, but with better bass response than a similiarly styled 16" Gibsons. Not cheap sounding or clanky in the upper mids and trebles.

The fretboard extension is beefy enough to keep sustain and even response under the highest frets. A real hearable plus.

Can be quite sweet when coaxed from closer to the neck with fingers, but also has the classic archtop "cut" when driven with a pick for Swing chords.

Nice even response for intimate chord solo songs or passages.

Louder, bassier, and more even sounding for its type than a Gretsch G-100 I had.

Not built to compete with bigger solid top orchestra type Jazz guitars, but it fills the niche for 16" non-cutaway archtops very well, and for cheap.

Everything lines up and it intonates very well with the D'addario bronze strings that comes with. I switched to Pyramid flatwounds because I like that feel and sound.

The F-holes are very nicely cut with just the perfect shape.

The rosewood bridge fits almost perfectly on the top of the guitar, with just the tiniest bit of light visible under the outside edges. In time I'm sure the fit with conform itself perfectly.

Well constructed of good materials.

The neck feels traditional like a Gibson scalelength and width, though the dimensions are actually a touch different.

Strap-lock tyle strap buttons come OEM.

I like that the neck is sturdy maple.

I wouldn't worry about it outside the house, though I generally gig with solidbodies so this one will likely stay home mostly.

no experience

Playing guitar since 1961.
This guitar reminds me of those great old Gibsons like L-4's, etc. more than Harmony.
Good build quality and sound/playability with a nice understated elegance in the looks.

The sunburst version was available locally also, but I decided on this black one. There's also a "natural" finish version, but I haven't seen one in person yet.

There's enough room under the strings by the neck end of the body for almost any kind of pickup (vs most small archtops of this type), so I may install a detachable magnetic pickup on a separate pickguard, just so I could gig it if I ever wanted to.

As I said before, I had a Korean Gretsch G-100 on the same basic pattern (except orange), but I like the sound of this one much better.

I've had tons of great guitars including some nice archtops, but I won't have to worry too much about this one laying around the house. I leave it out to play frequently. I begs to be picked up and played.

I also have a Les Paul for jobs.

The Godin is my only acoustic, currently.

Great guitar for the money ($515 US). Much cheaper than an Eastman Strings import.

The 5th Avenue is a fairly small arch top acoustic reminiscent of older Kay's or Harmony's. Its made of laminated cherry, mine has a cognac burst finish. The finish is satin and very well done. The hardware has a kind of Art Deco vibe with a copper brown tortoise floating pickguard and matching cover for truss rod.The body has creme binding and the headstock is glossy black with 5th Avenue prominently displayed. All in all very understated yet elegeant.

The sound out of the box is mid rangy and not overly loud. It is definately not bright or boomy. The response was pretty even, although the high E was a little louder than the rest. I expect it will bloom a little, but with being mostly laminate not alot. I found it great for chords and flat picking, but its a little dull for finger picking.

The finish is wonderful, no flaws. Very nice for this price range. The action was high out of the box, but the adjustable bridge made it no problem to lower. Frets were dressed nice, no sharp edges. Seagull users will like the slightly wide neck, others may find it too wide. I personally like the wider neck for chord work and this guitar excels at that.

Nice hardware, Kluson style tuners that seem smooth and tight, nice strap buttons and a solidly made trapeze style tailpiece. The floating bridge is tight, I couldn't slide a business card between it and the top of the guitar.The satin finish is beautiful and seems durable.

Don't know, I own 6 Seagulls and a Godin electric and have never had a problem with any of them.

This guitar is positively a winner. Its beautiful and sounds good. The price is very reasonable. It compares favorably with my Seagulls and very much reminds me of my first guitar, an arch top Harmony that I bought back in the 60's. Although its not as loud as a dreadnought or jumbo, it has its own character. It is also very different looking from the majority of acoustics out there today and will definately draw attention.