Godin A-6 Acoustic/Electric

The features are listed by the other reviewers. I was looking into a Chet Atkins SST, but a friend turned me onto these guitars. I have had a Godin before so I knew it was a quality instrument. I was looking a new A6 with a clear finish. It had a cheesy plastic truss cover but a cool battery access. I ended up with a used but pretty much new model with a cognac burst top. It had the roswood truss cover but I have to unscrew a plastic cover in the back to replace the battery. For a couple of hundred less, I'll take out 4 screws once or twice a year.

I play everything from country to rock. You name it. i can get almost any sound I want from this guitar. I go from the A6 into an ART personal tube Pre-amp. From that straight to the board. I also go from that into a Yorkville AM50 for personal monitoring.

The sound is great, it doesn't feed back on me and our volume is loud. I had a Seagull S6cedar, but it just couldn't handle the volume. I do have to keep the mid on the guitar basically off. But it cuts through easily and the Tube Preamp smooths out the sound nicely too.

The guitar was set up great when I got it. The finish was perfect.
I didn't like the way it felt though with the electric guitar strings, I found it hard to play acoustic when my acoustic reacted like an electric if that makes any sense. I put a set of Elixer polyweb customgauge strings on it and it feels and sounds great.

I had to replace a washer on one of the tuners. The bridge also needed to be replace after 6 months. But I play it all the time. I acually play it more than any other guitar I have.

N/A

I would definately replace it if I lost it. I Thought about getting a Multiac Steel, but they didn't have the same sound or volume that the A6 had. The cedar top definately is a plus. I am contemplating getting the A12 next.

See below, this stuff has been covered in spades. I think mine is a 2001 model, the natural finish variety. It's not a flashy axe, just a well-crafted working man's guitar.

Why anyone bothers to evaluate the unplugged sound of this guitar is beyond me since the thing is clearly meant to be played amplified. Unplugged it sounds very much like a cheap banjo crossed with a muffled resonophonic guitar. Running straight to the board with everything EQed flat, it tends to be mid-rangey. I've messed around a lot with EQ and various pedals trying to get something suitable. The best I've come up with so far is running it through a Zoom 504II pedal with a bit of reverb and chorus. In honesty, I think my old Chet Atkins SST has this thing beat in the sound department, but it's not bad. I'd say there's less sustain and depth probably due to the extremely light and thin design compared to the insanely dense and heavy Chet. It's a tradeoff. Anyway, for finger-picking I like the lack of hardware in the way and I get no bottom-end howl standing straight in front of my monitor. If fact, clean bottom frequencies is a strong suit, IMO. It does what I expected it too, a nice full rich tone without feedback. Can't compare with my Guild F47MCE w/ Fishman Pro Blender in tone but the Guild is a feedback machine, can't play it out at any real volume. The A6 will not feedback but if EQed with too much bottom it can boom some. Once in a while when fingerpicking I get an annoying shot of pure midrange out of the G string. Maybe I should try switching to an unwound one. I agree with a previous reviewer that you will tend to keep the midrange slider almost all the way down on the guitar itself.

Godin does great work. I can't find a single flaw. Action is slightly high but then again, can it ever be low enough? I may have my tech try to shave the saddle down a hair. The 1 11/16" neck at the nut is perfect for me. Great grain on the cedar top. Beautiful natural finish. Clean frets, no weirdness anywhere. Swapped out the stock strap buttons with locking ones. Stays in tune and holds intonation when using a capo.

The A6 is a little lighter and more fragile than I had hoped it would be. In fact, it's so light as to be disconcerting at first. I think it's literally half the weight of my old Chet Atkins SST which I believe weighed in about like a Les Paul, a real shoulder buster. I think it's a dependable guitar but I take a backup no matter what. No pick guard so thrashers will probably want to install a clear one. The finish on the back is tough enough to withstand moderate belt buckle friction.

I emailed them one time with a question about my Solidac model and never got a reply. I don't hold it against them tho. No real opinion on this.

Playing about 30 years now. Own a Godin Solidac, Guild F47MCE and various other low-end beaters. I'm a little disappointed in the sound but like the light-weight and compactness as a tradeoff. If lost I'd probably test an Ovation Viper and a Martin 00CXAE before replacing this one. Might be nice to be able to just pick one up and play unplugged without it sounding like a banjo. But maybe those models sound pretty thin unplugged too...I don't know. They would certainly be more prone to feedback than the A6 which is really a major stength.

Clear cedar top, rose wood fret board. Paid $200 US with the "Godin Canada/USA" hard case. Bought from individual in need of money REALLY bad.

Without a amp behind it, it sounds really thin and flat. I run it through a Crate stack with 2 4-12 Distex cabs. loaded with 500 watt Pyle Drivers. Between the settings on the A6 and the amp, I get a fairly decent sound. Cutting the midrange controls WAY back help a whole bunch!!

What can I say. I was not looking to buy an another acoustic, and neither was my wife, but when I saw the guitar and heard the price this guy was asking. I could not pass it up. I had heard of godin before but had never played one. And I knew they command higher than average prices. This is a truly beautiful guitar. Could not find a single flaw in it craftsmanship. I swore this guitar was brand new.

Only had it for about 4 months. Was offered a even trade for a Ovation Baladeer at the music shop the other day. And also another guy offered $700 US on the spot with the case. Thought I might just hold onto a little longer though. So far Have not had any problems out of it. Seems to be a really quality made guitar.

Have not had to deal with them.

I've been playing off and on for about 13 years. I own: Gibson Humingbird, Ibanez AE10 (thin body a/e), Hurricane EX60 electric, Fender Strat, Westone electric, Washburn electric.

What I like most about the Godin A6 is the ease of play. I think it has better action than my Fender Strat! And just the overall appearance of this guitar in general is truely amazing.

What I hate most about it is that unless you run it trough an amp, it really sounds bad. Its nice to just sit around with some friends and play an acoustic without a amp. That won't happen with this guitar.

Overall I got a good deal and can't really complain. I would recommend this guitar to anyone, just play it before you buy it! Make sure you can live with the "unplugged" sound!

(from Godin website)
Mahogany neck - Rosewood Fingerboard
16" fingerboard radius
25 1/2" Scale
1 11/16" nut width
Two-Chamber Silver Leaf Maple body
Solid Cedar Top
LR Baggs Ribbon Transducer and custom preamp
Volume, Mid, Treble and Bass controls
Natural Semi-Gloss Finish

This is a beautiful looking guitar. Brand new from Centerville Music, this Canadian beaut is now mine. Came with a very plus, padded gig bag. It's got all you'd need in an acoustic/electric.

This guitar is the sound I was looking for. I went shopping for an acoustic with the intention of getting one that was nice, affordable, and could easily be routed for a pickup if need be. This Godin A6 is perfect. It sounds awesome through just about any amp you play it through, as well as pretty good unplugged. Since there's a very small sound hole on the top left of the guitar, the unplugged sound is a little bit more muffled than on a larger guitar. This guitar sings.

The action on this is set up for someone who's used to playing an electric guitar. There is great access to the higher strings, unlike many acoustics in the industry. The neck plays very well, the guitar looks gorgeous. This is exactly what I was looking for.

This is a very light guitar from an electric stand-point, and a little heavier than most acoustics. It feels like a fine instrument, and would probably play very well at a gig. I wouldn't bash it around or just toss it on the floor, but then again, no self-respecting musician would.

N/A... Just bought the baby.

I've been playing for a long time, and used tons of different equipment. The acoustic that my roomate had in college was an Ovation, and it was a piece of crap. My father's 1960's Yamaha sounds incredible, but lacks any sort of electronics. This guitar is just about perfect. The only thing I would want a little bit more of is a brighter sound when it's not plugged in. For what the guitar is, this is an amazing instrument. It plays very well, and resonates with an almost angelic tone.

As with my Tom Anderson Drop top and BC Rich Bich Supreme, if someone were to steal this instrument I would not replace it. I would hunt down whoever stole it and torture them in the most heinous way I know how. Yes folks, I'd make them listen to the Backstreet Boys for days and days at a time while watching MTV. <shudder>

This is a no frills thin acoustic electric. Volume, bass, mid, treble controls. Great neck, good tuners, very nice quality. Stays in tune and good intonation up the neck.

You can get a wide range of acoustic tone from full to jazzy. It won't replace a big resonant taylor or martin, but it will play loud and easy at a bar gig where the others feedback and fall apart.

You can dial in a tone you will like.

I've always liked the Godin quality. Necks are really playable. Controls easy to reach, yet subtle. Tops are really nice cedar...Oh Canada.

The neck is a little narrow for my taste. I'm hoping to find a Multiac with the 1 7/8" neck at a decent price. For now the A6 is fine. I have some trouble fingerpicking when I move back and forth with my taylor. Fingers are too fat.

Seems to be very well built.

Local rep is great.

Excellent....you will like it.

I got a deal - I know the owner....I have other Godin guitars and have had several - they are GREAT! This is a straight ahead acoustic/electric - no frills - good Baggs pickup system - I got the High Gloss Black and it has a great feel - the action was as high as Mt Fuji - so, I did a set-up on it and now it is almost perfect.
My main acoustic is my Martin - but this A6 is a very - very close 2nd! I give it a 9 for features 'cause it is a Godin - even though it is just a straight ahead acoustic/electric

The sound is really great - it comes close - to my Martin
(I said close - not exact) - I am very pleased - I have had a Godin Multiac steel string and the A6 has a much better bottom end tone by far....it is a rich full sound and with just a little tweaking of the EQ - anyone should be able to arrive at "their" tone!

Like I said - the action was way too high - but I heard that Godin ships their guitar that way - so they can then be adjusted to the individual player....I do my own set-ups so that is OK - but if you have to pay for it - it is not such a great idea...finish is beautiful High Gloss Black with a sweet cream binding - - very nice
I give a 9 here only because of the high action from the factory

This guitar will take it!!!! I take great care of my guitars and treat them well - but, I don't baby play them - RESPECT - yea that's the word - I respect them.....I would use this on a gig without a back-up - I believe in Godin that much - 'cause like I said above somewhere I have other Godin's and have had several - they are quality!

I have never had to use them for any kind of problem with a guitar - but I did email Mario once and said I thought he should send me a T-Shirt 'cause I had like 3 or 4 Godin's at that time - -

AND HE DID!!

I have been playing for many many years - I think 32 or so - -
Stolen or lost - I WOULD REPLACE IT
As mentioned above I have several Godin's and my Martin - - -
I play mostly acoustic - sometimes I play electric and you guessed it for that I have a Godin LG - SP90 a beauty - -

2002 model Godin A-6 acoustic/electric (Canada) with a hollow maple body , solid cedar top, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard. Finished in a natural satin transparent. Pickup is an L.R.Baggs ribbon transducer with onboard active preamp/EQ (volume, treble, mid, bass).Has sealed high-quality tuners from Godin.

The sound is almost perfect, with a lot of feeling.

The action is perfect (better than a Godin Multiac).
The action is lower than some well know electic guitars.
The neck is very fast,

??

Very good !

My best guitar.

Made in Eastern Canada, in the same factory that pumps out Seagull acoustics (the LaSiDo group). This is a 2" deep, cedar top acoustic/electric. Onboard active electronics is a LR Baggs Ribbon Transducer under the saddle. Also, onboard 3 band eq and volume controls. Satin finish. Mohogany neck, with a rosewood fingerboard. Sort of a tele-body shape, but the neck is not as fast. Feels more like an acoustic scale, but that could just be me. Tuners were more than adequate.

I ended up selling this used b/c I couldn't come to terms with the sound. I originally bought this b/c one of my favourite players, Dave Matthews, uses a guitar of similar concept. I don't have the same rig (amp, etc.), however, so perhaps I was a bit unfair to the Godin.

I found the sound very tinny, and brittle, and no amount of eq'ing really gave it the depth and warmth that a good acoustic needs. My source of comparison is a Larrivee C-09 with a Fishman Matrix pickup. I usually go direct to the soundboard via a DI box. I also despised the "Piezo quack" effect that I'd get from really digging in to the strings. Ewww... gross. Perhaps with a Sansamp DI box, this guitar would shine.

My music styles are rock/pop/folk. There probably are some applications for this guitar driven through a tube amp. I didn't have the patience.

Action was high out of factory. Gave it a good setup. Used Acoustic medium guage strings...

Wood looked good, no finish problems. Actually, the look of this guitar is one it's strong points. Beautiful body and back.

Some of the fret work was a bit rough at the edges.

I used it for a lot of gigs. I did notice from my time playing it that a satin finish is bad for protecting the top. There was already a lot of marking from pick scuffs.

N/A

I've been playing around 5+ years now. At the time I owned the Godin, the only other guitar I owned was a cheap Applause (Ovation style) acoustic. I now own a Gibson 335, Fender Mexi Tele, a Larrivee acoustic. I use a Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket for amplification, but have been tending towards emulation, using a Johnson J-station.

This guitar was bought mainly b/c of my lack of understanding of how I wanted my guitar to sound.

Might be suitable for some players.

This A6 was probably an 97. It was made in Canada. It had a solid spruce top with a mahoghany body. This guitar was equipped with a LR Baggs pickup with a 3-band eq. The finish was a high gloss spruce look. The body type was similiar to a telecaster.

The sound is perfect(in my opinion)when plugged in. As good as a Chet Atkins or better. Unplugged it still has enough volume to play in the right environment. The guitar has a built in harmonizer in the body that makes the sound very unique, almost custom. I use trace elliot acoustic amps. I love this guitar and feel that this one in particular cannot be topped. I dislike the fakey gold tuners, I'm a chrome man.

The action was a little tough, but I'm used to the best actions. I had it set up properly and use elixir strings for a very professional sound. The guitar is absolutely beautiful. I can't find any flaws(though I do love ebony fretboards, which this doesn't have).

I do not see a problem, but I take good care of my stuff. This guitar could be used by the top musician's in the world. This guitar is not a bang me up guitar. It is meant to be kept pristine. Any damage would be an eyesore on this beautiful instrument. I would say durability is poor, like a rose beautiful yet delicate.

n/a

I've been playing for 18 yrs. and I also have a Alvarez-Yairi and a Godin LGX-SA. This guitar is a must have.

I purchased the Godin A6 guitar because it is a leading edge acoustic/electric designed for the electric guitar players that are accustom to playing with light guitar strings (i.e., .010-.046). And want to add an acoustic sound to their repertoire without the pain of wide bodies, high action and heavy gage strings associated with conventional acoustic guitars. I truly admire those acoustic guitar players with hands of steel that can get that great acoustic sound, but unfortunately I'm not one of those people.

The A6 has a single cutaway, two-chamber, silver leaf maple body
(2 inches thick), solid cedar top, Honduras mahogany neck, rosewood finger board, rosewood bridge and a 1.687 inch width neck at the nut. Cognac Burst semigloss finish is the color that I selected which really looks nice with the flawless cedar top. And the cream color binding on the front edge of the guitar body gives it a nice accent. The guitar scale of the A6 is 25.5 inches which means the distance from the nut to the bridge is 25.5 inches. Godin used an LR Baggs, under the bridge, piezo ribbon transducer and peramp with slider volume and EQ controls (bass, midrange, and treble) to power the A6. There are access plates on the back of the guitar for the peramp/battery and ribbon transducer. The clear finished Honduras mahogany bolt-on neck is very comfortable with great playability. Don't let the bolt-on neck design scare you off because you will not notice any difference in sound quality, substance or playablility. And for lack of a better description the A6 has a Strat/Tel style neck, so it is very easy to switch between electric and electric/acoustic without a hand recalibration. Non-locking Grover style chrome tuners with plastic buttons are used on the nicely finished head stock. Godin also provides a really nice upscale guitar case that you would be proud to walk through any airport with.

Since sound quality is a very subjective thing to evaluate and will depend on many factors such as your hearing abilities, years of experience, playing ability, thickness of the pick you use and type of guitars and amps that you have been exposed to in the past. Everyone has these sound templates in their head that are used to judge sound quality and we all know what that perfect guitar sound should be. So I was a little reluctant to evaluate this area based on some of the other reviews that I have read, but hear goes.

To me, the sound quality of the A6 is excellent when played through an SWR Strawberry Blond acoustic amp with Elixir (easy on the fingers) extra light acoustic guitar strings. After evaluating several amps with the A6, I purchased the SWR Strawberry Blond because I really liked the full rich sound this combination had. I never use the EQ on the guitar but defer that to the SWR because it has some really nice EQ features that gives you much better control. For me good acoustic amplified sound is a very difficult thing to acheive but I believe Godin has set a new standard for this category of acoustic/electric guitars.

The action on the A6 is going to be slightly higher than your electric solid body but with the light strings it is not going to be a problem. All of the frets are beautifully finished and polished with no rough edges on this fret board. There is no glue oozing anywhere inside or outside of the guitar and everything fits perfectly. This guitar has impeccable workmanship that you would expect to see on guitars costing two to three times more than this one. So I would rate the action, fit and finish as excellent, excellent and excellent.

I have been playing the A6 for seven months and I can report that I have not had any problems. However, the 9-volt battery will need to be replaced every few months or it will affect your sound quality and EQ performance.

Never needed any repairs or warranty work done on the A6.

I think most of the adjectives to describe the A6 have already been used, so I won't reuse them again. But, I can tell you that I have waited for 5 years for an acoustic/electric guitar that I liked and could play to come on the market and thanks to Mr. Godin, I'm back playing the acoustic guitar again.

I have been playing guitar as a hobby for about 10 years and took guitar lessons for the first 4 years that I played. These lessons really helped me to build my skill level, but I'm still a work in progress.

If this guitar was lost or stolen I would definitely replace it.

The thing that I love about this guitar is it plays like an electric but has a really nice acoustic sound.

This information is being provided because it was requested as part of the evaluation submission. The other gear that I own is as follows:

Guild Blues Bird AAA Top
USA-Fender Strat Plus
USA-Fender Strat Lone Star
Peavey Cropper Classic
Heritage 157 Custom - Les Paul Style Guitar
2 Fender Blues Deluxe Amps, 40 Watts each
SWR Strawberry Blond Acoustic Amps 80 Watts
Rocktron Intelflex - LTD Signal Processor
Roland Sound Canvas - MIDI Sound Module
Fender Keyboard Amp, 80 Watts