Garrison Guitars G25

I would have to say that the features on this guitar are excellent. The 5 upgrades from the G-20 are excellent improvements at a great value. Also, the bracing system is the big feature of Garrison guitars and I must say it really works by providing excellent sound.

In my opinion this guitar sounds great overall! I would have to say though that it performes better plucked than strummed. It sounds great either way, just even better plucked. The cedar provides a louder more dominating sound than spruce, but can become slightly muddy depending upon your playing style. Nothing serious though!

Factory set-up was right where I needed it and there were no flaws (that I have noticed anyway).

This guitar seems to be built to last. The bracing system seems very sturdy (as soon as you pick up the guitar you can tell its a strong build. They (Garrison "G" series guitars) are slightly heavier than some other name brands (Martin, etc.) but nothing serious. My only concern is no one really knows how well Garrisons will age as they have only been in production for roughly 6 years.

Customer support is fantastic! Enough said!

I've been playing for a few years now and I also own a Walden (just a laminate "party guitar", ha).
What I love most about this guitar (Garrison "G" series in general) is the value! The bracing system allows them to manufacture a superior quality instrument at a VERY reasonable price. If you can find another guitar with equivelant features at a lower price, I'd like to hear about it!

G25E Manufactured 2002 - Fishman under saddle pickup.
Ebony fretboard on a mahogany neck with thin frets.
Birch body and sides and cedar top.
Look like Grover manufactured tuners, which hold good tune.
Came complete with hardcase.
Only one strap button located at the base of the guitar,which doubled as lead input for electrification.
Came complete with fitted manufacturers hard case

Nice deep sound and ringing top strings -lacked definition on the lower strings possibly due to the cedar rather than spruce top.
After the strings had worn in the bass strings sounded dreadfully muffled and took on a woofy tone when plucked.
I found the guitar too dark and muffled for fingerpicking - better suited to a spruce top anyway to be fair to the guitar.
Electrically it did'nt have much output and fedback easily when the volume was pushed up to try to compensate.
Acoustically the fishman electronics wouuld rattle when strummed necessitating taping up with gaffer tape on the inside to prevent the rattle.
Not sure about Birch as a musical wood - very bright in appearence too.

Guitar felt of good quality - neck was flat and wide - action was quite high but this could be tweaked by lowering the saddle.
Truss rod was easily accessible/adjustable via the top of the neck truss rod cover with a standard allen key.
Bridege, nut and saddle all well made with quality materials.

Good solid construction - felt like a tank very tayloresque in its solidity - would expect a neck reset to be out of the question with the technqiques used to join the neck and body though.
Good flip up design on the Fishman pickup - makes for easy battery changes.

Never dealt with them - 5 year transferable warranty - so they must have confidence in them.

This was a solid guitar which I had for a while and sold on eventually.
Overly dark for my tastes - eventually bought an X series Martin, which I much preferred.
I would have been happy to keep the guitar and getting rid of it was a borderline decision - but, and here is my only real gripe about this guitar - the name - it is the same as Mr Garrison from South Park (The guy with the puppet). All my friends started to call me Mr Garrison, which although was very funny - made me feel very paranoid especially as it is printed in bold gold letters on the case ! This was the deciding factor in letting it go.
Otherwise it was a very good quality guitar for the price range with alot of depth to the sound.

all solid woods: cedar top, birch back n sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard & bridge. TUSQ nut & saddle, gold tuners, d'addario EXPs, buss feiten tuning. abalone dot f'board inlays and bridge pin inlays, wood rosette inlay.

oh...not to mention the griffiths active bracing. supposedly vibrates the whole guitar more = bigger sound.

looks don't matter that much to me (just the right colors and I'm happy) but after seeing some of those low end takamines and washburns decked out in MOP or abalone...it would be nice...!

I should make it clear that I was after what's probably an 'abnormally' rich, mellow, warm deep sound. Even seagulls and martins didn't quite have what I wanted (still don't really have the words to describe it...but it's in this garrison). I hate anything that sounds remotely stringy (probably most guitars), i.e. like a harpsichord. IMHO seagulls are completely empty in tone compared to garrisons, and while some martins were complete heaven (and over AU$4k) some were just shockingly miserable. Australia's got this new brand called Ayers, and all the ones I've tried are basically martin tone at a fraction of the price. Good stuff.

I was going to settle on a G20 which did the job pretty well on the warm and deep categories until the guy at the shop pulled this G25CE out. Had a 20cm scratch across the bottom of the top which goes slightly into the wood, and I suppose that would affect the sound but this was by far the loudest and sweetest garrison I ever played. Oh, and it also booms, more than martin. Strangely enough all the CE models seem much richer and deeper than the ones without cutaway and electrics. Don't ask me why. Over the G20 and G20CE the 25 is ever so slightly brighter but it was exactly what I wanted. Not sure if it's the ebony fingerboard. The only downside is it has so much bass I have to hold back on the 2 low strings to keep them from overpowering the rest in volume. It's perfectly balanced when strumming though. D'addario doesn't seem to have the chimey feel to their strings like some of the martin or elexirs have, but the guitar still pulls it off...I dunno how. Definitely worthwhile stringing the garrison with those to see what happens. In any case it's full richness...By the way, I fingerpick.

The binding (not sure if it's binding now on this high tech thing) on the side of the fingerboard has separated from the fingerboard itself by about 1/4 mm. It's not really noticeable and doesn't really affect playing. Running your fingers up and down the sides of the fretboard you can also feel a bit of unevenness in the binding. That's a bit more of an annoyance. And the ebony looks like it's painted. Badly. The abalone inlays on the f'board are pretty smooth but on the bridge pins they're absolutely shocking. One of them has the abalone dot receding by a millimetre. I also wonder why my headstock is painted off black when I haven't seen another model done that way...hmm...
The neck heel doesn't look very well joined to the body either, but that probably has something to do with the fact that both end blocks are fibreglass. The case is pathetic, mine had excess glue everywhere. Action is VERY high, and there's about half a centimetre difference between depressed strings and open strings playing up the top of the fretboard. Need I say, very difficult...?

The fishman prefix sounds pretty full plugged in, but I can't say I've tried many other guitars plugged in. I got the electics for a 'just in case' scenario... Otherwise it has this annoying rattle, which is really noticeable when picking the lower strings, singularly...

I've knocked it a couple of times and the finish is spotless. Matte works better than gloss for me, so I like the back and sides, but not the top. Oh well...little details.

I don't know if the warranty is some indication of how long the woods will last, but when they start warping, we'll know eh? But in any case the whole thing feels very solid, partly due to the weight, but also solid in its own right.

Honestly...5 years? It's heavy as marble and solid as a rock. Unbreakable stuff. And even so, more warranty would be nice.

I've taught myself for over a year now and am getting pretty far with the guitar (musician of 12+ years though). Learnt on a $150 (that's probably equiv $50 US...) piece of junk for 12 months and needed an upgrade. I guess this one's going to last me for a long time. Every time I play it it sounds better (except for the strings rattling slightly every so often, but I'll wait on the action work after breaking it in more). Not only that but every other guitar I play feels flimsy and empty (and sounds that way too). Before I got this guitar I tried washburns, corts, seagulls, takamines (F series ones), martins, taylors, epiphones, fenders, ibanez, matons, cole clarks, ayers, dare I say ashton (which are pretty good for the $$ actually) and tried them more even after I tried a garrison. Came back to the garrison. It's all personal preference but if you're after a warm rich deep tone, and I mean warm (I honestly haven't played a warmer cedar top), consider garrisons. The spruce is a lot brighter but doesn't sacrifice on tone. I think the sapele G40 would also have its own character. When people talk about the 'martin' tone and 'taylor' tone, I think you could equally apply it to garrison. Unmistakable. And well I Haven't managed to get my hands on a Gibson or Collings yet, but we'll see how this stacks up when I do ;)

If anyone could tell me anything about birch I'd be really grateful.

This Canadian-made dreadnought (all Garrison currently makes) cutaway with a Fishman preamp features the follwing:

top: solid western red cedar - gloss finish
back & sides: solid canadian birch - satin finish
neck: solid mahogany
fingerboard: solid ebony
bridge: solid ebony
nut & saddle: TUSQ
rosette: contemporary pattern wood inlay
inlays: abalone dots on the fretboard
tuners: Garrison individual gold-plated
strings: D?Addario EXPs
warranty: 5-year transferable
intonation: Buzz Feiten Tuning System
nut width: 1.7 inches
scale length: 25.4 inches

This also comes with its own hard case.

The guitar is solid and tight, a bit heavier than most due to the Griffiths Active Bracing system. The details on the fit and finish are well attended. There is some glue slopped around inside, but overall well done. The neck is a nice thickness that encourages play up and down the fingerboard. The look is subtle. Some may be turned off by the satin finish on the side and backs, but I like the feel of it.

I generally play rhythm with the occasional solo, but have been working on fingerstyle blues as well. The guitar is well rounded for these styles. It has a nice loud sound and long resonation when strumming. Early on the cedar top seemed to dampen the low end while picking or playing fingerstyle, but the guitar is opening up the more I play. Overall the cedar top provides a full, warm and mellow sound.

Plugged in the G25ce retains its full sound, although I've only played through a small practice amp.

Overall the G25ce is set up well at the factory. My only complaint is that the action is pretty high up the neck, but I am having my local guitar shop bring it down, which should remedy that. I am curious to see if the change in action makes the guitar buzz more frequently (I could stand to clean up my fretting anyway). Other than that, it is smooth playing up and down the neck. The fingerboard is smooth and wide enough for fingerstyle playing. I don't have huge hands and am able to barre and fret chords with no problems from the intstrument.

I don't play on stage, so I don't know if it holds up to the rigors of that kind of performing, but I do play with other people and I have been known to bang on it pretty good while strumming and have had no problems. As indicated above, the guitar as a whole is solid and put together well, so I don't anticipate having any issues with the hardware. I had a strap button put on after I bought it. Most importantly, I don't worry about using this as my only guitar. The pickup and preamp have worked with no problems and don't anticipate any after six months of use.

The limited customer support I've received actually ocurred before I bought the guitar. I got quick, informative responses from Garrison regarding the Buzz Feiten tuning system and the warranty.

Overall, this guitar is great. I've been playing for about 10 years, but in earnest the last three or four. Before I bought this guitar I played a heap of guitars (Taylor 514ce, Seagull, Larrivee, Washburn, Takamine, Epiphone, among others). After hearing the sound coming from the G25ce, the features (especially the solid wood, the glass fiber bracing, pickup, and cutaway), I felt this guitar was the best value. I went into the purchase having asked all the questions I wanted and If it was stolen, I probably would replace it with another G25ce, or at the very least, another Garrison.

I just got 2002 G25-CE (cutaway-electric), with cedar on top and birch back and sides. Wow! Beautiful looking gutar. The only thing that was so-so too look at was the laser-cut "rosette" around he sound hole. It is diferent, though. The birch wood is beautiful. And i always liked cedar for the tone. I do alot of fingerstyle playing and cedar has z great responce for that. The tuners were a little loose from the factory, but other thatn that, the guitar needed no further adjustment. The case is also very nice.

At fist I was dissappointed at the choice of Prefix pick-up. Then I plugged in in...I kept switching from this to my Taylor510-Ce...the G25 sounded superior. Like I said, I finger pick alot in many different styles of music. From ragtime to classical, this guitar is very well balanced. The lows are round and clear, and the highs aren't brittle. The midtones are actually very sweet sounding. The combination of ebony fretboard and cedar to alloy all the notes to ring out well, even when playing softly, and added a little silkiness to the sound. When playing something like classical or ragtime, all the notes were crystal clear, with no extraneous overtones (which the taylor does). I went and jammed with a band...I just plugged straight into the board and strummed a G chord...the sound man was blown away, he didn't have to do anything except add revrb. The G25 sounds great even when you're playing hard with a band. I love the sound of this guitar. Recording with it is amazing! I do alot of recording and this is the tone I've been lookinf for.

Tha action was set up very nicely. the guitar was esy to play all the way up the neck, and considering I usually have my action REALLY low, the G25 had slghtly higher action than I was used to, but was very easy to play. the only thing I had to do was tighten the tuning keys a little and badda-bing..it was gigging. I play ALOT!...some time 14 hours a day. The neck is very comfortabe to me I could play a longer time without getting tired.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? Well, I've been playing it live (I do mostly solo gigs)for three weeks straight, 4-5 nights a week. So far it has been very dependable and durable. It's definately not as delicate as my Taylor. I think it will do well, as far as durability. The electronics are solid and dependable. It is the only guitar I bring to my gigs. I hope I don't beat it up too bad

I have been playing professionally for 36 years and play many different styles of music. I need a guitar that can hang with Nirvana to Bach. This gitar can do that. I also own a taylor 510ce, a Takamine 89LTD, a 65 Guild F-212 twelve string and a couple of electrics. The G25 is my main gigging guitar. What can I say, if anything happened to this guitar, it would be a letdown to go back to the others. I love this guitar. How about making a smaller body style? That's the only thing else I would ask for. Maybe a slimline? Anyway, this guitar works for me. I like the simplicity o f the look, the incredible sound, and comfortable feel. I would definately buy another one.

Manufactured in 2002 in Newfoundland, the G-25 features the Griffiths Active Bracing System which is a glass fiber that integrates the bracing, bindng, bridge plate, end block, kerfing and neck block to create an instrument that completely resonates when played. This is their newest design and was influenced by the design suggestions of some of their Garrison playing artists. The G-25 is made of all solid woods, as is the case with all Garrisons. The top is western red cedar with Canadian birch back and sides. The neck is also birch with an ebony fret board and bridge and rosewood venier headstock. Gold tuners made at the Grover factory, tortoise pick guard and abalony dots and pegs dress this bad boy up. The G-25 is a dreadnaught, which is all Garrison produces at present. Garrison also uses the Buzz Feiten tuning system to keep the guitar in tune no matter where you are on the fretboard. D'Adarrio strings are used. Included is a very nice hard shell case with the Garrison logo. This model had no electronics, though they are available. The strap button on the end block is designed to house a plug in if one wished to add one.

I do a lot of finger picking and also flat pick. This thing produces a consistant warm, rich sound. I shopped monomaniacally for 2 months before coming across the Garrisons. I compared them head to head with Taylor, Martin, Gibson and Guild and while all of the mentioned guitars were wonderful to play and had great sound, the Garrison easily held its own with some and surpassed others. I had actually bought a Guild and returned it to buy the G-25. Booming sound when I am driving with a pick and warm, full sound when I am finger picking. It also stays in tune far better than my old Yamaha.

Acion from the factory was perfect and easy to play. Nice low action. The salesman was trying to be thorough and tweek the neck to get it perfect but what we got was a buzz that took a while to correct. Leave it alone - the factory techs set it perfectly. I chose this guitar because the cedar top had some character to it- well book matched with some beautiful red tones to the wood. The birch back was also well matched and has a very cool flame to it. Not as vivid as maple, but close. There was some production sedement inside the guitar (sawdust, bits of fibreglass) that should not have been there but were easy enough to dump out. The rosette is a very nice wood inlay. A small touch of what is probably glue was left on the rosette before the finish was sprayed on and you can see it if you look very closely. But I mean very closely. Between the cedar, ebony, birch and wildly colorful abalony inlay dots, This is a beautiful guitar.

It is a bit heavy due to the bracing system but I got used to that easily. It feels very sturdy and while I am quite careful I am sure it would take a shot or two. If I get good enough to gig the G-25 could easily withstand the rigors of the road. It is well built and dependable. Tuners seem very solid as does the whole instrument.

I met the owner, Chris Griffiths at my guitar store one afternoon and he gave me his undivided attention and answered all of my questions and really schooled me on his company's process. I later communicated with Chris and a sales rep via e-mail several times trying to ascertain when the G-25 would be hitting my town. Responses to my e-mails were always very prompt. This is a young and innovative company that is very good at getting the consumer excited about their product and reacting to the needs of their customers.

I have been playing off and on for 20 years for personal enjoyment and with friends. I am competant with a lot left to learn. I have been playing a Yamaha FG-150 for years (just like Country Joe)and really wanted to upgrade to a truly fine instrument. I played literally every guitar in the area and I kept coming back to this one. My budget was three times what I paid but this was the guitar I really wanted. I do wish that they produced a cutaway without electronics but I think that if most manufacturers. I cannot get over the fact that for under $600 I got an all wood guitar with quality materials and acoutrements with a sound that rivals and sometimes beats the big boys. I highly recommend that you try one of these.