Godin A11 Glissentar

The description in the previous reviews are accurate. 11 string fretless piezo. I have restrung mine in steel and play it in open E, sometimes with fingers, sometimes with a bottle, and sometimes on my lap with a tone bar, depending on what i want it to do.

Awesome really.. both through a crate vintage 30 and through my vox valvetronix, mostly using fender tweed and marshall amp emulations. The overdriven piezo slide sound is wayyy cool. and so unique. Great for the blues.

perfect. no issues.

No problems so far. I only have one so ... it has to be!

Never needed any

I've been playing 5 years, obsessively. I play a williams s-10 pedal through a nashville 112, have a blueshawke, a strat, an agile 2500 12, a taylor 655 12, a myrtlewood customshop breedlove, a rainsong and a burrel. Amps are crate vintage 30, valvetronix vct 60, genz benz.

I know the steel sound isn't what this guitar was meant to be, but I live to try new things, and believe me, this is one unique sound.

same specs as reviews below.

cool instrument! the unplugged sound is quite nice,of course not very loud but more than enough for practicing or a quiteter jam. plugged in to my DAW it is a bit 'piezo-y' without some EQ(glissentar
set flat)but the nylon strings offset that a bit,so no big deal.

the biggest thing in getting a tone out of this is learning how to play it properly and not thinking in standard 'guitarisms' too much (i'm not there yet)...takes some getting used to but worth the effort. the low strings can growl like a fretless bass which i really like.

it was new when i bought it-i had the store tech look it over as part of the sale and he found a factory installed double or reverse shim at the neck joint...he removed one or both and then adjusted the saddle height from the bottom(didn't take much).

he also had to do something to the transducer under the saddle to make the high strings balanced with the others-not a big deal,but it probably should have been checked at the factory,right?

everything else seemed fine- the wood is nice,the ebony neck is smooth and shaped well,the tuners are set properly...the gliss has a nice 'basic but elegant' vibe to it.

this would not fall apart too easily- godin's are made well. i had an earlier model 'acousticaster' made by them which held up for quite a while without problems before selling(to a guy that still uses it)...the gliss is constructed similarly so should be fine.

my other main guitars are fenders,gibsons and a hamer newport- the gliss is very different in sound but feels natural to play except for the lack of frets...i wanted something different and kind of thought i'd be able to adapt to it faster(since it's the same tuning),but it's taking a while. there is nothing really to compare it to(except a real oud or other fretless guitars which i haven't tried)-hip piece for sure.

When I walked into the classical guitar room at Concord, CA Guitar Center and saw this, at first I was puzzled. 11 nylon strings, and fretless. But owning a Multiac Steel and an LGX-SA from Godin already, I knew that if Godin designed and manufactured it, and I didnt have one yet, then I had to have it if I had enough dollars. There is no way to describe the experience of playing a Glissentar. The sound is awesome, I run it through some distortion and delay/reverb. The dual strings (except for the low string) give it a natural chorused sound. With some practice you get used to the lack of frets, like playing a cello, and it becomes natural. Especially good for lead lines. If you have the excess money, and you dont mind learning a new instrument (it takes a little adjustment) then go for it. You will never be sorry.

Awesome sound, much like a classical multiac. The body is very sturdy, making for really good tone and sustain. If you want to really make the notes sustain, use a standard guitar slide for the leads, then they ring forever it seems.

I got mine used, but it seems perfect. I own a very good guitar collection, and this is definitely one guitar I will never willingly give up at any price. When I die, I want to be playing my Glissentar.

Very durable. The strings will wear out, because they are basically classical strings. I was fortunate, whoever had it before me sold it to the Guitar Center with 8 extra sets, so I'm set for a while.

I have never needed any customer support from Godin, simply because all 3 guitars I have from them have been flawless performers, even under heavy studio use, and lots of head banging metal rocking out.

I will be using this Glissentar in my "Lucifer Christo" music, because it has a very nice sound that can be mixed in well with heavy metal, orchestra, synth, pretty much anything. Because the pickup is in the bridge, and it uses nylon strings, it is easy on the fingers, very sensitive to the touch ( I recommend finger picking it with well manicured finger nails) and can be modified with a pedal or through an amp to give almost any sound you are looking for. Being able to slide the notes around is something you will love once you get used to it.

Standard A11 features as mentioned above. Sufficient

The sound of this instrument is absolutely splendid. It is capable of producing special effect sounds, viola-like tones, as well as tones not unlike those of the oud or saz. There is such a broad pallet of applications for this unique yet familiar instrument. I currently use my A11 with a variety of effects and amps which include a Boss VF-1 and a Korg toneworks pedalboard. I play through a variety of amps, but find this instruments qualities are at their best when played through a fender deville. There is a substantial learning curve when mastering this instrument, but the access to quarter-tone melody makes it worth the while.

Minor finish flaws around the bridge. Other than that, it is one of the better crafted instruments that I own.

This is a dependable instrument. I have had no problems with it, and have accidentally banged it around in more than one drunken stupor.

I've been playing for thirteen years. I own ESP, Washburn, Godin, and Tatay and Sons guitars as well as a variety of ethnic instruments. This guitar and the Tatay are the only guitars I would purchase again if stolen. Being an avid fan of near eastern and far eastern music I adore the tonal and musical opportunity that the Glissentar offers. If you're interested in experimental music, ethnic folk music, world music, or just adding a unique voice to your sound; this instrument is for you. If you are only interested in playing standard guitar style within the medium of a fretless instrument, there are definately better options out there. It would be nice if Godin also offered the fretless option and A11 features in a solidbody electric with humbuckers; but you can't have it all.

I now own a 2004 model that I purchased through ebay. The vendor posted a Made in the USA claim. However, I tracked the S/N to be made in Canada (Godin, after all). I had to check since there is a wave of these being made for Musician's Friend :-( This is concerning as the 2005 models will surely lack in quality due to the mass production - if there this is the case...

Awesome! The mix between Eastern and Western styles sets this guitar apart from anything I have seen or played. The sound is bright on the high side that mimics a sitar and madolin together. On the low end, I can create a droan mix with deep bass line sounds. Without frets the sonic abilities are truly as advertised. I can create sounds that are truly unique. Plug this into a modeling effects processor or amp and you have incredible possibilities!

Action is fantastic and the double-chamber is perfect for the job.

Seems pretty durable. The strap buttons are less than desirable and can add noice in the chamber when a new strap is breaking in (I have had "strap squeak" produced when playing). However, it is dependable and will be my second guitar for certain songs.

I havn't had a reason to call, yet. Warrenty seems standard.

I have been playing guitar now for a few years (keyboards and drums previopusly). I once owned a PRS but I was too affraid to damage it as it was a beautiful guitar. I have a G & L with a Roland Synth that is my work horse. I also have a Sitar that will take me years to master. Beyond that I have some syths, drum pads, a didgeridoo and other pieces to make noise with...I would replace this guitar if I had to as it will continue to grow as an impartant piece in my music. My favorit aspect of this guitar is that I can easily adjust styles and play a driving rock sound to shifting gears to a middle-eastern sound. My only concerns are the strap buttons and tuning needs to be done every time I pick it up (it seems). I guess I am used to my heavy G & L that has only needed tuning once or twice in the past year...

Well, you've read the other reviews, you know it's an 11-string Fretless Nylon string guitar. It has a nice, flat satin finish neck with a rosewood fingerboard (which I admit, is darker than most i've seen, possibly due to a unique type of finish). Like other Godins, this has an onboared graphic EQ, LR Baggs transducer.

I am a very eclectic player, rooted in jazz but have primarily explored crossover world/jazz/electronic music in recent years. I use the guitar with a variety of amps, most recently an Acoustic Image Clarus 2R and 1 x 12 cabinet. I love the sound, but admit you have to be very conscious about what you put it through in order to get the best sound. It sounds great through higher quality acoustic amps (ala Fender/Trace Elliot), but can come across brittle through a Fender Twin or Deville. It takes experimentation to get the right sound, but when you do, it's beautiful. Helps to have a bit of reverb to give it some 'air'.

I am proud to admit I have the first production model ever made(ordered in 2001). To me, it seems very well made, the top and the back of the neck are a bit delicate so I would advise keeping it in the case to avoid nicks and scratches. The construction is very similar to other godin models, however, it has a lighter finish than some of the ACS/Multiac guitars, so again, is more prone to scratches.

I have taken it on the road and it has held up great. Hardware is high quality and the body and neck are solid. I do recommend keepign it cased when not in use, as the finish is a light satin and may be prone to scuffs and such.

I have not had much need to contact them at all now or before. The contact I have had has been positive, but I do recommend trying to get in touch with them by phone, not email, as it may take forever to get a reply. You can look them up under "Lasido Inc" in quebec.

I am very happy with this guitar, it does exactly what I expected it to. It is a learning curve to get used to the scale and intonation, but once you do, the instrument performs. I don't recommend this for someone who thinks it will produce an exotic sound with little or no effort. It doesn't 'play itself' like some instruments. You really need to spend some time with it to get the hang of it.

Made in Canada (Quebec), fretless, nice slider controls in an out of the way place (upper bout / bass side). Stained rosewood fingerboard. Tuners are part plastic and I think designed for classical guitar, as the Glissentar has some nlyon strings (strings 1 - 4). Tuners are non-locking. Neck is medium radius and comfortable. Came with nice gigbag and two sets of extra strings included (but see below!)

Great Sound straight through my Fender Princeton Chorus, with just a small amount of reverb and the chorus up about 50%. Slightly noisy percussive attack with a pick due to it's ribbon pickup, but extremely usable sounds. Great drone. Sounds very different acoustic vs plugged in.

Set up well. Goes out of tune a lot, but I suspect it's the strings and not the tuners.

I thought this woud be a fragile guitar, but it's built very well. The top is more delicate than the mahogany chambered body.

Terrible. I've never dealth with any company that seemed to pay less attention to customer support. I've emailed them 3 or 4 times to find out about strings. The Glissentar requires a custom set that Godin makes, and I've wanted to know where I can get some extras. No responses, repeatedly. They make a statement on their website that people get seem to get upset if they don't respond to email within a day or two, but the last email I sent was well over a week ago, and the first was at least 6 WEEKS AGO. At this point, I'm not sure what I'll have to do to get extra strings, probably a Godin dealer, but I live in the country, and the nearest dealer is a 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive. If they use custom sets they should make it easy for customers to get them. Perhaps that's why they include extra strings -- they don't ever plan on having you be able to get more, and I'm definitely not going to Quebec to get them.

I've been playing on / off for almost 20 years. I own about 20 other guitars of various makes. Nothing is quite like the Glissentar. That's why I bought it. Given the terrible support by the company, though, I might not buy from them again. This is disappointing.

The guitar is a 9, their customer support should be a 0, so I'm giving the Glissentar, because of my concerns of the future (i.e., strings), a 5.

Made LaPatrie, Canada. Maple body, solid cedar top, rock maple neck. LR Baggs ribbon transducer pickup w/ preamp. Semi-hollow body. Fretboard looks like ebony, but the Godin website says rosewood, so it's probably dyed rosewood, but don't know for sure...Of course, the most important feature is the description of the guitar itself: A nylon 11-string fretless electric guitar. I upgraded the standard gig bag to a hardshell case b/c I don't trust gig bags. Case if very sturdy & well padded. My only criticism is that the nut width is 1 3/4 inches, and I'd prefer a 1 7/8 or 2 " b/c it would be easier to play chords with a little bit more fingertip room.

Depending on how you pick & finger, it sounds like a guitar, banjo, sitar, and on and on. I've never played a guitar that produces so many variations of sound. Equalizer settings also affect sound tremendously, from a good electric growl to a very melodious classical tone. I play a mix of jazz, classical, folk, bluegrass, and a hint of blues (a sort of baroque pop, I suppose), and it's allowing me to make totally unique sounds.

Perfect. My guitar is supposedly a factory second for aesthetic reasons, but I have yet to find a single flaw. It slipped out of tune a good bit the first couple of hours, but that was presumably just the strings stretching out.

Looks & feels extremely solid. Once I start gigging with it, I intend to play w/out a backup, as no other guitar can create the same sounds as it (and b/c I can't afford the Godin fretless Multiac SA, the only other guitar I'd think about buying at this point).

Received a very prompt reply to an e-mail to their website. Very friendly & knowledgeable.

Been playing piano for 20 years. I learned bass eight years ago and acoustic guitar five years ago. This is my first fretless guitar. I also own an Ibanez AW500 and have owned a 74 Fender Jazz bass (which I had to sell). Neither can touch this guitar for sweetness & variability of sound. Whether you want to do Middle Eastern textures or crazy slide blues, you can do it with the Glissentar. It's not for the faint of heart, and you'll have to relearn new chord fingerings (if you have big fingers like me) b/c your fingertips have to line up exactly with where the frets would be. (If you're a sloppy player, stick with a fretted guitar.) If you're willing to put in the time and discipline, however, you won't regret it. An absolutely incredible (and unique) instrument!

The best way I can discribe it, is as a fretless classical, but that doesn't do it justice. It sounds great through my fender PA 135 amp (an old fender PA amp hotroded). Through my line 6 it sounds a bit bassy (but I think that is an issie with the line 6).

Action, perfect.

I don't play this one out just yet, I am not completely comfortable with it. Mostly because I am a fretted instrument player by heart, not a fretless player. I have done some recording with it, for some really odd effects.

I guess when the origonal owner bought it, he asked about strings. Godin shipped the guitar with 10 packs of strings for free. He only used 1. That's pretty darn cool if you ask me.

For a fretless guitar, don't look anywhere else. For the faint of fretless heart, procede with caution.

Well...the most obvious feature is that it's an 11 string fretless nylon (five pair of unison strings and a Single Low E). It has side position markers which help a lot if your in standard tuning. It has a Baggs saddle tranducer and a 3 band EQ (the eq is put in an intelligent place on the instrument too!). It seems to have a couple of acoustic chambers for resonance - so it's lighter than you think it would be. Standard 1/4" out. It comes with a nice gig bag and two pack of strings - which is cool.

1 gripe - and it's very minor. It would be nice to have a small battery light to let you know when to change the battery. Actually While I'm at it, they should probably print up a little 1 page sheet on "Caring for your glissentar" also because I don't think that a lot of people will instinctively wipe down and care for their fretless fingerboards.
If your reading this, you probably know what it's supposed to have anyway. It's features are well laid out at the Godin web site anyway.

Only bizarre thing. The Godin site says it's a rosewood fingerboard - but it sure looks like ebony to me. I wouldn't want anyone to take this the wrong way - but this is basically a one trick pony. If you're looking for a nylon string fretless this is it. So I'd give it a 10 for features because the features it has perfectly compliments its design.

I played this through a fender acoustic amp and it sounded awesome (I hate that term, but it's an apt description). You can get perfectly usable sounds out of it running it through even a regular guitar amp or a board with small processing. I just ran it into my Motu 828 for some laptop recording with a POD and it sounded really good.

I think that the biggest mistake that people make when they pick mine up and play it - is to try to play stock guitar licks on it. This really is a different instrument altogether and requires a lot of discipline to pull it together. For what I do - which is Oud/Sitar textures - I think that this is the best game in town. Tonal variation on a glissentar comes a lot more from your hands and pick attack then they do from an electric guitar. So the type of sound is largely dependant on the player. The instrument itself is 100% pro, so I think that the only limitation is the player.

Live it sounds great. Even unplugged it sounds quite good. The projection is better than you think it would be. You could run this thing through an amp and mike it and it would probably record fine. My recipe is to run the signal direct through a POD and then use the Antares mic modler plug in to give it some depth. Add a little vinyl rumble and some Middle Eastern Modes and you'll be sounding like a sample in no time! (A joke - but you could save A LOT of money by using this instrument to track "arabic" flavors instead of having to clear a sample.)

Set up on this was great. I haven't touched it at all. Finish was very clean. 100% pro assembly.

Everything on this is 100% solid. The EQ sliders might be the first thing to break on it but it would be hard to do.

Haven't dealt with them. I can't imagine much going wrong with it to be honest.

This is the best purchase I've made since I bought my first guitar. I have a fretless Fernandes Sustainer which sounds wonderful - but this is a whole different texture.

Well described by previous reviewer.

It can be made to have that warm vocal sound associated with fretless acoustic basses- but in a high register. You need to use the flesh of the finger and get the string to buzz against your skin a bit as you let a tone decay- works best with vibrato. If you use you fingernail to stop the strings you can get a cleaner sound that's a little like a "nylon sarod" perhaps. A more neutral end-of-finger stopping of the string gives an oud-like sound. Different picks have quite different sounds as well. Fairly soft picks are quite nice.

The eq is effective in bringing out quite different voices. Boosting the mid gives a nice electric effect.

It's resonant enough that you can feel a string matching up with the harmonics of its neighbors in your fingertip as you slide around. It's a great feeling.

The middle strings especially have a wonderful lightly buzzy sustain that somehow feels just perfect.

Very well made all around. No flaws.

Seems pretty tough. Worry that the battery will run out just before a show and there's no indicator.

Two sets of replacement strings are included- this is important as they are unusual strings.

They're cheerful and proud. Seem great by email

I play oud and sarod, so I was simply compelled to get this instrument. It's much more convenient and reliable as an amplified, portable gigging instrument than the traditional instruments that inspired it.

I've talked about the good stuff- here are some potential problems:

The scale is hard to get used to. It's a long scale for a fretless instrument in the treble range. You have to move pretty fast- you can't anchor your hand as much. It ends up requiring a lot more arm muscle motion than an oud, for instance.

Also, the strings are closer together than on most fretless melody instruments from a round the world. You tend to unintentionally dampen nearby strings as slide around. You also have to be a more careful picker, of course, if you're used to oud or sarod.

The strings are guaged for a standard guitar tuning. This makes sense for a guitar player- but if you're coming from a traditional fretless instrument, you'll probably want to reproduce that instrument's tuning- or maybe come up with an open tuning that works for you. In this case, the strings tend to be a little too loose or too tight. Not much, mind you- but they really are right in the pocket for a standard guitar tuning. It DOES stay in tune very well, which is positively weird if you're used to the oud.

The Glissentar is a bit unusual- a fretless guitar with 11 nylon strings, tuned to standard guitar tuning. The strings are laid out in pairs like a 12 string, but tuned in unison. The low E is not doubled. The idea, it seems, was to cross an oud with a guitar, and the result is one of the more interesting guitars to come around in a long while. It is surprisingly easy to play, assuming that you have a good ear (prior experience with fretless instruments doesn't hurt, either). The construction is typical of Godin, with a chambered silver leaf maple body, solid cedar top and a bolt-on rock maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. The fingerboard on my Glissentar is very dark and evenly coloured, and actually looks and feels like ebony. A change in the specs, perhaps? The cedar top is also dark, more of a red cedar than the blonde cedar that Godin normally uses. The installed bridge pickup and preamp are both custom made by L.R. Baggs and are quite natural sounding, with little of the usual transducer "grit". The volume and 3 band equalizer controls are arranged above the neck/body joint, in similar fashion to the other Godin acoustic/electrics. The Glissentar ships with a very well padded gig bag and 2 spare sets of strings. The only extra thing I could ask for would be an XLR output and phantom power like the Multiac, but this is a minor point.

I am primarily involved in free improvisation and avant-garde composition these days, and the Glissentar suits these areas very nicely. I've also been known to dabble in drum 'n' bass, ambient and dub on occasion. The tone can be likened to that of a fretless bass, thickened somewhat due to the doubled strings. Even more than usual, the individual musician's playing technique has an enormous effect on the tone. Given that there are no frets to temper the sound, different degrees of pressure yield slight tonal variations. Of course, your intonation plays a strong role in this as well. The preamp and equalizer are transparent and quiet.

The factory set up is very comfortable, and is better than usual for Godin. The action is low and even, and the construction is solid. The tuning machines are very accurate, and all the hardware is installed cleanly.

I was a little worried about using a gig bag at first, but the Glissentar is built like a tank. I have no doubts about its durability.

I've never had the occasion to contact Godin about this guitar or my Multiac Nylon and I doubt I ever will, except perhaps to lavish praise upon them for their commitment to innovative design.

I have been playing for roughly ten years, and my guitar set up consists of a Fender California Series Stratocaster, ProCo RAT distortion (when necessary) and an Ampeg SJ-12T for electric work, and the Glissentar, Godin Multiac Nylon and a Yorkville AM100 amp for acoustic. I run all the guitars through a Line6 DL4 delay modeller. My direct recording rig consists of a SansAmp Classic and a Drawmer MX60 channel strip, through which the Godins sound lovely. I would replace the Glissentar immediately if it were lost or stolen, as there really is nothing else like it.