Godin Exit 22

Might be one of my best finds. I'm a person who doesn't usually go for brand names right away, rather I go with intuition and feel. Found this guitar at a local pawn dealer, brand new. Bagged it for a nice $350. Features have been said numerous times, 3-piece mahogany w/ natural finish, which i find very eye catching, brushed aluminum tuners, my particular guitar has all black hardware. My 22 is the one equipped with the maple fingerboard.

When I first strummed this guitar unplugged, I could tell this would be a winner. The resonance is amazing. Once plugged in, this guitar blew me away. From clean bluesy, mellow tones from setting 2 to some nice bite when distorted from across the board. My musical styles vary greatly and this guitar handles all of them like a champ, the humbucker is not as hot as you would expect, but not by much.

The action on this guitar was perfect for my liking. I might put on some medium 10's on it or just a brand new set of 9's because I'm liking the flexibility and bends I can get from them on this fretboard. The guitar's finish is just a clear coat to show off the great looking wood. Only thing on my guitar's finish was dust from lying in the shop for how ever long it was in there for.

This guitar feels very durable and has now become my main guitar. I would definitely play with this live. The guitar came pre-installed with the female connectors of the strap locks, so it's just a matter of buying a strap and male connectors. I would bring a back-up just for easier switches between alternate tunings and incase of a string breakage.

Haven't had to deal with them but the guitar did come with a warranty from Godin.

I've been playing for about 4 and a half years and own 2 other electric guitars and 2 acoustics (Squier Fat Strat, First Act ME501[suprisingly good], Epi Acoustic, and Yamaha acoustic. I play through a Peavey Bandit 112 from the 70's or 80's?. If it were stolen I would definitely find the money and buy another one, and then go find out who ever stole my precious act and beat him with what ever remains of my original one.

I won't repeat the features. This is the 22 fret model with a rosewood fingerboard. The neck is nice, but it's a little thin for my taste - I have long fingers. The gigbag is great.

I'm a blues/classic rock guy and this guitar fits the bill. Use the humbucker for some nice lightly overdriven Freddie King type sounds, drive the amp harder for some Bluesbreakers and early 70's rock stuff, and I'm finding myself using the single coils for clean sounds. I'm playing through a Vox modeling amp, the one that has a low power tube amp stage. Seems like the single coils have a distinctive, woody tone to me compared to Fender guitars, probably due to the mahogony body and short scale. I don't particularly like pickup positions 2 and 4.

Action was medium-low, the neck had a slight bit of relief, no buzzing. Pickup output is even across all of them. The 9's felt too flabby to me, slapped 10's on and it felt good, the relief held. Fit and finish is excellent, frets feel and look fantastic. I did a tiny intonation adjustment on a couple of strings.

The volume pot got scratchy after about 3 hours, and after 6 hours or so the sound was cutting out. I had it replaced locally for $20.
The tone pot is holding out OK, and contary to a previous review, mine has a nice range to it.

This guitar will last but expect some work on the electronics at some point.

I knew I wasn't going to send it off for warranty work, but I wanted Godin to know what was going on. So I sent them an email, told them I didn't need a response. I explained that the guitar was worth more than I paid for it in my opinion, so why skimp on the electronics? Geez, upgrade it a little and charge $50 more. Someone answered in two days, offering warranty service and saying they were always glad to hear what their customers thought.

I've been playing for 30 years, strictly for a hobby. I own or have owned an American Fender Strat, an Epiphone Dot, some Danelectro reissue, and others through the years.

I don't think you can do better than this for the price if you want a versatile mid-priced guitar.

Features are covered many times below, on the face of it a very versatile guitar. Comfortable and one of the few that my wife actuallt likes the look of.

Blues through a tube amp is a joy - but it wasn't to start with. Now maybe I'm expecting too much or maybe I'm too cynical... I mean it has to be cheap marketing to get a load of good reviews on a site like this. How do you know who any of these people really are.

The electrics on this instrument really let it down. The pick ups seem passable but the pots were terrible. The volume cuts out totally at around 30% and the tone pot is basically a bright/muffle switch. If you can't rectify yourself you're looking at around #25-30 plus parts to sort this out. Perhaps a standard strat is a better option.

Came set up quite quite high but with a little work this plays as good as my US deluxe strat, if anything slightly easier due to the shorter scale length, surprisingly not flappy with the supplied 9's but with better tension using 10's. The construction and finish were fine.

nasty electrics replaced but usually take at least 2 guitars to a gig anyway

This is the nub... Godin is not a common guitar in UK shops. It was bought mail order. Godin, rightly I suppose, suggested I return the guitar to the supplier under warranty, this would have cost about the same as replacing the pots. No local shops had this instrument so remote purchase was the only option. Moral - Look out if you buy obscure budget guitars.

been playing a long time and I'm old as dirt. currently use a Deluxe Strat, LP junior with 2 P90s, Line6 500 but with a Warmoth neck (for acoustics) Highway 1 strat tuned and set up for slide. The Godin was bought as a "knock about" and that's pretty much it's rightful place in life. It is unusual though - you don't see too many and it has a good bright blues bite - I would buy another but only if I had checked the actual instrument personally

Purchased in Fall 2004. I think the features have been pretty well covered. Mine has the birdseye maple fretboard. I actually could not find one anywhere so I had a dealer order one for me. They got in a maple board and a rosewood board and after playing them both I bought the maple. Both sound good but the maple seemed a little brighter. No tremolo option but it wasn't a deal-breaker for me - I already have a Fender Strat so if I want a whammy-bar I just play it.
This guitar reminds me of a cross between a Les Paul and a Strat.
Great quality gig bag comes with it.

I play mostly rock-n-roll thru a tube amp (I have several). I usually just use the bridge pickup on my other guitars but this guitar has some great sounds from the 2 single-coil pickups. Oddly enough, there is not much difference in volume between the humbucker and the single coils--on most guitars the humbucker is a lot hotter. I have never had a problem getting a good variety of tones from this axe. One string seems to tune differently from the rest but I think it may be that I need to re-check the intonation. I have changed the strings quite a few times but haven't touched the setup since I bought it almost 2 years ago, so it probably isn't the guitar's fault.

The action was good straight from the store. No quality issues whatsoever. It is a great example of good quality North American craftsmanship at a very affordable price.

This guitar is solid. I break a lot of strings so I never gig without a backup, but as long as the strings are OK there are no worries about this guitar's dependability.

Never needed their assistance, except when I was trying to find one. They provided me with the names of some nearby dealers and one of them ordered for me.

I have been playing for 10 years. I own more guitars, basses, pedals, and amps than I can count. I like this guitar because it's different than anything else I have and it sounds good thru different amps.
Actually, this guitar was stolen in March of 2005 and I was fortunate to get it back. I attempted to beat the culprit about the head and face with it but the cops wouldn't let me. If I had I'll bet it wouldn't have even gone out of tune. I would have gotten another one for sure if I hadn't gotten this one back. It has some of the best features of Les Pauls and Fenders in one package. Awesome value.

2005, Mahogany body, bolt on maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 2 singles and a HB in bridge, string through body, all the usual features as stated in other reviews. And you gotta love the great gig bag they thow in.

I play mostly classic rock(Zep, AC/DC etc)with some country and blues thrown in the mix sometimes. This guitar suits these styles fine. As someone stated before the resonance on this thing is amazing! Both single coils are very good and also very quiet, the humbucker is a little weaker than I,m used to and it may be replaced in the future. This may not be really a fair comparison because my Ibanez has a SD Custom 5 in the bridge and has a much more ballsy tone. This is my very first bolt on necked guitar and also my first with 3 pickups. Palm muting with it took a little getting used to. The 5 way switch makes for great versatility with the tones. One thing I did do was to put on a set of D,darrio 10,s wich made it sound even better. I play through a Crate V series 1x12 and a Roland Cube 60 usually with just a bit of chorus and the guitar just sings through either amp.

Perfect, no flaws, great setup. I compared this to another maple fretboard model at the store and the other had a slightly higher action but was also flawless.

This thing is built like a tank. The only thing I,m a bit leery about is the electronics, a common problem with guitars in this price range. I guess time will tell.

I,ve heard they are good but hve not had to deal with them at all.

I,ve been playing for 29 years and own an Epi Les paul, an Ibanez SZ520QM , an old Eko acoustic and the two amps I mentioned above. I was looking for something with some mellower tones and with single coils. I compared this to a MIM Fender Strat, A MIM Fender Tele and a G&L Tribute ASAT and it blew them all away. It is far better built, much more versatile and a bit less expensive. As I said I,m undecided on the humbucker yet,not that it,s bad. It,s a great guitar for the money and I,d get another if it went missing.

made in 2005 you've read all the details but heres my view on the godin exit 22 and the sd guitar that i also have.I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GUITAR UNLESS IT HAS THE GODIN NAME ON IT PERIOD! I have been through so many guitars in the last 30 years. fender , gibsons, hamers
the quality of todays guitars costing 1000 and up is just crap to put it mildly.until godin comes along. I found a sd in a music store siting all by its lonesome. No price tag was on it. and i thought this thing looks really good but it must cost at least a thousand or better compaired to everything else i've looked at.The fret work was perfect with no fret edges sticking out from bad work or wood srinkage etc. I mean i check the guitar out from top to bottom. i bought it. and its still the best guitar after 2 years. Noe i bought the exit 22 and its even better. beautiful finish, fret work, playability its just to good to be true! the 22 in tones, think the best strat you ever played. (Sweet home alabama) yes it is! This guitar is no piece of cheese ! believe me.

think strat with good pickups and a humbuckers but this guitar out classes fender guitars by a long shot! But the main thing is that they play really well where most fenders dont. With fender you might find 1 good guitar out of 20. listen! go check out a godin you wont be sorry. They play that good! I use mine with a cyber deluxe with a footcontroller. a real good match. no issues or dis likes

the best i've seen in all areas

better than most

godin aint playin games by the looks and playability of their guitars and might i say sound!i havent needed to contact them.

i've been playin for about 30 years. my other gear hm lots. jbl, mackie,2 godin guitars, cyber deluxe, br864 with krk studio monitors
lotsa toyz!

My exit22 is a 2002, made in Canada and assembled in States.The fretboard is in maple...for the rest, you already said everything on this guitar features. It's a gorgeous looking guitar, a little bit heavy but comfortable. Not much features...2 single coils, one humbucker, a volume and a tone knob and a 5 way switch.

I also own 2 fender stratocaster. Somebody on this review said that a Fender owner will feel familiar with the exit22...I'm sorry, but it look a lot more like a Gibson or an Epiphone than a fender. The 12" radius flat neck is so different than a Fender 9.5" c-shape neck, it's not even near.The guitar sounds very good for what i'm playing.(classic rock, blues and old rock)and the action is very good.No noise,no complaint...for the price, it beats a lot of more expensive guitars.

As I said, the action is fairly good to ecxellent, the pick ups are good quality, no noise or hum. The quality of the accessories ( knob,pegs, bridge etc. ) is lot better than a lot of more expensive axes. Godin is taking care of the quality.

It' not a long time I have it, but it looks very reliable and solid. I could certainly depend on it for a gig....but as I never gig without a back up...I'll never know :-)

I e-mail them a question about hardshell case, and I received the answer less than 8 hours after...so no complaint...there great.

I'm playing guitar for 40 years. I played my 2 strat, my Godin and an Ovation on a Fender Hot Rod Deville amp and a Crate GT212 as back up. My Exit22 is now part of my regular materiel to play gig. I would say that Godin is the most best kept secret of the industry. They have great instruments but not to well knowned.I would just like it to have a Fender neck...so it would be perfect...for the price, you will never find a better guitar.

This Guitar was built around winter 2004. As stated before, the Parts were manufactured in Canada and assembled in the States.
Basically this is a solid body guitar with a bolt-on neck. The body consists of three equal parts of beautifully textured mahogany. It is outlined a little bit like a les paul model because of the single cutaway, but has an ergonomic shaping similar to a strat. The neck is deep-seated in the body by four perfectly placed bolts, the junction zone is tapered for better accessability to the higher neck positions. Godin manufactures this instrument in two versions: rosewood or maple fingerboard. I own one with a maple board on it. The neck is made of one piece of hard maple, the fretboard features 22 medium size frets and is made of hard birds-eye maple. The neck has a flat D shape, the truss rod is accessible from the head stock, there is no truss rod cover, two string holders for the high four strings are attached to the head stock. The nut material is called tusq and although it is synthetic, it looks a little like bone. Except the headstock front, which is shiny and transparent, the rest of the instrument has a natural satin finish. The pickup configuration is H-S-S (Godin-PUs, passive) with a standard 5-way switch, a tone and a volume knob and no coil splitting options. There is a non-trem bridge with through-body string ducts on a massive brass block. The tuners are from Godin and look like regular Gotohs. All the hardware is black. The strap buttons are Schaller security locks or at least very good copies, but without the strap-sided counterparts. A very high quality gig bag is included. Actually it is a very simplistic and plain design, reduced to the essentials. I give it a 10 also because of the gig bag.

Very versatile guitar. Imagine a very good sratocaster. Add the sound of a bridge-positioned Humbucker, and there you go. This is a sophisticated instrument, so don't expect the guitar sound of bands like Korn, Slipknot or Pantera. I think this guitar is ideal for playing jazz, folk music, pop music, blues, classic rock, hard rock and classic metal. I love its tonal features.

Well, can't say much about the factory setting, because my guitar dealer did all the tweaking for me. I received this instrument perfectly set up. Could have taken it directly on stage without even touching it before.

Contrary to the opinion of the other reviewers, i think that tanks are not quite as well built like this guitar...

Never dealt with them. People who make instruments like this can't be bad guys.

I've been playing electric guitar for over 16 years now. I owned all kind of guitars, amps and effects, can't remember them all. My core equipment is a Fender limited edition iron maiden guitar, an Ibanez rg-550 dx ltd., a Charvel 6-string acoustic and an Aria 12-string acoustic guitar. I get my sound from a Marshall tube combo amp and the new Line6 PodXT Live (To all who dislike this device after personal experience: Initially i encountered the same problems like you did, but finally got all the good results that people praise to the skies, it is just a matter of tweaking. For instance, try setting the output mode to bose ps-1 when connecting to the power amp section of a Marshall.) The Godin Exit 22 is a superb guitar. Its strength is its simplicity. It lets you fully concentrate on your music. If it were stolen, i'd buy exactly the same in no time. If you have the opportunity to get your hands on one of those, then take some time to check it out. This IS a good guitar. If one of the major companies built the same instrument, they'd give it a stupid bird's name and sell it threefold the price - without a case, of course.

Solid mahogany body w/ natural finish, single cutaway almost Les Paul style body shape
Rock maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 22 med. nickel frets
S/S/H passive Godin pickups, one tone, one volume pot, 5-position pickup selector
String-thru body fixed bridge
24 3/4" scale
Made in Canada, I assume in 2003
Came with a delux gig bag

Very versatile guitar. Appropriate for rock, indie-alternative, folk-ish, country-ish, metal and other sounds. The pickups give fairly differnt tonal qualities. Neck pickup gives a rich tone, which can almost emulate acoustic, the neck humbucker is bright and gives a solid rock tone; a variety of sounds can be achieved with the other pickup configurations.
Occasional hum when on the singles or the middle single and humbicker together.

The only adjustment I've had to make was lowering the upper end of the middle pickup to reduce bass response. Other than that, it was perfectly set up from day one.

So far this guitar has been very reliable. Everything is solidly in place after a year of play, sound hasn't degraded, I've not broken any strings, the finish is still immaculate...

I'm starting to have occasional issues with the e and B strings staying in tune if heavily bent though.

This was my first guitar, after playing other people's instruments for about 8 years; I primarily play bass. For the price, I couldn't recommend a better guitar than Godin and the Exit 22 is no different; it plays like a $800-1000 Fender for only $500. I love the versatility it has offered me at an economy price. If I lost this guitar, I probably wouldn't replace it with the same model, but I would probably replace it with a more expensive Godin, perhaps a Fender Jaguar or Gibson SG; this is a fantastic first guitar though.

i'm sure other people have stated the specs...
but as my friends say, the satin mahogany is gorgeous. personally, i love the satin maple neck/fretboard and the scale is perfect for my hands. however, one thing i might just love more is the gig bag that was included for free! that's about $50 CDN or $40 USD easy.
anyways, onward with the review...

I use a cheap squier 15W amp at home (soon i'll get a Roland 30W cube) and a boss GT-6 pedal, 75W Roland bass amp (=[) at my church.

i love the chimey, bell sound that single coils can produce. This guitar does just that. 2nd position treble up, the sound is ok throughout high and low range but the bells really come through in the mids.

bridge humbucker will give you some nice twang on clean and great SG-like tones with distortion. (atleast mine does)

the sustain is decent. it's a bolt-on so you can't really expect a whole lot in that department.

Another plus in the single coils is it's warm depth in sound. yes, it gets nice and trebly but the warmth never fades. good potential there as a jazz axe. i would assume the mahogany body's got something to do with it.

i always wipe my baby down after a good jam, practice or gig. still satinny smooth.

nice low action, and they've bolted the neck on properly... as parallel to the strings as you can get without sacrificing buzzing and all that crud.

frets stick out maybe 0.5mm but i like it since it's consistent with each fret

3-piece mahogany body but i'm not to picky about how many parts are involved as long as it does the job WELL.

i don't mind the strings but i'll change them after a few go's

nothing's lose. switch, knobs, strap buttons. maybe the 6th tuner a little but it does it's job.

good weight for an electric. glad it's not an agile lp copy but also not glad it's not a hollow body. i'd say it's a pinch heavier than a conventional strat.

tuners will hold a good while but aren't perfect.

nope, and hope i never will.

however, long and mcquade offered me 1 year of free setups and maintenance for free.

over an MIM strat almost anyday. sometimes you get a rare, brilliant. but that's the difference between fender and godin's QA. Godin QA > fender QA from what i've seen in consistency. beats it price-wise nonetheless.

you will get more than your money's worth. just how much is up to how you treat it and play it.