Godin Flat Five X

2002 same features as others

Hey guys either I can't play [ over 40 years exp studio and recording NYC] or I got a lemon, but let me tell you this is the muddiest!!!!!! noisy piece of [----] I have ever played. I have tried it through Twins,mixing boards ,even key board amps Muddy as H---.

The guitar setup What setup? I had to reset and shimm the neck to make it playable!!!

Looks nice thats it. I would suggest that anyone considering this guitar to take a photo of one , put it in your wallet and save yourself $1250.00

I have sent the company THREE E-mails NO REPLY . No phone # listed or maybe under an alis name? The dealer said he would find out for me, that was Four months ago, The guitar is only eight months old!!!!

I have played and owned everything from a 57 Gibson L5 to a Fender and in between even bought new in 74 a GUITORGAN [the first guitar with both organ and guitar sounds] That even sounded better much better. This is my first Ever review on a guitar, the others I own didn't need one , they play and sound the way their suppose to!! I am not one to put anything down, but to pay good money for a product that a company does not stand behind, is not a company to deal with. Enough said.

I have the 2003 model, all the features have already been explained, except that mine only has two outputs, a humbucker only, and a blend output (humbuckers/peizeo). On the blend output there is no switch, only a knob to control the mix between the two. I tried an older model with the switch, and there are just as many tonal possibilities without the added circuits. The neck is quite fat, which is my only complaint, as I have smaller hands, but my hands will adjust.

WOW. The sound is fantastic. The acoustic sounds are excellent. The blended sounds are very interesting and offer a wide range of possibilities, and the humbuckers are nice, although not the best out there, they are still great.

The guitar played great right when I got it. It was set up almost perfectly. There was a slight buzz on a few frets, but the problem seems to have fixed itself. The store I bought it from gives me a free set up, so if anything changes, I will get it fixed

This guitar feels like a very expensive insturment. it is a semi-hollow body, so you cant smash it around, but it still feels quite solid.

before I bought the guitar I emailed godin with some questions, and they were answered in a few days.

I was in the market for a hollow body jazz guitar, but couldnt find one that I really liked. When I played the flat five, I thought it was nice, until I heard the tones from the acoustic pickup. That is what sold me. the possibilities with humbucker/piezo combonation seem quite extensive.

See the other reviews, or, better yet, Godin's website. http://www.lasido.com

The sound suits my needs perfectly. I needed something that would allow me to play an electric, with an acoustic sound every now and then (which I use a Trace Elliott acoustic amp for). My only complaint would be that the piezo sounds a little weak when blended with the HB's at setting 5 (which is the neck pickup only in HB mode). Aside from that, the pickups are virtually noisless.

Holy Fit and Finish! Exterior finish is wonderful. The action wasn't to my liking, so I adjusted it once I put 11's on it. BTW, one of the other reviews said that the guitar came stock w/ 13's. That's not true according to Godin's website. Perhaps it was at one time, but it is not now. The 24 fret shortscale LGX neck fits my hands like it was made just for me.

There is a downside though. First of all, the inside of the guitar is COMPLETELY COVERED IN GLUE, which I find a bit odd. Secondly, this instrument would work much better if it had stopbar tailpiece, instead of the string through (which makes restringing a real hassle).

N/A. I've only had this instrument a short time. I couldn't honestly comment on its long-term durability.

N/A. I've only had this instrument a short time. No need to contact them as of yet.

I really love this guitar. I would like to offer a few changes I would make to its design:

1. An Arched-top. Carved is nice, but and Archtop version would be a little more appealing to the jazz crowd.

2. The hardshell case leaves a lot to be desired. There is hardly any room for my strap in there!

3. Stopbar tailpiece.

4. The switches feel a little weak, primarly the switch for blend mode.

All this has been covered and I love them all. I'd like to respond to the guy from Greensboro...

Joe is a great guy and Majestic is not there any more, unfortunately. Now, I played one of these and the sound is incredible. I play rock, jazz, a little country, ... basically everything. Been playin for 30 years. I had the pleasure of trying out one of these babies at a blues jam. I have never seen sustain like this! I held notes forever. Ok, the string guage was a bit hefty for me, but that's something you can change. The acoustic sound, the electric sound, and the combo were all amazingly wonderful.

I think the action was wonderful! The finish was excellant - I saw nothing wrong with this guitar.

I own other Godins and they are extremely reliable.

Never had to deal with them.

The thing is, I love this guitar. But I couldn't afford it. You don't want to hear all my financial problems, but if I had the money, the guitar would be mine. I would play it every day.

Just go try one!

Made in Canada, 24 frets, flame-top gray-ish color. H/H config, with the acoustic Baggs pickup. Built-in EQ. Maple and poplar body, mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard. All the finish features are things you'd normally expect on a guitar, but the electronics are the best part of this guitar. 3 inputs, each producing a different sound.

I play rock, stuff like the Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, etc. This was plugged into a Marshall Valvestate combo amplifier, no nonsense like effects. No noise because of the humbuckers. It has a nice, bright sound, a nice step away from the Les Paul I have. As for the 3 inputs, each produces a different sound: all electric, all acoustic, and blend of the two. The electric sound is great, but I have to say that the acoustic mode sounds really good. After playing some acoustic songs on it, I have to say it's really neat to have an acoustic and an electric all in one. It doesn't sound like real acoustic, but it sure as hell sounds good.

Well, it may have been in the store for a bit so the guitar techs may have set it up with new strings and action adjustments. Anyways, it was low action, great finish, no flaws. No nonsense, everything you'd expect.

I can tell that the finish is nice and hard and will withstand many, many hours of playing. Everything is built rock solid, but my only worry would be that the switches might break/malfunction (as it does with almost all of my other guitars). And it's a semi-hollow, so don't go dropping it.

I've tried tons of guitars, from 100 dollar Strat copies to 4000 dollar LP Customs. Although the sound that those 4000 dollar LP's produce is almost unparalleled, it still doesn't justify the insane prices, after all it's just a basic guitar. But this Godin, it's loaded with features, has that great semi-hollow tone, great looks, everything you could hope for in a guitar. And it's all for $1700. Although it is still fairly high, I think it's worth every penny.

This is a 2002 with the Sunburst Finish. Humbuckers and Piezos on the bridge. Others have described the features, or you can look them up on the Godin Web site.

I use this guitar to get a very specific sound that is only possible from a dual output guitar with piezos and magnetic pick-ups. That's the whole point of this type of guitar in my opinion. I run the piezos clean thru an acoustic amp with a little reverb, for a nice bright, acoustic-like tone. I run the magnetic pickups through a tube amp, wet with effects. The combination is absolutely stunning. You get the attack and responsiveness of an acoustic with the ambience, sustain and warmth of an electric. I happen to own a Line6 AX2, which has an aux input designed for use with piezo pick-up guitars, so when I'm lazy, I can get this sound thru just the one amp. But plug her into two amps, let the sound waves collide and the effect is awesome.

Until I figured out how to run each set of pickups thru different amps, I was ready to the return the guitar. Piezos alone or mags alone do not produce a decent tone. At least not compared to my other guitars (a 335 Custom Shop and a Strat). But the incredible responsiveness and musciality of the dual sound approach had made this my favorite.

Action, fit, and finish are superb. Everything was adjusted fine from the factory. But I like to use Flatwound 11's set very low (for fingerstyle jazz). It has a dual action truss rod and in a short time I was able to get it just the way I like it. Low and fast, not a buzz anywhere. Intonation was and remains perfect everywhere on the neck. Finish is gorgeous; gets raves from everyone. This is one beautiful guitar.

The mag pickups are quite close together, but I play this baby fingerstyle only, so who cares? There is no pickguard, so obviously this guitar is not meant to be played with a pick anyway.

Stays in tune for days on end.

Pots and switches have a very nice feel to them, like the knobs on a German automobile.

Brand new. Who knows? But this guitar is obviously well-crafted. I expect no problems.

No contact with Godin.

Been playing for 30 years. This guitar is a great value. Absolutely exceptional for solo jazz playing (they did name it the Flat 5). I was looking for something "better" for jazz than my Gibson 335 (I'm lucky enough to have a good one, 1983 Custom Shop). Tried lots of more expensive archtops -- 175's, 150's, Ibanez Pat Metheny, Ibanez George Benson, Guilds, many many jazz boxes. The unique tone of the Godin with the blending of two disparate sounds blows all the others away. It's not 'traditional', but if you are looking to create your own 'signature sound', it might be for you.

I test drove a Flat Five X at my favorite local music store, a brand new one, I believe (2002). It's a joint U.S./Canada made instrument, 24 frets, 24.75" scale. It's a two voice guitar (single cutaway), with three inputs...one for straight electric, one for acoustic, and one to use them both and blend. The pickups are two humbuckers, and L.R. Baggs transducers with a custom preamp/EQ. The body is made with a solid silver leaf maple center block with poplar "wings" and a solid AAA-grade flamed maple top. The neck is mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard...and I must add that it's one of the nicest necks I've played on (jumbo frets, 16" radius). The body was finished in blackburst. The bridge is a Schaller, tune-o-matic style without a stop bar. The case was included for the price. It was $1400.

I really loved the sounds this guitar made. I didn't find the pickups to be muddy at all. Even though it's a semi-hollow body with humbuckers, it still has clarity to it. It sounded great for what things I played on it...rock, blues, jazz, country and rockabilly, and even a little reggae/dub/ska (all of those styles I enjoy).

The piezo sound was actually very good. I've never been a fan of these onboard electric guitar systems, but I really liked the sounds I got from it. Very impressive. The piezo sounds make this a guitar that you could take into a studio or live situation and not need anything else.

The action was just right for me, not too high, not too low. The pickups were at a good height, but they are very close together and it doesn't leave you a ton of picking room. The top was absolutely beautiful...not a flaw anywhere. Everything was tight, from top to bottom. All Godins that I've played have had a very high attention to detail.

If you try to use your guitar as a personal protection device, then of course it's not going to last. This isn't a Strat. You're not going to be able to use it to protect yourself from the drunk in the bar. That said, it's still a very solid instrument, and as long as you don't plan on dropping it down a flight of stairs, it'll last you a lifetime. The finish was fairly thick. But I can't really give a qualified answer of the guitar's durability, though, since I only played it for around an hour.

I own a Seagull S6+Folk, and a Godin Radiator (both made by LaSiDo0, and they've answered some of my e-mails, but ignored others. I can't comment on repairs, since I've never had any done.

I've been playing for about 8 years, and I own 13 other guitars (electrics and acoustics from Fender, Godin, Tacoma, Seagull, and other no name brands). This is one of the greatest instruments I've ever had the pleasure of playing. It will definitely be the next guitar I purchase (a Flat Five, though, as much as I liked the acoustic sounds...if I play acoustic, I play an actual acoustic). The sounds are amazing, the feel is incredible, and the look is immaculate. If you were to get a guitar like this from any other manufacturer, you'd be spending at the very least, twice this amount of money.

Dual Humbucking pickups, 5 way slector with coli-splitting, LR Baggs acoustic under the saddle piezos (I think). Semi-acoustic thinkline hollowbody, f-holes, sold flamed maple carved top, sunburst finish (lightburst), two-piece mahogany neck, custom case.

3 output jacks - humbuckers only, acoustic only, blend

For all of the elctronics on board there is very little documentation to suggest how to use the setup to full effect.

I assume it is called Flat-Five because to accomodate the three output jacks, there is a flat side of the guitar which takes up the 5 o'clock position if the guitar is viewed vertically. I can't wait to really try this system sending the two outputs to separate amps and effects..

Still early days for me but I have been very pleased with botht he acoustic and electric sounds. I play mostly through a J-Station direct to a mackie board for live sound, monitoring with an old 68 Epiphone guitar amp.
More bottom end to the sound than my Tele, but lots of sparkle and presence in the high registers. Easy to overdive for great sustain...

So many combinations of sounds, that a full review should wait for a few months!

I bought this guitar based on the fantastic action. While in the market for a 335 style guitar, I knew I couldn't afford the real thing. Even so, I played a few Gibsons and Epiphones, some Guilds, Jay Tursers etc.. Nothing came close to the comfort of the Flat Five neck and action. It felt very similar to my custom Tele, which is probably why I took to it so easily.

The finish is high gloss and flawless. My only complaint is that it appears to be a very thick coat of finish - I would have preferred a more hand rubbed or thin look.

Only had it a week..
Seems very solid - I have no reason to think it is not solidly and thoughtfully made for long term use. All mechanical parts feel solid to the touch, and all strap buttons etc are well fitted to the body.
The fish looks as though it will last for a few hundred years with a bit of care.
I would gig without backup - no concerns there...

I bought this particular guitar sight-unseen through my regular guitar shop. They had to order it from Godin and it came within a week.
Standard lifetime warranty I believe.

Playing for 25 years or so.. Mostly folk/rock/pop styles on guitar. I also play a Larrivee acoustic (C-09), a Fender Custom Shop Nashville-Style Tele, and a few other nondesript and home made guitars. This guitar may well become my main live instrument due to its ability to proved both acouustic and electric tones. I will continue to record with the Larrivee and Tele for now - until I get used to the sounds from the Flat-Five.

After looking high and low, asking opinions online, and contacting Godin, I finally found an elusive Flat Five X. I salivated at the chance to play one. And, armed with the cash to buy it on the spot, I ventured three hours down the road. Man was I disappointed. Let me first say that I really LOVE Godin's guitars, but they've dropped the ball on this thing.

The guitar is a semi-hollow, actually more like semi-solid and very heavy. The body was finished in what looks alot like the cognac burst on the LGs--beautifully finishsed, but looks don't produce tone. The pickups include two humbucking Godin p-ups, and the bridge is an LR Baggs transducer. A five way switch is used to split the humbuckers into single coils. But you won't hear any Strat-like, glassy tones with this thing. And I didn't expect Strat but maybe some brightness..anything. Just produced dark mids. When you first look at it, you might think the p-ups are rather close together and does that affect tone--yes. And the tones aren't that different from the neck and the bridge. I test drove it through a Groove Tubes 10 watt head. The amp was amazing(I played other guitars through it). The neck pickup is a little warmer than the bridge, but the bridge doesn't produce any punch at all when overdriven. This guitar is marketed as a multi-functional guitar. If it's the jazz guy they want to pitch to, then call it a jazz something or other, but don't tell me it's great for rock--nope.

The Baggs pickup sounded great. That's about all I can give them here.

I guess I covered the basics in the last section, but I neglected to mention the pickup port configuration. There are actually three inputs: one, the humbuckers; two, the acoustic; and three, both which is called the "blend" input. I can't see the benefits of blending the humbuckers with the Baggs pickup. Any nice eq can easily dial in the "blend" sound, which is just a little more brightness. This seems quite "gimicky" on the part of Godin.

The acoustic pickup can be manipulated with the onboard eq. I'm sure the onboard eq has caused more than one headache to a good sound person on any given night. If you're using a reliable sound person, or an amp worth a damn, the eq is about as useful as a flyswat in Anarctica.

I play jazz and rock. I like everything from Scofield to Phish, and I was looking for and ES-335 sound withouth the bothersome feedback that accompanies most hollowbodies. And when I saw that Godin had added the acoustic pickup, I was elated...until I played the damn thing. Like I said, I played it through a Groove 10 watt head. The amp was amazing, and if you have the chance play one, but this review is for the guitar.

I plugged it into a Peavey Ecoustic. Now before you dismiss the notion of a Peavey sounding at all like an amp, keep an open mind. It sounded good...even for a Peavey. The Baggs can make a tin can sound great.

Ok, here's the really crappy part about this guitar. I own a Seagull, Godin's acoustic guitar. It has better action and feel than this thing. It was straight from the factory. I mean, the shop had just gotten it in a day before I played it. The action was offensive it was so high. It felt like a cheap acoustic. They stock it with 13's. My hands were bleeding after 2 minutes of playing.

The back of the neck is finished in some flat, glaze-like paint. It felt like a plastered wall--no easy task to play scales or slides.

It's a beautiful instrument, though. The top was finished in flamed maple. But it would be like having a hot-ass girlfriend who was a bitch. Nice to look at, no fun to play.

Can't say.

Dunno.

I entered that I payed $1400 for it. I didn't buy it, but I was prepared to pay that for it. Save your money. I wouldn't pay $500 for this thing. If you want a Godin, buy an SD. The action is better. This is another example of industry trying to do too much with one instrument. If you need an archtop, buy an archtop. Acoustic, same thing. Don't get wrapped up in putting too many lables on one thing. The pressure is far too much to live up to, and it usually lets you down in some capacity. I feel that I've been far to nice in my rating, but I like the other guitars this company makes, so I can't be that harsh. I didn't like this guitar. That's all.