Godin Flat Five X

* Silverleaf Maple Center Body with Poplar Wings
* Solid Carved AAA Grade Spruce Top
* Mahogany Neck with 24 Fret Rosewood Fingerboard
* 2 Godin "Flat Five" Humbucking Pickups
* LR Baggs "X-Bridge" Transducer Acoustic Pickup
* 5 Way Tone Selector
* Volume, Tone, and Blend Knobs
* Active 3-band EQ and Volume for Acoustic

Bought this one for a steal. Mine has some cosmetic flaws but are predominantly on the back so who cares. With the 5 way switch you can split the coils of each pickup. In conjunction with the LR Baggs system you can make this guitar sound completely different with the flick of a switch, or by rolling the blend knob. Only reason this gets a 9 is the previous owner adjusted how the 5 way is wired and there is no sound in the 1st position. Easy to fix, but it isn't high on my priority list. I have the 2 jack version (electric, and acoustic/electric)

This guitar does all of the styles I play well. I play an eclectic blend of music from metal, funk, ska, punk, blues, and I'm now delving into electronic music. So far I have played it through a Mesa 2:100, Rectifier Recording Pre, Peavey XXX, and a Rivera TBR5. It is essentially 3 guitars in one and sounds great both clean and distorted (except with the LR Baggs activated obviously). If I need a strat sound for blues or funk it's there and pretty convincing. As is the acoustic voicing. In a mix it sounds surprisingly similar to an acoustic. I dislike the fact that the LR Baggs system runs on a 9-volt, but as long as there's a new one in there for the gig you won't suffer any tonal loss.

Not sure who the previous owner was, but it was clearly amateur hour. One of the pickup screws was broken in half and the strings were wound backwards. The guitar still played and sounded great. I knew in just a few minutes of playing it that it was mine. The thing I like the most is the neck. 24 frets and it is both flat and fat. It plays more like an acoustic than an electric, but sounds like whatever you need. Mine is a naked wood grain finish. Points off for the condition in which I bought it.

It is a well built guitar. Time will tell as to how it will hold up. I bought it a little banged up and intend to play rough with it. No issues so far.

It's a good thing I knew more about the guitar than the salesperson or previous owner. I got it for a steal and it was worth easily double what I paid for it. My peers are instantly impressed when it comes out of the case. It simply exudes class and I would look for another if it were stolen or destroyed. It is my utility guitar and I would need 3 to replace it so hopefully it will hold up.

2004 Godin Flat Five X, with two outputs. This may have been the last year they were produced? 24 frets.

Electric pickups have 5-way selector: bridge, bridge split, both, neck split, neck. I think they are Godin pickups- I don't know whether they wind them or bought them from someone else but they sound GOOD. Acoustic pickup setup has an individual piezo element for each string, 3-band EQ with volume as well asanother separate master volume knob near the pickup switch (nice feature!!)

Mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard. Body is comprised of a mahogany center piece, poplar wings (I think), and a solid flamed flamed maple top. String-through bridge. Locking tuners. Came with gig bag.

My only wish is if it could split both pickups together, but that might not have sounded very good so there may be a reason for it. Other than that, I couldn't ask for more stuff in one guitar.

I play modern jangle-rock/power-pop.

Electric pickups: I plug this into a Boss ME-50 multi effect device into an Ampeg 1x12 Reverberocket. This thing rocks when I need it to, but can also mellow out on demand. I'm not going into uber-umlaut-distortion, so I cannot verify how it sounds in high-gain settings. Through the Boss distortion it sounds very nice and natural. The semi-hollow tone adds depth to the sound, but not too much. It is bright, yet full. No boxiness at all. Good sustain. It's a great counterpoint to my telecaster.

Acoustic pickups: I didn't like the way it sounded through an acoustic amp at the guitar shop, but liked the rest of the guitar so much I bought it anyway. No biggie, since I already had an excellent acoustic guitar with a pickup in it. When I got it home and plugged it into the PA just for kicks at a rehearsal, me and the band were blown away. It is bright and shimmery and cuts through the mix without being too shrill. When doing "High and Dry" live it produces the nice high strum that the original mix has. It is not as round as my acoustic but is great in a live setting when an acoustic guitar is not the solo instrument. It's not for folkies, but is perfect for songs that have electric and acoustic parts. I no longer use my acoustic with the band and use this instead for all the acoustic parts.

I read some complaints about its lack of a high end, but I completely disagree. I did a side-by-side comparison with my Ibanez Artcore, and the Flat Five had a great sparkling upper register in comparison to the boxy and dull sound of the Artcore. Might those people claiming the lack of upper frequences had a slightly different version, perhaps the three-output version?

I am not kidding that when I first picked up this guitar and wrapped my fingers around it, I felt that I had never played such a comfortable guitar. I don't mean that it has the comfort of a thin-neck low-action shred machine(i.e. Brian Moore, Jackson, etc.), but instead more of a natural feeling. Part of it is the natural finish neck, part of it is the more porous feel of mahogany (compared to most slick maple necks), part of it is the shaping of the neck that makes me feel I don't have to stretch as far to get those outside notes in a more complex chord.

Mine is blue, and the finish is fantastic. Elicits "oohs" when I bring it out. One of their online brochures said it's an A top, but the flames appear to be deeper than that.

There are a few glue splotches on the inside (a 1 point deduction), but other than that everything is airtight.

My main gripe is with the tuners- they are supposed to be locking tuners but I find myself having to retune quite a bit. Perhaps I didn't string it right- the strings are one turn around the peg and it could be that there shouldn't be any windings. Are locking tuners really that necessary? I had a Carvin with locking tuners and I don't think I found myself tuning any less with that than I did with my Telecaster with the standard Fender slot tuners.

Also, when I'm moving around and shuffling papers and all that the strap doesn't stay on as well as it has with other guitars. Perhaps it's the location of the strap button, but it makes me a little more cautious. I'd rather be thinking about my playing rather than if the guitar is going to fall off.

Other than those things this thing is solid and built to last. The bolt is airtight, and nothing wiggles. I envision this being the guitar to keep.

I haven't needed any repairs, so I will not offer an opinion.

HOWEVER, these guitars originally had a 1 year warranty, but the model I bought had been sitting on the dealer's racks for 4 years. I contacted Godin to ask them if this guitar was warranted and they said that they usually wouldn't offer a warranty on this old of a model but to contact them if I had any problems.

I've been playing about 25 years and have owned a few electric guitars: aside from my first few beginner models I've owned a Carvin, a Gibson Marauder, a Fender Aerodyne Telecaster, and an Ibanez Artcore. I still have my Fender but have sold all the others. This guitar blows them all away by a long shot but it's also a considerably more expensive guitar than all its predecessors.

I originally went in to buy a Reverend Manta Ray (semihollow). They didn't have that model in stock, but they had others that I tried. I only picked up the Godin on a lark because I have a friend that plays semi-professionally and swears by his Godin Montreal. When I picked it up and started playing I knew this was somethign special. This guitar blew away all the Reverends I played, but it's not a fair comparison because they weren't semi-hollows like the Manta Ray is.

When I bought this guitar, I didn't think I'd use the acoustic pickups at all. I bought it for the playability and electric guitar tones alone (the fact that it was on their wall for a while and therefore marked down by over $400 helped too). To have such a great acoustic guitar sound was just icing on the cake. I'm not quite sure why no one bought it before-- the only thing I can think is the lack of name recognition.

I only wish it had a pickup setting that included both pickups split, if only to see what that would sound like. But that is nitpicking- the settings it has are very useful.

transparent blue finish, single cutaway, string thu-body with piezo, medium neck (rosewood), case included, 24 frets, volume&tone&mix (for the piezo) with 5 way pickup selector, H/H (stainless steel plated)....

I thinks that's all I can remember, oh yeah! It is bolt-on neck!

I'm sorry I'm not a "tech nerdy", I just wanna play and it plays great!

I play mostly jazz. As a student, I practiced with my Flat Five X for the past year and a half. It suits jazz well but IT IS NOT A HOLLOW BODY!!! The body has 2 "f" holes but, outside of that, it is FULL LIKE A SOLID BODY! It resonates like a SOLID BODY with more sustain I'd say.

I'd say it's good sounding for rock, blues, jazz and "cleaner" styles. The FIVE DIFFERENT PICKUP configuration gives a WIDE sound palette. (I sometimes think it sounds like a bluesy single coil strat)

The piezo ADD ALOT TO THE VARIETY OF SOUNDS! It doesn't sound exactly like an accoustic but I mainly MIX THE PIEZE AND ELECTRIC SOUNDS (there is a knob to adjust the mix) and I try to simulate a HOLLOW body and it is close! (with flatwound strings, of course!)

Nothing's perfect : 9

Good action and overal setup at first.

I had to ajust because I went for BIG STRINGS. (.013 - .052) I don't recommend it, I'd say (.011 - .049) gives the best results (actions and sound wise)

The back of the neck is not finished, more natural, I REALLY LIKE IT!

The scale length is small (like Gibson I guess)

Marvelous finish, good factory fretwork, high quality knobs and selector, still lasting after 1.5 year!

ONE NEGATIVE POINT : One of MY TUNING PEG BROKE after 6 months!!! The plastic cracked because of the good old Canadian WINTER! I recommend metal tuning pegs (such as high quality GROVER).

Tuning peg... : 8

I'm always carrying this guitar in a hardshell case. I SWEAT ALOT and my fingers have ACIDIC SWEAT (wich means I kill regular strings in less than 2 hours)

I defenitely use this guitar with NO BACKUP and I'm really confident! Never broke a string.

negative : see above for the tuning peg story...

...dunno...

I've been playing for 10+ years. I played mainly RG (ibanez) and hollow body guitars. I play through a roland JAzz chorus and I mainly play with no effects (I can sometime add overdrive, reverb, delay and chorus).

I fell In love with this guitar from the first moment. The way it sat on my lap and the way it felt under my right arm was like "HOME". It is so natural for me... I can just go deep within AND PLAY without thinking about the instrument or whatever. I never had a guitar like that!

it is a High quality guitar, I loved it, I still love it and I WILL love it for many years!

...enough said, I think I made my point!

2003 model. I won't go in details about it's features, we all know what they are by now. I can only think of one word ''complete''. If you need more features, well that's that. I love the finish and playability of the neck. Fit's and feel's just right.

The sound of this guitar is what you will make out of it. Because it is hugely customizable, with the 2 voices able to match & blend, it's up to your own creativity to find ''your'' sound. I sure have found MY tone. I have been playing professionaly for 23 years, and have owned countless guitars, both el cheapos and exotics, this is the absolute best I have encountered regarding tone possibilities. I have a Fender Accoustisonic amp and a Peavey Classic 30. I Use both at the same time for crazy experimenting. The accoustic sounds are also very nice, but don't throw away your Martin just yet.

My guitar came with the action too low, and it was Buzz City. This was a cinch to adjust at the dealer. My initial reaction was that this guitar was quite large and heavy, and it did bother me at first. Could be a problem if you are into lightweights. If you are, look elsewhere.
I had heard that this guitar ''played by itself''. I laughed at this comment when I heard it. Well, whadyaknow, its pretty well true. This thing plays freely and easily, and actually makes me a better player for it. The finish on this thing is awesome. How can they do it for this price with a North-American made built?

So far so good. Never let me down in 3 nights a week gigs. No pick guard, so don't knock this around too much. Also, I did have some concerns about the 9V battery letting me down unexpectedly, but all is ok, (but do have a spare one around).

This guit never let me down, so I cannot offer comments on customer support. And that's fine by me.

I would replace this in an instant. I have owned a total of 26 guitars in the past (you name 'em) and I currently use 5 onstage (Martin accoustic, G&L, Fender Jaguar, Rickenbaker, and my trusty Godin Flat Five X ). This is the most versatile, easy to play and fun guitar I have ever owned. I will not use the word ''best'' as it'a all a matter of taste, but it does apply to my experience. IF I had to be critical, I would say that I still wish this guitar would be somewhat lighter..but I am nit-picking really. Also, although the finish is exceptionnal, yes the shape takes some time to get used to. It is by no means unattractive, but is is a bit different. This Flat Fixe X is one seriously made sonic gem, and I am proud to own it. When all is all said and done, only your own experience and ears will tell if the Five is made for you...By the way, I have seen the new Montreal also by Godin...I am falling in love all over again to the point where I just may sell (reluctantly) my FFX to get it...!

see the godinguitars.com website

This guitar has rich warm tone. I have another standard lg godin that doesn't come close to the sound of the flat five x. I run it through a mesa boogie studio caliber and it sounds great. The acoustic tone is very bright and can cut through with a sharper sound in a mix. the higher register is very very clean and the notes ring out as if singing them!

excellent setup, low action, easy to play.

This guitar must have a bad scratchy volume pot for the main pickups. it's ok if you don't move it that much but it will cut out when you're playing. Also what can be frustrating is the fact of having to replace the 9 volt battery for the active pickups, when that goes out you're SOL. I just replaced the battery and the acoustic sounds much fuller and the guitar seems to work ok, but I need to get the volume pot replaced.

I have yet to deal with them, but will soon.

overall this guitar is a good buy, it's the best guitar I've ever had, the tone alone is worth the price.

All has been stated before. But it's a 2004 model. 2 Humbuckers and LR Baggs Bridge. 5 way selector with coil splits at 2 & 4. 3 output jacks. Magnetic vol & tone pots. Blend pot. 3 way selector for mag/piezo mix. Piezo vol & eq's. String through body. Gibson scale neck with 24 frets.

It's a great blues box. I sold a 335 when I bought this. I normally run through 2 amps (DeVille 410 & Acoustic) or through the DeVille and the piezo into a PA. The mix/blend of sounds is brilliant. You can pick away on magnetic and switch to acoustic finger style easily. The pickups themselves are Godin. But they are obviously S.D. in makeup. Sound dperfect for what I want, do and like. A huge variety of sound.

I have 4 other Godin guitars. I bought this one because of the action. The LG string through type action is increadable. Low, but no buzz. Easy to play without being rediculously low. The finish on the guitar is massive. Lite burst. Looks great and feels great. Everything fits and plays well.

This guitar takes heaps. It's not delicate but can be. I play hard but treat well. Never let me down yet. None of my Godin's have. It comes with schaller type strap locking pins and that's what I use.

I have emailed Godin on a number of topics and enquiries and have always received a reply. I also complained about a distributor in this Country and received a very courteous response. I have never needed warranty yet.

I've been playing for 34 years. I own a total of 18 guitars of Fender, Gibson, Godin, Maton (Australian), De Armond, Cole Clark (Aust), Charvel, Sakai brands. I'm not biased. They come from Aus, Canada, USA, Japan, Mexico, Korea, and 1 home made. I've got plenty to compare it with. I would rate it right up there with any other guitar from any country, and better than a lot of stuff that is suppose to be good just because of it's name & country of manufacture. I don't dislike anything. It is the largest guitar physically, that I own, apart from an acoustic jumbo, and sometimes limits my playing a little because of that. I nearly bought a second one 2 days ago that I found on special, but was shopping for an XT-SA with synth access, and stuck to my guns and bought that. I can't believe that they are not more popular and well known in this country. If I have any complaint at all it is with the Australia importer for not marketing this fine guitar better.

2004 model. Features have been mentioned elsewhere. I'll just mention that with 24 frets and, a 24&3/4in. scale (gibson scale), 2 humbuckers, no pickguard, plus pretty close-to-the-body string height (typical of Godins) this is not a guitar for an aggressive player who likes to whack away. but I love the layout, and despite the 24 fret neck and the necessary movement of the rhythm pickup, that pickup sounds just fine. 3 pickups, a standard ES-335 style arrangement but with a 5-way switch that has some coil tapping for wider tonal variation, plus an EXCELLENT "acoustic" piezo pickup under the bridge complete with 3-band eq. Mahogany neck. silverleaf maple center section, poplar wings, beautiful AA or AAA flame maple SOLID top, rosewood fingerboard. Godin has their own "single cutaway" style that is a little bit like a PRS single-cut or some of the newer US masters styles. But you can go to www.godinguitars.com to see.

I fell in love with this guitar at first sight, so I was relieved when I plugged it into a pair of amps (one electric and one acoustic) and it sounded unbelievable. Others have complained about the sound. I think it probably just wasn't for them. This is NOT an archtop jazz guitar! It doesn't sound like that. I play through a Pod 2.0 using the Vox model and the electric part sounds amazing. I play the acoustic through a yamaha AG Stomp, which makes it sound very much like a mic-ed Acoustic Guitar!

For the most part, this is a superlatively made guitar. The top is matched beautifully, the finish is very nice, the wood is gorgeous, the neck joint is rock-solid. The setup is perfect off the rack. However, one of the strap buttons got loose and I had to use some Wood filler (Tite'n actually) to get it back in to stay. Now that is fine. Also, the volume pot is very scratchy, I'll have to replace it I think. The balance of all of Godin's instruments is extraodinary. It just feels right.

Only had it two months, so I don't know. But I liked it enough to buy another Godin, so there. It feels very solid, though, and I've had other experience with Godins, so I expect great things. See above for my minor strap button and volume pot issues.

All my questions (and i've had a few) have been answered via email pretty quickly

I've been playing for about 25 years. I have a beautiful US Masters Strat, an old Dano U2, a Wechter Acoustic, and another Godin (an ACS-SA Nylon String, which I also love) and I've had Gibsons, Fenders, Heritages, Yamahas, Ovations, Ibanezes and everything else in between over the years. This is my favorite guitar I've ever owned. It plays and sounds great, and the ability to play acoustic and electric sounds at the same time is HUGE for me. I LOVE it.

Canadian Made guitar. Absolutely beautiful. Hollow Body. Two humbuckers with 5 way switch for tapping. Acoustic pickup as and a blender for both sounds...or feed an electric and an acoustic signal at the same time to the sound board! AAA Flamed Maple Top. Northern Canadian wood for a shorter growing season to make the wood more dense. 16" radius nech that is the most comfortable every made. Free hard shell case.

what can'y I play? Total coverage. Worth more than I paid.

is this a dream or is it real? Somebody pinch me.

I have never used a back up since owning this guitar. I play blues to rock and then flick a switch and play acoustic.

2 year warranty. I had one volume pot fail. I called Godin and they shipped me a replacement right away...no hassels.

My price is lower than most because somebody put a surface scratch on the backside of the guitar...easily polished out.

I bought a 2003 model with AAA maple - all in (case straps etc etc) $1500. Never had a better guitar and I've had a lot.

Sound ... you name it it will do it ... and more. No gimmicks. Pickups - zero noise - fabulous mixes possible for all styles.

Perfect setup (for me anyway) from the shop. This guitar has the best (BEST) action I have used ... it plays itself. No flaws of any kind found.

Hollow (ish) body - fragile no. This thing is built. Finish is still as new after hard use.

Never needed to contact them so ......

Been playing for 35 years .. had most every guitar. The Godin is the only one I'd replace if it were lost/stolen. Last comment - don't read Godin - play one - especially the flat 5-x and buy it. You'll never regret it. Worth more than the cost price.

I have a 2003 year model of the Flat Five X with the optional spruce top. Front panel controls are available for volume and eq. The guitar is 2 guitars in one Elecric and Acoustic or both together. I purchased this guitar used on eBay for a great price of $750 US.

With its L.R. Baggs transducers in the bridge and a Custom Preamp/EQ along with the Humbuckers this guitar provides 3 outputs for either Electric Guitar output only, Acoustic Guitar output only or both blended. You can adjust the amount of blending.

The 24 Fret neck provides a very easy to play feel -- the guitar practically plays itself. The action is incredible.

I have had no problems since owning the guitar. It appears very solid and well constructed. The finish is very durable!.

I have had no problems so I cannot provide any input on Godin;s responsiveness.

I would replace this guitar the next day if anything ever happened to it. This is my most versatile and my favorite guitar. It stays in tune. The intonation is great. I own a few other Godin guitars a Rickenbacker 330, Fender Precision Bass, Rickenbacker Bass, Taylor Baby, Yamaha APX5. I triend to think of ways to improve upon the Godin Flat 5x and could not think of a single improvement.

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.