Godin LGX-SA

A beautiful and subtle cognac burst flame AA top. Excellent fast and wide neck with a nicely balanced body. Comes with a pretty decent gig bag. Made in Canada and, I believe, assembled in the US. Solid controls with 5-way selector, volume, tone, synth, and acoustic pickup controls for blending tones. Neck and bridge Seymour Duncan custom pickups (love 'em).

LGX-SA - what a great tonal palette! I'm thrilled with the variety of tones available with the 'three voice' (electric, acoustic, and syth) concept. This guitar does just what I was hoping in terms of versatility. Tones are rich, resonant, with an almost acoustic depth. No complaints about the sound.

My style of music ranges from classical (I play a lot of nylon string, classical and jazz), to acoustic or electric country, to Pat Metheny-style jazz. After playing so much acoustically for many years getting back into electric seems almost like cheating with effect boxes and such. But the LGX-SA makes me want to explore.

The set-up from the factory including the action was fine. The top is a handsome cognac burst finish and flawless AA grade top. I was tempted by the transparent blue finish, but the cognac is subtle and classy to my eyes. Controls are solid and tight.

I've only had this instrument for about a month, so I've only just begun to investigate the range of tones. But the guitar feels solid, balanced, and well made. I would gig without a backup, though accidents could always happen.

No experience with warranties or Godin service.

I've been playing over forty years. My classical guitar is a Yamaha G 235, my first electric is a Gretsch Anniversary model (about 1964 vintage) and my steel string acoustic is an Alvarez RD 8. Ironically, my classical and steel string are not expensive guitars, but each is a very sweet instrument which deliver beautiful tones and sustain with excellent playability.

I've wanted to get an electric with synth access for some time, and experimented with a Brian Moore 2.13 as an alternative choice. But after much deliberation and hesitation I finally got an opportunity to play the LGX early this summer and was simply blown away. Beyond the tonal palette, the excellent neck playability and overall feel I finally found an electric that I can play smoothly with a hybrid fingerstyle technique. I intend to use a Roland synth for orchestration in studio and live work, as well as to MIDI-input into computer notation software for composition as an alternative to keyboard input.

If this guitar were stolen, I would buy another immediately. Love this baby.

Bought it new in 1998. Way before I even knew what it was. Played it in a store and was reasonably impressed. I likend it to a poor mans PRS and since I was a poor man I bought it. Boy was that a great buy. As far as I have seen they only make one kind of LGX-SA so their is not much difference in the features...except for the pre-Duncan pickup era.

I started using it live immediately, replacing my strat and my Takamine. I stopped lugging multiple guitars around and that was worth its WEIGHT in gold. I started to blend the acoustic sound directly into the main mix with a little reverb and ran the electric through a Fender Hot Rod Delux. It really gave me a great full sound. I played regularly in a dance club in Gainsville and the sound guy told me to get rid of all my crappy effects and just play the guitar through the amp. He said it was the best sounding guitar tone he had ever heard. (not the best sounding player though...)I guess that says something about this guitars possibilities.

I do not use it for 1-2 man acoustic guitar acts becuase it does not give the same feel that a "real" acoustic can but for all other situations I use it exclusivly.

Almost no noise in the pickups (not single coil) so that is great when you play in bars with lots of neon.

I also use the synth with a volume pedal. I like to swell in organ sounds to really build the sound. Since we don't have any keys it really adds a lot to the overall sound of the band. I will play some sax solos and I have almost never had any issues with the tracking.

Action is OK..not the best, not the worst. For the price of the guitar it is perfactly acceptable.

I have giged with this guitar live for 7 years....50 gigs a year...350 gigs and never had a problem with it. That is pretty durable. I keep it in pretty good shape.

I have just started to notice that the strings have cutting into the bridge over the years and that has started to affect the tracking on certain strings. Don't know about spare parts availability.

I have no idea....I do all my own work. I would like to have more documentation.

I have more expensive guitars and less expensive ones. Just bought a Modulus G3 semi-hollow a month ago. It is a dream and blows this guitar away.....but it costs three times as much too. So I guess for the value of what you get this is probably the best guitar I think I have ever owned.

I have a mid- to late-90s model with a transparent red finish on the flamed top. It had gotten the Frankenstein treatment from the previous owner (I bought it on ebay almost 2 years ago now), but aside from the pickups it's now all back to stock. With the combination of splittable humbuckers, piezo, and Roland synth output, there's no way you can't give this guitar a 10 for features.

It had a Duncan JB in the bridge (with the cover removed) and the stock neck pickup when I got it. I found the neck pickup a little lifeless, so I had Torres Engineering put their neck PAF in and put new black covers on both pickups. My sound ratings are based on this setup since I've never tried the original bridge pickup (although I have it if I ever want to drop it in).

The acoustic (not the piezo, the unamplified acoustic sound) of the guitar is pretty 'zingy,' for lack of a better word--pretty lively and bright. If you've ever played a guitar with an ebony fretboard, you'll recognize the distinctive sound it imparts to fretted notes. It's not as pleasing as rosewood to my ear, but that's the tradeoff you have to make for the improved synth tracking ebony gives you.

With the swapped out pickups, the humbuckers are strong without being too high gain. The JB is great for rock stuff, and the Torres PAF has an old school rock vibe. I keep the tone backed off with both pickups to mellow the guitar out a little, with the volume backed off just a hair also.

I'm a big fan of using the middle setting with a two humbucker guitar and using the volumes to create a tone that's nicely mixed, and you don't get that with this guitar. But the 5-way selector really makes up for that omission with the tremendous flexibility it affords you. The two and four positions are not an imitation of a Strat, but for live playing they give you sonically similar sounds that can fit in a mix well--and it's also nice to be able to use the volume drop you get in the 2, 3, and 4 positions to create dynamics without changing the volume pot (although I constantly work the volume and tone pots anyway). The 5-way switch and the humbuckers make for a really flexible rock guitar--that's the style it seems most suited for to me.

I don't use the piezo much. It's nice to have as an option, but it needs a lot of help to sound decent--e.g., an SIB FatDrive and some delay into an acoustic-type amp or preamp. I do use the synth output a lot, though, and the tracking and control setup is very good into my GR33. I'll often leave a soft string-like pad on the GR33 that I can blend at very low levels behind my guitar in a trio setting for added fullness. It's a very nice effect. The guitar is very quiet overall.

I can't rate the original guitar setup, but I'd give my modded Godin a 10 for flexibility in its sounds, and an 8 for the best single tones it provides. If you want just one sound there may be a better guitar for you but for the total package there are few guitars that can compete with the LGX-SA.

Mine had had locking tuners put on that didn't look good at all, and they left exposed holes as well. I had the original tuners put back on, which unfortunately still left visible holes--but that's not Godin's fault. Since there are no F-holes are anything (places that Godin usually doesn't finish well) everything looks good on the guitar--nice finish, pretty tight fit on the neck, etc. The guitar has the goofy 'Godin' and 'LGX' on the headstock that Godin has since refined to a more pleasing font, but it's all good. I don't particularly like the ringless mounting for the pickups, but again, it appears to have been well executed at the factory.

I'm not very fond of the flat 60's Les Paul-style neck--I'd like something chunkier. But for a flat neck it plays well.

The LGX has never missed a beat in the two years I've had it. I had to do a lot of work when I first got it because it had been abused, but since it was fixed up it's been very, very solid for me. I like to have several guitars with me when I play (Strat, Jazz Multiac, Reverend Wolfman with filtertrons) for different styles, but I'm very comfortable taking this as my only humbucker guitar. Aside from breaking a string occasionally, there's nothing that's going to go wrong with it, even with the three outputs.

I've never dealt directly with Godin. They have good info on their website and they had supplied the previous owner with a replacement RMC jack, but that's not enough for me to give a rating here.

I try to grade fairly on H-C. An 8 from me means that I'm very happy with the guitar. If I had to take ONE guitar with me for a gig, it would be this one since it handles so many styles. As I said above, it doesn't do any one thing at the highest level, but it does a lot of things very well. I'd choose this over your average Les Paul any day. I'll probably get an LGXT-SA to replace/supplement it eventually, and I've bought several other Godins--which speaks to the quality of their brand in my eyes.

I've accumulated a ton of gear over the years and have been a semi-pro player for longer than I'd care to admit. If you have any questions about LGX-SAs, feel free to drop me a line and I'll answer it if I can.

1999 Amber burst w/ Tetrads, Piezo, and Synth Access. All the bells and whistles you need if you want everything on one axe --- which is precisely why I bought it. Got it off ebay in near mint condition for $1089. Non-locking tuners (not sure what type), but I feel compelled to comment that this thing really stays in tune and I find no need for locking tuners. It is a non-tremelo model, but I am not a whammy guy anyhow.

I really could not be more pleased. I use a Vai Legacy V212 and I get all that I can ask for from the guitar in this set-up. I wanted both awesome humbucking and single coil tones and it is all there; with the small exception being that it does not give you "true" Strat sound --- close but not the real thing (i also own a Strat and a moded Guild S-300). So, if you're looking for the total Strat experience, buy a Strat. Anything else, this guitar will smoke. The Tetrads are extremely hot (as other users have commented); so I guess I need to add that you're not going to get the jazz guitar sound exactly either. I play pretty much every style; blues, heavy/hard rock, prog, Southern rock, Steve Stevens-flamenco-a-go-go type noodling, etc. I love the this guitar for pure electric applications through my amp.

Piezo: I use a Fender Acoustasonics (the big one) and frankly, my acoustic sounds from the Godin are on par with my Taylor 814 CE and 410 CE through this amp. Again, exactly what I was looking for on this front.

synth: Incredible tracking and great sounds with the GR-33 synth. I am only getting into this (guitar synth playing technique is a whole other world). However, the tracking with this absolutely blows away the G2K pickup on my Strat. I run the synth into the Acoustasonic and will need to explore whether other amp/pa options are even more suitable to gettin even more out of the LGX-SA.

The greatest thing is that you can have all of this capability (to play all three - mags, piezo, and synth - at once or any combination you'd like. A possible downside is having three cables running out of the guitar (it is a bit unwieldy and would definitely impair someone who moves around alot when getting their groove going). However, the 13-pin output does have all three signals running out and I am going to experiment some more on how I might effectively use all the potential through this one cable. I have not noticed any loss of volume with this approach when just running piezo and synth into the Acoustasonic.

There is some volume loss when using the single coil configurations in comparison to pure tetrad humbucking, but nothing I would consider in any way problematic.

Again, beautiful, rich sounds from all outputs on the LGX-SA. I got more than everything that I bargained for with this guitar. One final thing I guess worth mentioning: this guitar has tone man! It just sings and sings!! The beautiful neck is a bolt-on, but I could not ask for more sustain. Play one unplugged and you'll know you have a phenomenal instrument in your hands; but maybe I just lucked out and got one that is special. I firmly believe that certain guitars just have that intangible feel and sound beyond identical models produced in the same shop in the same year. If all LGX-SA's sound as sweet as mine, then Godins are the most under-rated beasts in the guitar world!

Again, bought the guitar on ebay (1st time I've ever done that and I was definitely scared shitless that I would have issues/problems). it is in near mint condition (one small pea-sized mark on the back -- probably from a belt buckle). The action is incredible, the neck is the fastest I have ever played. I have played every guitar imaginable (although not always set up for me personally) and this is the perfect playing guitar for me. This is so subjective; so my advice is play one and see if it works for you. I did A/B this model against the top end Brian Moore (a custom shop deal with all the same capabilities) and I found the Godin to be better for me. Note: did not try it against a Parker. I love the beautiful amber burst finish and the flame maple is fantastic on my guitar. You can find better flame or quilt if that's what you are looking for. I bought the guitar to play freely/expressively and to gig; the guitar will be a workhorse and is not intended by me to be a collectible. the guitar is 6 years old and everything hardware-wise looks like it just came from the factory. No problems with anything and don't expect to have any. 5 Way switch is a bit more sticky than my Strat, but in many ways it gives you more control to hit your selection. Just thought I would mention this. The patch selector switch (for the synth) and the output blending switch work as intended and the functionality is unparalled in my humble opinion.

Have not played out with the guitar yet; presently do not have a gigging band. However, I do play/practice just as I would play out and I believe the guitar will be fine for my needs. I certainly am no Angus Young or Pete Townshend, but I do play hard, push my guitars, and try to "emote" as much as possible while playing (depending on the material of course) --- if not, why play the guitar?? The LGX-SA takes all the hard -strumming and spanking that I throw at it (I don't use a whammy because I don't like to hold back while playing and have a heavy right hand). Finish seems durable (but probably too early to tell). No problems with strap buttons. I feel I can totally depend on this guitar and would definitely gig without a backup.

I have been playing for 30 years. Played mostly my acoustics for the last 14 years and have dedicated myself to re-immerse in to electrics and start gigging again before my 40th birthday (hey, we all have to do our small part to reintroduce a guitar solo with feel back into modern rock music!!! hahaha... maybe I'm too pessimistic in watching MTV these days, but I am so disgusted with what "modern" rock has become - it's all shit and we need more appreciation for what the electric guitar can do to have rock be the art form that it once was --- but I digress...

I would certainly try to replace this guitar if it were lost or stolen. I would put this guitar up against any humbucking electric that I have ever played (again, for my money and my personal taste). I will not sell the Strat (just because I may want that true sound for home recording projects) nor the Guild (because it was my first electric that my parents bought for me when I was 8 years old). However, the LGX-SA is the only electric guitar that I will probably ever play for the rest of my life. Bold statement, yes. But keep in mind that this guitar has everything that I can now ever ask to have. It is the complete palate for my paintings --- not to mention the perfect brush! Hope this helps any of you.

I think mine was made in '99. It is a blue flame color. It also has the symour duncan pickups. I got it with a hardshell case from HC classifieds for $800, I think, and in mint condition.

I play in a Christian rock band and I love the sounds you can get from this guitar. I went out and bought a Roland VGA7 (for using the 13pin output) and couldn't be more pleased. While the two don't do everything just the way I like, together they can get some really authentic sounds. When using the synth output with the VGA7 alone, there does seem to be a little more noise but not too much. The Godin neck is perfect for me, a little thinner than the Strat I previously played. Being able to mix and match the 3 outputs is very cool as I am the lone guitarist in the band I play with. Add a couple of different (very small) delays on each output and you can get a really full sound. I do wish I had my Mesa Tremoverb back though just to see how this thing could make it scream.

The guitar came setup with 10's but I quickly changed to some EB slinky hybrids. The finish is beautiful. I can't say enough about this guitar.

I have owned it for about a year and no problems yet

never spoke with them

I have been playing for about 9 years. I have owned an Ibanez RG570, Fender Am. Roadhouse Strat (replaced all pickups with duncan hotrails), Ampeg AMG-1, Ibanez RGT42, PRS Tremonti SE, G&L Legacy, Godin LGX-SA, and a Takamine F360SSMT. I have owned a Peavey Classic Chorus, Marshall JTM30, Carvin MTS, Mesa Nomad 100, Mesa Tremoverb, Mesa Triaxis/2:90, and a Roland VGA7. (that's all I can remember anyway). The Godin is by far my favorite guitar and suits my style very well. There are others I would still like to try (such as a Parker) but I am very happy and do not plan to sell this guitar. I would recommed it to anyone.

Just a quick update to my initial LGX-SA review. This guitar has been my band rehearsal and stage guitar for about 8 months now. The electronics have been trouble free, and a single 9v battery lasts a very long time despite the fact that I use both the synth and piezo capabilities each time I play this guitar. All of the other hardware has been trouble-free as well, and I?ve come to appreciate the substantial yet comfortable body and overall feel of the guitar. The neck, despite its luxurious and visceral feel, has been a pain in the ass. About half the time when I take the guitar out of the case, every string is tuned either a few cents sharp or flat, and inevitably the problem ends up being that the neck has shifted a bit. It seems like every week I am tweaking the truss rod. I might as well just super-glue the allen wrench into the socket, it spends so much time in there. The mahogany is straight-grained and tight, so I suspect the waivier-grained ebony board might be responsible for the constant fickle behavior of the neck. It seems to be moving around less as of late, so I hope it is finally settling down. Tonally, it sounds great and is an excellent electric guitar in its own right, but it becomes evident that the sound is slightly fundamental when you plug in a guitar with more tonal complexity. I think the combination of the maple top and the ebony board is responsible for this. I would have liked to have a rosewood board instead. The hard case that comes with the guitar is pretty crappy. The center latch on mine is almost impossible to close (I sometimes have to step on it), while one of the other latches doesn?t clamp hard enough and likes to come undone. The hinges and overall feel of the case is cheap. It?s holding up okay, but for a guitar this expensive you would think they could include a bit of a better case. Maybe I got a dud case, but it still would be nice of Godin to include an LP-type case of higher quality. Overall, the LGX-SA is a high-quality, good sounding, professional quality guitar with tons of versatility ? and a few irritating bugs to go with it (at least on mine). It remains my workhorse, and I can still recommend it for those needing synth access. Just hope that you get one with a neck more stable than mine. Peace!

Made in 2001 same shit as others here so far in specs so I'm nmot going into those aspects . But I will tell you how I got it :

Started out on a Saturday morning in Palm Springs southern California , I hit every muisic store and pawn shop - - nada , zippo , niente ! So off to San Bernadino and beyound stopping in Azusa and Pomoma and still nothing that really shook me up till in Pomona I find the LGX-SA in this store and am pissed cause its not the LGXT one I wanted with a whammy ! ! So I said I didn't want it and the owner said " Let me make you an offer " well , I walked out with the LGX-SA and a Roland GR33 !

This sucker is expanding my musical style(s) .

I play a mixed salad of stuff from Pop to Rock , Rock-A-Billy To Blues To Jazz , Standards and other stuff from Hawaiian to Brazilian Portuguese Jazz and then some Cuban Boleros . I am eclectic as all get out :) . With this guitar's multiple voices from acoustic electric to electric , then to synth makes it a a free for all !

Love the Bluesy Santana feel of this guitar and the killer B.B.King touch I can get out of it , and then throw down some serious Rock-N-Roll and or Country Western licks and then do something in a Jazzy mood ! The acoustic electric is not bad over all if have a acoustic guitar effects unit for it , or as I do have a digital delay hooked via my P.A. then its all good . The Rock-N-Roll , Rock-A-Billy , Blues , Jazz and acoustic sounds are truly fantastic .

Sythn tracking is killer . The access of so many sounds out of the GR33 it came with is truly an awesome threat , add another sythn module that plays more than just two voices at one time as in the case of the Roland GR33 and watch keyboard players tremble when you can blend 6 , 8 or more voices at the same time .

I play this guitar through a 60 watt tube amp for the electric Blues , Rock , Jazz & Country Western sounds of the Seymore Duncan pick ups and the acoustic electric & stereo syth sounds through a P.A. mixer that does more than justice to these finer sounds with a 400 watt power stereo amp . I use a digital delay for the acoustic electric sound . The GR33 Roland sythn has fantastic effects for the sythn sounds so I use it for it's own sound modifications . My Cavin 60 watter's reverb make the electric guitar sounds really " vintage " sounding from wet as a surf side wave beach party to classic Rock & Blues reverb sounds of the 60's . This guitar is a one stop type guitar for the really creative and versitile musician - - like myself .

Over all action is good , needs to be lowered formy taste . But , shit howdy from the factoryt at the price I got , I am not complaining .
Super fine quilted maple top looks so dreamy , so hot , so sexy --- somebody stop me ! ! !

Two minor problems :
Guitar pick up cover's plastic was warped . They sent me a new one .
#1 Piezo broke strings a lot , they sent me a new one and a back up ! Not bad !

Its built like a tank ! This baby is in for the duration . The hardware is heavy duty , I like . So far it has shown nothing but top quality in it's looks and workmanship . I thinks this baby is gonna last a long time . I would trust this axe and my Washburn D46SCE and not worry about a back up for either one .

Super , these guys want YOU to sell their products with customer satisfation ! !

They as I mentioned sent the parts needed with out a hitch . Good Warranty back up so far .

I am a professional musician , currently working with Chan Romero ( Mr. Hippy Hippy shake himself ) , I celebrate 50 years of playing music this September the 6th , and will participate in a PBS special that will honor many people , one of which will be Chan Romero , the PBS Special is being taped on the 14th of this September in Los Angeles southern California . I have been blowing harp 50 years on the 6th of this September. I have a reputaion as a pro harmonica player , and now 5.5 years into guitar playing I now making a a new reputaion for myself , Only as a guitar playing son of a bitch at this point in my life ! 5 to 8 hours a day on my guitar I practice and its paying off . You can't practice all day long with out a great action guitar and between my Washburn D46SCE and this Godin LGX-SA I don't fatigue my hand :) I just play my ass off everyday if I can get to ! ! !

I have this guitar under constant watch and have guard dogs around it and myh other axe day and night ! !

I will get a Godin LGXT Next , and maybe another LGX-SA too these guitars kick ass .

I was at a crossroads .

Suddenly a miracle happens one day on OCT. 12 1998 , after 36 years of prayers and I'm in the saddle starting to learn to play guitar at 48 years of age when tiny glass shards finally exit my left ring finger's tip ! Between my Washburn and this Godin LGX-SA I am blowing minds daily , people before only knew me as a killer professional harp ( harp = harmonica ) man and now are seeing the " new side " of me that is going to include ( among other styles too ) world beat music . I am in a cloud of excitement and daily wonderment as I cross into new musical styles and instrument fronteers with my guitar(s) and this synth guitar now . What a feeling to re experience musical discovery at 54 likie a kid once again ! !

I also play trumpet , drums & keyboard besides blow harp ( both chromatic & diatonic types ) and sing too .

Very good, loaded with features. Only thing I can think of is having a single blend knob for the top output like on the LGX.

I dont use the Syth capabilities

This is one sweet sounding guitar. It covers it covers many of the classic tones but yet has a tone all it own. The neck HB is absolutely awesome for lead playing when going through a overdriven tube amp or using a OD pedal (I have a modified TS-9DX and a Barber Direct Drive) the Barber sound brilant! The bridge HB equally awesome for both lead and rhythm playing. Both pickups generate different harmonics on sustained notes particularly the neck PU. In single coil mode it has a certain Strat like sound to it. Also great for rhythm playing.

The piezo sound realistic enough when gigging. The versatility that this guitar offers is outstanding. Since owning this guitar I have only on a couple of occasions felt the need to bring my acoustic along, even then I wasn?t sure if I did it because I felt guilty owning a beautify Martin and not playing it or if the song really needed it.

All that being said there is one shortcoming on this guitar that I have noticed over the years since owning it. The top output on the guitar allows you the option of using either the piezo or the electric pickups or a blend of the two, all you have to do is turn the individual volume knobs to get the sound you are looking for, all electric, all acoustic or a blend. This is a nice capability, as it will allow you to play using only one cable. Unfortunately when using the guitar this way I have discovered that the sound of the electric pickup is muddy. Sometimes by mistake I plug my cable in this output and notice something wrong almost immediately. For now this isn?t a big problem as I use an acoustic amp for the piezo but I can understand how this may be a problem for some set-ups

The neck is a dream to play. I have Strat and accually prefer the neck on the Godin.

I should mention that I spent a lot of time looking at different guitars I really wanted a Gibson or a PRS. In the end the Gibson?s really didn?t compare to the Godin in terms of features or sound quality (I'm talking new here). And I just couldn?t justify the cost of a PRS. The Godin was the clear winner.

Overall very good nice setup and great neck. Everthing fits very nicely. Only complaints are the 5 way switch is a little weak. I need a new one, and the pickups on my guitar are the anodized ones and the finish is coming off and they are impossible to clean, they get something on them and it will not come off. I have tried everything. Godin should have just left chrome or gone black.

See above issue with the switch.

Complained about the pickup and they sent me another, did the exact same thing. But good service

Very good value, much better value than the current line of Gibsons or PRS, you don't get the big name but you get an insturment that is better that a Gibson and every bit as good a a PRS with out the price tag.

I something happend to this guitar I would definitely get another, it just suites my needs and sounds so good.

I visit different guitar shops and play a variety of differnt high end guitars, when I get home and plug in my Godin a simle comes to my face every time knowing I made the right choice.

Peace

2003 Godin LGX-SA. This guitar is loaded. Duncan Jazz/Custom pickup combination, 5-way switching that taps the coils in positions 2 and 4, LR Baggs preamp for the piezo pickup with 3-band EQ and volume, RMC piezo/hexaphonic saddle pickup, RMC Polydrive synth module for Roland 13-pin connectivity, synth volume, split, and patch selector switches, all mahogany with an AA flamed maple top and ebony board, 25.5 inch scale, and locking tuners. If you want more features, you are either delusional or impossible to satisfy.

I use this guitar with a three-channel 100 watt Roland KC keyboard amp, a Vox Tonelab SE, and a Roland GR33 synth. The electric signal goes into the Vox and out to the KC, the synth output goes out to the GR33 and into the KC, and the piezo signal goes directly into the KC. This is my rehearsal and stage rig.

Electric: As good as any other solid body guitar I?ve ever played. The ebony board adds some snap and keeps things fundamental. You lose some of the sweetness and note bloom of a rosewood board on a 24.75 inch scale, but get some added attack and clarity. The maple top is relatively thin and doesn?t seem to overly brighten the tone, which is a good thing. The tapped positions 2 and 4 on the switch actually sound very good, probably the result of the longer scale and ebony board. You get the fat, sweet neck pickup sounds and hot, thick bridge tones from the Gibson camp with some extra attack and stringiness. If I had to compare it to anything, I?d liken it to a PRS Custom 22 with an ebony board, if that makes sense. Overall, the words I would use are balanced and refined.

Piezo ? The RMC pickup/LR Baggs preamp combo is fantastic. For a piezo, it doesn?t get much better. The onboard EQ has a huge range, and the tone is fairly natural and not ?crinkly? or strident once you?ve dialed it in. Like any piezo the key to good tone is in the mids. The use of a parametric mid control or two will yield excellent results, which is what I do at the amp. The dedicated output at the guitar makes this easy without affecting your electric tone. Nice overall.

13-pin synth: The best tracking I have ever experienced, period. The RMC Polydrive system kicks butt. Apparently the reason that the LGX-SA has an ebony board is to improve tracking. It works.

Overall, the sounds are excellent and as good as you are likely to find in any solid body guitar.

Okay, here?s the rub. And it is a big rub. The woods are of excellent quality, the hardware is top flight, the construction is flawless, the neck and frets are beautifully finished, the neck pocket is ultra-tight, the finish is perfect, and the feel and character is great. So here?s the problem: I get the guitar, and the bridge pickup ring is a beveled-style unit that will not allow the proper alignment with the strings, and is causing an unbalanced signal from the bridge pickup coils (it should have come with a non-beveled ring). Hmmm?.the neck pickup has a non-beveled ring and aligns perfectly. So, I go buy a set of non-beveled pickup rings for $4. I begin to unscrew the bridge pickup ring screws, and they are obnoxiously tight. So tight that I?m leaning over the guitar with all my weight just to keep the screwdriver head seated in the screw (yes, I?m using the right tools, I?ve been doing this stuff for years). I can?t believe it ? I can barely turn them. They were either installed in pilot holes that were WAY too small, or installed before the finish had dried completely, locking them in. On the last screw, it is so tight that the screw head twists right off the screw!! #$@#*$$*!!!!!!! There is no way the screw is coming out, even tried Vice Grips, no dice. I cut the screw off at top-level and try to drill it out. Again, no dice. So I have this broken off screw in the top of my new $1200 guitar, since Godin couldn?t be bothered to install them properly. Nice!! Anyway, the pickup ring is off, so I align the new one?and the bridge ring wasn?t a standard size, so the holes don?t match up!! I check the neck pickup ring on the guitar ? standard size, non-beveled! So they used two completely different sized rings on the neck and bridge, making replacement impossible. At this point I?m ready to start pouncing on the guitar, or stick the screwdriver into the dog?s forehead (who is now looking at me as though I?m insane, as I cuss and spit and jump around like Captain Caveman). What did you do, Godin, just rummage through the parts drawer until you found something you could compromise with?? Use standard parts, or at least consistently non-standard ones!! This really marred my initial quality impressions with this guitar. Bad Godin!

To early to tell, but the guitar has top-grade hardware and is robustly constructed. I can?t imagine all have any problems with it, but if I do I?ll report back later (I?ve had the guitar about four months now).

Booo! I?m not sure customer support even exists with this company, at least for Americans. There is no phone number and no email address listed on their web site. Plus, I had to buy mine from Canada since there were none available in the US that I could find at the time, so I can?t take it back to the dealer if I need warranty work. How?s that for customer service?

Great guitar, no complaints aside from the screw/pickup ring ordeal. I?ve been playing for many moons and own several USA Hamers, Boogies, a Rivera, Reverend, etc etc etc. For Godin?s sake, and because it is such a great guitar, I will leave Godin?s dismal customer support out of this overall rating category. I almost bought a Korean Brian Moore 21.13 when I suddenly remembered the LGX-SA. After playin a non-synth model, I knew this was the one. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a synth-access guitar that is a great guitar in its own right as well.

Well described by others. HIghly versatile 3 voice guitar. Duncan pick-ups, ebony fingerboard etc. Mine has a very nice flamed blue finish and a mahogany neck which is not overly finished and is smooth and fast

perhaps the best sounding electric guitar that I have played. certainly as good as any solid body. i play a wide range of styles ranging from jazz to bluegrass and about everything in between. i also enjoy using synth (GR-33, VG-88) and this thing is infinitely better than my GK2A in tracking and tone

guitar came almost perfectly set up. action smooth and fast. no observable finish flaws. it was almost as if they had done a custom job for my preferences of low action etc. my only beef relates to relatively small strap buttons which should have strap locks as standard equip

this thing is a rock, in fact a bit heavy a la a Les Paul but ergonomic. aside for the strap buttons mentioned above I would have no reservations using this guy w/o backup. in fact it would take 3 guitars to serve as backup for this versatile instrument

No idea

i have been playing about 40yr and own or have owned a broad array of guitars including a number of Gibsons, Fenders and others. the LGX-SA stands up to all comers with gusto. as stated above, perhaps the best guitar that i have ever played: feel, tone, versatility. i don't know why i didn't get one of these previously