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

There isn't a heck of a lot more you can ask for. A Duncan Jazz in the neck, a duncan something in the bridge with Baggs piezos and synth capabilities. It all makes for a lot of knobs and faders. I've actually come to like the 5way pickup selector.
The guitar is all mahogany with a flamed maple top and ebony fretboard. I really like the neck, it's real thin and wide without being like a wizard neck.

I'm really into jazz, from bop jazz to jazz funk to fusion, but I can't deny (or get away) from playing all kinds of rock. I play it through a Line 6 Flextone III, and periodically, namely for church playin', I'll use the piezos through the PA.
The guitar sounds magnificent. The neck humbucker is fat and ballenced and smooth, and the bridge humbucker provides enough output and bite to get nice dirty tones as well as tempered mellow tones. The vollume drops with both pickups selected, and of course when splitting them. The piezos sound good for piezos, for what it's worth. I've never used the synth stuff (I only bought the SA because I found this one cheaper than one without it). This guitar won't get trashy punk tone and will have trouble getting country twang, but aside from that it's a versitile little beast. The only issue is that at times, the bridge humbucker has seemed a bit too harsh compared to the neck, but that's partly due to the fact that it isn't covered (it was taken off at some point) whereas the neck is.

I bought it used from some dude who had the strings actually laying down on the frets. He said he actually played it like that, which is scary, because no notes would actually sound like that.
Aside from the battle scars that the original owner accumulated with it, the finish is awesome. By what can tell, any problems that I've had with it were from the other guy and not the factory. I won't rate this, because it didn't come from the factory.

This guitar had a rocky period for me. It's seen a lot of abuse from it's former owner and then I bought it and 5 days later a kid dropped it and broke the headstock off. I got it fixed by Rob at Rossi Music in Canandaigua new york and it's great now. But like at one point the bridge humbucker was shorting out, so we had to pull the cover off of it. The guitar itself is 8 years old mind you, and I can't really tell what is Godin's fault and what's the guy's fault. But from that point on it's been great. It doesn't lose tuning, the finish is solid, the strap buttons are like they've been set in with cement. I've gigged a lot with it without a backup.

Never dealt with them. Of course, I hear they seldom speak english over there in quebec, so that's probably for the best.

I love this guitar. It's a bit heavy, but I like the weight, and I love the feel of it. Plus the tone I'm getting now is the best I've ever had. I bought this after selling my epi les paul because I hated the neck of it so much, and after playing that the Godin was like a breath of fresh air. I'm not going to sell this until it crumbles into dust.

The 3 main feature of this guitar include:

-Electric guitar tones via 2 Seymour Duncan Custom pickups
-Acoustic guitar tones via the L.R. Baggs transducer saddles with custom Pre-Amp EQ for: Acoustic Volume, Treble, Mid-Range and Bass controls
-AND Synth guitar tones via a synth bridge pick up and a 13 pin output (RolandTM GR-synth pickup).

Other features worth mentioning are:

-Locking tunes...Only on the new models...This was not included in years past...A very good upgrade (A must as far as I'm concerned. It really makes chnaging strings painless...I HATE changing strings, so it's got to be easy.)
-Mahogany neck and Ebony Fingerboard(Simply beautiful)
-Godin's new custom gig bag (It's a little thing, but a great design none the less)

How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
-The #1 reason for buying this unit was for it's flexability. I need to be able to play any and all styles at the drop of a hat. Both live and in the studio. And having the ability to switch from electric to acoustic to my synth/GR-33 setup at the flip of a switch is invaluable to me.

What amps and effects are you using it with?
-Electric: DigiTech RP300 (This may change soon...I'm used to using a BOSS GT-6 and this simply can not compare...But that's not the guitars fault)
-Acoustic: BOSS AD-8 (There is NO better acoustic processor and direct box anywhere near this price...NONE)
-Synth: Roland GR-33 (This unit has done more to chnage my approach to my music than any other single piece of equipment...Simply wonderful...Tons of useable tones)
-Amp: Since I need to run a minimum of 3 channels, sometimes 4, I am using the Carvin S400D.

Is it noisy? On what settings?
-Not at all.

Likes and dislikes?
-I really haven't found a thing that I don't like about this guitar. The only thing that's taking me a bit to get used to is the weight. It's about the same weight as a Fender Strat, but I have been playing a Parker Fly Deluxe for a number of years, and I got spoiled with how good the Parker felt after hours of use. But Parker is simply not putting out a guitar with this many features right now, and even if they were it would cost at least twice what I paid ($1,200).

The setup from the factory really surprised me. It was perfect. I haven't had to change anything. I may bring it in just to check the intonation, but other than that, everything is wonderful (lovin; the action).

And the paint job, and it's over all apperiance is beautiful. I've gotten a lot of possative comments.

This is a very sturdy and quality feeling guitar. As good as any HIGHER end Gibson or Fender, and much better than any LOWER end Gibson or Fender.

This has been a big diapointment. I've owned 2 Godin's, and neither came with any kind of manual or customer support number. With this many options it would be nice to see a small manual like my Parkers had to explain all of its options and settings. All of the knobs and switches can take a while to figure out.

And I am VERY disapointed that they do not make themselves available as Parker has done. They currently don't even have a phone number listed on their web site. Very poor. Parker always seemed to welcome my calls, and I always sent my guitar back to the factory for any setups and/or tuneups. It dosen't look like the factory wants to hear from or service any of their customers. I'm really NOT impressed with this. There are a lot of electronics in this baby, and if anything went wrong I would like to send it to them, not some tech off the street.

How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
-I have been playing for over 20 years and I own a small recording studio.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
-I would buy this guitar again in a second. No questions asked.

What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature?
-Love: Total flexability. Great tone. Great look and feel. Solid and meticulace construction.
-Hate: Lack of any manual or customer support.
-Favorite features: It's a "Three Voice" system (Electric/Acoustic/Synth)

Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones?
-I compared it against the Brian Moore's and I would pick the GODIN each time.

Anything else you'd like to share?
Along with the GR-33 this is truly the best tracking guitar I've ever used. This guitar would be worth owning for that feature alone, but along with all of it's other features this guitar has become my #1 instrument for both my live and studio work. I would recomend this guitar to anyone looking for both a good giutar and a flexable unit, because this guitar excels in all departments.

mine is I think a 1999 made in the US in trans blue (amazing finish, must be AAA maple on top) mahogany body and neck and ebony fingerboard. One of the main features is that its a 3 voice guitar, elevtric with 2 seymour duncan humbuckers, a jazz in the neck postion and a special design custom in the bridge position, an LR Baggs piezo under the saddle for acoustic tones with seperate volume and 3 band eq and a roalnd 13 pin synth output for guitar synth along with onboard synth volume and patch change controls. bridge is sort of a tunamatic style, the tuners are schaller minis and the neck has a beautiful radius and shape just right for me. I would say the only thing about the neck is that i like really big frets and these are more or less medium size.

when i got the guitar it was part of an order of 3 instruments (I got a multiac and a seagull acoustic from them as well) and i didnt really even know why I got this one. but once i had it i wasn't going to part with it. this guitar is beautiful to look at and has gorgeous warm tones. not really a metal or high gain kind of axe but for fusion or funk or jazz or pop this is a great guitar. blending in the acoustic sound is truly amazing. one of the first things i did with this guitar was a pre record for the superbowl (a motown tribute). obviously i mostly do session work. it was a remake of dancing machine and theres a solo and for it I split the sound to 2 channels one through a sans amp pedal and the other was the acoustic direct into the console and it was amazing with it panned hard left and hard right. I usually have it out as an all purpose writing and recording guitar in my project studio as its so easy to just switch for the electric to the acoustic sound. i just wish they would have a way of using one stereo cable for getting both sounds seperately instead of being tethered to your guitar by 2 or maybe even 3 different cables to use this guitar for its various sounds. (you can get a mix of acoustic and electric through one of the jacks but it seems as though the electric sound is weak this way.

i would use this guitar for anything but super hi gain.

i got this guitar directly from godin but it wasnt set up all that well. the action was a little high. the fit anf finsh of this guiatr is excellent. the finish is a beautiful trans blue AAA maple top. the 5 way switch is a little noisy and in the single p/u positions this guitar can be a little noisy especially when around computer omitors in the studio.

the guitar is solid and would definitely stand up in regualr live use. the strap buttons are a bit of a problem as they seem a little small and the strap does fall off from time to time. i would use this guitar without a back up. its very solid.

never had to have this guitar repaired but the folks at godin are a real class act.

overall i would give this guitar a 9 there are no perfect guitars but price performance wise you can't do better.

My guitar is a 2002 model, assembled and hand-finished in the USA from woods and parts from Canada. The features are all sufficiently described in the earlier reviews so I won't go into detail. Mine has a beautiful AAA highly figured dark red flame maple top so it costs a few hundred bucks more than the regular model. As this guitar is a 2002 model, the neck is somewhat different from earlier models. It has a little more girth. I believe this has a positive effect on the guitar's overall tone. The neck feels really comfortable, much more comfortable than a Les Paul.

It comes with Seymour Duncan magnetic humbuckers with a 5-way selector, a L.R. Baggs transducer under the saddle with separate acoustic EQ, and a 13-pin Out for Synth access. You can dial in the three voices separately or altogether.

All these great features for this price deserve a 10 rating.

This guitar is ideally suited for jazz, pop, blues and light rock. It is not designed for heavy metal.

When I first got the guitar, I spent a considerable amount of time just playing it unplugged. I was pleasantly surprised at how acoustically loud it was. Unplugged, it is much louder than any other solid body electric guitar that I have played. I believe this is due to the neck being tightly fitted into a very deep neck pocket in the body (Just compare this to a Fender and you'll know what I mean). This ensures very efficient transfer of vibration between the neck and the body. An acoustically responsive guitar is always a good sign as it provides a great foundation for the amplified sound (and I was not wrong - see below). In my humble opinion, many guitars (including some well known "high-end" ones) have very weak acoustic response and have to rely on powerful pickups to make up for the lack of natural tone, producing a very "fake" but loud tone. Not the LGX-SA. It is made to be acoustically responsive because it doubles up as a solid-body acoustic quitar. As a result the electric tone benefits from the rich overtones and harmonics. Sustain is so good that I often have to mute the open strings with my right palm while playing.

I play the guitar through a Fender Super 60 tube amp. The magnetic pickups sound really good. Kudos to Seymour Duncan. I am told that he specially customized the bridge pickup for this model. The 5-way switch gives you a wide variety of useable tones. The bridge SD Custom Custom humbucker is great for strong, fat leads with an edge. Switch that to single coil and it sounds almost as snappy and rude as any Strat. The neck pickup in humbucker mode gives you a really clean, warm, full tone that is perfect for jazz and blues. Dial in a little gain and you'd think you are B.B. King. I use this mode most of the time.

Just the tones from the magnetic pickups alone make this guitar worth the price. But as a bonus, you get a very reasonable piezo-powered acoustic sound as well from the Baggs transducer under the saddle. To really do justice to the acoustic sound, you should plug it into an acoustic amp or to the house PA via a direct box. The great thing about this is that there is zero feedback (unlike conventional acoustic guitars). And with the 13-pin MIDI Synth Access, the sky is the limit when it comes to variety.

What I don't particularly like is the significant drop in volume when switching from humbucker to single-coil mode. But this is usual for most humbuckers, so I won't minus points for this.

I had to straighten the truss rod a bit when the guitar came. The action was a little high, so I lowered it just a tad. I prefer medium low action. Besides these, the neck is perfect. Nothing wrong with the frets and hardware. The flimsy truss rod cover on the headstock is cracked though. I have asked for a replacement.

The pickups were a little too close to the strings, so I lowered them a little.

The 5-way selector is slighly noisy. I plan to fix this soon.

I felt that the strap buttons were a little small so I replaced them with Dunlop strap locks. I feel more secure now when I play it.

The guitar has been with me for 3 months. It is still a little early to judge how durable or reliable it is.

I depend a lot on it because I play both electric and acoustic guitar, mostly live. Now I don't have to switch guitars. So far it has not let me down, except for one occasion when the battery for the acoustic preamp died on me. But that's not the guitar's fault.

I e-mailed both the dealer and Godin with a query and a request for a new truss rod cover (mine is cracked). I never got any reply.

They may well reply a few weeks or months down the road, so I will give them a 4, instead of 1.

I am basically a bass guitar player, although I also play acoustic and electric guitars. I have been playing for more than 20 years. I own a couple of Taylor acoustic guitars, a Fender bass and a Lakland bass. I also dabble in keyboards and have owned quite a number of synthesizers over the years.

I have owned and sold a few electric guitars (including Fenders)in the past. Somehow they did not blow me away. This is the first electric guitar which I feel I would keep forever.

In my search, I tried out the usual suspects including the Fenders, PRS's and Gibson Les Pauls. The Fenders seem to have quality control issues. Maybe 1 out of 10 is a good one. The Les Pauls to me were just overpriced mass production guitars. The heavy weight is also a deterrent. I think people buy them because of sentimental reasons (due to its long history), and also because their guitar heroes play them. To my ears, they don't sound better than the LGX-SA (just louder and more aggressive because of the pickups), yet cost twice as much. In fact, a Les Paul with a AAA flamed maple top like what my Godin has would probably cost at least US$5000. Similarly, the PRS guitars I tried did not sound better than the LGX-SA, yet cost more. It is not that I cannot afford these brand name guitars. I am an attorney by day, and I can go out and buy a couple of Les Pauls and PRS's if I want to. But I believe in getting value for money, and the LGX-SA gives me that and more. The features and sounds I get are almost too good to be true for this price. If it were stolen, I'd get another one without thinking twice. In fact I am thinking of getting the LGXT, a sister model from Godin that comes with a tremelo bar.

The Godin name may not be as well known as Fender and Gibson, but if this Canadian company continues to produce such high quality guitars at sensible prices, it will become a household name before too long.

I am giving this a 9 overall since no guitar is perfect.

The most versatile guitar I ever owned. Mine is with godin Tetrad Pickups, L.R Baggs Piezo Pickup and Synth Acess. Through the Push pull tone Poti you can activate a mid range filter for strat like sounds.

Wonderful clear sounds from the magnetic pickups. Through the 5 way switch and the push pull tone poti ten different sound options just with them.
The synth acess allows a much better tracking than the roland gk2a Pickup at least in my opinion. The Piezo pickup is the best sounding i tried in a solid guitar.

Beatiful guitar with an flamed maple top in amber, that shines wonderful. Perfect to play with just out of the box.

I've already submitted one review of my Godin, but wanted to follow up with a recent experience with it. Played a solo gig at a very fashionable establishment recently using the Godin with a Boomerang sampler and a Roland GR-30 guitar synth. I played my usual chord/melody arrangments of some standards for one set. The Seymour Duncan neck position pickup, along with the L.R. Baggs acoustic bridge pickup sounded excellent in this application. The show stopper, however, was when I recorded the changes to 'On Broadway' with the 'rang' using the neck pickup and then switched to the midi pickup to lay down a bass guitar and acoustic keyboard sound on top of the guitar part. I then traded solos (with myself!) playing guitar, keyboard and jazz organ. Way too cool. The midi pickup on the Godin works MUCH better than the GK2A pickup. What a cool guitar!!!

I thought you guys would like to hear from a keyboard player (who dabbles in guitar). I own a Talor 614 and a Chet Atkins Classical. I wanted to get into an electric guitar, but I wanted versatility. This axe has it. I'm playing thru a Line 6 POD with the piezo output run through a direct box into a PA.

Magnetics sound great. Nice hot output from the SD pickups (my friends tell me it sounds hotter and fatter than a standard Tele or a Parker Fly. The Baggs piezos sound incredible (better than the Fly's Fishman piezo). No noise in either output. I am not using the midi output (since I am a keyboard player), but I have played it in the store before I bought it. It tracks better than anything I have played before (I used to work in Guitar Center).

I had a setup done on it after I bought it to lower the action and adjust the intonation (standard procedure for any axe, in my opinion). Plays great now! Replaced tuners with Grovers (personal taste), replaced strap buttons with Schaler strap-locks (and here was my one and only problem) but the screw on the front strap lock came out about a week later (stripped the hole in the guitar's wood body). I don't know if it was already stripped or if I did it, but the screws were the same diameter. I simply wood glued the screw in place. The screw hole goes all the way thru to the cavity where the battery sits for the Baggs piezos, so I couldn't use a longer screw. Be careful if you replace the strap buttons to avoid this problem.

I am a keyboard player, so this is the only axe coming to a gig. Too early to tell about durability.

No need here.

Been playing guitar for about 10 years. This is the perfect axe for someone looking to buy a single guitar for as much versatility as possible (lead playing, power chords, acoustic work, synth). I don't have the dough to buy a bunch of guitars to cover all these bases (spent too much on keyboards). If you are like me, and want to buy ONE axe and be done with it, this is the one to consider. Almost bought a Parker Fly of a Power Tele, but both have Fishman piezos and the Baggs sounds better to me. The magnetics on the Fly and Tele are thin compared to the Godin (and the Tele is noisy anyway). I know I could replace the pickups, but the final thing was the neck felt better to me on the Godin (again, personal taste). If it were stolen or lost, I might buy the one without the synth pickup (I thought that if I didn't like the guitar, the synth pickup would increase the chances of selling it quicker, but since I know I love it now, I would opt for the cheaper version without midi to replace it).

This is a 2002 LGX w/Synth Access. Godin says...

"The LGX-SA is a three-voice guitar featuring electric and acoustic guitar sounds, plus the infinite possibilities provided by synth access.

Specs
Mahogany neck
Ebony Fingerboard
16" fingerboard radius
25 1/2" Scale
1 11/16" nut width
Mahogany body
Figured Maple Top
Seymour Duncan Custom Humbuckers
5-Way switch
Guitar volume
Tone
Synth volume
Program up/down
3-Way
Magnetic Output
13-pin Synth Output
Acoustic transducer Output
L.R. Baggs transducer saddles with custom Pre-Amp EQ for: Acoustic Volume, Treble, Mid-Range and Bass controls
Colors: CognacBurst, Trans. Dark Red, Trans. Blue"

(www.godinguitars.com/godinlgxsap.htm. )

///////////////

Most istinctive is the multi-voice ability of the guitar. It has three.

The first comes from two Seymour Duncan Humbuckers. The second, which is more acoustic, comes from the L.R. Baggs transducer in the saddle. Finally, it's has a 13 pin synth output which I use to drive a Roland GR33.

I really like the neck a lot, by the way. It's a very moderate profile, and the finish is matte. so it doesn't get sticky.

I use this guitar to play in my band, and we do rock, blues and some jazz. I play through an Evans 150JE, and will occasionally use a tube distortion pedel.

The three voices in this guitar lead to an good variety number of sounds. Obviously the synth access let's you play the guitar as a sax, a choir, an organ... whatever you can program the synth to produce.

You can also mix the outputs from the humbuckers and the Briggs. While the guitar never really sounds acoustic to me (I agree with others on this point), adding the Briggs signal enriches the electric sound, it fattens it without making it boomy or muddy. I like this sound a lot for jazz leads especially, using the very nice Duncan jazz neck pickup. On the other end, combining a more treble Briggs mix (3 way EQ on the Briggs) with the bridge pickup get's you a bright, almost jangling tone.

There is just one tone control that controls the signal from both humbuckers, a departure from the usual "one pickup one tone control" model. I don't mind this, though some others might. I do mind that the tone control seems to have a very narrow sweep. It goes from heavy bass to treble in the first 1/4 turn, and there is very little added variation for the balance of the sweep.

Of course, you can get lost in all the possibilities. There is a learning curve with this guitar. The first time I performed out with it I made some mistakes and got a sound I did not want. I wish that Godin had used different color knobs to distinguish the synth from the electric volume, and had painted a dot on each so I could see how high each was.

I expected this guitar, which I purchased new, to arrive perfect. It didn't. The guitar arrived with a dead tone pot, and the volume pot was noisy. I also note an small area of uneven finish along the edge of the neck, very minor, but not perfect now is it?

Everything else gets fullmarks. Lovely finish. For significantly extra you can get a "highly" flamed top, but this one is just nicely flamed. Fine with me - I don't play the flames.

A rating of six may seem severe here, but the dead tone pot is unforgivable.

I am rough on instruments, I admit it. I will bang a guitar with my fist to get a ringing chord. When I did it to the Godin, the volume cut out, but came right back, I won't do that again I guess.

Everything else seems sturdy enough

Remember the dead tone pot? I got the ax five days before a gig, so I drove it the three hours back to the factory, where they fixed it in 30 seconds.

I've been playing for over 30 years, and own a Heritage jazz box, a Rameriz classical, another Godin... Lots of axes.

I really like the tone of this guitar and the neck. It tracks the synth stuff as well as any other guitar I know, which is to say it does a pretty good job on most things and get's a little strange on a few settings.

I considered a Brian Moore iguitar, but the acoustic sound from that guitar did not compare.
I guess I';d get another if this one was lost or stolen. It solves my synth access propblem, and provides me with a very nice electric.

I've submitted a review earlier, so I will forgo the already mentioned.

Still sounding great I've had more time with it and the only things I find disapointing are

- huge drop off in high end as volume is reduced

- huge jump in volume when switching from single coil mode, position 2 and 4 to Humbucker mode, postion 1 and 5 position 3 is consistent with positions 2 and 4.

- when using the top output, blend of acoustic and electric the tone on the electric is muddy, it just don't have the same bite as the electric only output, it is usefull when blending the two sounds but if you are thinking of using this output as simple way to switch between electric and acoustic sounds I would give it a try before you buy. This is not a big problem for me as I use two amps any way, so I have two cables coming out of my guitar at all times.

I have downgraded my grading here because of these short commings.

In general I still think this guitar is the best sounding best playing guitar for the money. I tried many others but alway came back to the Godin.

See Customer support,

Here is the reason I am submitting another review of this guitar.

First some history,
I had some problems with the acoustic pickup system. The output of each individual string was different, with the G and high E string much to low in output, the dealer changed them and everything is working as it should. Godin was very prompt in sending the new peizo pickups.

When I purchased the guitar I noticed the bridge pickup was looking different than the neck pickup, as a matter of fact the finish was already worn off the cover. At first it didn't bother me to much as I got a great deal on the guitar. But after I had it for a while it started to get to me, why should a brand new guitar look old? I complained at the store where I purchased it and they said it was normal wear. WHAT? after only a couple of months,, you have got to be kidding me... Anyway they said they would contact Godin and see what they said. Well a couple of weeks later they just restated the same saying it was not covered under warranty. Now I thinking did they really contact Godin?

I then took it upon myself to email Godin directly, well I didn't get a response so I though I will have to live with it. This all happened back about 6 months ago. The other day I stumbled on the original email and decided to send it again with a bit more attitude.

I GOT A REPLY WITHIN 30min!!!!!

They replace the pickup with no charge to me and apologized for the inconvenience>

NOW THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!

Thanks Zak!

As I said I still love this guitar, if its not the first one I pickup it is always the one I end with and the one I play the most. It is the most versatile guitar I own.

If you want the vintage strat sound you should look else where, but if you are looking for a great sounding Hybrid this is it. Fat and warm, great neck action and a beautiful instrument to look at.

Well you all know the features from the other reviews. Seymour Duncans, piezo bridge, active and passive electronics, quilted maple top with matching peg head.

This guitar covers everything(except for the lack of a tremolo) I run it through my H&K attax 100 and the MIDI goes into a roland convertor than into a Alessis sound bank QSR i think

Setup needed some work for the MIDI but nothing too difficult. Finish is great, neck is tight and fast. The pick-up selector leaves something to be desired and I have tighted it a couple of times, also it's not something that you can find at the local store to replace.

Plays and sounds great on CD and live, holds up so well that it's the only one I take out these days for gigs. Very, very dependable!

Never tried but thy don't answer emails at al it seems. I'm having a neck built for another guitar and wanted to know the fret size on my Godin. It's been two weeks and they haven't gotten back to me

I've been playing for 12 years, if it was stolen i would probably replace it for the price and quaility it's a great deal. I looked at the Brian Moore model plus some custom guitars and for features this was the best.

I bought this guitar in 1998 in Virginia Beach. Like other Godins', it's Canadian made. It has the Seymore Duncan pickups along with the other pickup systems found on all the LGX-SA models. This guitar has a beautiful black pearl paint job, but I think I would've prefered a more natural finish. It has a mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard, bolt on style. I'm uncertain as to the type wood that the body is made from. It doesn't seem to weigh as much as a Les Paul Standard though it does sustain well. It uses a 'string-thru body over a tune-o-matic style bridge system. So far, I've experienced no problems with it breaking strings. Tuners are excellent and stable. The neck is rather thin with a low radius fret board; very fast and comfortable.

I play alot of contemporary jazz and top 40 style music. I also use it almost exclusively for live gigs. The Seymore Duncan pickup system found on the LGX-SA is nothing short of excellent. What can you say? I can achieve warm jazzy tones or bright courtry sounds. And this guitar can rock. I find the un-modified acoustic pickup sound to be a little too bright for my taste. I'm used to using a real acoustic guitar if I want that sound. But with just a little outboard processing, (eq, a touch of delay and chorus) it is more than acceptable. The advantage of not having to carry another guitar and to be able to change sounds fast in a live situation is great. I've used it with a roland GR-30 and it works fine. The sounds possibilities are of the scale.

The action on this guitar is still as I got it from the store. It was just fine the way it was. The only gripe I've experienced with it in this regard is that some of the fret finishing could have been a little smoother. Mine does have some sharp fret edges which can catch a finger going by.

No problems with it, and it's been used live extensively.

I've never needed it....

I've been playing a long time (32 years), and have and do own some high end guitars (Les Paul standard, ES 335, ES 170, Fender Stratocaster, Guild D-35, Ovation Elite). The LGX-SA holds its' own with these guitars and then some. I would cry like a baby if it got stolen and then go get another. The versitility of this instrument is its' biggest feature. It doesn't have as good of an acoustic sound as a real acoustic, but it is a useable sound. I think the Godin is my favorite guitar.

I'd like to clarify something for those who believe the LGX-SA uses the RMC pickup. I emailed rmcpickup.com to confirm whether or not the LGX-SA uses their pickup since I'm trying to decide between the LGX-SA or the Multiac Jazz. Their response was:

"We do make the Jazz pickup system, but we don't make the pickup system in the LGX series instruments."

I hope this clarifies any confusion for those of you who want a guitar with the RMC pickup...

Have at look at the reviews below. I think you get the idea.

Everything anyone could ever want. As a matter of fact that in it self may be a problem,,,,how am I going to justfy buying another guitar???

Clear, rich, full, mellow, twangy, in other words. This guitar has an amazing complement of sounds. You can go from the thick HB sound to the twangy single coil sound (not quite Fender,,,,but hey everyone has a fender, me included, and we all sound alike, get you own sound!). Jazzy to Rock to blues, of course it dosn't quite have the hollow body sound. If variety of sound is what you are looking for STOP here! Your search is over.

This guitar can cut through the mix or if you like you can blend (who wants to blend?) anyway I think you get the idea. I love the bridge sound, wait I love all the sounds. This guitar will suit my musical need what ever my mood is!

One of the problems I had with this guitar at first was the variety. I had a hard time chosing what sound to play on what song. Only time with this ax has resolved that issue!

Believe me, before I purchased this guitar I spent a year looking at amost every guitar out there, I kept coming back to the Godin. I really wanted a Gibson, but the Godin just kept me coming back I just fell in love with the sounds of this guitar.

I didn't go the vintage route mainly due to cost, I know there are some amazing vintage axes out there if you have the $$$$. Howerver one thing you should relize is that technology in guitars have come a long way. The number of good sounding guitars out there at resonable prices is absoulutly amazing. This one is definitely a GREAT sounding guitar at a reasonable price.

I being generous here. I did have some problems, the nut for one needed work (fixed), two there was a volume difference on indivudual strings for the accoustic pickups (fixed) three the tone control is not working as it should (not fixed).

Setup is such a personal thing that it is hard to get it right for everyone, so I will not comment, only to say that you will likely have to have it set up for your individual playing style(duhh)!

So far so good.

This guitar looks solid and play solid

The store where I purchased it does most of the warrantee work and they have been great. This rating is for the Arts in Newmarket!

Love this guitar, It is absolutly beautiful. Its sunset colour maple top looks 3 dimentinal.

The only thing I wished it had was a transparent pick guard, but then that would take away the beauty! Forget it I just talked myself out of that one.

I have been playing for over 25years, last 12+ years seriously. I have had this guitar for about 8 months, I am not disapointed.

You will not find a guitar out there that sounds, looks and plays as good as this does with the variety of sounds the LGX has for this type of price. NO WAY!

This is essentially a midi-guitar with a 13-pin Roland compatible output. It has two Seymour Duncan pickups, one of which was custom designed by Seymour for this particular guitar. See the Godin site for exact specs at www.godinguitars.com. The guitars are built to order in Canada. I ordered mine with the figured maple AA body in deep red. The neck is made of rosewood with an ebony fingerboard for better sustain. It definitely has great sustain. This model has no whammy bar but there is a sister model that does. The body is a single cut away but has a pretty cool shape.

All I can say is WOW! Great variety of sounds. The saddle pickups in the bridge are phenomenal and sound just like an acoustic. The sound of this pickup is sparkling through my stereo PA. Layered with the Duncans many sound combinations are possible. Also, the pickup selector switch was unique in that the 5 positions allow the player to select single or double coil operation.

The action was a bit buzzy from the factory. Comes with .009 strings. While a tad buzzy, I've not adjusted the action because the buzz does not manifest too much in the amplified sound. Intonation was perfect.

The finish on this guitar is nothing short of gorgeous. In place of a binding, they mask the natural wood and let the blonde wood show through the lacquer. Elegant. I have found no flaws at this time.

I confess that I've just had the guitar a week, but I've been playing over 30 years and know a good guitar when I see one. I think this instrument is very solid. I've replaced the strap buttons with strap locks as I do on all my guitars.

The factory case is very nice and tightly form fits to the guitar.

OK, here's a fly in the ointment. I ordered this guitar in June and got it in September. Got quite the runaround while waiting for it. I called the factory and the rep. I kept getting stories like "it's shipping this week!" "The factory is on vacation for two weeks..." VERY frustrating. A guy at the plant told me that there were none of these in "stock." They are made to order. Great guitar, but if your store doesn't have one, be prepared to pay your down payment and wait and wait and wait.

Been playing over 30 years. Just retired my Casio midi guitar in favor of this one. The tracking is much improved. I also bought a Roland GR-33 which has some very nice features and some impressive sounds - although the factory patches are largely useless to me. I had guessed that the guitar sounds would be better than the Casio, but I was really blown away.

I play old standards, light jazz, a bit of folk, and quite a bit of Merle Travis style finger picking. This guitar seems to handle just about everything I can throw at it. I would definitely get another one of these if it were ever stolen. This guitar beats ANYTHING with a big name label on it at prices considerably higher. It's a great value.

If you are reading this, you probably know what an LGX-SA is by now, but briefly: a solid body electric with an acoustic preamp and synth access built in. First of all, the guitar looks stunning. This is a 2001 model with a cognac burst finish, ebony fingerboard, Seymour Duncan pickups, etc., etc.as stated above. I like having a 5 way switch instead of a coil tap, but the single coil sounds are softer than the double coil sounds. Usually I only require two things in a guitar, and that is good tone, and a good neck, but the LGX-SA is even beautiful to look at to boot!

MAN! An amazing array of tones, especially if you blend the acoustic and electric,and especially if you separate the outputs of each into two amps. The Duncans sound very clean and clear, but not thin. In the two weeks I've owned this guitar I've used it on a jazz job, an acoustic job, a rock job, and a blues job, and it sounds great for ALL occasions. I would suggest raising the front pickup, though, and putting on at least 11's for real jazz playing though. I have 10 guage strings on it now, and the sound is a little light, and the strings are a little bendy. Aside from that, if your going for a Santana tone, or a country tone, or anything in between, you will get a great sound from this guitar. It SINGS.

The acoustic output to a P.A. is excellent. Much better than I thought it would be, actually, I played with an actual acoustic player, and the blend was amazing. The acoustic sounds much better through a P.A. than through a guitar amp, but it sounds great through a guitar amp also.

I'm still having a little problem with the tracking, as the GR pickup seems to be set very hot and possibly overdrives my GR 33 (if that is possible) even with the sensitivity settings turned down to 1!
This only happens on the piano and classical guitar patches that I built, though, and only in the low notes. I wish there were a sensitivity setting for the RMC pickup. That is the only thing this guitar is lacking. BTW, it tracks like a maniac, and you can't play faster than it. It tracks much better than the GK pickup.

When I first got this guitar, it needed some adjustment. I had a professional guitar-fixer-upper adjust the neck and intonation, and did a little tweaking on the action myself,and now the action is truly amazing. The ebony neck is smooth and fast, and the fret job is nice.

The only complaint I have is that I wish they would make these things with a 24 1/2 " scale and a 12" radius, which is what I really feel at home with. Still, with the bolt on neck, who knows what the future holds?

I haven't had this guitar long enough to know about durability. Still, it seems like a very reliable guitar right now (for 2 weeks).

I have no idea. My registration card even came back because I didn't know postage to Canada was $.50 . Hey what ever happened to Nafta?

I've been playing guitar for over 35 years, play every style of music imaginable (except rap,metal, and opera) and have a tendancy to torture my guitars. This one will be an exception,though, because I love it so much. I also own a Cort Triggs I, which I use for my main jazz box (the best jazz guitar I've ever owned, and that is comparing it to a '58 ES-175), a Gibson Blues Hawk for rocking out, although I will not be needing it anymore thanks to Godin, and a Gibson Epiphone acoustic which has great tone because I use silk and steel strings on it. Still, it sure would be nice to have a Multiac, and a Multiac-jazz! Hmm...if I didn't play music for a living, I could probably afford all the music equipment I ever wanted.

Before getting this guitar I did about 6 months of research because I am very persnickity about guitars. I believe I made the correct choice here!