Godin LGX

Trans flame maple
Sigle cutaway
Godin tuners
22 fret 25" scale
1996
two godin blade humbucking pickups w/piezio in bridge and on board EQ
Mohogany neck and body w/ maple top, ebony fretboard

I originaly bought this guitar for its looks, but soon found myself enjoying it more than any other guitar I owned (LP, Invader and Strat). It's factory pups are as clean as you want them and as dirty as you need them. The acoustic sound from the bridge pezio is incredible. I no longer needed to drag the acoustic guitar along on gigs for that one song that need it. With its three jacks, I can actually plug into 2-3 different amps and blend my sounds, thats right, I can crank one amp to full distortion and jam through my roland at the same time (who needs two guitarists?).

I bought this guitar as a dealer demo in 2000. It was already four years old so I don't know if it ever was set up prior to that. I can tell you that it is now 2009 and I just took it to the shop for it's first truss rod adjustment. The finish is still awesome. Minus some of the battlescars and buckle rash I have put on it, it stll shines like it was brand new.

These guitars came from the factory with schaller strap locks and still do. I have changed nothing nor repaired nothing for the last nine years. This is my front axe, the Gibson usually sits on the stand behind me along with a Godin LG EMG. I would feel comfortable to gig it without a backup, but I ain't that crazy!

I only used support once for a hardshell question via email. They answered the next day.

I have been playing for 26 years. I own The Godin LGX, Godin LG EMG, and a Gibson Invader. If it were lost or stolen, I would definately TRY to find another. Unfortunately they aren't made any more and I have no use for a synth ready guitar (that is what replaced it). I love everything about it. I hate the fact I can't buy a new one. I chose this one originaly for it's finish, but soon felll in love with everything. I wish I had two more of them!!!!

Ok! Bult in 1998 solid flame maple top. Tow Seymour Duncans??, one Jazz and the other one is a Custom 5.

Great original sound! It does the Fender thing it does the Gibson thing, but it has it's own original sound! Accoustic pickup is great through an acoustic simulator. Sounds exactly (well...) like an acoustic guitar.

Excellent! A+++++

Hey bought it in 2008, built in 1998, excellent guitar! Of course you can depend on it.

HAve delt with odin before (Seagull) and was happy with service.

If you can get your hands on one of these babies, do it!!

Year 2000,amber AAA flame maple top and all beautiful mahogany elsewhere.The finish is deep and glossy and flawless,every bit as good as the PRS's I compared it with.Rosewood fretboard with beautiful grain.The body is contoured on the back and is comfortable to play for hours and also well balanced.Seymour Duncan PUs and associated electronics are quiet and free from hum and sound excellent.Came w/an excellent hard rectangular case,worthy of a professional instrument.Other features are described in detail in other reviews and are likewise on this LGX.

I use various amps with 2 X 12 combo most often in jazz/blues/and fingerpicking styles.The LGX covers it all with ease,truly inspiring at times.The SDs don't do distortion as well as an Ibanez or Gibson HB,but the cleaner tones are wonderful.The electronics are very quiet(I am very picky about this)and the spectrum of tones,from tele chickin'pickin to glassy strat to jazz archtop octaves to fingerstyle acoustic is amazing.As others have said,the LGX won't permanantly replace 3 or 4 guitars,but it probably comes closer than anything else out there if you need to lug around just one guitar.It's greatest strength is the versatility/variety of tones.

The action is a bit higher than I prefer,but seems to be a good compromise between all electric stylings and acoustic fingerpicking,which i find remarkably good on this guitar.Workmanship is very good,I would put this guitar head to head with anything out there in the solid body world under 2Gs.The weak link on my LGX were the tuning machine heads.The black plastic buttons were prone to cracking,so I replaced them w/sperzel locking tuners--perfect fit.As w/ any guitar,carefully evaluate the neck and the fretboard and fretwork,mine needed some adjustments and I settled w/.011-.048 strings to give me the piezo/acoustic tones I like.The neck is not perfect,but I tend to be hyper critical about this aspect of an instrument and I think Godin can refine the precision of their necks and fretboards.The fit and finish is is top notch,however i would prefer a super smooth satin finish (like Taylor acoustics)on the neck because it does feel a bit sticky at times(minor,not serious).The black plastic control cavity cover did not perfectly contour the routing of the cavity,leaving a gap on one edge(very minor,but one of the few flaws I could find).Be aware that some guitar stands(THINK OLDER SURGICAL RUBBER HERE)may react with the finish on this guitar,but should be no problem otherwise.

This guitar seems only slightly less robust than the Fender Tele I traded,I see no need for concern if properly cared for.The plastic sliders for the piezo eq could fail if abused,but hey,the neck could crack if thrown thru a brick wall too!The tele had more metal parts,and could probably survive a fall from a 5 story building,but,please treat the lovely LGX w/a bit more TLC and you will have no worries.

Never used the support channel.Any well made electric guitar should last for years without trouble unless abused or neglected and the LGX seems to be constructed with top shelf parts,the aforementioned tuning machines nonwithstanding.

I have owned numerous Fender,Ibanez,Martin, Taylor,Kramer and others and each have their own strengths,so the versatile guitarist must have choices to get the job done.That being said,I have found the LGX to be the best "bang for the buck" I have ever owned in over 30 years of playing guitar.It could easily be priced at $2000 and be worth it,but for less than $700,it was a steal.If it came up missing somehow,I would search out another LGX w/o hesitation, possibly a newer one with MIDI.It's just amazing you can find this much guitar for so little money.

All specs covered below. I bought it used. I believe it was made in 1999. Has an incredible AAA Green Flame top on top of the Mahagany body. Tuners are Schaller. Neck is a bit smaller than a Gibson 50's. Came with hard shell case. Made in Canada. 5 way selecter with a Piezo. Pickups are Duncan Jazz in Neck and Custom/Custom in Bridge.

Love the string through bride going through the solid brass block. I have never seen this design. More companies should use it as it really add sustain and depth.

The black pickup covers and knobs are great. They don't take away from the incredible finish of the guitar.

Only thing I don't like is the LGX logo.

I play rock with this guitar but could break into some jazz. I run it through many different distortion boxes from a Rocktron to a TS-8. It gives a great mellow sound in the neck and the bridge cuts through better than any pickup that I have heard. The wood really rings and the sustain goes for days. Has a very rich and full sound.

I don't use the Peizo but it is typical in that you can't get an accoustic sound out of a solid body guitar. It is better than any other I have heard because it has a seperate volume and eq built into the guitar.

Purchased used. Now it is at least 7 years old and the frets are holding up well, no rust and the body is great. The only thing that seems to be wearing is the finish on the neck. Not sure if Godin finishes with a laquer or not but the neck is a bit rough like a classic Charvel.

Hardware is first rate. Build is like a rock. Finish is great. I would take it out live and not have a second thought about it. Only the best was used when they built this guitar.

N/A

Been playing 20 years. Own Les Pauls, Strats, Teles, Warmoth Customs, Ibanez MIJ, Martins. This ranks up there with the best that Gibson has to offer.

If lost or stolen I would get another.

Mine is a 1996 model, not one of the newer ones! Flame maple top over mahogany body, TOM bridge w/individual under saddle transducers and is counter sunk in the body, mahogany bolt-on neck, med-wide/thin neck profile w/ebony fretboard, med-jumbo frets. Does not have "synth access", which I don't want anyway. 24 1/2" scale length, 22 frets. Original tappable tetrad p'ups, 5-way blade selector switch, push-pull pot for mid-range control, 3 output jacks: magnetic, transducer and blended, pick-up selector switch for blended mode. It came with Godin custom ohsc. Features? Perhaps, too many features.

Start with the negative: transducers' sound is synthetic acoustic at best (-1 point).

Now on to the positive. I LOVE the sound of this guitar, live and for recording. It cuts through the mix nicely and has the widest range of sounds of any guitar I have ever played. The split tetrads sound very nice, but I never use them because if I'm looking for that Strat sound, I'll pick up a Strat. The sound is very warm, but brightens nicely, and it's clear, not muddy.

This guitar is versatile for rock, heavy metal, blues, jazz, pop, funk (yes, I recorded a funk tune with this and it sounded fantastic). The ebony fretboard helps the artiulation of each note with nice attack, clarity and EXCELLENT sustain. This is a great sounding guitar for LP lovers, but not for Strat players.

The guitar stays in tune nicely partly because of the bridge being counter sunk i the body. It doesn't sit high on the posts causing the tuning and intonation to go out as I play.

I can't comment on how the guitar came from the factory because I bought it used. When I got it the set-up was nearly perfect, but I, like most other players, have to do my own "tweaking".

The action of this guitar is great. I can go low (too low for my liking), even lower than my mid-80's Yamaha SBG. The neck is fast aand smooth with a nice butery feel. The frets are level and the edges smooth - no jagged edges. It also has the tightest neck joint I've ever seen.

The finish is flawless, beautiful with the book-matched flame maple top and black hardware. Body rounting is perfect (looks like CNC, but don't quote me on that).

All controls are in near perfect condition, but due to the age and dust, I'll have to simply clean all the pots and switches soon (minor cloudiness). That's not a flaw in the quality of this guitar, just overdue maintenance.

This is a true working musician's guitar. Great live and in the studio. Not a lot of guitars can hold that claim. Everything about this guitar is solid and will last for years to come, with proper maintenance and storage, of course. The finish looks new as do all the other parts after 10 years. I don't know the history of it, but I play it alot - gigs, studio and rehersal and it has stood up to my heavy use.

I would never play any gig without a back-up, no matter what guitar I was to play. You simply can't predict what could go wrong. However, if I were to go without one, this would be the instrument I would choose for reliability - ROCK SOLID!

??? I've never contacted the company, but I've hear secod-hand stories of excellent service. No comment due to lack of experience. ???

I started playing at the age of 12, put it down for a few years in my early 20's (femme fatale), played for 2 more years, then put it down again for about 8 years. I have been playing more seriously for about two years again. A Grand total of about 12 years, give or take.

When I bought this guitar, I went to a local used guitar shop, Songbird (the best used shop in Ottawa) to compare a mid-70's LP Custom (ebony fretbord) to a PRS Custom 24, both priced pretty close. I saw the Godin on consignment and tried it, too. Instant love affair! This guitar felt, played and sounded better than the other two by a mile. And, it was in way better condition for 1/2 the price. I contacted the seller directly and threw my cash at him.

Other PRS, LP, 335 and Strat lovers have tried this guitar and asked me where I got it. I tell them. But, good luck finding one, this is one rare guitar. The newer ones are nice, but not the same as the earlier models.

Bought in about 1999 in Illinois. $1200-ish
Canadian.
H/H/piezo
Hard case
Nice natural colour.
Bought really in search of the Holy Grail - a guitar that functions as an electric AND an acoustic. This isn't it, but still a really good guitar.

I fingerpick and strum acoustic.
I play Dire Straits, 60's, SRV, blues on electric (Laney vlave amp)
As an electric guitar it is exceptionally good.
With the piezo, interesting sound, but it's not acoustic and can't be a substitute.

Straight out of the box it was superb.

Awsome finish. Best looking guitar I've owned.
Superb to play - action not the lowest, but generally I could play a lot cleaner than on my 78 US Strat which has a much lower action.

Never had a problem

Never used

Being playing about 30 years (gasp!)
I've owned a lot of guitars - a George Lowden acoustic, 3 strats, an Aria ProII LP.
Horses for courses - my Strat is better for blues rock (SRV etc), and maybe for metal you'd look at others, but as a versatile all-rounder, definitely the best guitar I've owned.
Bottom line is I played this guitar better than any other I've owned.
Like a fool, I sold it. I may well buy another Godin, as the finish and playability are so good, but don't bother with the piezo. It's not an acoustic!.

I traded my home brewed strat for this Godin.

It had a dead piezo saddle and the electronics were really noisy due to some scratchy mini-trim pots on the printed circuit board. The battery had leaked and corroded the battery connectors which contributed to the raised noise floor on the MIX and ACOUSTIC ONLY output.

When I first saw it, my love for Godin guitars was rekindled. I had previously owned a 2000/2001 Godin LGXT. But because it had a terrible neck, I sold it off.

So I took a risk and went ahead with the one-to-one swop, intending to refurbish the Godin to its former glory.

So me being the electronics fella, got my soldering iron fired up repaired the circuitry (replaced battery connectors and mini-trim pots), the dead piezo and the guitar works wonderfully now. It is my main guitar now.


The specs are entirely the same as the rest of the reviews here except:

There is no serial number anywhere on the guitar, except that silkscreening on the circuit board says 1995. So it should be a 1995 as I have seen 1996 circuit board revisions on my other Godin LGX.

Mine says "LG" and "GODIN USA" and has a sticker on the back of the headstock saying "LGX" which is very rare I believe. All the other ones I have seen so far says "LGX" and "Godin".

Tuning machines are Schaller and Gold colored. The rest I have seen are Schallers with ebony knobs on chrome hardware.

The neck is also very different from what I have seen - this is the slimmest and straightest neck I have seen on a Godin. Somehow I am able to get a very low action without fretting out or buzzing. This is important especially for electrics with piezo pickups. Piezo tend to be more sensitive to fret buzzes.

This one also has the ebony fingerboard which is of the earlier Godin design. This is good if I want to upgrade to MIDI in the future.

The body is AA maple top finished in translucent red and without any binding. I'm not fuss about the looks, it is a working man's guitar.

The Tetrads were bland like what another reviewer said. I could never get any usable tone out of it.

Once, I changed it to PRS vintage Bass and HFS, I realised that the Tetrad pickups were the weakest link.

I have since installed a set of Seymour Duncans Jazz II and Custom Custom Custom (same as Custom 5 actually) from my other Godin LGXT and it really sings.

Now the neck has that jazzy tone (for my Wes Montgomery octaves); the middle position has that stratty thin coil sound; the bridge gives me good overdriven tones.

I have not found any use for position 2 and 4 though.

The 3-band EQ matches the LR Baggs piezo very well. I realise that the newer RMC system on my Godin LGXT tends to be brighter. Anyway, the 3-band EQ is mandatory for any piezo system. I can get close to nylon tones if I boost the mids and cut the highs. For a strumming style, I just do the opposite. The bass is only slightly boosted for both settings to give it more body.

I'm may upgrade the pickups to the same Seymour Duncans pickups with chrome covers.

I may also try a Duncan Custom instead of a Custom Custom Custom (Custom 5) or a PRS HFS to give the bridge a bit more drive.

By the way, I have my pickups connected such that the push-pull tone pot is bypassed. I never had any use for the tone pots and the extra push-pull split. It was an idea by Godin to split the Tetrads but it just didn't work. There were complaints about the drop in pickup output when you use the split.

I might just come up with some extra pickup combinations with the push-pull pot, and rewire it later but it is bypassed for now.

I realised that the newer electronics on my 2005 Godin LGXT has a lot more usable sweep when you use the tone pot - it reallys warms up the tone on the pickups. I might just do that on the LGX.

I set it up and string it with 0.010" set. If you want an overall better tone, go with thicker gauges. I find 0.009" too weak and can't push the piezo pickups nicely and are also weak on electric pickups.

I usually use 0.012" string sets for my acoustic and 0.010" for my electrics. Since it is primarily an electric with acoustic pickup option, I stuck at 0.010".

The action is the best part of it. The slimmer neck really allows you to play fast - it feels like a shredder's guitar neck.

There was quite a lot of pick scratches on the finish around the picking area. So I buffed it off with StewMac finishing compound.

This guitar has gone thru many rounds of maintenance, and it is still working for me. I've learnt quite abit about the guitar design thru servicing it.

That leads me to conclude that Godin has done a really good job at that. They are constantly evolving and I find that their latest designs on my Godin LGXT has incorporated alot of improvements.

The late 90s and early designs didn't seem to be successful. My latest 2005 Godin LGXT looks better and works better.

Not much experience with them, but I only know Godin are never immediate on their customer support.

So if the electronics die, which does seem to be common problem, you may have a hard time looking for a replacement. You may even be stuck with the problem permanently.

I have been playing guitar for about 25 years now. Gone thru a couple of guitars and amps myself, so I know more or less what I want.

I play for church. The bands are self supporting. There's no option to carry a truckload of gears and set up with multiple amps, etc. So we need to be very efficient.

I use my Godin LGX with the Line 6 PodXT Live, going direct to house and I'm assured of consistent tone from day to day. We use Furman in-ear monitoring systems.

I have owned about 2 Godin LGXT (a '00/'01 and a '05), 2 LGX (a 'late 90s and this one) and 1 '04 Freeway Classic. I think they make aestetically beautiful and tonally versatile gear.

I have since sold off the '00/'01 LGXT and the late 90s LGX. I think there were some years which their production quality was not up to par, possibly late 90s to early 2000. The '00/'01 LGXT had one or two fret buzz and the neck on the late 90s LGX could not match the one that I am reviewing now.

This guitar makes you re-evaluate if an expensive guitar (PRS, Fender, Gibson, etc) purchase is wise. The Godin looks good and plays good.

I'll never regret trading my strat for this Godin. It has served me well. Everytime I use it, I don't feel restricted tonally, I can express my self acoustically, or play some electric funk rhythm or do some heavy handed rock solos and the like and I'm getting there everytime I play it.

It really raises quite a view eyebrows especially the soundmen and the guitarist in the audience - they often ask me "what guitar is that?" - I just smile away :)

Lots of options for sounds from the 5 way switch and twn Humbuckers and LR Baggs. Also there's the coil tap and blend available. Can run the Buckers to amp and the LR Baggs directly to the PA for a more pure sound.

I play in a covers band, so I need a guitar and amp that can adjust to different genres and sounds. So this is used with a Roland code 60, directly into the PA. I use a 80's Rat/Marshall BB2/Roger Mayer Vision Octavia/Morley wah pedals. The Rolands Acoustic with the LR Baggs is brilliant, although the Clean Jazz Chorus channel is quite a good option.

Great neck, barre chords made simple. Lovely the maple cap and birds eye head capping. Lovely contoured back, very comfortable.

By vertue of no problems

No cause to call

Boy the last reviewer must have bought a Pup. I bought mine secondhand off Ebay from a music Lecturer. So it's been looked after.
I love this guitar for it's versitilaty, not the best at any one thing, but the LR Baggs through an Accoustic simulator/Amp or PA will bring the best out of it. Never had problems with it breaking strings.

See other reviews

Interesting.....to me, the duncans sound way too harsh. They really sucks on split coil mode too....they just sound thin. The acoustic piezo is pretty good when used with the right amp but won't sound amazing through your average marshall. Really, an a/b box would be ideal if you plan on getting the best of both worlds live.

no problems with action or fit or finish. However....this thing just won't stop snapping strings!!!! maybe i need to file all the piezo saddles but i don't no if that will mess with the sound.

Construction is really solid.....just the electronics totally blow! the selector switch is a steaming pile of shit and the pots are hopeless unless you love scratchy sounds and your signal cutting out halfway through playing. They really need to do something about their electronics. Some days i just feel like tearing it apart....and putting in new pots and switches and pickups.

Can't even find an email adress for them.

Pretty good....could be great if you gut it and put in new electronics which i plan to do

This is a review of a 1997 godin LGX. Made in USA/Canada. The older models had an ebony fretboard, and a set of godin tetrad humbuckers. Solid maple top with C+C carved contours. 5 way selector, and an LR Baggs piezo bridge. Shaller tuners (nonlocking).

The body style is like a fat les paul. The neck is a medium bowl. The construction is bolt-on with 4 bolts, adn teh heel joint is kind of chunky.

I have to give it a 9 for features. A better heel contour would be great. And indeed they updated the heel contour on later versions.

Unfortunately, godin also knocked the wood quality on subsequent lgx's. Rosewood is now used instead of ebony, and the guitars are a bit lighter.

Electronics are well done. The tetrad pickups are versatile, but kind of bland. When split they sound quite decent... better than split duncans.

I would say the tetrads are kind of transparent. They allow the sound of the guitar to come through. I would have preferred more of a gibson/duncan vibe myself.

THe guitar is definitely set up for variety. The baggs system can be blended with the magnetic pickups very nicely. Of course, it doesn't sound like an acoustic... but you can get some very cool sounds by mixing a bit of the piezo sharpness with the magnetic outputs. Best to do so subtly.

Adjustment was excellent from the factory. Worksmanship was very solid, (up to jackson standards), and there were no evident flaws besides shop wear. The electronics and wiring work are great.

I suppose the only thing I could request is more shielding in the control cavity, as well as a better nut. There was a bit of stickign at the nut. I solved this by switching to graphtec and getting a good repair guy to doctor it.

Otherwise, everything is great.

Now, this is where I have a few insights. I've used this guitar for over 7 years now, playing live shows in a variety of genres. I'm mostly a jazz guy, but i've played rock, funk and r+b. The godin does an acceptable job for all those styles, and it is absolutely rock solid. No neck warping, no issues with the electronics. It is a workign pro's instrument that you can depend on. I always gigged without a backup. The finish is also ultra sturdy.

Never had to deal with em.

I've been playing on and off for 10 years. I currently own 2 high end jackson USA solidbodies, a godin LGX (under review!), a rainsong jumbo, a yamaha aes-1500 and a couple of high end nylon strings. In the past I have owned takamine steel and nylon strings, a godin multiac duet nylon, and a yamaha pacifica 812V strat.

Now, this is a great workign professional's solidbody. It is rock solid, and versatile at a few styles.

However, I don't play it much anymore. I discovered jackson gear after I bought my lgx. The workmanship and neck-thru construction of jackson guitars has eclipsed my godin. I prefer the resonance and light weight of these instruments. For jazz, my main style, I prefer my semi-hollow. The godin is bulky... far too heavy for my slim frame night after night. My Swee-tone, aes-1500 or SLS are all around 6 pounds, which makes a huge difference to my ability to play for extended periods of time.

I do recommend the godin for people who are a bit less concerned about weight. But I personally would not buy any godin gear for this very reason. All of their guitars are bulky, even the flat five and the multiac jazz.

If I wanted a cheap guitar to haul around, I'd get a yamaha pacifica again. If I wanted a $1k+ guitar for rock, I'd shop for a jackson or a schecter c1 classic. Just my taste.