Godin SD

Maple body in tobacco sunburst with maple neck/fretboard. 24 frets and 24 3/4 scale. S/S/H stock Godin pickups. Strat style tremolo.

Classic rock and 80's new wave. Has a variety of sounds but the stock humbucker just lacks tone. Single coils are fine though. Swap out the humbucker to a high end versatile HB like a SD JB and will be a 10 (I put a JB trembucker in mine and now it's a 10-WOW)

Bought it used so worked on the action, but everything else looks great. I believe it was made in 1998 and I bought it used a few months ago and looked like it was hardly played. Practically new.

Heavy little critter. I had thought highly of Godin when I tried a few at a store a couple of years ago. They just don't have the big name recognition in the USA, but are really well built guitars. Was really shocked at the weight of it, as I don't remember them being that heavy.

No idea, but had to order a trem bar from local dealer and got it within 10 days from Canada.

Been playing 23 years and really wanted something with a Maple fretboard that was versatile. Extremely happy with this guitar. Look on ebay and you can get them for $175-$225. Really one of the best values for a guitar that is so well built. I think they boast Canadian parts assembled in the USA. Set up with DR Red Devils in 9's. Even though this was part of Godin's entry level line, it's as good as anyone's mid-level guitars in the $400-$600 range. I really have started looking beyond names into manufacturers that aren't as popular and can find some real gems like this one.

has really nice pick ups and nice color

it has a nice rich sound for 300$ its not the best,but for something made in america, you got to have it

didint come with wammy bar, and the channel switcher black piece came of easy

it gets scratched and dented easy, i found a gash on the back of it and i dont know how it got their

havent got it repaired yet

i have had it for 2 yers this month through a marsahl mg 15 series amp and it has a nice clean sound-to a country twang

it was assembled in USA with parts from Canada in 2000 , it has a 5 way pick up selector, Volume, Tone, 2 choils + 1 bucker, the frets are cool, I like the way it was made and I also like the clip on tremolo, I'm sure my Godin SD is worth $900 CAN, because I have a friend investigating on it and so far he told me prices for Godin SD made in 2000 are $625CAN to $900CAN, the only thing is it's quite standard on features but I like it because I like it like that because at least it can give me the sounds I want

I love it, I mean it sounds great on any sound or effect that you put it on, it also able to give me six string samurai's guitar sound which is my favourite and all other sounds and effects

My Godin SD is unique of it's kind, I tried loiking for the exact same and it's impossible to find it. It has 24 frets, 2 single choils + 1 Humbucker, maroon body, rosewood fretboard, beige pick guard it's a heck of a combination, you won't find another one exactly like it. even my teacher likes it

up until now it has naver given me trouble, though I treat it with care, but until now it's perfect

Thank God so far it's never broken on me so there I wouldn't know, I got it for $300 at pawn shop looks like they didn't know what they had so I took advantage and just when I had paid for it I told the guy the guitar was worth $900CAN he was surprised

I've been playing for 4 years and it's the only guitar I can play with because it has that special touch that not even a strat feels as confortable like my Godin SD (I think Godin wanted to make a super SD) because there is no other like it.

2005 model, 22 frets, 24.75" scale. Made in America from Canadian parts and woods. It sports a "midnight blue" finish over a silverleaf maple body, and I opted for the maple fretboard over rosewood. It has Godin branded passive pickups and a 5-way switch. Volume and tone knobs, nothing fancy like coil taps or phase switches. It has a fender-esque tremolo bridge with what appears to be graphite string saddles and a drop-in whammy bar. The tuners are standard sealed tuners. It came with a very nice gig bag, so there's no need for me to buy a hard case until I start touring.

I play rock. Alternative, classic, progressive etc... I'm using a Traynor YCV40 and a Boss super phaser. It sounds quite nice, and it's clear even with heavy distortion. The single coils are a little noisy with distortion, but that's easily fixed with a noise gate, and they sound quite good clean. The overall tone is sort of a mix of an SG and a Stratocaster. It's a little on the dark side, but not excessively so, and the maple fretboard evens it out. It sounds great overall. It leans towards the vintage side of things, but it sound great with more modern tones as well.

In a word? Perfect. The finish looks great and everything feels nice and tight and there's no noticable flaws in anything. Inonation sounds pretty close to right, and the action is right where I want it off the shelf (low, but not very low)

It feels solid and it stays in tune with normal whammy bar use. It does slip a little with dive-bombs, but that's the nature of a non-locking tremolo system without locking tuners. I only use the bar for a really wide or quick vibrato, so it's not an issue with my style of playing.

I use Dunlops plastic strap locks, so my strap is never in any danger.

The finish is great, and I doubt it'll show wear and tear anytime soon

Excellent guitar. Much better than the Fender Fat Strats in the same price range, and I'd buy another one if anything were to happen to it.

The only thing I'd change would be the stock pickups. I can see this guitar sounding great with something like a JB/Vintage Rails setup, or a Custom Custom in the bridge (Godin uses a modified Custom Custom in their high-end models). But other than that, I have no complaints. It feels solid and sounds great

Bought 2nd hand in 2006, 2000 model, in mint condition. Cream finished Silverleaf maple body with 24 fret rock maple neck, rosewood board. 2 Godin (Duncan) s/c and Seymour Duncan h/b. 5 way switch, 1 vol, 1 tone control, trem style bridge.

I play mainly blues/country/jazz for which this guitar fits pretty well. There is a fair range of sounds available - my favourite is pos 4 - mid & h/b which produces quite a snappy country quack. I run it through a Zoom 1010 board and Ross 50W amp which gives me all the poke I want as an enthusiastic amateur.

AS I bought it 2nd hand, I can't comment on factory setup, however when I got it the truss rod was backed almost right off allowing a bit of up-bow in the neck. A quick tweak soon fixed that. Of 30 odd guitars that have passed through my hands this was the first with a properly fitted nut. All I had to do was lower the string height, reset the intonation and she sounds sweet all the way to the 24th.
The fit & finish is what I expected from a Godin, - perfect.

AS a non professional I can't give a qualified opinion, but the guitar looks and feels pretty substantial.

Emailed the company with serial no. etc to try to pin down age, materials etc. Received a reply with all information within 24 hours.
Pretty damn good in my book.

Been playing long enough to be embarassed round good players. I currently have a Standard Strat, a Valley Arts Tele, an Epi SG, an Epi Joe Pass, and a few "homegrowns" plus a couple of acoustics. I rate the Godin above my Strat in terms of comfort snd playability.
I wouldn't commit murder if it was stolen but would probably replace it with another Godin, I like the man's style.

It's amazing how many suckers bought this guitar, and... gee, I am one of them. (Well, just wanted to see what the fuss was about.) Anyway, mine is a 22-fret Black Pearl with a maple neck and fretboard. SSH, short scale, great gig bag, blah-blah, you know the rest from the 64 reviews below. Features are basic, nothing out of the ordinary. Had I gotten a 24-fret version of this guitar, I'd probably have given it a "9" here; with 22 frets, "8" will really suffice.

OK, the sound is actually nice. I second some others' observations that it sounds quite sweet unplugged (compared to other unplugged electrics) and you can actually feel the wood of the neck vibrate in your hands. However, I'd probably say that, unplugged, it promises more than it delivers plugged. It produces very-good-to-excellent clean, semi-clean, and light crunch tones, so it is a decent instrument for bluesy and jazzy things (plus, bending strings is a breeze with the short scale). It's also OK for some classic rock things, although heavy crunch on the maple model that I've got is not as good as it was on the rosewood one that I tested. The HB is a bit tame and won't produce very convincing distortion sounds. (On the rosewood model, again, it was a tad better, but my general feeling is that classic distorted sounds aren't one of the strong points of this guitar). The stock SC's, incidentally, are also a bit tame and not as bright sounding as generic strat's coils. I don't think this guitar will work for hard rock or metal, nor will it probably satisfy country players. All in all, it's a decent instrument; and the judgment I agree with most is that it is a well-behaved guitar with a well-mannered tone, as some of the reviewers down the road put it. It lacks character somewhat, but it is a diligent performer that would get a solid "B" in school.

Mine came in an excellent shape overall, with nicely adjusted pickups and comfortably set strings. (On the rosewood model that I tested and also considered at first, strings were set so ridiculously low without any buzzing that I was amazed.) What I like most in this guitar is certainly the neck. It is one surprising example of workmanship, indeed. It is very smooth, extremely playable, and has a great feel. (Mine, like someone else's here, has also some nice wood figure on it -- it's kind of pleasing to
watch.) Normally you find necks like this in guitars priced much higher. The neck gets a "10". However, I agree with another reviewer who mentioned that the general ergonomics of this guitar could be better. There is something not right with the proportional distribution of weight in the guitar body, so it does tend to fall forwards or backwards when on your lap (strats or LP's are just much easier to balance). It's also kind of heavy for its size, as noted by many, but this is a minor gripe, I don't care that much. All in all, a well crafted instrument. A surprise at this price tag.

I've had it for a year by now, and although this is not my gig guitar, I think it is dependable. (If I gigged with it, I would probably consider installing higher quality tuners, but I am not sure.)

Have not dealt with them yet, but I hear they are good guys, so I'll take it for granted in the meantime. (I also own a Godin-made acoustic, and I haven't had to resort to the customer service assistance on that one either.)

Well, to contest some extreme opinions here, I can't agree with the reviewer who has said the SD is not capable of producing any professional sounds. It seems like the SD doesn't produce those particular sounds he was looking for (he just got a wrong guitar), but the statement about *any professional sounds* is surely an overkill. At the same time, I can't agree with the person saying this is "the most awesome guitar under $1500 you can get" (just as much of an overkill). Come on, people, get serious, in the $1500 range there are many other options and more interesting instruments, including those in the very same Godin line alone.

So what this is and what this isn't. First of all, this is *not* a strat, nor is it a replacement for a strat (so if you want a strat, then get one). Obviously, this is not a replacement for an LP either. So if you think it's an inexpensive solution to the problem of getting the best of both worlds, that is not it -- you'd be getting, let's put it this way, not the best of either world. What you'd be getting, however, is a very decent guitar in its own right. If you are after a strat and look for a budget solution, it would be better, IMHO, to get the cheapest available Mex strat with a clean neck and good action (these things exist) and put in some quality pickups. (True, I've yet to find a Mex strat with a neck and action that would come close to those in my particular SD, but that is beside the point; no matter how great the neck in my SD is, it is not going to sound like a strat.) So make your own choices.

Would I buy it again? Hmm... difficult to say, I don't know. Now that I've satisfied my curiosity, I think I probably wouldn't. I'd probably want to try something different, as there are still quite a few intriguing things around. But, since I have got it already, I think I'll keep it for the neck alone and experiment with different pickups. Been playing for 20+ years, so listing other stuff I've tried or had is kinda tedious. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this guitar to a beginner; I think it may be pretty good as a backup gig unit, provided it suits your style; and it may (or may not) be interesting to those looking for something different. (To those latter, I think, it would still lack some zest -- but try getting your hands on one of Godin's older Artisans, these are indeed very special guitars...)

My sd was made in 2003 i think, in the USA from parts made in canada, as with all sds. It has a s/s/h pickup set up, a whamy bar, 5 way switch and tone and volume control (a knob for each). Rosewood fretboard, maple neck, forgot what the bodies made of nothing to exotic tho. Non locking tuners. Gibson style neck scale. Comes with high quality gig bag. My one has a light starburst finish blending from yellow to orange, with a cream pickguard. It looks quite good, always impresses.

I usually play metal, the likes of black sabbath, metallica and nirvana spring to mind, but i mainly just play freely all over the fretboard. The humbucker has alot of distorsion and sometimes gets very flustered with all the sounds going on. I dont often use the middle pickup but i have good experiences with it. I use the neck pickup often as it delivers a nice santana-ish sound. I have played this guitar for 3 years and 90% of the time i use the humbucker for what i play.

I use a zoom amp, which isnt a great amp, but occasionally get to plug it in to something better, such as a marshall and it comes alive. I am looking for some dimarzio pickups for it as ive heard good things. The sound is rather bluesy, but can make all sorts of sounds from very heavy to very bright and airy. Its good for metal to blues and everything in between.

Sounds good when playing van halen, pink floyd, black sabbath, alice cooper, you name it you could use it for it.

Well im not very experienced at customising and it was my first electric so i kinda adapted to the guitar. Ive been meaning to try a different set up but havent been bothered, as there are no problems with it now. All very good quality, only one complaint - a few weeks ago the tone knob mustve had something come loose as it now no longer stops turning. While it stills works its just a bit loose and its annoying. Looking at getting it fixed. Also, the screws have rusted in places but i live on the water so salt is a bit of a problem

This guitar will withstand, and has withstood, live playing, but always do it with a backup of course... Hardware seems durable anough, no problems yet, after 3 years been flawless. The finish is very strong, only have one ding from an unknown source on the front, and thats literally all there is. The strap buttons are a bit small and MIGHT come out if your jumping up and down so be careful. You can definately depend on it.

never dealt with them, its a testament to its reliability. I play hard and nothings gone wrong. Although ive heard good htings...

Ive been playing about 4 years, owned this guitar 3 years. I own an Ibanez acoustic and a 5 string bass. I use a ZOOM fire 15 amp, which is ok, has alot of effects but isnt exactly a great amp. I wish (since i got this guitar as a present) i couldve got the quilt finish on it as it looks awesome. I would probably buy another one if i got a good deal, as its a very good guitar, ive played everything from strats to sgs to dobros, and it is one of the nicest around, expecially for what you pay. I dont like how at the higher frets, it gets really tight, making it a bit of an operation to play compared with a squier strat. The whamy is great.

This is a great guitar, best you can get for the money. Brilliant for a first timer.

22 frets, 24.75 inch scale, maple neck and fretboard, S-S-H with trem, 5-way switch, solid red, good gig bag

ok through a good amp, I have a Maz 18 Junior, pickups are pretty weak, I tried putting in a Dimarzio PAF Pro at bridge and a couple of Seymour Duncan humbuckers. Improved the sound but I still didn't like it. I think I just don't want a S-S-H guitar...

very well made, nicely setup from the factory, very nice neck for the money

I didn't keep it long, a few months, I think it would withstand normal use as well as any other guitar

the switch broke right away, bad plastic inside, replace without a hastle

overall somewhat "light", stock pickups are a little weak. However, an excellent starter guitar. Excellent quality for the price.

Made late 2004 or early 2005 Parts made in canada Assembled in USA
24 frets 24.75 inch scale Maple neck rosewood fingerboard Maple and poplar body Shh five way switch solid red finish. Strat style 6 screw trem. Non locking tuners. Gig bag included (a good one). Nice features but i keep the 10 rating for the Godin XTSA that i have

It really suit my style when i play trough my amps. the middle single coil is the single coil sound i was searching for. Note that the fact that it as a gibson scale lengh i find the neck single coil to be a bit too dark for my taste. I think the midle S/C on the godin is a bit like a neck on on a strat. The fact that those single coils have flat polepieces is a blessing it give you a more balenced tone, and your pick do not get caught in the g string polepiece (like it happened with my blue velvet pickup on an anothere guitar). The humbucker is very well mixed with the single coils. medium high output i think. I is very eighties sounding, Bon jovi type sound are easy to get. You can also do some death metal if you use the right amp/pedals. If you really like quack you have to put more highs on your amp cos the shorter scale and wood choice make the guitar fatter and darker than the standard strat style guitar. Overall i really like those pickups maybe i would change them just to fine tune the guitar to my taste but the quality of the godin unit is so good i would buy another SD to do such modification to make sure i still have the original sound.

I bought a guitar with a cosmetic defect to save money. The usual quality of godin is great, I personnally asked the dealer to find one with a finish flaw to save. There where black markings on the back of the guitars, the salesman buffed them now the guitar look like a perfect one. The high e string was kinked (the salesman putted new ones) and adjusted the guitar for free !!!! Remember i asked for a second! Once those little adjustment done the guitar was perfect, IT was so amazingly good that i sold my Gibson SG standard to buy A godin XTSA. The neck is a dream to play for me The best neck i have ever played it seem to be a slim D profile (like a wizard a bit) The trussrod is very responsive and easy to adjust (it is the first guitar that i do trussrod adjustment myself cos it is so easy to adjust). The jack like on a LOT !!!! of guitar get loose once in a while easy to tighten The neck joint is great, I like the tension on the trem a lot.

It is a very well made guitar!!! i love it! The weight and comfort are great too!

This is a very well made instrument! Everything is solid. At first i was affraid of the tuner but they are far better than they look like! the strap button is of the straplock kind but you have to buy the matching part! It is a very solid instrument you can depend on it! Just be careful with the Gig Bag the metal ring that hold the strap can damage the guitar finish if you knock it hard. I mean really hard! This is something i saw just onced most people will not drop the gig bag that way.

Costumer support is good with godin they always answer your questions. Much better than ibanez i can tell you that. I wrote them to say that they should put graphite nuts on their XTSA guitars cos it really help tuning stability. The wrote back one day later to say they like costumer feedback and if enough people ask for graphite nut it would be considered.

I started playing in 1988 I owned 2 Strats MIM and MIJ. 1 gibson SG standard. Aria Bass and FL20. Epiphone LES PAUL. Yamaha AES BBN and RGX. Ibanez Studio and SDR BASS. Godin SD XTSA and LG and then some. That godin is a wonderfull piece of work I did not gave pricing cos i bought a defective one so the pricing was reduced according to the finish flaw. But the guitar is a keeper it is one of the best guitar i played . All godin guitars that i own are of the higest quality! my dream is to have one of each model in the performance series ! it is that good! Play it with your ears not your misconception!

The features have all been mentioned before. Mine has a transparant blue finish, rosewood fretboard. A pretty babe she is to me, like almost any Godin (I also own a Radiator in black pearl finish, and a LG in semi gloss natural). What can I say, S-S-H setup gives me plenty of tonal options. I'm not a fanatic tremolo divebomber, so the stratlike tremolo does it for me.

Right now, I use the SD mainly for blues, rock and anything in between. Most of the time running it through a Mesa Boogie Mk4 top into a 2 x 12" Brunnetti Cab armed with 2 Celestion Vintage 30-s. For FX I have a Boss RBF-10 flanger and a RDD-10 digital delay chained in my FX-Loop. I also own a Mesa Boogie .50 caliber+ combo and a Crate G120C XL transistor combo 2 x 12". The SD sounds good on all three. The humbucker isn't compact-sounding enough for real tight metalsounds though, I have to tweak the leadchannel on my Mesa to extremes and still I only pull off as much as a not really convincing 80's-like distortion sound. Slayer is (sort of) possible but you won't get any punchy NU-metal out of this one. Not that I intend to. Anyway, I have a EMG-HZ passive humbucker laying in wait here for installment so even that will be possible soon. All in all a good sounding instrument with a lot of directions to go for.

I bought it second hand so I don't know how it was presented when bought. Still, the ones I've inspected in stores were well set-up. The action is a bit big for my taste. Maybe I got a bit to much adjusted to playing my LG.
The only flaw I know on my SD is the tendency to detune on one string when I apply some tremolo. This was mentioned before I believe, the tip to adjust the bridge, taking out one spring and letting the bridge float, I will definitely try that. For the rest it's a well build and nicely finished instrument. It's a Godin. Quality.

It's durable all right. A backup? Yes of course, a string might snap.

Never dealt with them. Most I hear and read leaves the impression they are friendly and dedicated.

I've been playing for about 14 years now. I already mentioned the rest of my gear. If it were stolen or lost....I don't know....may I'd try the Godin Exit22 first, and if not satisfying....I'd buy another SD, sure. For spiritual reasons I rather don't compare anything with anything, but let's say it's a good deal for the money. Affordable quality in sound and finish.