Godin SDxt

Has the features that you want. A trem can be locked, rosewood, little things done right like the string hook thingamajigs next to the tuners that keep things in line.
Nothing out of the ordinary, just good quality. My guitar is 6 years old yet its tuners feel much better than a new comparable asian $400 range, a guitarist friend recently made a comment about that.
And after 6 years of light use it still looks great! To me the style is 'man in a tux'. Black with black pickguard.

Knocks for not staying in tune when my beginner hands would yank the whammy. Not experienced on how in tune a guitar should stay when using the trem...but during a punk gig when borrowed it def needed retuning a few times.

After 6 years....still sounds great. Feels great. Is loud when played unplugged compared to a regular elctric. Has a FULL RICH sound that has been better imo than ANY of the midrange guitars I hang around and better than ANY asian guitar. This this is solid, rich, and classy.

10 in its price range!!

I did notice a new gibson sounded a bit better on crunch. Cost 3 times as much, fit and finish is comparable.
so in terms of ANY guitar comparison, it's probably a 6 maybe even a 7.

great. don't remember how the setup was stock. but never took the guitar into a shop the past 4 years. there was some white stuff presumably from painting/grease when i opened up the tremolo back, and 6 years on I can barely see the seams in the wood on the back side only, but it still looks mint, classy, and feels new.

10 in its price range, or 7.5 when including any guitar. Not much more solid a guitar i ever felt.

see above. built like a tank with a tux.

friendly customer service, good vibe from them when communicating asking questions. but n/a

I am a semi pro drummer with a good ear, theory, piano, guitar, accordion. I can tell a good player and a good guitar. I play guitar just for fun through previously a Traynor YCV80.

Not sure of the year, bought it used at GC. Made in the US with Canadian parts. This SDxt has a 22 fret, 25.5 scale maple on maple neck. It is an orangy sunburst plain maple veneer top on a maple and poplar bady. White pickguard with H-S-H configuration. One volume and one tone knob with a 5 way Strat switch. It has a 2 screw newer style Strat-type bridge with a recess in the body so it floats. It has 6 on a side Godin tuners and the stock Godin pickups are still in it. It has a kind of half Strat half Tele look to it. Not my favorite, but a very workable shape playing wise. It has the neck bolted on in a Ernie Ball style neck joint using bolts instead of screws ala Ibanez. The neck join is contoured and is very comfortable when reaching the higher notes on the neck.

Mine actually came with the original hardshell case, trem arm and tool kit. A rare find buying used.

This guitar is very "full" sounding. Great resonance and natural sustain. The 5-way switch can get you anything from full on rock to a country twang. The stock pickups sound ok, but are a bit microphonic so I will probably swap them out. Maybe a Tone Zone or a JB in the bridge and a PAF or Jazz in the neck.
I have a couple different amp setups and it sounds great through them all. My main rig is a Mesa Single Recto head feeding a Hartke cab, my practice amp is an older Peavey Bandit and in my home studio I record through PODs, Digitech RP2000 and Genesis modelers. It sounds full and lush through them all.
The Maple neck and body give it more bite than an LP or PRS, especially in the in-between switch settings. All in all it has some very usefull tones. I really like the neck pick up. Cleaner amp settings will get you an SRV type tone from it and heavier gain sounds very Blackmoreish.

Can't tell you how it was setup from the factory since I bought it used. When I got it the trem was pulled all the way down into the recess causing the strings to almost sit on the neck. Funny thing is the neck/ frets were setup so well the was no string buzz even with the action set almost touching the frets. Good sign!

The trussrod was set right, but the intonation was way off. I put a new set of XL 10's on it and set it up right and the action is flawless.

I Have never really paid much attention to Godin guitars because of their odd (too me) body style, but I am truly a fan now. Their attention to building a solid guitar is on par with guitars costing thousands more. I am amazed at how solid this guitar feels in my hands. I am a convert and started looking at maybe getting a Velocity in the near future.

I won't judge it on how it came when I bought it, I will judge it on how it came out after I set it up and its potential. For that I give a 9. Its build quality is on par with much more expensive guitars. After researching Godin a little bit I found that each neck/body is carefully mated to each other at the factory. How many other guitars in this price range can say that.

I see no problems here. As I said, this guitar is built solid. I wouldn't ever play without a backup, so the same can be said for my Parker or PRS as well.

Don't know....

I've been playing for about 35 years now. I have all kinds of gear at all price points. I was looking for a maple neck guitar to keep in my home studio to replace a guitar I gave to my son. I was kind of stuck on what to get (I didn't want another Strat), and I saw this on the used wall at GC. I picked it up and played it for a while, and was sold. I couldn't believe how solid it felt in my hands.

I was never a Godin guy. I've looked at them and never really cared for most of their body shapes, so I never actually picked one up and played it. Stupid me. Godin makes a great guitar! And most of them are under a grand! I am an amatuer luthier and have built quite a few guitars for myself and others, so I know a little bit about build quality. This SDxt is on Godin low end and it is built as well as my 1991 PRS CE24. It may not be as fancy (carved top or natural binding), but it is built just as solid.

My only complaint is the pickups being a little microphonic. They probably aren't potted very well, or at all. But for less then $200 I'll deal with it....

Mine is the blue flametop/cream pickguard & rosewood fretboard (rock-maple neck). HSH configuration. I had purchased this guitar brand new in Canada, over 7 years ago.

Everyone has a personal opinion on guitar sound and feel. Over the years, I seriously grew fond of this guitar (I love the neck, flawless assembly, it's finish, it's look, etc). An electric guitar's sound is not only produced by it's electronics, but also by it's inner wood tone. When is the last time you tried an electric guitar, and actually played it for 30 minutes "unplugged"? That's how you can appreciated the quality of wood used, and Godin's attention to fine details (the fact that the paint in the neck-joint has been removed by hand).

As a luthier, I was so impressed with this guitar that I decided a few years ago to use it to build "my" ultimate guitar.

Using my stock SDxt, I modified/added the following:

- Replaced the neck pickup with Seymour-Dunkan SH-2 Jazz ($85)
- Replaced the bridge with a Seymour-Dunkan Dimebucker ($95)
- Replaced the volume pot with a coil-split pot ($10)
- Added a swith to inverse the current in the single coil ($2)
- Blocked the tremolo, and added 2 extra springs to make it behave like a hard-tail ($free)

My musical palate is all over the place... I'll go into a blues phase for a month, then more into classic rock, than I'll go for the cleanest "clean" tone I can get - then I'll dive into my inner darkness, then go into a heavy metal "Lamb Of God" mode.

Stock, this guitar played all of the above very well - 9/10. Good sustain stock, stayed in tune (although I hardly used the tremolo). I could not find a better sounding guitar for that price range (or even for a few $100 more). What impressed me with about this guitar is that not only does it have a versatile palette, but it also covers them well... it doesn't just kind of sound bluesy in one setting, and kind of rocks in another - it has a nice bluesy tone, and it really rocks!

Now that I modified it, I will never part from it! With the upgrades I made, I went from 5 pick-up settings to 13 settings, incredible sustain, and for the love of g_d, I spent all summer last year trying to buy a new guitar, and with a price cap of $2,000, I could not find a better sounding/playing & more versatile guitar!

Flawless - Absolutely no issues from the day I purchased it (over 7 years). The neck varnish is starting to become a tad more yellow (getting that cool "vintage" strat neck color). No paint chips otherwise. I do love my action very low, so I lowered it, and it's running flawlessly. This is actually the lowest I have been able to drop the action without any fret-buzz.

Rock solid - no complaints

Never had any issues, so I can't comment.

For the price, this guitar can not be beat. But what some owners fail to realize is that it is made with a selection of great quality wood. Everybody's tast differs, and if you don't particularely enjoy the sound of one of the pick-ups, do trust that this instrument is worty of swapping a pick-up - and like an old dog, it will be your loyal companion for years to come.

Although I made changes to mine to suite my taste, after adding parts for an extra $200, this guitar now has an absolutely incredible sound and sustain. For metal, this axe now wails like a Banshe, with pinch-harmonics on demand. Yet I can grab a beer, kick my feet back, close my eyes, and tap into some really saucy blues.

2004 Godin SDxt. Made in USA. This was a long and mcquade special order guitar.. it has a slightly different finish from most SDxts. (not that that matters much).

I purchased this guitar because I wanted a cheap practice guitar that I could take around town. Twin humbuckers were a requirement (i'm a jazz guy), and I wanted a maple fretboard and neck so I could string the guitar with ultra high tension strings. Unfortunatley, I hate tremelo bridges, but the price on this guy was pretty irresistable. (Wish they made a hard-tail model for those of us who think tremelo bridges suck).

Given the price, this guitar has decent hardware. Stock godin pickups are passable for most styles (more below). Tuners are tight, although I would prefer them to lock. And of course I detest set or bolt-on necks... but whatcha gonna do at $350 bucks? :)

I'm a jazz guy. I own quite a few high end guitars, including three Jackson USA Selects, a Hofner Verythin JS, a Rainsong JM1000, a Ramirez, and a Godin LGX. I have owned three different godin LGX's in the past. (I used to be enamoured of them, until I encountered jackson)

I'm using this as a practice guitar. It is strung with a custom set of strings (14-60). Normally I use 13's, but I wanted my practice instrument to be a bit heavier.

As you can expect, those strings exert a lot of force. I had to add extra springs to the trem, and rack up the tension inside by adjusting the nut. With the load fully engaged, the guitar is very stable in terms of tuning. The sound is very warm and open. Tons of tone, due to the extra current induced by thick strings.

I'm only fond of one setting on this guitar, which is the intermediate position between teh neck humbucker and middle single coil. The neck humbucker by itself is brash, with pronounced lows. it is too brash for jazz, even with the treble wound back. Switching to position two gives a good tone with a hint of blues. The single coil on its own is not particularly impressive, and has a fair bit of noise. The single coil and bridge pickup split position is nice for a nastier blues sound. the bridge pickup is passable for getting crunch, but it is NOT going to send you to hard rock or metal heaven.

In terms of amps, I have a few. Evans Jazz Preamp, Mesa Formula preamp, digitech twintube, rocktron gainiac, fender M80, VHT 2:50:2 poweramp, Boogie 2:50 poweramp, F100 head, seymour duncan convertible combo. (plus a whack of rack effects) I use ear candy cabs exclusively.

(I notice a lot of guys running this guitar through beginner-level amps... that's all fine and dandy, but I'd hate to see a bad review of a guitar posted by someone who didn't realize that the amp was the real bottleneck in the sound-production pipeline. If you are running this thing through a micro-cube or 15 watt randall, please don't post a review without a lot of humility)

For jazz, I usually run this through the evans, a GMajor, a graphical eq, and the VHT. With some EQ tweaking, I can get a pretty nice solid jazz tone. It doesn't sound like a hollowbody, but more like a twangy version of Ed Bickert's sound. There's a hint of blues to it, no matter how much you aim for a dark jazz tone.

I haven't actually used this thing for blues much, as 14's will kill your enthusiasm for whole note bends pretty quickly.

I have, however, used this thing for metal. My current jazz combo consists of guys who also grew up playing metal, so we run some heavier stuff as easy warmup material. This guitar is NOT a high gain shredding instrument. It has problems with feedback at higher volumes, and the tremelo under my current string weight has a habit of vibrating.. the springs rumble, and that in turn is caught by the pickups, yielding a strange reverb-like effect. Not a high gain guitar. (although guys who use 8's and 9's may have a different experience, since the weight on the bridge is much less)

I'd say this guitar is good for anyone who needs decent clean sounds, a bit of twang, and enough dirt for a bit of rock and roll. it is not a metal guitar, nor a jazz guitar.. it won't thrill people who want to shred or to do super heavy distortion. But for beginners, intermediate players, or generalists who want a solid instrument at a low price point, this thing does a great job. (If I were a girl, I'd rather have this thing in black than some daisy rock beginner guitar... sexier, and far more versatile)

bear in mind that when I rate this instrument's sound, I am comparing against much much better instruments. For a guitar that retails under 400, 7 is a good rating. I'd rather have this thing than a 400 dollar fender anyday. But it is no mcinturff. For a <400 dollar guitar, it's a 9. For a guitar period, it's a 7 at most.

I couldn't care less how it was set up originally, since I prefer high action and thick strings. And I figure that if you can't adjust your own pickup height and string height, you shouldn't be in this game.

The workmanship on this guitar is solid. Just what is needed. the ONLY issue is that the treble pot is a bit scratchy. But I can fix that pretty easily.

It's a solid instrument. To date, there has been no warping of the neck, no buckling or cracking, even under that 14-60 load. The maple neck is fun to play, and has held up really well. I take care of my instruments, and after 14+ rehearsals and long sessions at home, this instrument looks as good as new. No structural flaws, period.

That, of course, is what i am used to with godin. I'm not a huge fan anymore, as I switched my allegiance to jackson on account of their superior designs (neck through body joints in particular). I also find their instruments to be very clunky in terms of weight and mass distribution. But in the 10 years I have been a godin owner, I have never ever had a problem with a godin guitar. And I used to gig frequently.

Haven't had to contact them ever, which is a good sign.

I've been playing a while. Most of my gear is high-end stock stuff. (I don't go for custom instruments.. just high level stock gear).

I like the build quality. It has stood up under heavy playing and a massive string load. I like the neck a lot.. fat, but very playable.

I'm not a huge fan of the neck humbucker. But i'm not willing to swap it out either. (not worth the effort).

I compared to a bunch of other low level guitars from epiphone and fender, schechter and washburn. For a $350 dollar instrument, this thing is a GREAT deal. Great build quality, solid woods, a lot of pickup options. When you consider that korean-made guitars go in the same price point, this usa/canadian guitar is a good deal. Especially compared to fender MIM strats.

If someone stole it, I would buy another. I might look into a yamaha pacifica, but this is a great instrument. And contrary to some opinions voiced below, this is NOT just a beginners guitar. As a former pro jazz guy, I would have no reservations about relying on this thing in a variety of contexts. It just won't cut it for metal and high gain playing. Get an ESP or something for that.

I give it a '9' in value FOR AN INSTRUMENT AT THIS PRICE RANGE. Of course it not a PRS, jackson, parker, mcinturff, warrior or whatnot. It's not even 1/3 as good as any of those. But for the price, it is a great deal.

mine is black, with the regular h - s - h pickup confiuration. no locking tuners so i guess it gets an 8 for that.

my style is screaming rock solos and a bit of jazzy stuff. funk, and i like a strat out of phase sound too.

this guitar can play these styles well at a semi pro level which is how i would describe my playing.

it is not a noisy guitar. it's got a good strong healthy stable and balanced sound. BUT i feel that the sound is a bit plastic. it's a cheap solution for having a strong reliable guitar with a large veriaty of sounds, but lacks the depth that the expensive guitars have.

my guitar was set up well and it has a nice small neck. no flaws in the finish or anything, BUT i do feel that this guitar could benefit from having the top curved more then it is at the area at which the picking hand rests on, above the bridge. i feel that having the top almost completly flat makes it hard to play and screws up the right hand's muting technique.

Good intonation! strong reliable and everything.

been playing for 20 years. i've owend fenders gibsons and what not. in my oppinion this guitar sounds great for the price and has good intonation. i would suggest to see whether it's comfterble for you. otherwise i would strongly recommend buying one like this, especialy if you're a begginner - to moderate level player.

Normal features for a H-S-H Guitar. I think the headstock isn't so pretty, or at least doesn't go with the rest of the guitar, awfully thick too. I bought mine used. Someone had put schaller locking tuners on it which does a good job of keeping everything in tune. If you're having a hard time keeping yours in tune add a set. Plus, it makes changing strings a lot faster. The only thing that bugs me about this guitar is that the saddles are a satin finish, while the base of the bridge is chrome. It just looks a little funny.

It has a good sound. It does get a touch muddy down low and lacks a little warmth, but overall, pretty good.

This thing is a tank, but doesn't feel like it. When I brought it home I was having a pretty ungraceful day. I knocked it into just about everything possible. Luckily, there were no dents. Again, I'm still wierded out by the 2 different finishes on the bridge. I bought it used from Guitar Center. Either these guys didn't set up the intonation or someone did a terrible job at it. It was a solid 25 cents off on every string. The bridge made it a quick fix though.

It seems incredibly tough. I'm not sure I could hurt it if I wanted to.

I would probably buy another depending on how much money I had to spend. I've been playing for 12 years or so, and have gone through quite a few guitars. This thing is quality. I hope it lasts a while.

2005 model with gold leaf finish, made in US of A and assembled in Canada. All the standard features so I don't need to write them all for you.

My style is just that - my style. I borrow heavily from rock-a-billy, alt country, Pink Floyd and surfer music. I don't know, I just play for fun. I run the guitar thru a Fender G-Dec and if I do a show I'll mike that and run it thru the PA. I love the variety of sounds that can be coaxed out of this guitar. Very verstatile and good at it too!

Action, fit and finish were OK. I need to have the action lower than the factory but thats my preferrence. The finish is clean and beautiful, sometimes I just sit and look at the guitar. My only complaint is that the 5 way selector keeps getting in the way if I make a down sweep, I play like Pete Townsend used too, lots of arm motion. I keep knocking it into a different pickup config. and it blows the sound. I love the guitar otherwise.

Very dependable, holds tune reasonable, I dont use the trem arm so that might held it stay in tune for me. In fact I dont have the arm on. I installed $2 plastic strap lock buttons. I move when I play and was losing the guitar constantly. Why don't factories ship these things with locking strap buttons? I have a vintage Silvertone (1960's) for backup, not the same sound but still a good guitar, if the Godin got lost or stolen I might buy another, but I might also shop for one that doesnt interfere with my sweeping style of picking.

Never had to contact Godin cause Long and McQuade (where I bought it) are very good at customer support.

I have been playing since 1972, when I got my first guitar. This is my third electric. I traded in a Samick thin line AE for this plus case and I don't regret it. This is a good instrument and very verstatile. For a cover band this would be a great gig guitar because it is so versatile.
Just wish the 5 way selector switch was positioned somewhere else.

My Godin SDxt is about 5 years old (2000), has the nice satin fretboard, and is overall very versatile. The floating trem. was my only concern. This guitar will NOT stay in tune unless you block the tremelo. I used these thick business cards, now I can dive, but can't go up. Expected for this type of tremelo. The features are perfect for the beginning guitarist. '5' means middle of the road features, not that it's crap.

Again, it's very versatile. It crunches without too much garbage in the sound, very bright. Not for metal, but I play some satch, four pieces by vinnie moore, and the gain setup is squicky clean.

I read in a couple of reviews about dings in the fretboards. I have a lot, but I don't remember if they were there in the beginning. The worst part about this guitar is the damn screw by the middle pickup. Replace it with something flatter - it'll drive you crazy when you want to do an upsweeep.

I've seen fretboards worn at ProSound. My fretboard is not worn after 5 years of playing on this guitar. The pickguard is a good feature for the beginning guitarist, they won't scratch the beautiful finish. The finish, by the way, is solid. I have a few dings (to be expected) but the finish covers it up.

N/A-Heard they are helpful (better than Ibanez, at least).

Don't buy this as anything else than a serious beginning guitar. And by serious, I mean you're going to stick with it for more than half a year, shack it, and lose that part of your life. It's a great middle of the road guitar. Relative rating (comparison to other beginning guitars): 10 - 2 times better than those fenders, or any other cheap piece.

2002 SDxt with lightburst quilt maple veneer over a silverleaf maple body with poplar wings, rock maple neck, maple fingerboard with some beautiful bird's-eye figuring, Tusq nut, cream-coloured 2-ply pickguard, h/s/h, etc.

I love the sound, esp the neck p/up, which is rich and full - killer blues tone - can also dial in a decent jazz tone. I really enjoy the in-between positions too, although I detect the loss of just a touch of volume (and highs?)in postitions 2 and 4. Bridge p/u can be quite bright - really screams. Single coil sounds good alone, but I prefer the other four settings. My amp is a Fender Princeton 65.

This guitar is gorgeous to look at and to hold. The neck is sublime - I love the satin finish. The bookmatching of the quilt top is flawless. The p/u selector is quiet. My only esthetic issues are a miniscule silver flake (metal from fretwire?) trapped beneath the clearcoat (In truth it's all but invisible, but I did find it - a small dimple in the wood (on back) and a very light nick on one of the frets - a very minor filing oversight, I guess. There were traces of polishing compound in the bridge cavity.
The cut out is very deep on all the Godin single cut models, and I sometimes find that the guitar tends to slip off my leg when I play sitting down. I think I might have preferred a slightly shallower cut out and more of the lower bout resting on my leg Great upper register access, though. Sculpted back at neck connection is very comfortable and attractive- not a feature I would have expected on a guitar in this price range.

The sealed "Godin" tuners are excellent - very precise and stable. I like the frosted finish on the tuners and bridge sadles - very classy. I had the floating trem blocked shortly after I bought the guitar, tuning was fairly stable before, but I wanted maximum tuning stability, and had no real use for trem. Tuning is rock solid now. I don't play in a band or anything, although I have played a few informal gigs - no problems.
Black nylon gig bag adequate, but nothing special. For regular gigging a more protective bag/case would be a worthwhile investment.

I have e-mailed Godin on several occasions. They have always responded politely within a couple of days. Have downloaded a little set up manual from Godin web site. The people at Avenue Guitars in Edmonton, Alberta were amazing. First year set ups free (no limit to number of adjustments), friendly, helpful.

I have had a Seagull (same family of companies) 6-string acoustic since 1987. Bought a used Squier Strat in 2001, but sold it, looking to upgrade to a Standard Series Strat or Tele. Mark at Avenue Guitars suggested I looked at a Godin, and I quickly forgot about the Mexican Fenders! As decent as they are, they just didn't capture the look and feel of quality that the Godins had in the same price range, and they don't come with any gig bag. My choice was narrowed to the Godin SDxt, and the Godin LG (24 fret, mohogany body with p-90s). I went with the SDxt for the sound - it could just do everything! For the money, the SDxt (and Godin guitars in general)are excellent value. I would definitely buy another Godin!

blue flame leaftop, rosewood fingerboard, humbucker-single-humbucker pickup configuration, 1 volume pot, 1 tone pot, 5 way pickup selector. rock maple neck, maple core, poplar wings. etc etc

go to godin's website

i wish it had a solid wood body, but besides that it's great

with hum-sing-hum configuration, there's virtually nothing out of it's range. the most versatile guitar ever!

my only beef is that the stock pups sound a wee bit bit muddy, but put some seymour duncans in there and you'll hear the difference. i mainly use it for ultra distorted thrash/hardcore (NOT numetal) type stuff, but it can sound country, jazzy, bluesy, or anything in between.

i run it through a crybaby>>boss tu-2>>boss md-2>>ernie ball 6166>>boss dd-3>>ampeg vt22 100w tube amp (2x12)... sounds brutal with this amp and the md-2

i tightened up the trem springs because i dont use the wammy and it stays in tune better this way.

everything looks very solid, stays in tune surprisingly well.

the action is easily adjustable to whatever you want.

the guitar itself is beautiful. the blue leaftop finish is amazing! everything looks very high quality, from the tuners to the bridge. i love just putting it on the stand and admiring the craftmanship. it looks and feels a lot more expensive than it is.

also, the neck is probably the best i've ever seen, at ANY price. godin is famous for it.

the only thing here is the pickguard... it seems to be slightly warped up in the middle, and when the pick hits it it makes a sortof hollow sound (hard to describe). not really a problem, i guess i'm just anal.

i thrash this thing to no end, and it takes a beating like a champ. everything still looks impeccable, and i have no doubt that the hardware will last. i would definitely use it in a gig without backup. the first thing i'll probably have to replace are the pots and/or selector switch, which i might add are still in perfect shape, and wouldn't be a big deal to replace anyway.

haven't had any problems, so n/a here

this guitar is a great value. one of the best quality to price ratios out there. i would especially recommend it as a starter guitar or an all-purpose guitar that you wouldn't be afraid to bash a little bit. i would rather have this than a les paul and worry about getting a scratch on it at a show. this is a guitar that begs to be played to its full potential.

-Godin Sdxt Blue Flame Leaf Top
-2004, Made In USA, 22 Frets
-Laminated Top
-One Volume, One Tone, 5 way pickup selector
-Two humbuckers and a single Coil
-Godin- Design Pickups, GHB1, GHS1, and GHN1
-The body is Contour Silverleaf Maple Body with a Maple Neck and A
Maple Fretboard
-The Finish is a beautiful Blue Flame Leaf top Finish (AMAZING)
-The Body Style is a mix between a Gibson and a Fender, Its original
tho, and totally amazing feel!
- It has a floating Tremolo system
-Lock Tight Tuners, I mean LOCK TIGHT, i have kept this thing in a
soft case for a week and it comes out in perfect tone. AMAZING!
-It has a pretty Fat neck but it feels GREAT
-It comes with a soft case, but its a very very good one, not one of
those cheap ones, its really great!

-This guitar Has every sound you want. I play Jazz, Funk and Rock and
It handles those no problems, It is soo versatile!
-I am running my guitar through a Rolan Cube 15 amp (and a fender Hot
Rod Deluxe) with a Boss Me - 33 effects box!
-Again this guitar can make any sound you want. becuase it has two
humbuckers and a single coil, u can get your country sound and ur
rock
-The only complain I have about this guitar is when you are running it
striaght through to a amp the clean sound isn't always what i want
somtimes i have to change some settings to get the right sound, but
other then thatm, this guitar is the Holy Grail

-The guitar came quite nicely setup, just the action was a bit high
-Pick up were perfect
-Everything on this guitar was in perfect condition when i bought it

-This Guitar is a brick, except without the weight. It was built to
be played live!!!

-I have been playing guitar for only about 2 years but i played piano
all my life so it was pretty easy to pick up. Compared to my other
gear, (Fender Strat, Takemine 12 string, Takemine Classical, Squire
Bullet)This guitar is my baby, I have played everyshow with it, I
love the sound i get, I love the body and fretboard. I love
everything about this guitar. Espically the price. If u want to buy
an amazing guitar for a cheap price look into godins!!!!! But dont t
Tell them becuase these guitars should be sold for three times the
price............. shhhhhhhhhh!!!!

you know the drill.

nothing to add, my main review is down lower on this page

in response to the guy who had the shop switch necks on two sdxt's, come on! if you checked Godin's site you would know they spend lots of time gettin the neck and body fit just right. if you switch two guitars necks you cannot expect them to fit perfectly. this show a higher than normal hand working in the plant. if someone wants a machine "crafted" instrument go elsewhere. for a company to spend the time getting each instrument assembled as a individual unit shows some class.
Godin should be charging way more for the handwork that is involved.

i have nothing but high praise for the customer service i have recieved in the past.

Pls see the others with detailed description

It suits my musicstyle which is Jazz, Funk and Blues
I use a Line 6 Amp
The Sd is not superquiet but believe me you can still hear the grass growing
The variety of sound is suprising although I mostly use the single coils only

The finish is unbeatable for this price.
I have a G&L Legacy and some Strat Plus and a PRS Custom . But they cannot be compared since we are talking about different priceranges.
All the adjustements from the factory were my taste.

This guitars withstands almost everything. As solid as can get.

No experience

I'm playing bass, drums, trombone and some guitar
I own a Godin half acoustic bass A6 and Godin is just quality all over.
The only thing I would like to share is the assurance that you will get a top guitare for this price beating a lot of others costing 2-3 times more.
By the way I have had 4 Fender Strats in various models. But to be honest I got away from Fender because the only guitars from them worth playing are the custom shop, and htese are just too expensive.
All the other regular US made models are just not worth the money they cost.
Buy a Godin and you will be shocked
By the way: Godin is the main deliverer for Fender regarding necks and bodys. So why not going to the real enteprise in first place in stead of reliaing on a brand called Fender. Just because Jimmy used one? Forget it

Made in Canada, Hum/Coil/Hum pickups, 5 way switch...
Its what you would expect in a guitar. Nice and simple.
I like how the pickups are inlayed into the guitar.
I also like the way the neck is bolted on...

9/10 - Its a bit more then what I would expect.

Works great with any style. The 5 way switch with 2 hums and one coil gives a varity of sounds.
Works great with my Yamaha MagicStomp pedal!

10/10 - AMAZING SOUND!

Looks great! Wood flametop with a cream plate and fat sliver knobs. Chrome tuning knobs and bridge look nice too. Mine had no defects I can see.

10/10 - Can't complain!

This guitar seems solid, but i have not had it long enough to give it a rating

Never had to deal with them...

This guitar is all I could want.
Great price too!

10/10 - Amazing value

Versatile. The uncommon H/S/H pickup configuration allows the player to get a wide variety of tonal colors...this is the main thing worth note...

The only problems really are single coil pickup is a little bit noisy and the tone knob is a very drastic cut(so you just have to be careful when turning it). The humbuckers aren't too hot, especially because I lowered them a little bit and raised the single-coil. This guitar can make sounds ranging from being almost as bright and piercing as a Strat to the warmth of neck-humbucker distortion.

I have played this guitar on amps ranging from a Line 6 Spider to an Ampeg from the mid-60's, but my main setup is the SDxT straight in to a Roland Bolt-60...

I bought this guitar used, so I don't know what the factory presets are like. In terms of wood quality, rusted hardware, and major flaws like that, I have had no problems.

I got this guitar relatively recently, but I haven't had any problems.

I never dealt with them. There was no warranty because I bought it used

This is a fantastic guitar and I would buy it again in a heartbeat. A Canadian and American-made guitar in this price range is unheard of. Godin guitars are the last word in this price range. In the ten months that I have had this guitar, I haven't found anything seriously wrong to warrant the budget pricing.

If I had the choice to make again, I would buy it again in a heartbeat

paid $490 (canadian)

great semi-floating bridge, 2 humbuckers (really hot, great sound) and a single coil (nice tone). amber burst finish.

for heavier sounds, this is the model of godin you want to go with. it just puts out nothing but raw tone that sounds amazing. if you're playing clean, every overtone is beautiful and the harmonics have the sweetest sustain.

nice thin neck, and the finish is beautiful. the hardware is brushed steel and it looks quite handsome.

haven't had a problem with it yet. and i dont expect to. it's a solid made guitar.

i had to get in contact with godin about a question regarding the bridge, they replied within the hour. they were very helpful and knowledgeable.

overall, probably one of the best guitars i own. i have a gibson SG faded, ibanez AX125, ibanez RG470, fender telecaster, gibson les paul standard, and a gibson les paul custom, and i still love playing my godin. :]

Canada/US made. Maple silver-leaf center block with poplar sides to reduce weight. slightly-figured maple neck/fingerboard. h/s/h pick-up configuration. 25.5" scale. 22 frets. basic master volume and master tone. 5-way pickup selector. transparent blue finish overtop a quilted maple top. looks great! over all great features although i wish that the tuners were locking tuners and there was a split for the humbuckers. but with a guitar at this price it's pretty amazing.

this is where it really shines. this can do pretty much any style. the neck pick-up is great for bluesy lead and amazing for getting that trasparent sound. position 2 (neck hb out of phase with s/c) is great for a softer sound but also works great as a crunchy rythm. middle s/c is great clean or dirty. position 4 (bridge hb out of phase with s/c) is great for classic rock. works great for the that great, twangy zeppelin-ish sound in some of their songs like houses of the holy. sounds kinda country-ish clean. the bridge hb is great for hard-rock, and any lead riffs you can dish out on this baby! overall, this is amazingl;y versatile and great sounding too! even more amazing is the price i paid for it!

the finish is beautiful. came straight from the factory nicely set-up. even had the nut slots penciled in with some graphite! i just had to adjust the pick-up height to my liking.

i've had my Godin Sdxt for about 10 months now. this this is very durable. although i do have some dents in it. but those are my fault. like when i dropped my mini and on the bottom wing. i had to fix the top strap button once, but ive had to do that with all my guitars. nothing abnormal. i can definetly depend on it. although i do sometimes go through phases of breaking way too many strings. im thinking of getting graph tech saddles. the only thing bad is that the hardware is starting to oxidize, but thats an easy fix.

i've never had to deal with them

overall this is a great guitar. especially for the price. i could not beat this gutiar at the same price range. this guitar is just amazing! i would most definetly try to get a new one if it were ever stolen or. i really love the versatility of this intrument. i've been playing for almost 2 years and had this guitar for about 10 months and its holding up. it sounds great and plays great. i love it!

Canada/U.S. made, maple neck/fretboard, bolt-on. Silver leaf maple center block with poplar sides. Quilt maple veneer top, HSH Godin pickups, vintage-style tremolo. Tusq nut. Comes with the best gig-bag I've ever seen; next best thing to a hard case. Great features for any guitar, but especially good at this price.

This guitar is a tonal monster. Pickups are punchy, clear, and reasonably high-output without being harsh. Clean & jazzy, country pickin', mellow blues, screaming blues, hard rock, it's all there. Tone control actually does something, and rolling back the volume cleans up the sound nicely without getting too "thin" sounding.
Through a Fender HRD and a Behringer V-Ampire I can get a truckload of great tones

Wow, was this guitar well put together. Everything fit well, and construction is first rate. Actually, I need to qualify that statement: When I bought the guitar, there were two in shop; one with a rosewood fretboard and one with a maple board. Both had airtight neck pockets, great action, superb finish, etc. I wanted the maple fretboard, but the other guitar had a much more "resonant" body, so I asked the shop to swap the necks on the guitars. When they did, the strings were pretty much laying on the frets on my guitar, so they had to shim the neck at the front of the pocket to get the neck angle correct. Also, now there was a slight gap on one side of the pocket. All in all, when the guitar was finished, it played and sounded perfect, but the situation showed obvious variances in manufacturing tolerances from guitar to guitar. Does this infer that Godin mixes and matches parts during assembly to ensure a perfect guitar, or is it just hit-or-miss as to whether or not you get a good one? I guess my rating should realistically be for the way the guitars were when they were on the shelf, as built by the factory.

Solid, solid, solid. Great components and first-rate materials. Strap buttons are among the smallest I've ever seen, so if you value your new guitar, straplocks may be in order. I've already put them on mine.

I have no idea. They seem to have a good reputation though.

Godin SDxt made in Canada / USA in 2003 with H/S/H pickups, quilted maple top (beautiful), birdseye maple neck (very nice), floating trem, 5-way pick-up switch, etc. Pretty much everything you could ask for if you want a good mix between Fender single coil sound and Gibson humbuckers.

Bought this guitar about 7 months ago from a small, local shop as a back-up for my Fender Strat. The owner re-strung and set it up nicely for me (kudos to the small music store). Once I started playing it, I couldn't put it down! It now serves as my main guitar for practice and gigs with the Fender as my back-up. Play mainly rock and blues covers with a few originals thrown in and this guitar handles them all very well. Recently purchased a VOX Tonelab SE and run that through my Fender tube amp. Just plug and play with the SDxt - what more could you ask for? You can get pretty much any sound you want from the H/S/H pick-up configuration. Not noisy at all. Can go from bright and twangy to mellow and bluesy depending on the pick-up config you choose. Very nice sound.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to buying a guitar, and there wasn't a flaw to be found on this one. Always pays to look it over well, but honestly I tried out several Godins and they all looked great. Quilted maple top was perfect and the birdseye maple neck is top notch (though it is small and fast which may not appeal to everyone - but I like it).

Only issue I had was the pick-up selector switch which was not wired properly and only gave me the top, middle and bottom options - nothing in between. Store owner replaced it for me with a whole new set up and sent the original back to Godin for repair. Since the store owner set it up for me, I can't comment on the original set-up, but when I was trying it out it felt pretty good. Due to the bad switch connection, I have to dock Godin a point.

I waited 7 months before reviewing just to be sure the guitar was everything it seemed to be. I can say now that it is worth every penny I spent - and then some! Have used this guitar exclusively for practice and gigs and have not had a single problem. I bend strings a LOT and it has stayed in tune for me very well. Finish is excellent (though you do have to wipe it down to keep it shiny) and have not had any problems with dings, scratches, malfunctioning tuners or hardware. Built solid and I believe will last as long as I will. I did spring for the hardshell case and I do take good care of my equipment, so that helps - but I have to say this guitar is built to last.

Have not dealt with Godin directly, so can't say. Did take the music store a while to get my hardshell case from Godin, but I bought it over the holidays and Godin's warehouse was out on vacation for two weeks.

I've been playing for about 5 years. Other than the Godin, I own an American Fender Strat Deluxe, Washburn Acoustic / Electric, 1960 Harmony Hollywood archtop acoustic / electric (nice!) and a Warwick bass. I'm a big fan of getting what you pay for, and from what I've experienced you can't go wrong with the Godin SDxt. This guitar sounds, plays and feels like a guitar costing two to three times more and gives you a range of sound capabilities rivaling any other guitar out there. I tried out a number of guitars in the "lower" price range to handle back-up duties and, as I said, the Godin won hands down and is now my main guitar. If it were lost / stolen, I would probably cry like a little girl and then replace it with another Godin SDxt - you can't beat this guitar!

Though I'm no expert, IMHO the Godin SDxt is one of the best guitars on the market for the money. Its truly a "jack of all trades" and is a great guitar for those who play a wide variety of music and need the range a H/S/H pick-up config can give without breaking the bank.

Made in Canada so no Korea or Chinia Stuff.. I hate it... Many useful features.. (Look up, you can read about it)...

Awesome sound ! If you compare it with other guitars for this price.. I've been shocked... The sound is bright and strong, you can play acoustic or overdrive sound.. No noise, no other sounds only that what you wanna hear.. The music !:)

So.. The first time i tooked this one.. I thought ow.. Something like Strato.. And I hate stratoscoaster models :-\, it looks so boring.. But anyway I connected it to my AMP.. I was surprised nothing to do.. only plug & play :))

About live playing.. I need to get a feel of a new thing... New guitar it's like a new clothes.. If you are wering it every day.. You can luw it in a few days.. So i thing after few week's only one word can describe this guitar: Amazing !

Really helpful and friendly they was.. I have a place where I buy many of music thingies... :)

In my country this guitar cost is not so low.. Like in America or other good economy countries.. So i think it is worth it.. I'm playing for a 5 years.. I just luw it..

Sorry for my poor english :-\... & i'm only 17 yrs old..

I can't really add much to this section, I have a black godin with a cream pick guard... which looks pretty good,though I am ever so tempted to change it for white one :)
The pickups are very nice in the guitar though my neck humbucker has got a bit of brown something on it :)
Its neck is amazing I was going to buy an american tele but the guitar shop guy persuaded me to try this, and it had a very nice fast, smooth neck and this was a bit cheaper.. so I got this instead

bloody good sound and it allows a lot of variation.
I play in a reasonably popular band at uni, and we do our fare share of covers and this guitar can pretty much cover them all, from Muse to No Doubt It still sounds really goo
The sound is very warm but the middle single coil gives it A LOT of versatility and you can play the more clangy beatles sort of songs

lovely finish as metnion before. I changed the brige a bit, out some hybrid strings on 42 -> 9 I think :/ and erm check intonation... everything worked very nicely...
they have this nice little feature in the back where there are holes so u can thread the strings without taking the back plate off... but u cant take all the strings off cause then the holes change position and you cant get them in :) I guess its really meant for changing 1 string during a gig, which I guess it would be fine for... :)

This is the main reason I wanted to write this review...
I have had this guitar for 2 years now and its still bloody great sounds good, needed very little changes and is solid as rock.
I gig regularly with this guitar and have never had any problems on stage (with the guitar) its a great performer and looks good in photos too... though dont forget to polish the shiny coat :) or it will show all the smudges (I do have a backup though I would probably end up re-stringing this as quickly as possible)

it comes with strap locks which is nice and they are solid, though the front one came out after a year, I bought a longer screw a bit of glue and its not budged :) was probably my fault in the first place..

?? who knows never needed them... websites alrihtthough

overall this is a great guitar, and will make ppl jealous when they play it :)
it sounds great infront of a marhsall as well
my rig is
guitar > tuner > boss eq-20 > DS-1 -> Marhsall JCM800/1960cab
I have some other crap too e.g. wah but I dont use it all the time..
if I lost it or whatever.. I would miss it, but I probably wouldnt buy another one... purely because I would want to try something new... I would consider getting one of the other godins though, but I am not certain what I would get atm :)

if u only have +- #500 get this guitar..... dont get a bloody epiphone ;) hehe

- Made in Canada, Quebec I believe
- 22 medium frets
- 5 way selector (H/S/H)
- The pickups are Godin
- basswood body + maple neck BEAUTY!
- floating bridge (non/floyd rose)
- comes with a beauty gigbag and tools

This guitar can suit any kind of style--totally unbelievable.

For $440 canadian, this is an absolute steal!

I play using a Fender Princeton 65 DSP, sometimes with a MXR Double Shot Distortion in front.

The bridge humbucker sounds amazing for clean passages, very thick and rich sounding. The single coil, while slightly less in overall output compared to the two humbuckers (but can be fixed by raising the pickup height), sounds amazing, not quite as quack-like or bell-like as, say a Strat or Tele, but close enough. The bridge humbucker is pure genious; it has a ton of mids and almost single-coil like highs!

The guitar's action was set up extremely low, which gave it an almost Les Paul like feel. The pickups were adjusted well enough, though the single coil was set up a bit higher than the humbuckers because it doesnt have quite as much output.

The guitar was perfect right when I first picked it up, the only problem I can really say I have with it is the floating bridge...not that it doesn't stay in tune, because it actually does stay in tune quite well, but I just disliek the fact that small adjustments need to be made every month or so depending on climate and humidity.

Also I like changing my string guages every now and then, but with the bridge I have to stick to lights (this guitar was MADE for light strings).

But all in all, not a big deal.

UNREAL--I've had this guitar since mid-December, Long and McQuade loaned it to me since my Ibanez RG170 was getting repaired and it took them over a month to do so. While this guitar was in my possesino I couldn't put it down, and as I said for $440 it's an absolute steal. I've played Strats, PRS's, Ibanezs and Les Pauls that were more than twice this price and weren't this good.

Doesnt get any better than this for the price! I am very pleased.

Robert Godin is awesome!

a stock sdxt, see the other reviews for details... h/s/h pickups etc, rosewodd neck, etc. mine is blue, i think it's called a quilted top. non locking tuners.

i play blues rock with lots of distortion and also clean. this guitar sounds great playing leads and also the fender style out of phase clean sounds are very nice - not exactly a strat but thats probably because of the humbuckers, and since i want them for distortion, i know that's the trade off that probably all hsh pickup configurations have. i like the fact that this guitar versitle.

the guitar was set up ok when i took it from the store, but i had to close the trusrod a bit' not a problem. the finish is fine, i didnt play with the pickups height since it sounded fine to me. the guitar is well made, nice tunning pegs and bridge.

i think it's a very reliable guitar, seems well built. i would never gig without a backup.

i have been playing guitar for 20 years and i think i play pretty good even though i'm not a pro. i've had american american standarts, ibanez guitars, a gibson sg and more. i currently own an american 62 reissue strat and an old ibanez rg440, a korean epiphone dot.

i like the sound of the guitar, it's fun to play.

i don't like the way the guitar feels;
even though the neck is great and the action low, something is uncomftorble and i'm nott sure what it is. maybe the guys at godin should add an angle to the top of the the guitar where the fretting hand rests just like on a strat; i think it's very uncomfterble having the whole top flat like this. Also, i try not running the strings under the trees on the headstock to help the guitar stay in tune. blocking the floating bridge is also a must for me.

it's a great guitar for the price, it's not in the top league, but after doing the mentioned adjustment i got a very reliable guitar that's lots of fun to rock on.

Black-pearl colour. 2003 model I think, assembled in Canada/US with parts handcrafted from Canada. "Godin-designed" pickups in H/S/H configuration with 5-way selector and one knob each for Tone and Volume (very simple - which is GOOD). Contoured Silverleaf Maple body with Rock Maple Neck and Rosewood fretboard. Medium/Jumbo frets on a 25-1/2 inch scale. Tusq nut. Floating Tremolo. Non-locking, machined tuners. Came with a decently padded Gig-Bag with backpack-style shoulder straps (cool). It does have a unique kinda look to it, but it's also kinda heavy though.

A very versatile guitar! I use the guitar with a Vox Pathfinder, a friends Fender Hot-Rod Deluxe, and Sis's Mesa/Boogie Subway. Neck P/U has a warm and jazzy sound, the middle single P/U does funky RnB well, and the bridge P/U is my favourite for classic-rock and distortion type of music. I'm not too crazy about the "blend" position (neck/middle and middle-bridge), as it makes the sound a little "dull" in my opinion (bearing in mind that i'm a semi-novice player, and I don't know what Seymour's-EMG's-etc. sound-like). I did change the strings to Gibson Brite Wires(10-46)though.

Now let's get started, or, let's sum things up: QUALITY-QUALITY-QUALITY!!! First, the Neck is made using a process called Godin Ergocut. It's got that broken-in feel even when it's new - very smooth. There are no traces of glue to be found anywhere. Setup was okay off the shelf. L&M offers a free set-up after purchase, but the guitar-tech said that there's not really much that had to be done. No scratchy noises from the switch and the knobs. Please look at the other reviews under Quality, i'm pretty much in parallel with what others say. This is definitely not a product I expected in this price range. If this was rated out of "11", i'd happily give it a "12" for Fit & Finish!

Haven't used this guitar for a live gig, but just for casual jamming with friends. All I can truthfully say is that this product should withstand the rigors concert-playing a la Angus-style. It comes with "Strap-lock ready" buttons which is very good. Just be wary of stripping the thread canal while tightening the strap screws. I obviously didn't, and that's my fault.

I couldn't find an email address, but called them once. The people at Godin/Lasido are very friendly. These are things to consider when buying a guitar, which is why I bought an acoustic from Art & Lutherie (another division of Godin/Lasido). If anything goes wrong, I wouldn't be worried in expecting good service.

I've had an acoustic guitar for about 10 years now, but have been seriously learning/praticing/playing for the past year. This is my first electric (a present from my beautiful gf, who also liked the way it looked when she saw it!), but I didn't want to get those imported "Value-packs" because it seemed like a "more-money for less-quality" kind of deal. I would get another one if lost or stolen before Godin raises their prices. I guess the only problem (for me) with this Godin SDxt is that it is way too nice to play hard on it because I think this is truly a piece of art. I do have pride in supporting neighbours who make a quality product. Way to go Godin and keep up the good work!

02, you know the details, handmade in can, assembled in us, 22 fret, all maple, laminate, HSH with 5 way, mine is black finish, satin maple neck (maple fretboard) trem, the tuners are amazing, hold forever, has gigbad, a great all around workhorse guitar capable of doing anything

The stock pickups were decent, i have duncan 59-classicstack-JB in there, excellent for LP style sound but can also get vintage strat, i play bluies and rock and some funk, perfect...stock is bright bright bright,now it is good, some noise, needs to be sheilded, eventually i will its 8 stock, but with duncans its a 9

factory set up was decent, playable for sure, but being a beginner had the tech at the shop set it up with lower action, makes it easier, i like it that way, no flaws

This thing is a beast, i have dropped it from 5ft onto concrete with a minor scratch, it has got the worst beating from my pick to be honest, canadian rock maple is hard stuff, the hardware should last the tuners are amazing, strap buttons work, and i plan on having this thing for awhile, i have had it for a year + a month almost and it hasnt had a problem, it should stand up never gig without a backup, stuff happens

i messed up the trem posts by trying to adjust them, and they sent me free new ones and didnt charge shipping, it cost 2 bucks for the shop to set them up in the guitar, i could have done it myself though...

if lost, i would replace, though maybe not immeadiatly, i love tele sound, so i would get one of those and than one of these for everything else, perfect

I believe it to be an 02 model, as i bought it in early january of 03...godins are made in Can, assembles in US, 22frets,HSH, you know the rest from this page.

I play an assortment,this guitar can handle most anything. For someone looking for a very unique and specific sound that is easily identified, this is not for you, anyone looking for a jack of all trades, a beginger guitar, or a backup, this is for you.

the guitar was perfect when i picked it up.....

this can take a beating, mine has been dropped from heights exceeding 4 ft (accidentily of course)and suffered the minorist of dings...the strap buttons slip occasionally, i need strap locks for live...never gig with no backup

I have been playing over a year, own this, 2 pedals, a crate amp, this guitar is amazing, and can do anything which is perfect for the begginer seeking a quality guitar that is not only handmade close to home, but a guitar that will last for a long time and than can take a beating and handle any type of playing....I wish it had seperate tone and vol knobs for the hum's, and more switching options...

just like the other ones on this page: h/s/s pickups, floating bridge, etc. Mine is a bit older, the pickups don't have the GH1 or something number on them, but just read Godin. I think they're the same pickups but not sure. The neck is fine, kind of like all the Godins, tend to be small necks. I give it a "7" because it doesn't have "tons of features", no locking tuners, for example. more about that later.

I play blues rock more or less, heavier stuff too and lighter as well. I have a simple Peavey amp with channel switching, delay and chorus. I mess around with lots of styles. up to now, i enjoyed the sound alot. With distortion it's very satisfying. The clean sound is clear and strong; the middle "strat out of phase position" are clear, but it's different from a strat. maybe it's because i've put 10's on the guitar which is sort of new for me, i feel that the sound is very "in your face"; a strat is more "shy" in these position with maybe more depth. still, these sounds are very good. I can generaly say that this guitar is realy fun and works with you. again, with distortion - killer. clean - more like a PRS, but hey, you can't have it all. if you want humbuckers in the neck and bridge, the combined sound with the single coil will be harder.

I got this guitar used and made some adjustments. I played new SDxt's in the shop and felt that they had tunning problems. After experimenting i realized that in order to have this guitar stay in tune the floating bridge must be blocked, or at least have something to rest on in the back. I've put a small piece of wood and bought 2 more springs to put in the back. Next thing i do is not using the trees that hold the strings behind the nut. They can cause tunning problems 'cos the strings can get cought there a little. with a strat, you'd get a very sitar like soung if you do it, with this one i didn't notice. sometimes i use the trees but these two steps have improved the guitar and it stays in tune well. i couldn't stand it otherwise. Maybe a floating tremolo works only if you have a lock at the nut, but this one hasn't.

The action is great, the intonation isn't a problem. i simply play the guitar with pleasure, what can i say. any tunning or intonation problems would drive me nuts and i wouldn't enjoy playing the instrument.

however,

i felt that the guitar in a way is hard to play; maybe it takes time to get used to, but something in the body design isn't all that super. time will tell. i think i'm adjusting, but maybe it's killing some of my freedom and technique. That's why i'm not sure whether this will be my 1 guitar. i give it a 6 in the meantime; a guitar that puts your technique in danger is something to stay away from. if i see that it's fine i will let ya'll know and we'll change the mark here ok?

To me, this guitar seems to be built like a tank. everything looks string and will last. It seems to be very dependable. On a gig i would never play without a backup - any guitar can break a string.

Wrote them an email asking why do they're guitars get out of tune, got an answer the next day, but a lame one as far as i'm concerned. telling me that a guitar with a floating trem will always get out of tume if played with the trmolo alot (i never said i did use the tremolo) and suggesting me to use pencil for the nut is a poor answer. Tell me to block the bloody bridge and that's it; without this, the guitar is useless.

I've been playing for 18 years, had american strats, japannease strats, Ibanez, gibson...

If you like the way this guitar feels when you play it then it's akiller guitar. i enjoy playing it alot, sure, i paid close to nothing for it, but still, this guitar is alive. intonation is great, sound is strong, clear and steady. untill now, i got nothing but pleasure with this guitar. I compared a new guitar like this to a second hand japanease ibanez and it blew it away. This guitar is a great guitar. for enything up to gibsons, fenders and prs etc- it's probably the best guitar to buy. solid, killer sounding, what can i say. just needs those adjustments i mentioned and you're on your way to Rock and Roll hall of fame. A f*#&in' great guitar.

This guitar cam out in 2001 I just picke mind up 2003. As GODIN's add sez the parts are made in Canada (specifically te neck in Quebec) and put together in New Hampshire. A beautiful cross border product. 22 frets, solid body Hard maple thru the middle and poplar on the sides.
One volume and tone knob with a 5 way toggle switch. H/S/H with Godin passive pick ups. The neck is Hard Canadian Maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The finish is the simpler transparent gloss, the colour is the Trans Purple (almost a hot Fuscha) you can see the grain in the wood but no where like the quilted tops. The body style is Les Paulish with the nice cut into the back of body like a Strat so the guitar rests more comfortablely against your body. Standard floating tremolo bridge/whammy bar with 3 springs holding it in place. Non locking GODIN tuners that are a flat silver/gray colour. Neck scale is 25 1/2 inches just liek a strat. Comes with a GODIN gig bag & 2 Allen keys.

I play mainly worship and praise BUT I like to rock from time to time and this guitar can do it all! With the H/S/H P/U set up you can get a variety of sounds out of this thing. You wanna rock? No problem you wanna strum this puppy like an acoustic? No problem. Play some jazz? No problem. This is like owning a Les Paul and Fender Srtat all rolled into one well made instrument. I'm running it thru a Korg A3 and my amp is a 20 yr old PEAVEY DEUCE. I can't get a bad sound out of this thing! The p/u's are quiet EVEN the single coil and you occasionally hear the smallest of clicking sounds when changing positions with the toggle switch. The bridge pick up simply kicks a**.
I was a little worried when I first started playing it at home when it was pretty quiet. But as soon as I turned my amp up to where I normally play live (2 - 3 The Peavey Duece is known for it's volume, check out the reviews on this amp)You get a rich full rock sound that is stupendous and bright for lead and rock rythmn's. The 4th and 2nd position on the toggle switch are best for clean sounds in my opinion. The rythmn p/u is deep almost to deep for my taste for rythmn anyways but you get a killer thick sound using the rythmn p/u for lead. I like the volume knob that it's not some cheap pot that goes from no volume to full with just a touch. You actually can get a nice sliding volume sound with no crackle. I don't really ever mess with the tone knob. I have it on full and make adjustments thru the KORG A3. I like the fact the whammy bar slides in and out you don't have to screw it in. You'll simply be amazed at the different tones and sounds you get out of this guitar. I fall more in love with it everytime I play it.

The action was OK for someone who already is a lead guitar player they'd say it was great. I always tweak the action as I like the action to be as low as can go without any annoying buzz. The pick ups were set up nicely I tried tweaking them up a bit but ended up putting them back where they were. You can look with a magnfying glass and you won't find any flaws on this guitar and I looked at quite a few of thes GODIN's. The workmanship and care that they've put into making them is impressive. The finish is great and I'm going to do my best to keep in perfect condition. The neck is incredible you read on how they shape them at GODIN's website. The neck fits so comfortably in your hands way nicer than any Les Paul and that what I was originally looking into buying. Epiphone actually who can afford a Gibson anymore?

This guitar is light so it'll be no problem in having it hanging on your shoulder for hours on end. I plan on using for live and I don't forsee any problems. The only thing I am considering changing is to change the nut to a graphite nut so that the strings will slide easier when using the tremolo and help it stay in tune. It's the only thing that I've read and experienced myself that can be annoying. If you don't use the whammy bar, no worries this puppy stays in tune. I'm no Eddie Van Halen but I do like to have the whammy there no some nice effects and colouring. The strap buttons are solid. I'm married with 2 little girls I have no choice but to gig without a back up! Maybe one day. That's one reason I chose this guitar because of its dependability and it's versatilty. Well made it'll be able to take abuse even though it's my baby and won't be seeing any (if I can help it)

I emailed them to check on a few things before I bought the guitar and I had an answer in 2 days. One of the questions was how do you pronounce the name?? I've heard different ways. Well for the record it's french and the proper way to pronounce it is: GO-DAIN (like rain)
The warranty is for 2 years. So by looking at the quality of the workmanship I doubt I'll be cashing that in.

I've been playing guitar since I was 15. I'm now 40 and for the last 20 years I've been playing acoustic. (Lavivee D-03) I've finally come back to my first love and that's playing electric. Once a rocker always a rocker! The 80's rule. If this puppy was stolen I'd cry and buy a new one as soon as the store opened. Once I get better at playing lead I'm definitely check out there syth guitars. There's nothing I hate on this guitar as I mentioned the only thing I'll change is the nut to a graphite one. Maybe later I'l put in a Seymour Duncan p/u at the bridge but no rush as the picks rock as they are. My favorite feature is the lightness and comfortable fit gainst your body. It makes it so easy to play. I was playing a Squire before and was looking into getting a Epiphone Les Paul and tried out a few but my best friend kept telling me to try the GODIN so I finally tried one out and couldn't put it down. You were right Dave they're great!
I choose the GODIN because of the price $350 bucks what a deal the playability, the variety of sounds I can get and the workmanship. I won't have to buy another guitar to "up grade" so to speak. The only reason to get another guitar now is for a back up for just because.
Guitar players do that. Look at Rick Neilson from Cheap Trick.
Seriously before you buy anything outthere whether it be from the Fender style (Squire , tele, Ibanez etc) or Gibson style ( Epiphone, Hamer, BC Rich etc) Save yourself a heap load of cash and check out a GODIN. You WON'T be sorry, believe me.

H/S/H configuration wired like a strat--Godin Manufactured. 12" radius on the neck--rosewood fingerboard. Floating Trem. Transparent Red (looks purple up close) finish with blond pickguard & pickups. Straplock buttons.

I've had this for 5 months now. For this price range, it does almost everything. The humbuckers are definitely high gain. With the volume on full, you can hear a little bit of breakup on the clean channels of certain amplifiers (solid state included). I don't particularily like to ride the volume control, but it's a bit of a necessity for this guitar. In spite of its departure from your typical strat, the SDxt still maintains a bit of a strat-vibe. The neck and bridge humbuckers focus on the high-midrange to high frequencies--they're not your typical creamy low to low-midrange Les Paul humbuckers. There's a vibe to these pickups that I'm not too crazy about when played clean--they sound much better on high gain settings. There's also hum in the 2 and 4 positions because the pickups are wired like a strat's. I'm thinking about getting the wiring changed to allow a coil spit with the middle single coil in the 2 and 4 positions (more of a traditional strat sound).

Neck humbucker--lots of attitude and very responsive in high gain settings. Good for lead.

Bridge humbucker--great for crunch and rhythm, but you might want to replace the bridge pickup if you want a warm, singing lead tone.

Middle single coil--sounds great, but who uses the 3rd position anyway?

2 and 4 positions--not your typical strat sounds. Less glassy, and fuller sounding. Certainly works in most applications.

Overall, great sound options. Can't really complain at all!

Near flawless setup. You DO need to use the gauge of strings that came with the guitar. Any gauge heavier or lighter than that will affect the position of the floating trem. I'm not a big fan of floating trems either, but this one works surprisingly well, and rarely goes out of tune. If you dig the 46-10's, then you may want to keep the floating trem--it's not a bad option at all.

Any guitar with a trem, I would never gig without a backup. But I wouldn't expect this guitar to let me down at a gig at all. Definitely built to last. At this price (and others much higher) Godin makes a top quality product that sets a standard for other companies to follow. It's nice to see more companies producing quality instruments at prices working stiffs like me can afford.

A Godin at $350 CAD new? I've pratically stolen the thing! If you can find a better instrument at this price, then let me know, and I'll "steal" that one too!

The Godin SDxt, assembled in the USA from parts hand-crafted in Canada, has a unique hum-single-hum pickup (Godin's made by Seymour Duncan) configuration that "delivers a truckload of sonic possibilities." It's has a 25?" scale (just like a Strat) amazing rock maple neck that is fast, thin, and to die for! This is what made me pick it up and take it home! The Les Paul/Tele/Strat-like solid body is three pieces: a center block made of Silverleaf maple for a solid foundation for the neck and hardware and poplar wings on each side help to keep the weight comfortable. The floating trem, bridge, saddles, Godin tuners, 1 volume/1 tone knobs, strap-lock ready pins, and output jack are all quality components...no cutting costs here! I think the 5-way switch isn't the best quality, but mine still works so no complaints yet. I bought mine in July 2002...8 months ago. It came with a Godin hemp-like gig bag with thick padding that does it's job well. It's Trans Red, with a black pickguard, and rosewood fingerboard. This guitar has everything you need!

The great thing about this guitar's sound is that it has so many different sounds! With the pickup configuration and tone control, there's bound to be a sound you like and it's hard to find one that you can't produce. This guitar has been played through small and big amps and by friends/players, my guitar teacher, and the local, experienced guitar technician. Everyone thinks that there is a great variety of sounds and that the sounds produced are that of a higher-priced instrument. Pickups have been complemented on...high output and nice, clear sound. My only complaint is that you can't get the Strat "twang-sound" out of the humbuckers...not that I expected it to. This is the only reason that I felt the need buy an additional guitar...a Strat. Now I've got all the sounds I need!

Factory set-up was great! Low action, good pickup heights, although there was a little bit too much bow in the neck. I thought the neck was straight and played for this entire time and didn't notice though. Just to make sure everything was as it should be, I took it to the guitar tech during my Strat set-up and with a little turn of the truss rod, the neck is perfect...what a difference in playing! Get your guitar professionally set up...it's worth it! Frets were perfect and I can't say enough about the neck and rosewood fingerboard! The wood is amazing to look at and even better to put your hands on. I've looked at new American Strats ($1200+) and I can't find one with a neck that is similar in quality and workmanship. The 4 bolt neck-body joint is superb...super tight, no noise and movement at all! I have gone over this guitar with a magnifying glass and the only flaw I can find is one small section of the floating tremolo cavity's edge that was not finished. It's about the size of a strand of hair...so I guess it loses a mark. Other than that, this guitar was absolutely perfect when I bought it...probably in more "new" condition than alot of new guitars.

Definitely reliable and durable! I've trucked my guitar around in the gig bag for 8 months and the only problem I've experienced is that it becomes out of tune by the time you take it out to play again. I'm pretty careful with my guitar...it sits on a stand in my living room ready to play and I don't toss it around at all at home or when I'm out. The finish is thick and I can't foresee any bumping or banging being able to go through it. The hardware seems like it will last forever...except the 5-way switch...but I have had no problems of any kind yet. The neck is smoother than ever because of daily use and now a change in colour is starting to happen in positions where I play a lot, adding some character and evidence that I actually use this guitar. Other than that, its looks as good as the day I bought it.

I have contacted Godin by email several times for additional information and just all-round questions about my guitar and other products that they offer and they have always responded politely and promptly. Very accessible help if you need it.

I've only been playing guitar for a year, but piano (9 years) and violin (2 years) have helped me learn quickly. This was my first electric guitar...I already had a Simon & Patrick acoustic (under the same umbrella company as Godin) and because of it's quality, the Godin website, and the helpful, informative, and positive reviews here, I took the plunge and bought my SDxt...probably the best purchase I've ever made. Since then, I've played Fenders, Gibsons, Epiphones, Yamahas, Squiers, etc...and I haven't found a guitar that is better in workmanship. This guitar is definitely worth 2-3 times it's retail price. The currrent sales trend seems to be that you pay for a name brand and not necessarily quality. Godin wasn't well-known when I bought my SDxt, but people are starting to take notice now, here in Victoria. Go try one before they cost what they're worth! The other reviewers below helped me to find this great guitar and I hope I have helped you!

2002 made, 22 frets, 1 volume, 1 tone, h/s/h(very good), quilt light burst maple top

Incredible good, How can i say? It's very "my dream sound", neck pick-up give a very thick warm and sweet sound, bridge pick-up give a high and sharp curve. Sorry that i can't give a clearly answer but it's just how i feel.

low action and very small frets. Very good shinny finish(and very buatiful) Everything hold up alright for me.

It's very solid guitar but I have to say that this instrument is too good for me. Why!. Because it's very beautiful guitar and i'm just a normal clumsy boy.

I've never have any single ploblem with this guitar but when I've send e-mail to them, I can get an e-mail reply from them within 30 minutes.

This is very good and high quility instrument, I can't wait to model other of their product. If it loss this guitar, I will curtainly get a new one ASAP.

2002 Godin SDxt in Black Pearl, made in Canada and assembled in the USA. 25.5" scale, maple neck and fretboard, maple and poplar body, 5 way selector, H/S/H Godin pickups, floating trem, Godin spec tuners. Lots of features, and included a nice little cheap gig bag. I'd recommend upgrading to a case or better bag.

The sound is great of this axe. It's sort of a jack of all trades axe, with sounds that range from Gibson humbuckers, to glassy Strat and Tele clean sounds using the 5-way switch. Really nice and versatile. The pickups are nice, but not very high output, but the do the job nicely for an axe in this price range. I play it through a Fender Blues Jr. The middle S/C pup is a little noisy, and has a nice bright sound. With some drive, the bridge pups can crunch nice as well.

The SDxt needed a proper set up, and I had the tech do it at the store. They're were no flaws at all,everything was tight and fit good. I had the tech put 5 springs in the trem to stabilize it for tuning, but didnt help much. This axe goes out of tune too easy, even without using the trem. I don't know why, I have a Strat with the same 5 springs in the trem, and it never slips out of tune, even with heavy bending. The neck is nice and fast, but a little thin but thats ok.

Seems that this axe will last, the finish is top rate. I might look at swapping the pups at some point, and probably switching the tuners and trem to something more stable.

I called and emailed Godin several times, and always was treated well, and the people there were always friendly and helpful.

Overall, the SDxt is a great little guitar. For about $400 Canadian it's hard to beat, and rates with axes in high price ranges.

This Guitar is superb.I heard so many great things about the sdxt before I bought it that I just had to try one out.I went to long and Mquade and tried it and loved it then I talked to the sales representative he told that the sdxt is literally like a 1500$ dollar guitar for the price for 520$.Obviously he wanted me to buy the guitar but this guy explained to me that they are all handcrafted and they are built with high quality wood and top of the line electronics by seymour duncan.Even though I may have been a victim of a Godin spokesperson I have to admit I am more than Impressed with the sdxt.It has a great feel and great sound with alot of punch and nice bottom end.It sustains for miles it is built very well.I still have to get it set up a little but other than that everything is very close to perfection.You can pull a whole wop of tones from this beauty it is so versatile.The gig bag it comes with is also very high quality.(Most other guitars dont even come with gig bags.) It does not stay in tune for as long as i would like though.

The sounds that the sdxt can make are extremly smooth.This guitar is unique because the neck and bridge pickups combine a humbucker sound with a single coil sound.So you get a nice mixture which make for a really cool tone.I play my sdxt straight into a line 6 vetta combo and together the possibilities are endless.This guitar is great for lead because of the sustain and nice extra little bit of top end from the single coil but it also word great for rythm playing too.Power chords sound powerful and full but open chords are superb with a good distortion.You know ho some guitars sound mushed and soggy when playing open chords through a heavy distortion,well the sdxt sounds fantasic,clear and every note ringing with equal value.I finally found what I was looking for. So nice.

The action is great I still have to lower it a bit though.The finish on this guitar is also amazing it looks and feels so smooth and has a human touch unlike any other guitar its price range.

Ive had it for a while and no problems at all.The electrics and other parts on this thing are meant to last.

never dealt with godin.never had to.

Ive been playing for 9 years and I have played better guitars.But considering those guitars cost 2500$+ and I am a college student I can not afford them.It is nice to see a company that is building Very high quality insturments that does not employ cost cutting measures that affect the end product. To often these days you have these AMERICAN corperations selling insturments that are just not worth the price you pay.Because profit becomes the main goal.Godin seems to have their prices at a very fair price.Finally, a Real bang for your buck deal from a canadian company.

I bought this guitar because it has top quality features and components.It's made in Canada not in China or Korea.This guitar company is building some incredible instruments and the prices are irresistable for this model although some of the high enders are out of line price wise. It has a 25.5 scale (same as fender) rosewood fingerboard on a solid rock maple neck that is set in,very nicely I might add.The body has a quilted maple top with a high gloss finish.There is 1 vol. and 1 tone knob which I like because it simple to dial in.The switch is a 5-way because you need this for the h/s/h combination of pickups.The pickups are Godin designed and made by Sey/Dunc .The plug in slot is made from metal and not plastic.The frets are mediums I think and the tuners are no stock Godin tuners that seem to hold the tuning well.I'm giving it a 9 because I think the selector switch could be made better quality and I would like the option of having real Sey/Dunc's in the axe.

This is a very versatile guitar because of the pickup combo and the choice of neck woods and scale.I can get Skynyrd on the bridge pic,newer Clapton on the middle s/c and Chet Atkins creamy smooth on the neck pic.The harmonics are exc. and the tone and volume controls are not sleepers.This axe plays extremely fast and is a pleasure to experiment with varous settings.I'm playing it through a Marshall JCM 900 100 DUAL Combo with a crybaby and can it sing.The sustain is rich and creamy or solid and raunchy whatever you want.The notes are clear ,precise and not muddied at all.The sound is very solid and has turned my amp into another surprise for me ,I didn't think it had that type of fidelity .I don't care about the current Marshall bashing going on ,they make excellent amps.It gets a ten here because this axe gives 110% and will keep up with the lower end Fenders,Gibsons and PRS's.Gets a 9 because I would like real Sey/Dunc pics in it .

From the factory it was set a litle low as were the pickups but so was my Fender Stat.The top finish is awesome and has not a flaw it almost looks surreal because of the sunburst finish on the quilted maple.I think they spent some time buffing the finish because it looks way better then my amer.del.Strat did out of the box.This thing is a treat to play and is worth 4-5 times more.If it had a Fender name this would a custom shop $2000+ job.The salesman said he visit the factory and couldn't beleive the hand work that went into these.as opposed to others that are trying to get machines to every thing.I like the idea of playing something that someone else put some handy work and craftsmanship into.Definetly a 10.

I'm just wincing at the thought of a cracked neck joint on this baby.I already got buckle scratches on the back and nicked the head stock on a medal doorway.I don't know if the trem will hold out, not as solid as the Strat and the 5-way switch is sticking and is kind of sluggish .

Hasn't got to that point yet ,so we'll see.

I've been playing forever, some bandwork ,some recording and just jamming with th e buds .I own a Strat,a LG,an Ibanez Gax 70 and a Seagull C6 and this one fits in nicely with them all.This is the last picture in the tone puzzle guitar wise .I can't afford Gibson or PRS and this one takes me very close not all the way but close enough.I'd buy one again but might hold out for the real Seymours.This guitar is way better than any of the Squiers ,Epiphones,Korean PRS's and most of the Ibanez's .It plays exceptionally well and 99% of the parts are top notch

Made in 2002 in Quebec and assembled in the U.S.
It is made of maple (maple neck, body, and fingerboard - it can also be bought with a rose wood finger board) This git has godin pickups: humbuckers at the neck and bridge, plus a single coil inbetween. all of this is controlled with a 5 position pickup selecter that give a wide variety of sounds. The finish I got is black, other finishes cost more. The plain generic tuners work well. It came with a gig bag.

It's good for ROCK! Punkish high gain ROCK! I play with a Marshall 100w jcm900. It has a very bright sound. the Git can go from a crunchy metal machine to a jazz sound or strat sound. It's very versatile. At the price I can't complain.

the git was setup and then inspected ( the name of the inspector is on the back )so it was intonated perfectly when I got it. There is nothing wrong with the git at all.

The git will withstand live playing, and more. I live in canada and frequently go through serious climate changes when I take my frozen axe out of my car and into a venue, but the dense maple construction allows it to warm up without going out of tune.

I haven't had to talk to the company yet and hope I never will.

I have been playing for years and have owned quite a few gits in this price range, none of them have measured up to this one. I would definitely buy it again. I could live without the Floating bridge because i never use it, but that's just me.
This is a good git for the money (It is equal to some more well known brands that are double or tripple the dollars)

Made in Canada/USA 2002. Godin SDXT Black Pearl. Specs are as follows:
Rock Maple, bolt on neck, 22 frets
Rosewood Fingerboard
12" fingerboard radius
25 1/2" Scale
1 11/16" nut width
Contoured Silverleaf Maple body
Godin-Design pickups (GHB1 - bridge, GHS1 - middle, GHN1 - neck), humbuckers on the neck and bridge, single pickup in middle
Floating Trem
5-Way, Volume & Tone
Sealed Tuners
Les Paul in style

I don't know if I really have a "style". I picked up the guitar after a 20 year layoff, playing for fun. I use a Dean Stack-in-the-box with clean, distortion, and overdrive. The guitar has a wide range of sound, but I prefer the neck and middle switch setting with a clean sound. All I can say about the sound is - W O W !. Excellent in all repects. Godin website says, "...the hum-single-hum pickup configuration delivers a truckload of sonic possibilities. The classic, high gain. Humbucker sounds are superb and the single coil adds that 'glassy' definition to the sound not usually available in a humbucker-only equipped guitar." True, so true!

The guitar came ready to go out of the box. Best factory set-up I have seen. I adjusted the strings to 1/16" at the treb and 3/16" on the bass at 12th fret as well as the pickups to 6/16" and 8/16". Suits me to a tee - no buzz and low. Finish and fit are 100% flawless.

I expect the guitar to have a long life. Well made. Not sure about the gigging and backup - doesn't apply to me.

Godin has very friendly staff but a nominal website. No manuals, no diagrams, no set-up info. I wish they had info online like Fender or Ibanez, and chat/forums like Dean.

I am so particular about sound and finish; I may spend weeks anguishing over a potential purchase before I buy. All I can say is buy a Godin - you WILL NOT be disappointed. The SD would be a great beginner guitar. BIG TIP - prices from Canadian dealers are anywhere from 20-40% less than the USA dealers. Look around and you'll find a deal!

2002 Godin SDXT. Maple neck, rosewood board. Hum - sing -hum pickups. Whammy bar. Bolt on neck. Came with gigbag and some allen keys. I find the pickup configuration to be very versatile.

I'm using this with a Marshall Silver Jubilee series and Laney LC 50 combo amp. I was quite surprised when I brought it home to find myself more impressed with it than I was in the store. The humbuckers are full, powerful and somewhat 'glassy' sounding. The single coil is sounds fine. The notch positions sound great. There is no coil splitting, but I think the guitar offers plenty of versatility as is.

The only downside to the sound for me is, it's a little mushy and indistinct when using distortion. Perhaps the pickups are too powerful, or there is something lacking in high frequency fidelity. I'm hesitant to change the pickups though, because I'm so happy with them otherwise.

The Godin people deserve high praise here. The workmanship is flawless. Also the quality of materials seem very high.

For me, I don't like the floating bridge, there time consuming to tune, and have more downside to them than upside.

The neck on this guitar feels great, not too narrow, and again the workmanship is right there.

Seems fine to me.

na

I bought this guitar as a spare guitar to my Parker nitefly and USA Jackson. I find myself playing this just as much as my other guitars.

It kind of reminds me of a good strat. Not because it sounds exactly like one, but because it's snappy and alive.

For me the look of the guitar took a little getting used to, but when you get your hands on it that kind of melts away. The only improvements for me would be for the bridge to be heavier and fixed. Also a little more cutting power when using distortion ( not output, but just having the fundamental note coming through clearer), and a little more padding in the gigbag.

What an outstanding buy this is.

You've read the rets, mine is the same but with a black finnish and pickguard plus a maple neck (curly maple that is! It is just beautiful: I have th chills just thinking about it)

I play mainly rock in a garage band that have been together for almost 20 years, on and off. We play AC/DC, Led Zep, G'n'R, Van halen, Doobie Bros, Poison, Kiss...you see the trend. I play through a cheap but good all around Ibanez 50 watts and a Zoom505II effect pedal "board". It's not noisy ever. The sounds are diversivied yet with personnality. The bridge HB is birght as needed and the neck one is creamy and rich. Great when I play Sweet Child of Mine. SOunds better than my Ibanez which I paid 300$ more 11 years ago and on which I have installed and Seymore DUncan pickup. I think, I'll try that pickup on the Godin bt i just bought it last week so I'll wait a bit and estimate its true potential better.

The guitar setup was -almost- perfect. Only the pickguard needed a bit of fiddling with it. I changed the strings right away because I like 'em a little thicker than waht all guitars come with. But as I tested it in the store, it was setup perfrectly. The way they bolt the neck on the body is really amazing and helps to make access easy to the top frets.

I do not know. I bought it staurday afternoon, changed the strings and played live with it the same night because I like the look of it so much: all black and neck made of maple looks great with my leather pants!! So far then it's a ten

Like I said, it's better than my Ibanez and other guitars I've had. I never paid a lot a money for guitars but played some American Strats and Kramer that cost 3-4 times that money and they are not much beter. In fact, I would probbaly only haveto change one or 2 pickups (the bridge and single coil) and this baby could just not be touched by those 2 that the other guitar player in my band owns). I believe he is getting a bit jealous! Seriously, like I said I bought it Staurday afternoon and played for 90% of the show on it. I only had to use the Ibanez for the songs where I needed the 24 frets. This one is only 21 and I would have loved just the extra 22nd, it would then have been a perrrrrrrrrfect 10.

New 2002 SDXT bought in Aug. Blue flame model, very sexy. See other reviews for full description.

Sound is fantastic for the price. Bridge pick up has alot of bite with decent bottom end, though at times a bit too harsh. Neck pickup is actually quite a surprise,very warm and creamy, nice balance. Middle pickup is average, but works well in 2 and 4 position. I use a Tech 21 trademark 60 with various effects.I am in process of finding replacements for pickups though, as they are great value, are overall not adequate. The bridge while awesome for the price is a little too harsh sounding and doesn't change too much dynamically when rolling back volume. This is ok though I bought the guitar because of the quality and feel. For the price I paid its awesome, after spending a little more for good pups this will be an excellent axe,IMHO equally as good if not better than alot of name brand guitars costing 2 and 3 times more. My rating is for what you get for the buck. Most other guitars in this price range sound awefull.

This is why I bought this guitar. Actually this is my 3rd Godin and I've also owned a Seagull acoustic (same company). All have been great guitars. This finish on this guitar is killer. My main guitar is a G&L ASAT classic semi hollow and was a custom order that cost a few bucks. Its very well built and the finish is amazing. Well this Godin is right up there. There are no flaws in the finsih at all, the laquer is very deep and makes this blue flame just shine. Like others I did have to adjust string height, intonation etc. Also I blocked trem in down postition so it is set up like a trdtional strat trm. I hate floating trems.

Very solid, can easily depend on, but always have replacement.

I've been playing on and off all my life but more seriously last 10 years. I am a worship leader and play a varity of music. I have a couple acoutics, G&L ASAT, Godin LG with 2 HB',5 string bass and other gear. I like quality stuff and am finding in Godins great quality everyone can afford. I work PT at a guitar shop and have access to alot of new and used guitars at wholesale prices, including Fenders, but after some looking around I drove to the Godin dealer in the next town a bought the SDXT. I just wish I could get a pearloid pickgaurd for it, I think with blueflame it would be very pretty. If something happened to it I would buy another in a second. If your reading these reviews trying to decide if you should buy one, go ahead, you won't be disapointed, I read here first and then ordered the one I have.

The usual, 2002 Godin SDxt, this one was a paint job I think Long & Mcquade must have done (transparent purple) because Godin doesn't seem to list it on their website. Plenty of sonic possibilities with the 3 pickups, though the 2 and 4 positions on the switch don't quite compare to the rest. The floating trem that actually holds tune quite well which surprised me, my only complaint is I'm not a huge fan of the whammy bar not being screwed in. But for the price I paid, amazing.

This is where this guitar shocks me. The neck hum gives a throaty, powerful tone, the single coil is glassy but not noisy, and the bridge hum gves a great twangy tone. The mixed positions are passable, but I find myself not using htem very often, but that's only because the others will do the job better. I've run this guitar through several amps, be it a Fender Frontman 15 for home playing, a Line 6 Spider, or a Fender Princeton. It consistently sounded good and kept everyone asking "you paid how much?".

Mine was set up by the store so I'm not sure just how it would be out of the factory. Still, the action was nice and low, the pickups weren't in the way, and everything was in mint conditon (and still is, I really mother my guitars).

I haven't dropped or abused it since I'm very careful with guitars, so I really can't rate, but everything seems solid and it hasn't given me problems yet.

Haven't had a chance, since I deal directly with my music store, so once again no rating.

This is an amazing guitar. Whether you want an entry-level, versatile guitar or a good backup/alternate tuning guitar, you can't go wrong with a Godin. Mine was the cheapest available at the store at $350 Canadian (about $240 US) while the most expensive SDxt with a really nice blue flame top was $480 canadian (about $325 US). This company makes very high quality instruments that sound awesome and play awesome. If this were a Fender I'd expect it to cost some $700-800 (Canadian, of course). This guitar can hold its own against any mid-level axe out there, at the price of an entry-level.

lightburst quilt top finish and maple neck, see other reviews for the scoop on pickups and whatnot.

i love all music and need a variety of sounds, bingo this fits the bill. i took my time and tried every thing from les pauls to brian moores , in other words every guitar i could find in the store that had real pickups and solid workmanship. i could not justify extra money on the pricier guitars i tried, i ended up deciding between a godin lg sp90 and the sdxt. the sdxt had a few more options with sounds. this guitar sounds great. its not a paul but its not a strat either, its a blend. i use a yamaha dg100 and it chunks like no tommorrow! its very rich and full sounding, my best advice to anyone is to TRY one of these , you won't believe the guitar you get for the money you spend!my only dislike is i prefer locking tuners and graphite nuts on any guitar with a floating trem. and i put some foam in the spring cavity to deaden the springs when i riff with some gain. this guitar is mucho resonant and the pickups will amplify the springs doing thier "reverb" thing . and i don't personnaly like that tendacy in strat like trems.

no flaws! i do setups and whatnot on my guitars and know quite a bit about quality in construction and design. Godin is unsurpassed in this!the neck is awesome! this was made by people who care. every detail is imaculate.

i know i will have no issues with this . it even comes straplock equipped. my other guitar player with an american strat deluxe that cost 3 times as much has already been in the shop to get the strap pins plugged and reinstalled. that shouldn't need to be done on a new guitar. it is a nice strat for sure but i don't wish i had his guitar over mine! i love my godin..really.the price makes me feel like i ripped off the store. i will be getting another Godin or two.

good support , emails are answered in a timely fashion. they are busy making awesome guitars so don't worry if there is a delay in email response. i never checked my warranty card yet but i don't think i will ever need it, the store i bought it is pretty good and i know the resident luthier at the store.i had good response when i had questions on a used Godin i used to own.( traded out of stupidity..mine)

i have 20 plus years in playing, i use several guitars ..yamaha pacifica 311s with a bridge seymour duncan hotrail, and an american kramer with seymour duncans and this goes through my yamaha dg100 amp. my only wish is locking tuners and a deluxe case. but i got such an amazing guitar for the money i would be crazy to expect Godin to unclude these for the same price. i do hope Godin sets up a custom shop in the future..that would be sweet. i cannot express the awesome build and design quality of the sdxt. sorry for the 10's in this review. if this was a strat or a less paul i would rate it slightly different but it is itself, not a clone. and i think its excellent at getting all the sounds i need without switching guitars . bravo Godin!

You all know this by now but anyway , here we go: 22 frets , made in New Hampshire from parts crafted in Quebec, 5-way selector, nice metal knobs, h-s-h, Godin pickups, rock maple neck and body , etc..
just what I was looking for.

I don t like the single coil pickup to much( never really liked any sc anyway...) :) but the two humbuckers are really great , especially for stock pickups. The bridge humbucker is perfect for everything distorted and I love the neck pickup for clean playing ( It has a very full and loud sound ). The single coil pu is a bit noisy but who cares, hehe.

I had to reset the action a bit but besides that eveything was perfect. Excellent finish , It feels like a very high quality instrument and it is. oh yeah, one last thing, I had to lower de single coil pu because it was getting in my way when playing.

looks really really solid and well made. the strap buttons keep the guitar from falling :)wich is good hehehe. It would definitely withstand live playing.

dunno

Excellent value, perfect sound , great action, good looking guitar. If it were stolen I would get another one right away. That s pretty much it :).

This 2002 Godin sdxt is a great jack of all trades guitar.Cost $450, made in Canada, assembled in USA. The only thing it lacks is an acoustic bridge pickup - available in the solidac, but the solidac does not have the same neck, and does not have the maple neck option, which is crutial.The humbucker-single coil-humbucker pickup configuration gives a multitude of tonal combinations, but they should have put coil splitter switches for the humbuckers.

For what it was designed, guitar sounds great.The modifications I already discussed would make it absolute perfection.I have been playing guitar since 1959, touring, recording, teaching what eventually became Classic Rock and Roll.I use Fender and Peavey all tube amps, no effects or pedals.Reverb and natural tube distortion only.

Spent 2 hours adjusting it to .009 gauge strings ( comes with .010 ), which is to be expected. It is now the best playing guitar I have ever played - totally effortless. Plays like butter.Beautiful blue flame finish.

Seems to be a workhorse. Except for my Taylor, it is all I play. Stays in tune, even with a lot of whammy bar and sting bending.

Answer my e-mails quickly. They cannot add acoustic bridge pickup and coil splitters at factory, though.

Best guitar you can get for the money. Wish it had my modifications as an option.Dealer did not have hardshell case, but it fits in my strat case.Plays better than any of my Fenders or Gibsons, even my 1965 Mosrite, which was the undisputed champ.Gets great Strat sound, and Les Paul sound, too.

2001 Godin SDxt. Solid body maple single cut, sort of a cross between a LP and Strat. Made in US from parts supplied from Canada. Mine has the blue flame top which is very nice. H/S/H set-up with five way selector switch. Schaller hardware which seems very durable, non-locking tuners are excellent. Strap-locks are solid. Schaller trem which is very sensitive. 25.5 scale on a maple neck. Comes with a Godin gig bag but I ordered a HSC for safety. Gig with it on a weekly basis and it has held up very well. Bought this guitar just for prcatice sessions but am finding out that I use it more and more in live venues.

I play Jazz with a combo and side with a Big Band. So, I play alot of single note riffs with the Jazz group and back-up chording with the Big Band. I use my Victoria or Evans amps with the Jazz group and am usually mic'ed with the Big Band although I do have a Traynor 80Q that cuts through the mix quite well. I have four axes that I use on a continual basis: Gibson L5, Gibson Birdland, Gibson LP Custom and this Godin. When set right this guitar offers a great mix of sounds. Doesn't have the depth of the L5 or Birdland but keeps up with the overall sound of the LP and then some.

Factory set-up was high. I lowered and readjusted everything and now it's fine. Finish is first rate and the quility is exceptional for a guitar in this price range. With the exception of the action, I could not find one flaw in anything. I do have one problem with the control set-up. I have rather large hands and the placement of the volume and tone knobs sometimes get in the way of my picking action. I wish they have moved them two inches to the rear.

Very solid guitar. Hardware and finish is first-rate. Strap buttons are locking variety and are solid. I have used it on numerous occasions in live settings but usually carry at least one other axe not because of fear of faliure but because of the need for different sounds.

Never had to deal with Godin about a problem although I did call them once with an interest in one of their other guitars. I was able to talk to one of their production people and he was very informative about their production process and materials used.

I have been playing for over twenty years. As I had mentioned earlier, I purchased this guitar for practice sessions leaving the high priced stuff at home. As it turns out, I am using this axe more and more in live settings. It's no L5 or Birdland but I reallly feel that for the money this instrument offers great sound and value.

Here's a little cut and paste from the Godin website that tells of the features, Rock Maple neck
Maple Fingerboard
12" fingerboard radius
25 1/2" Scale
1 11/16" nut width
Contoured Silverleaf Maple body
Godin-Design pickups (GHB1 - bridge, GHS1 - middle, GHN1 - neck)
Floating Trem
5-Way, Volume & Tone
Blue Flame 'Leaf Top' finish

I got mine in April of 2002 brand new. It's made in Canada and the U.S. I think all the guitars are assembled in New Hampshire and the parts are made in various shops in Quebec and the New Hampshire one. So basically it's North American made. It has 22 frets and a humbucker/single/humbucker set-up with a 5 way switch. All the pick-ups are made by Godin. The body is unique in that the middle block is Silverleaf maple and the wings are poplar to keep weight down. Like everyone says it looks like a cross between a Tele and Strat. The finish is the beautiful Blue Flame on mine. It came with the worlds worst gig bag, two allen wrenches, and a whammy bar that hasn't seen much use. Also is straplock compatible.

I used to play exclusively punk but I took guitar lessons this semester at college and am starting to branch out. However, i still play mostly punk. This guitar does punk just fine. The bridge humbucker rocks and that is almost exclusively what I use when I am playing in my punk band. I have a Marshall JCM 900 combo and the tone I get that combination is very similar to most of the punk bands that I listen to (almost the exact same sound as Lagwagon). It sounds great overdriven. I use the neck humbucker for all clean stuff such as jazz or whatnot and it sounds great. You're not just playing a guitar when you're playing this but you're making music. it really just sings beautifully. It has a very bright, saturated sound. The single coil in the middle I'm still uncertain about. Of course it is noisier than the humbuckers but I don't think it is overly noisy. As I said before I usually play punk so I don't use this much and this is my first guitar with a single coil so I'm not sure how to get the best sounds but it tends to produce a more glassy popping type sound when played hard than you're Strat-like twangy snap. When played with more control it is nice but still has that glassy tone that I'm not sure how much I like. Basically I don't use it that much. With the 5 different types of configurations you can get a wide variety of sounds. I like the 2 or 4 positions for bluesier type stuff. The tone knob doesn't do much for me but I've only been playing for a year so haven't developed a good ear for the subtle differences like most of the tone freaks on this website. Overall, great tone and sound for the money. I'll give it a 9 just because it's not a $3000 custom made guitar so there has to be room for improvement (my pet peeve is people on this website who give everything great marks).

This is really where the guitar stands out. here is about a $400-500 guitar where the action, fit and finish where nearly perfect. The finish is like something you'd find on a G&L ASAT or PRS Custom. it's just beautiful. The second I had the neck in my hand I knew the difference between that and my Epi Les Paul. It has a contoured back so it fits nicely against the body, unlike the LP. The guitar just wants to be played for hours. The action was perfect, no buzzing but great playability. I'm not a guitar tech or anything but I've only found one flaw in the set-up and it is extremely minor. One of the screws for the pick guard is too thin (well, the hole is too big) so it sticks out a little bit. But I really don't care and haven't bothered to fix it. This is a good as it gets for the money.

Only had it for two months but it seems rock solid. Has a bolt on neck which is nice. The input jack is metal unlike the LP which had a plastic covering for that which broke when i dropped that. Won't have that problem with this one.

Haven't dealt with them but I like what the company is all about and can't forsee any problems

I've been playing for 1 year and started with an Epi SG, then went to the Les Paul which I like for awhile and now have this along with the Seagull. If it were stolen I would buy it again in a heartbeat because I really don't think that you can get a better guitar for around $400-$500. The differences between the LP and SDxt are quite substantial and they cost about the same. The SDxt is considerabley better built and you can get the LP chuncky overdriven tone with it but also a wider variety of sounds as well. And personally I think that it's neck pickup is way better. I looked at getting a LG or SD (both Godins) but thought that this was the best deal. I was only looking for Godins on advice from my guitar teacher and really fell in love with the company. They make great, versatile guitars. I feel that you're certifiably insane if you get a Mexistrat or a Korean made Epi instead of this guitar. The craftsmanship and are noticeably better to a novice like myself. In the future if I ever upgrade I'll probably for for a Godin LGX-SA, if I want a hollowbody I'll get a Flat Five, and it I want something just for Jazz I'll get a Multiac Jazz. I think Godin makes the best guitars out there. I was going to put a 9 for this but with the 10 it said "fantastic value" and that's exactly what this is.

Solid body made in US from Canadian parts. 5-way selector switch with volumne and tone controls. PU's are of Godin design. Floating trem. Maple and poplar body with rock maple neck and rosewood fretboard. Well designed non-locking tuners. Design is somewhere between a strat and Les Paul but is unique. Came with a nice gigbag and allen tools. Case is not included.

I had read a few reviews on this guitar and deceided to give it a try. I was able to find a new one on ebay. I play rock and blues through a Peavey 5150 with a Peavey 5150 half stack(Greenbacks). I'll tell you!!, this guitar sound great! I was really surprised at the sustain. The stock PU's are really good. Again, I was surprised. My main axe is a PRS Custom costing hundreds more that this one and it's hard to tell the difference. There is really nothing I don't like about it and in fact am now looking into one of Godin's higher priced models

I needed to work on the action and in turn the intonation. Pickups were at the right height. I had heard that Godin's workmanship was very good. I went over this guitar with a fine tooth comb and could not find one flaw. No glue, now paint smears, frets dressed nicely, and the finish was flawless. Neck feels very good and is straight and the nut is just right. I couldn't ask for more from any guitar but getting this type of quality for this price, it's unbelievable!

Very sturdy. Good strap buttons. Very good finish and hardware. Would easily stand up to live playing. My PRS comes first and then this one but I would use without backup.

Have not had to use it but they answered my email and this is something!!. I believe the warranty is one year.

I am very happy with this axe. I own a PRS Custom and an American Strat. If it were stolen or lost I would replace it right away. Well. I guess for once the hype is correct, this is one great guitar for the price. It really compares, and some cases exceedes, other guitars I have tried that cost hundreds more. Great Value!!

Godin SDxt made in 2001. Canadian manufactured parts put assembled in New England. Solid body lightburst quilt (Very Nice!). Body style all of it's own but you could say its a cross between a Les Paul and Stratocaster. Pickups are Godin designed H/S/H. One volumne and one tone control. 5-way selector switch. Maple and poplar body with rock maple neck and a rosewood fretboard. Sacle is 25.5. Godin non-locking tuners and floating tremelo. The guitar comes with a Godin gig bag and tools.

I play light rock, blues and jazz. I play through a Fender blackface super reverb and use use a Digitech RP-300 for additional effects. With my setup, this guitar can make just about any sound I want. Can be bright but still holds low end. It has great sustain. The wood combination that Godin used is interesting, placing a maple block to hold the neck and pickups while joining poplar wings to the maple. Has a good full sound but not as good as my Heritage 575 for jazz. Two different creatures!

Factory setup was good although I reset the action and intonation. It was just off a bit on both counts. The bookmatching was very good. I was really impressed with the overall quality of this guitar. I own a variety of guitars and the workmanship of this guitar is right up there with instruments costing hundreds more. I looked very closely and could not find one flaw with the hardware or assembly. Woods are top notch. Pickups are Godin designed are just a step behind a Duncan or Rio Grande. Just for fun I might try a Benedetto A6 or Duncan Jazz on the neck.

I seems very reliable. It should be able to withstand years of live playing. Finish is very good and the strap buttons are solid. I never gig without a backup because of string breakage but with that exception, I would easily feel good going out alone with this guitar.

Have not had to deal with Godin. If something major occured I would call them (like the body splitting in half!) otherwise I repair, adjust or replace parts myself. I have had occasion to call them and they were very helpful. They have an excellent reputation for quality workmanship and customer service. My guitar tech had to have a part shipped to him(Godin LXT) and they were more than helpfull and in fact called him back to make sure everything worked OK.

I have been playing for over twenty years. Currently working as a studio musician and also do corporates with my trio. My primary guitars are a Heritage 575, Heritage 150 and a Gibson 135. I have an assortment of amps including Fenders, Evans and Poyltones. I wanted to obtain a great sounding solid body that I could haul to the studio and offsite gigs and not be worried about it getting beat-up or stolen. Well, guess what, now I'm worried about this one too!! I did look at variety of other guitars in this price range: Dean EVO's, Fender Standards, Hamer's and others and none, in my opinion, had the overall quailty and sound of this guitar. Beautiful finish and great sound for very little money. I would highly recommend this guitar.

This review is for a new Godin SDxt. Beautiful blue flame with rosewood fingerboard. Styling is a cross between a Les Paul and Strat. Single cutaway. Canadian parts assembled in the US. The solid body has a contoured maple block (silverleaf) for the electronics with poplar wings. This difers from the regular SD. The SD is all silverleaf maple which makes the SD heavier. Pickups are H/S/H with a 5-way selector switch. One volume and one tone control. Floating trem. Pickups are of Godin design. Has a 25.5" scale and a 12" fingerboard radius with a 1 11/16 nut width. Neck is rock maple. Tuners are non-locking Godin design which look alot like Schaller's. The scale is another difference from the SD. The SD has a 24.75" scale. Note: Typical Gibson is 24.75" and Fender is 25.5". Come with a Godin gig bag and allen wrenches. One difference from Godin's website is that the blue flame now comes with a black pickguard not the off-white one that they display. I guess they haven't changed the image on the site.

Just as advertised, this guitar has a variety of sounds with the H/S/H configuration. I play it through a Travnor CV40 (Tube) and have two Matchless units in my studio both running Celestion Blue's. I have also tried it through Polytone and Evans tube amps. The one thing that really stands out is the sustain and resonance. I hit an A chord straight through the Traynor and was so impressed that we almost timed it! Just like the Enigerizer Bunny it kept going...going...going. Fantastic! I don't know how Godin put the woods (Maple+Poplar) together but it really works. Two visiting guitarists who played it were not totally impressed with the stock pickups and suggested a variety of options with Duncan's but I will take a wait and see attitude. I personally play Jazz/Standards and use both a Gibson 135 and 175 and it takes a little geting used to the Godin's sound but am very impressed so far. For the money, I don't think you can beat it.

I purchased the guitar from one of Canada's premier dealers, Murch Music and the owner Glenn Murch shipped it in perfert condition. I really have to tell you, this guitar looks and feels like it should have cost hundreds more. The blue flame top looks AAAA and the joinery work on both the neck and body are exceptional. Pickup height was good and action was low. I was told that Godin took real pride in their work and now I beleive it. How they sell this guitar at such a low price is beyond me. I looked at a variety of solid bodies in the $1,500 to $2,800 price range and with the exception of the pickups and trem, the Godin more than held its own.

My only problem with this guitar is that it is so beautiful I don't want to take it anywhere! I'll take the Gibson's out but not this one!(LOL). Strap buttons and hardware look sturdy and I am sure, If I were going to take it out, it would hold up just fine in a live playing enviroment.

Have not had to deal with Godin on this guitar but did email them recently wanting some information on the new Jazz Multitrac and they responded very quickly. I would highly recommend Murch Music in Canada for his customer service and product line. He sells and services some of the world's best names in Jazz boxes. I understand he also very involved in Jazz festivals in Canada and the US.

I have been playing for over thirty years and have owned too many guitars to remember all of them. I currently have a Gibson 135,175, and 335. I needed a good solid body for myself and visiting artists so I started my research with the major brands. To make a long story short, it came down to a vintage Les Paul, a Anderson and this Godin. After hearing and playing the Paul and Anderson I just couldn't justify the extra money for them. Both were wonderful guitars but for a quarter of the price the Godin really held her own. I will probably replace the pickups at some point and maybe add real Schallers and a Wilkinson Trem but overall I highly recommend this guitar. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it ASAP. I fact I am now looking at some of the other models in the Godin line. The Godin SDxt is a real value with wonderful workmanship and a vast array of sounds.

I'm sure you know it by now, if you are reading this...
This particular one was CongacBurst with a rosewood fretboard. The pickup configuration on the SDxt is H/S/H, 5-way. The pickups are Godin made.

This is the part why I decided to write this review. I was very suprised how rich this guitar sounded, even through a digital multieffect processor I tried it on which I know to muddy the original sound a hair (name deliberately omitted). It has the Strat's twang, the Gibson's growl and even the resonance of an acoustic, I didn't expect, just dial in the right filters on your rig to cut out things you don't need. I was able to produce believable sounds out of the SDxt from the 50's to the 90's, distorted as well as clean. This guitar is quite versatile (H-S-H) and was obviously meant to be a Jack-Of-All-Trades, as the manufacturer puts it. It has a resonance that I have not heard in other guitars (not even on recordings yet). So why not 10/10? I noticed when I tried to get some zeng out of it, that the deep tones sometimes overpower the resonance slightly.

The guitar in the shop was setup pretty well. I changed the strings to a complementary set of Elixirs when I got home (man, are those great, thanks guys!) and I raised the bridge humbucker slightly when I got home, but the intonation was correct. When I examined closely at home I was amazed how precise the fitting was compared to other guitars I had (see below). The finishing was flawless and the rosewood fingerboard seems higher quality than that of my other guitars (somehow darker and smoother). It is a piece of art.

One thing though. When they were hanging from the wall, I did not pay too much attention to these guitars, because from a distance they appear to have a cheap, plasticy finish. Boy, do I need glasses. Do yourself a favour and go up close.

I use the guitar for studio work, so I take good care of it. It looks just too damn good to take it on the road. The bridge and knobs appear high quality and the pickguard was covered with extra protective plastic (which I wrestled off when I got home - get ready to take off the knobs *and* their nuts for this excersise). I had it for only about a month, so can't really comment more on the durability, but the strap buttons and tuners also look sturdy.

Didn't have to deal with them yet.

I've been playing/buying guitars on and off for 15+ years. The best guitars I had/have are a Fender Strat and an Ibanez RG570IP. If this guitar was stolen, the first guitar I would buy would most definitely another Godin, but perhaps I would be more brave on spending more on the same, but Synth/equipped version (for experimentation), or try the LGX3 with its Duckbuckers. I might even try a Radiator. I love how easily this guitar plays (the action is great with .42-.9 strings) and the rich the sound it produces. Originally I was after another Strat with noiseless pickups - I tried an American Deluxe but this one was a steal for this price (about 1/3rd)!
What do I wish it had? A twin (in my studio)! Ok, maybe a humbucker splitter switch for the bridge pickup, for even more twang and versatility...? 24 frets? ...now that would have been a 10/10. (Although, I wish there was a 9.5/10 on this selector because 9/10 seems a bit too harsh!)