Godin ST68 Norman

1988 Top of the range Dreadnought made in Godin factory Canada (Serial 29600) ? Solid Rosewood Back; Laminated Rosewood sides; Solid Spruce Top; Maccasar Ebony Fingerboard on a Mahogany neck; Schaller M6 (German) Machine heads; Rosewood Bridge; No pick-guard. Premium Canadian woods (they don?t grow ?em like this in the UK!). Why a 9 and not 10? - Would love for this rig to have solid rosewood sides too (I know..I know, I?m just plain greedy) No case supplied - bought one years later from a street busker - nice light brown classic style with Norman logo.

I went to buy a Martin and was prepared to pay #1000 for the privilege. I played all the best acoustics available, and was most impressed with the Norman models. The B50 I thought was superb, but I didn?t want an electro-acoustic. Plugging it in (the B50) and strumming a D chord in dropped D tuning just blew me away ? the perfect bass combined with heavenly mid range. The ST68 (unplugged) sounded to me to be the best I?d heard ? loads of volume, great sustain, really warm tones, but with plenty of top and middle as you played nearer the bridge. Finger-picking really was a joy. Great for finger-style (I play folk, blues, country, rock 'n' roll, old standards) and chord-work with or without a pick.
I kept changing back to the #1100 Martin and tried to convince myself it sounded like a guitar twice the value ? but just closed my eyes and tried to be objective. I think I really wanted to buy the Martin just so I could hold my head high in other players company! I couldn?t believe what I was hearing ? a better sound at half the price ? so I bought Norman and rejected Martin (sorry Martin!) and to hell with the image (nobody had heard of Norman guitars).
Great variety of sounds - DADGAD and Open G tunings are superb - using a capo up as far as fret 7 gives great versatility. I play gigs using a Marshall AS80R acoustic and it is superb - mixing mic and Fishman pickup especially. Reverb/Chorus effects just sound majical.

Wow ? I?d never picked up a guitar that felt like it just begged to be played. My fingers are fairly short and the neck size and profile just molded to my hand like it grew there. You know the feeling ? the 1st time you cupped a nicely formed breast? Switching chords was so easy and fast. Barre chords (all the way up the neck) clean and simple. The low action was a joy to play ? individual notes as clean as a whistle. Never had to have any adjustments in the 15 years I've owned it.
The guitar was beautifully finished ? no flash/no frills ? just an elegant instrument with clean gloss finish (would have preferred matt top though). It looked (and smelt) great ? and the interior also looked to be class construction. No flaws whatsoever (maybe the fret edges could be a little smoother - but now I'm getting really picky)

OK so I?ve not kept it in a glass case all these years, and it has a few scars?.. but then I?ve developed a few myself as I?ve got older, and I?m still functioning. Unlike me though, Norman has improved with age. I don?t change the strings as often now ? because I don?t need to; the sound just rings out. There?s no sign of any deterioration in the woods/construction. The tuners are as true now as the day I bought the guitar. The neck is still in perfect alignment. The frets are showing some wear but still some way off needing replacing, and I?ve played this guitar almost everyday since I bought it. The end-on sight test down the body top and neck shows no sign whatsoever of warping. Apart from my odd dinks and scratches through hauling this machine to hundreds of music venues over the years, it?s perfect.
I?m sure it?ll be a ?must have? item in my will one day.
Used at endless gigs without backup - totally dependable.

Never dealt with the company - just my local dealer here in UK (Music Ground - Doncaster)
I was advised to buy a Martin rather than the Norman (?It will have good trade-on value - the Norman is an unknown brand so won?t hold it?s value?). Down 2 points straight away. There?s more to value than what someone else might be prepared to pay you. If you?re never going to sell, what does 2nd hand value mean anyhow?
I was advised to have a Fishman under the saddle pickup and an end pin jack rather than on-board electrics. They carried out the work, and I?ve been very satisfied. Combining the pickup with microphone through a Marshall AS80R is just brilliant, though it works fine direct as well.
Warranty? - it was 1 year and that was a long time ago. I'd give it a 5 year warranty now - no problem.

I've been playing guitar now for 36 years and this is the best guitar I've owned (by miles). I'd owned only cheap guitars before (Antoria/Daion), but I'd had my hands on lots of others in the high-end class before I bought this one. In the things that really matter, this guitar is easily a 10. I want to buy another guitar (for alternative tunings/different sound) and I?m prepared to pay 5 times what I paid for the Norman. I think I?ll have to pay that much to get a better sound ? if there is one. Norman?s not for sale though?? it?s going to be item 1 in my last will & testament. If it were stolen or lost(not very likely - I watch it like a hawk) I'd scour the earth (or the Net) for another ST68 - seriously.
Is there anything I wish it had? - babies