Godin xtSA

This is another addition to my rather long-winded review below. The purpose here is to supply specific information about the Godin designed pickups that come stock on the xtSA. As their reply this time was much more helpful than the first time I contacted them, I'll be nice and kick up the Customer Service rating that cost the overall rating 1/10 of a point. This is the information supplied to me by Godin regarding the stock pickups:

"Hi,

Here are some specs on the xtSA's pickups :

GS1 M single-coil : impedance 5.75K, inductance 3.62H, AWG 42 coil gauge, Ferrite magnet.
GHN1 neck humbucker : impedance 8.85K, inductance 4.68H, AWG 42 coil gauge, Ferrite magnet.
GHB1 bridge humbucker : impedance 10.30K, inductance 4.33H, AWG 44 coil gauge, Ferrite magnet.

Ferrite magnets are ceramic. They have more output and a brighter tone than Alnico magnets.

Regards, *not signed but the "hi" was friendly*"

This explains a lot. It explains why some reviewers liked the stock pups while others thought they were dull-sounding, and also why I can't get the sound I want out of them.

It all has to do with the ceramic magnets. As Godin's reply stated, ceramic magnets have higher output and brighter tone than Alnico. From experience with other guitars like my old Charvel, I know that pickups with ceramic mags have a somewhat harsh high end and lack warmth at lower gain settings but sound blisteringly excellent through a high-gain amp. They are significantly louder and will drive your amp harder.

I'm a low-gain player. My brand of progressive rock is influenced more by classic rock than by metal. I put a compressor at my front end, set the gain somewhere in the vicinity of "British", add some neat processing and end up with something like Allan Holdsworth's tone (only not). I don't need much output since I use an amp modeling preamp/processor, so if I *do* want a harder sound I don't need hot pickups to get it.

But if you're a hard rock/metal player, you should like these pickups more than I do. They have ample output and the harmonics *scream*.

I intend to replace all the pickups on my xtSA. I'm always searching for something a little different, a trademark tone. Also, I'm going to set the guitar up to be an even more effective synth controller. I'll use a DiMarzio "Air Norton" for a bridge pickup so I have a tweaked PAF tone with vintage output, more sustain, and more mids and bass than JS's "FRED". The dynamics and harmonics of the Air Norton are supposed to be exceptional.

I have it on good authority that having a single-coil between two humbuckers plays hell with the humbuckers' magnetic fields, having a subtle but adverse effect on the tone. Don't know if that's true; you can't believe everything you read, but why chance it when you don't have to? I'm putting a Lace "Chrome Dome" in the middle. It's a "hot gold" Lace Sensor with a chrome-plated nickle cover. Lace Sensors work on a different principle than regular single-coils and have very little string-pull. Quiet, too. We'll see how that sounds.

In the neck position, I'm going to install a Sustainiac. It's an electromagnetic driver that provides infinite sustain. This makes perfect sense if the guitar is to be a synth controller, and the "harmonic" switch should make some very cool things happen with a synth. The Sustainiac takes up one single-coil space and I'd rather choose my own neck pickup tone than use theirs, so I'll pair it with a DiMarzio "Pro Track", which I have on one of my other guitars and really does have that PAF midrange. Pro Tracks have ceramic mags but you don't hear it.

A wealth of information on guitar design and woods, as well as a diverse offering of custom hand-built guitars, can be found on Ed Roman's website if you can get past his obvious dislike of Paul Reed Smiths (I'm not crazy about them either). Go here and read the whole thing. It's a fun site: http://www.edromanguitars.com/

They were very nice, prompt, and helpful this time. But "incredibly" is too strong an adjective. Still, this should offset that "3" I gave them before.

H-S-H mag pickups with coil split, acoustic pickup, synth access -- it does everything but make coffee. Other reviews have covered theses details.

The mag pickups were OK sounding: not great, not awful. The humbuckers were a bit mid-rangey and muddy through my 65 Twin RI, but not so much so that they'd have to be replaced right away. The single coil and the two coil-split positions sounded really good. Acoustic pickup tone was better than average for that type of pickup, but that system had other problems (see below).

I twice tried and twice failed to buy a working XTSA. There are
some serious quality problems with these guitars.

The first one I received had nice fretwork and a good setup, but the electronics did not work correctly. Specifically, the 2B string did not work at all on the acoustic pickup, and when the acoustic pickup was turned up it caused some kind of ground problem that also affected the mag pickups on the mix output.

I returned that XTSA and ordered another one. On the second guitar, the fretwork was terrible. The fret ends were rough and sharp, with visible tool marks. Also, the setup was for crap; the guitar buzzed all over the neck on almost every string.

The acoustic pickup did not work correctly in the second guitar either. The 6E 5A 4D and 2B strings were all about the same volume, but the 3G string was twice as loud as the others and the 1E string volume was so low as to be almost non-existent.

The setup issues were obviously easy enough to fix, but the fret job
and electronic problems were much more serious.

This was not what I expected from Godin at all. I have a MultiAc Nylon SA that is excellent in every aspect of tone, quality and onstruction. I gave it a superb review here on Harmony Central, and I still feel the same way several years later. The XTSA, not so much.

No opinion, because I didn't keep either guitar for more than 24 hours; but the 100% out-of-the-box electronic problem rate does not bode well.

No opinion, because I didn't contact them. Musician's Friend was great about taking back the guitars.

Godin's "Contact Us" page basically says that they don't answer their e-mail; that probably doesn't bode well either.

The XTSA has the potential to be a great guitar, especially if you play in a band that covers a range of styles. I play in a praise band at my church, and it would have been ideal for that application. I already have a Roland GR-30 synth that I use with my Godin classical, and I was hoping to use the XTSA to get a broader range of guitar tones in conjunction with the synth.

That said -- it's all just potential, at least based on my experience. These two guitars were a huge disappointment, especially the second one with the lousy fretwork. I bought the XTSA after reading the other reviews on this forum, and my experience could not have been more different.

Ironically, before the XTSA I tried the Brian Moore i88.13. It was total garbage, and it went back too (see my HC review for that sorry tale). I don't think I'm excessively critical or picky. I guess I'm just not meant to have another synth guitar.

I bought these guitars online because there are no Godin or Brian Moore dealers in my area. Moral of the story: if you're going to buy a guitar online, get it from a vendor with a good return policy.

The Godin xtSA combines the best features and aspects of a Les Paul, an Ibanez RG or JEM, and a '72 Fender Telecaster Thinline. That's weird and not at all how the guitarists below have described it, but I can explain...

I'll go into more detail about the features listed in previous posts and why these details are important. Like all Godins, my 2005 xtSA is assembled in New Hampshire, USA from parts made in Quebec, Canada. Godin made parts for major guitar makers before they made their own guitars. More about the company can be found on their website.

The body consists of a central block of silverleaf maple. Poplar wings are attached to the sides of the central block and a thin "leaftop" veneer of figured maple is applied for purely cosmetic purposes. The bolt-on neck is satin-finished honduras mahogany with a fingerboard of ebony. The scale length is 25 1/2".

The instrument has three outputs: a standard electric guitar voice with passive pickups (HSH configuration with 5-way switch a la Ibanez RG/JEM, master volume and tone), an acoustic sound which features its own active preamp and 3-band EQ, and 13-pin Roland-compatible hex output synth access jack. The acoustic voice and synth outputs are derived from individual saddle transducers. The electric and acoustic voices can be mixed through a single output if desired to add richness or brightness.

Other features include locking tuners (interesting, with the locking mechanisms on the front of the headstock), a GraphTech TUSQ nut, and a 2-point trem bridge with a blank post on the arm that just pushes into the hole. Mine rattled a bit when I got it but I tightened the little screw and now it's snug and perfect. I've always preferred non-locking fulcrum trems. Ibanez was putting them on their student guitars 20 years ago. I think we are witnessing the end of the Floyd Rose era. I hate those things. The neck, pickups and bridge are all recessed into the body.

My rating regarding the features of the Godin xtSA is an honest, sincere:

I might not be so generous if this guitar had cost two or three times as much as it did, but considering the price and common woods it's made from it deserves every point I'm giving it.

I did my homework before I bought this guitar because I don't have a lot of money and I only had one shot to buy a main soloing guitar which has to last me indefinitely. For me, the acoustic voice and synth access are just side perks (I'll use the synth access some day). I bought it on its merits soley as an electric guitar and I knew precisely what sound I was looking for. I play original progressive rock and I need a particularly sweet, "singing" quality with good sustain. The effects of various woods and construction techniques are well-known. However, while most guitarists would agree that the *body shape* of a solid-body guitar affects its tone, I'd had yet to hear anyone quantify that effect so I went out and discovered it myself. Consequently, my assessment of the xtSA's tone is much more specific than those provided previously. Future reviewers are free to debunk it, of course.

I play through the cheap, compact-yet-versatile guitar rig of the 21st Century: a ten-year-old BOSS GX-700 "Orange Face" COSM preamp/processor that works as well as the day I bought it, an Alesis stereo 31-band EQ (to correct the cabs), a Peavey PV900 power amp (which doesn't even work up a sweat set at 2/3 input sensitivity so the speakers don't blow), and a pair of Peavey 112TLS P.A. cabinets (120W/rms@8ohms). FC-200 midi foot controller. It does everything I need it to do and I change amp/FX settings half a dozen times or more in a single song.

I'll analyze the body shape first. The xtSA is symmetrical at the "waist" (the indentation between the upper and lower bouts) like a Les Paul rather than "offset" like a Stratocaster (with a wider indentation on the left-side, making that "horn" overhang the right one). This causes the guitar to "speak" from the lower-midrange like a Paul instead of having a twangy, trebly voice like a Strat. It has the same deep, ballsy grind a Paul has. A voice that says, "aw". There are some important differences, however. The left-side upper bout is, in fact, cut away slightly. It's not "complete" and locked to the neck like a Les Paul. It forms a "lobe" that's free to vibrate more and it does so in the upper-midrange, providing the guitar with some lively brassiness. Taking a second look at a Tele, you'll notice it's not really a "single-cutaway" guitar either. It has that same slight, inward curve. Now go listen to Steve Morse and you'll hear what I mean by "brassiness". His is custom but the '72 Thinline had humbuckers. The xtSA has that tone characteristic. Finally, the xtSA has a thicker right-side horn. This is where the treble resonates, so the XT is brighter-sounding than a Paul. As a general rule, the greater the mass an isolated region of the body has, the lower its resonant frequency. Turn the body of a Flying V around so the two halves of the "V" become horns and you'll understand why all it has is trashy, low-frequency treble. But then, if you *want* a wall of noise, pump up the gain on your BOOGIE Rectifier and it's perfect. That's almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the tone I was looking for, though. I believe the shape of the xtSA's body gives it a superbly balanced tone throughout it's frequency range.

Now, for the woods. The xtSA has ample sustain despite its bolt-on neck. The reason is twofold. First, the neck is mahogany instead of maple, giving it more mass. Second, instead of bolting a maple neck to something soft like alder, poplar or basswood, the mahogany neck bolts to maple. Maple is lighter but stiffer than mahogany. Using these woods in this way (the reverse of other guitars, which typically have a maple neck and a mahogany body) causes less vibration to be lost at the neck joint. I can find no flaw in fit of the neck and the guitar has a very solid feel. The pickups are hot and squeeze out every day's worth of sustain. Can you hear it? ...well you could if it was playing... Anyway, poplar is an underrated tonewood. It may not be much to look at but the tone is brighter and "airier" than alder and more complex than basswood. And since they put that attractive maple veneer over it, you can't even look at it.

This guitar *is* a bit heavy, but not overly so, unless you're a young girl.

The pickups, as I mentioned, are plenty hot - hotter even than the DiMarzio MegaDrive on my Ibanez. Some previous reviewers found these stock pickups dull-sounding, others thought they were quite good. From me, they get a *very good* but not an *excellent*. Still, they certainly blow Ibanez's stock pickups off the face of the Earth. In particular, the middle pickup actually has punch and character, nice for clean rhythms or Blackmore/Trower/Gilmore-esque solos. Middle pups are often lackluster. The neck and bridge pups positively scream with harmonics but the highs are a touch harsh for my tastes. This might not bother you. Again, I'm looking for something smoother and warmer. Also, high gain is not a consideration for me since I'm using an amp modeler. Just have to light that LED. I find DiMarzios always deliver what they promise, have the modern tone I want, and have tons of personality. I'll probably replace the bridge pup with an Air Norton. No hurry though. I can tame the stock humbuckers with the tone control and even re-brighten them with the acoustic voice if I need to. Maybe I'll add a .045mF "woman" tone cap. I did it to my Ibanez and it makes that thrashy MegaDrive sound sweet.

The 5-pos selector is cool because, in positions 2 & 4, it splits the humbuckers and gives you two single-coils like a Strat. Very nifty. Good tones, clean or distorted.

The acoustic voice is exceptional. It actually gives you more than you need. I find I have to cut the treble to get the delicate, mellow acoustic sounds I use. But if your clean electric sounds aren't quite bright enough for you, you can add some sparkle with the saddle transducers. Super-nifty!

I shall deduct 1 point because they didn't read my mind and give me a smooth-sounding bridge humbucker. Cranked up, this guitar will sound as raw as AC/DC, but to be perfect it needs a little more "character", however you define that.

The action (and everything else) came perfectly set-up straight from the factory, as others have said before me. Unless you implicitely trust the guitar technician at your local music store, ask to play it right from the box. They put 10's on mine and I like 9's, but I don't foresee that making much of a difference in my rating. When I say *perfect*, I mean *perfect*. I was like, "wow." The action was a happy compromise. It could go lower or higher depending on your tastes. I didn't feel the need to change it. Solid feel.

The top is *not* bookmatched, but they do make a noticable effort to line up the flames in the maple. It looks "good enough" for a guitar in this price range. The transparent black finish on mine darkens to solid black at the edges (i.e. sunburst) so that it blends with the solid black finish on the sides and back. I like it. I would have liked it *more* if the xtSA came in a broader selection of colors. I'm sick of "any color you want as long as it's red or black".

The knobs are a little stiff and hard to turn. Just a little. They might need to break in.

One point off for limited color selection and lack of bookmatching. I've seen bookmatched office doors. They can do it to a guitar.

I've only had it a few days but so far it gives me the impression of being ruggedly built. The hardware is solid and well-plated. The 2-point fulcrum trem bridge is a thing of beauty. It's recessed, has these cool little tips on the saddles that the strings rest on (probably brass and probably associated with the saddle transducers) and an arm that just presses into its nylon-lined hole. One person said a strap button fell off his because the screw was inadequate. I'm not pulling the buttons off to see so I won't know until it happens and I'm not going to lose sleep over it. These posts go back to when the model was released and who knows? Maybe Godin reads Harmony-Central and fixes deficiencies as they are reported.

The guitar seems well-finished. It should last.

I think this guitar is dependable. I don't do much live performance these days, just home recording. But if I did, I'd never gig without a backup guitar (assuming you have more than one). Strings do break, after all. It's one of Life's perennial surprises. I can't give it a 10 because I haven't had it long enough for shortcomings to crop up. Okay, I am a little concerned about that strap button thing.

This is where the Godin loses the most points. A lot of them, actually. In the first place, if a music store is going to be your authorized dealer, they should be required to keep samples of your line in stock so the customer can play and examine one, even if it's not the exact model he wants to buy.

I didn't have that option. The only dealer within lightyears of me only displayed Seagull acoustic guitars (made by Godin's parent company, LaSido). I had to buy mine sight-unseen, paying in full up front and waiting 9 weeks for it to arrive, all the while worrying over whether I'd be stuck with a piece of crap. Making that leap of faith was my choice, of course, but it ruined the happy, self-indulgent experience of buying a new guitar. I felt cheated and even though I'm basically happy with the guitar, it was an anticlimax when it arrived. The salesman better hope nothing goes wrong with it because I won't be in a good mood when I take it back.

When I emailed Godin about a hardshell case and questions about the bookmatching and finish (which I've read here can look brownish), I did get a reply, albeit a curt one. (No, you get a gig bag. Go to this link to see a picture. ~fin~). I got the impression Godin wants as little contact as possible with their customers, the Great Unwashed.

In terms of sound, features and form, the Godin is a "hybrid" design in the manner of a PRS CE22 except that the Godin combines these concepts more seemlessly than a PRS and results in a guitar with a more well-defined character. It has exactly the features and characteristics that I wanted (sans bridge pup), which was the only reason I put up with both Godin and their authorized dealer. Godin is certainly good at making guitars, though. They managed to create a superb instrument at an affordable price, then added two additional voices in addition.

All things considered, I'm glad I bought this guitar. I feel I got my money's worth. I will deduct one point for poor customer service and another because I think 800 bucks worth of guitar warrants a hard shell case ...the cheap @#$%^&'s.

First off, this is one classy instrument and I am quite pleased with it!! The fit, finish and craftsmanship are top-shelf. Without a doubt,I would put the XTSA in the same category as my Les Paul Custom. The locking tuners work well and are easily adjusted. The tremelo is functional and feels much like a stock Fender Strat tremolo. Please be aware that the XTSA's tremelo will not perform (and practically speaking), CAN NOT be used like a Floyd Rose. No dive-bombing or pulling up on it, it just won't stay in tune. Actually, I rarely even attach the bar to mine.

.

Regarding the electronics, the humbucker-single-humbucker configuration is quite versatile. The pickups themselves tend be a bit on the mellow side in terms of output, but not to the extreme. If they were steaks, I would call them "medium to medium-well". The piezo pickup sounds fabulous and has a mildly hotter output than the humbuckers, at least to my ears. Blending the piezo and electric pickups just gives an amazing sound, especially with a stereo chorus and a delay going. The electric pickups perform well with a cranked amp and give good performance in a rock context, but just don't expect to be playing "nu-metal" with them. The 13 pin pickup interfaced flawlessly with my Roland GR-20 and XV2020 module,with the tracking being somewhat better than the Roland GK2a/GK3 pickups, but again not to the extreme. I've had no problems using the guitar and its assorted features live within both a band context and in a semi-acoustic duo.

Action, fit and finish overall were great. The body is well-balanced and the weight does not induce neck/shoulder fatigue. The ebony fingerboard is smooth and easy to play, with the neck feeling closer to a Fender-style neck than a Gibson neck. Frets were uniform and well finished. Mine was shipped with a minor chip on the back of the headstock. The Godin folks were first class and offered to ship me a new guitar or take off $100. I took the cash and purchased the hardshell case. The only critisim is that the nut slots needed some minor attention in order to promote good tuning, which I understand is very common with Godin instruments. My local Godin dealer (Yale's Music, Sayre PA) did it for me gratis. No biggie.

So far it has withstood live playing (over the past two months) with a problem. Quite dependable and I have used it on a gig without a back-up.

My guitar came with a minor small nick on the back ot the headstock (UPS gorillas). The Godin folks were first class and offered to ship me a new guitar or take off $100. I took the cash and purchased the hardshell case. Their email customer service is equally good (at least the 3 times I have contacted them).

I've been playing for close to 30 years, have played lots of guitars, and have lots of toys (Les Paul Custom, a Taylor 355CE 12 String, a Martin DCE ,the XTSA, a Tech 21 Tradmark 60,GR-20 gtr synth, a Roland XV2020 yadda, yadda, yadda...). The Godin is a great instrument that nicely compliments my other guitars. Suffice to say, I am very, very, very happy with this guitar!!! I would characterize it as a "Swiss Army Knife instrument" - well worth the $850 I paid for it(new) and
definitely worth the two guitars I sold to partially finance it.I would not hesitate to buy another in a heartbeat if it were stolen, lost or broken.

In terms of wish list features, I would like to see Godin start offering coil splitters for the humbuckers or at least
start using pickups with three conductor wires, so it can be done
later if desired.

H-S-H pickups (more on them later) with 5-way selector; piezo transducers with pre-amp and EQ and synth access. Exactly what I was looking for. Plus a string through body floating tremelo unit and a a gig bag.

Love the ebony fretboard.

Had it about 6 or 7 months now so feel familar enough with it to comment

I'd recently got into guitar synths and was playing a Crafter acoustic retro fitted with a Roland synth pickup, plus a strat copy similarly synth-equipped. It just seemed entirely logical to go for a single guitar that could provide all of those sounds without the need to change.

I play in a 4 piece band (still developing our material) Music is all original, generally quite gentle with a lot of synth pads but occasionally breaking into full-blown distortion and power.

I use separate effects paths for the electric and acoustic outputs.

Likes- the acoustic sound from the bridge transducers. All I do with the sound there is a bit of compression, chorus and delay

Love- the synth tracking is just great. I use it to drive a Roland GR-33, which in turn has a Novation A Station running off the MIDI out

Not so keen on the mag pickups. I fund them a little lacking in power and clarity. The setting that suits me best is just using the single coil but even that seemed to lack the sparkle I wanted so I put a graphic equaliser and tube pre-amp in the effects chain along with a Zoom 707 II. All that's about to change though as I'm swicthing to a Boss GT-8 pedal and planning on getting rid of the Zoom, the graphic and tube pre-amp. FOr this reason I'll knock the marks down in this category.

Also I do tend to play in a couple of different tunings. The floating trem can make it a real pain to retune. Maybe I need another one permanently detuned

No problems. Played nicely straight out of the box, though I have since lowered the action just a bit.

Bookmatching on the leaves not perfect but that doesn't bother me at all. I like the effect. I'd have gone for the trans black but the red was available sooner and again, it doesn't bother me.

Like the feel of the neck and the ergocut ebony fingerboard. Suits my playing syle down to the ground. A solid feel all round and plenty of sustain

OK- BIG problem. I was recently setting up for rehearsal when the guiar fell from around my neck. The upper bout strap had pulled clean out. It seemed that the screws used were too small and the point where the upper bout button is fixed is very close to the acoustic pre-amp cavity. Have since read one or two other reports of Godins having this problem.

On the up side, no serious damage done and the repair job appears solid. Got to mark it way down for that though. Guitars should not just fall off, particularly when you're using locking straps!

I'd be confident using this without backup in a gig. In fact my whole rig is now designed around it. The only thing I'd like is another one of these.

No dealings with Godin. Repair was carried out by guitar tech at Godin distributor arranged by the online retailer at no cost to me. Quick and efficient but not sure that was anything to do with Godin

Despite marking it down in a couple of areas I really love this guitar. It does exactly what I wanted. When I've got both synths, the electric and acoustic all playing together it is an unbelievably full sound.

I use stereo effects on both guitar outputs and both synths are stereo so I DI into a 4 bus submixer then into our main PA (basically just to leave some spare channels for the rest of the band!)

Other guitars are now redundant. Wish I had the spare cash to get another of these or maybe the higher spec LGXT.

I did consider a few alternatives, such as Brian Moore, Fender etc, but everything I read seemed to lead me to Godin. Glad I did

This has been well covered already. H-S-H pickup config (Godin), 5 way switch, volume and tone as well as 6 saddle piezo pickup system with vol and eq on the top bout. You can combine mag pickups with piezo. Also has 13 pin connector out to guitar synth. Trem. 16" radius ebony board on mahogany neck. "Silver leaf maple centre with poplar wings". Maple cap. Single cutaway. Locking tuners. 22 med jumbo frets. Gig bag.

Someday I'll find my style. Jazz-ish, I guess. Generally clean, lots of notes, not a lot of bending. I'm running this through a small Traynor tube amp. Lots of sounds. Pretty much covers all the major food groups - certainly Strat, Les Paul. Combining humbucker and piezo gets into 335 territory. Going into guitar synthesizer gets you everything from banjo to bagpipes.

The action was set perfectly (I don't know how much of this is due to the shop, however) if just a tad on the high side (for my taste). Fit and finish is great. This was marked down 5%. The sales guy wasn't sure why. We couldn't find any blemishes. Who knows? Beautiful guitar. "Trans red". Sure the maple cap isn't exactly bookend. Cough up another $1K for the PRS so you can get the grain to match. The fret board features Godin's "ergocut". Whatever.

Seems pretty solid. The maple cap is a "thin, figured maple veneer" which sounds a little delicate. Otherwise, the guitar feels solid.

1 year warranty on materials and workmanship. I haven't needed any support.

I've been playing for 40 years. Still suck. I've had most of the usuals: Les Paul, ES-175, Tele (Customs). Right now I've got a MIM Strat and an Epi jazzbox through the aforementioned Traynor. My new Godin just feels perfect. For the past few years, I've been very much a Fender guy but, hasn't Fender been making the same guitar(s) for about 50 years? I had some time to kill in music stores recently and I played a lot of the Fender offerings (and a new Les Paul). My slightly modified Strat (Callahm trem, upgraded pups, fret dressing)plays as well if not better than anything I tried recently including a number of up market Strats (E Johnson, J Beck). But this Godin really caught my attention. It certainly feels so much more "modern" than the Fenders I've played recently. The fit and finish are great, the neck is perfect and the variety of sounds is intriguing. The Epi is on the block already. I can see my Strat becoming No. 2.

I wont go into this because it is done so well in reviews belwo. Mine was the Black model which looks brown with the flame cap. Very nuce. Locking tuners..nice gig bag included (would like to have had the option of a hardshell).

I love this thing. I had a used Solidac that was beat up, but I loved it as well. I traded it for the xtSa. It covers all realms of the music I play from Classic rock to Contemporary Christian Music (my main type..rock oreinted). Into my Peavey Classic 30 it will cover any rock, blues tone I need. Straight intot he PA it is a very realistic acoustic tone. With the onboard eq and a little compression it sounds better than a couple of my bandmates true acoustics. HSH pup config is great and it will get an LP tone and a real close to, a Strat tone. Stock pups were very nice. No need to swap them at this point. I did try it with w Roland GR 33 and it worked real well. I am not into the sythn tone at this time, but I might pick one up in the future. It tracked nicely.

This is where it shined. The factory setup was quite low and really did not need any adjustment. The pickups and intonation were dead on. The neck is awesome. It is like like a custom shop. It is gorgeous in appearance and feel. High end quality for a fraction of the price. This is like a custom shop in all areas except that the tops are not exactly bookmatched. They are still nice looking, but I knocked t down one point for this (and it is minor...). You cant go wrong here.

Everything seems top notch and from their reputation I can not imagine any problems. They say the stap locks it comes with are Schaller but dunlop worked for me. I have yet to see a Schaller push pin so maybe one makes the other. I would depend on it with out a doubt. Never go without a back up, but I doubt I will need one.

I wont rate this, but I will say they have answered every e-mail I have sent. It takes a day or tow, but they do come. I have been old this is a family business so it I imagine they do not have the staff of other companies.

I have been playing a couple of years now. I was originally looking for a new Solidac, but the onboard EQ for the acoustic setup on this pulled me in. Plus they had it marked down to only a few dollars more than a Solidac with a flame top. If it were stolen or lost I would cry since I might not be able to afford another right away. I love the acoustic and electric tones. it makes it a great all around Praise and Worship guitar. I can play a whole set on not switch guitars.

Features just like the others listed below.
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I can't imagine more features - maybe a Floyd, but I wouldn't want one anyway.

I use this guitar in two dissimilar settings. It's my main synth guitar for writing and recording and now my main live guitar for just plain, plugging into the Fender Deluxe re-issue. For both purposes it's excellent. I'm actually looking at selling a few guitars as the xtSA covers them so well: Les Paul, Strat and Tele!
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I use the guitar with a Mesa Mark IV which provides great high headroom squeaky cleans through super high gain tones. I also use it with the Deluxe re-issue - straight in with no effects. With the five-way switch it yields up every tone I need. To get super bright, almost stratty tones, I mix in a little bit of the piezos.
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I use the guitar with a VG-88 and a GR-20 and it tracks much better than the hex mag pickup supplied with the GR. (One of the problems with the Roland pickup is that it really is more fitted for Strat radius fingerboards - not the Les Paul I mounted it on.)

Faultless! The only quibble I might point out is that the top is not book matched at all. Intonation was spot on and the action was actually right out of the box.
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I'd like taller, Gibson-style frets and will play the hell out of the guitar so I can justify a fret job sooner.

Seems solid. I have several other Godins that have never had any problems.

I've had a few emails go missing and some received prompt replies. They're kind of hit or miss. I think pretty much in La Patrie, Quebec works for LaSido (the parent company). It's a small town and as a result they're understaffed!

This is a desert island electric - I'm assuming there's electricity...
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Anyway, I've been at the guitar for nearly thirty years: I'm always looking for the "right" guitar. I'm pretty close with this one. Bigger frets and I'd be completely happy.

2005 / Canadian / 22 /Solid body Laminated top
1 Mag vol, 1 mag tone, 1 Synth vol, 1 piezo vol, 3 band eq sliders(piezo)/ 5 way mag selector, synth controls, guitar/both/synth switch.
H/S/H & Piezo(RMC) Mags's are Godin house brands, hybrid active piezo /synth & passive mag's.
Body is shaped similar to a Les Paul, constructed of Maple with Poplar wings, Neck is mahogany, 4 offset bolt config. Godin floating trem, similar to strat.
Unique top locking tuners (godin gears).
Neck 22 fret called an "ergonomic", feels larger than a C not quite a D neck, 16 inch radius make string bending extra smooth with no dead spots like a 12 inch can. mahogany with ebony fingerboard, medium jumbo frets. very nicely padded gig bag with multiple compartments and backpack straps.

jazz, funk, r&b -Christian music!
amps- Roland JC's 2-55, 1-77, 1-120, Peavey Standard & 4x12 cab, GK ML250, combo of any 2 at a time. Roland GR 30 synth
Very quite on most settings (except the piezo acoustic) when set to full blast, if you thump on the body you can hear it clunking loudly in the amp. electronics are solid.
Sounds, (mag pickups) Hums's - from a beefy Les Paul, to a faux strat (not quite but it can do it with a little trickery). Synth, you name it! 1000's of sounds if you can handle it, Piezo on accoustic, with eq settings, from a weak nylon to a jumbo steel string... well close.. Back to making it sound like a strat, using the synth output that can do all three voices simultaneously, blend the neck Hum and the mid single, along with the piezo, high end eq 3/4, mid flat, and low flat. "bing"! get that crisp full body twang with a lower end punch. (sweet!)
likes - finish is very nice, for the price I'd buy another one 'cept I'm broke now... :-b

set up. little high on the action, truss rod adjustment was perfect. pickups were a little low, but I left em as is, I'll get around to adjusting it all sooner or later, basically prefernces could be adjusted to match my other guitars, but it is not bad "as is". bookmatched top, very nice lamination, which is actually my first ever laminated top guitar. no visible flaws. one finishing issue, mag tone knob could be easily pulled off, used a dime to seperate the pot shaft a teenie amount, now snug as a bug. but the way. all knobs are metal cross knurled chrome, nice except without the visible numbers, you have to check vol by ear rather than the quick visual.

very solidly made, you can feel it in the construction, also the resonance of the body allows for extra long sustaining notes. finish is thick, only have had it about a month, should last years and years. strap buttons are Schaller straplok's which can be used with a normal strap, I will buy the strap end soon as an extra safety measure. Gig without a backup? already did it. but.... as with any guitar with a floating trem bridge, I'd recommend against it, if you break a string, the whole thing will be de-tuned. drag having folks watch as you do "repairs" on stage.

N/A however, the web site does say emails dont get responded to in any short order, ?! gee thats comforting. Every link sends you off the rabbit trail to an "authorized dealer", no direct telephone or contact. Back to email... which they up front say might not get a response. soooo.. repair, I doubt it, except through one of their "agents". customer service? "whaaaa??? I dont think so!" Warranty - 1 year, afraid it might take that long to break through their shield!

player since 74' first paying gig 77'. dances, parties, expo's, concerts, studio work, 5 nite a week club gigs. now only play Christian modern to oldies at church, events, or recording.
Equip: Les Paul 77 standard, Kramer Tneck dmz2000, Fender Strat MIJ 84, Fender MIM Roland Ready, Fender Super Strat, Fender custom strat, Brian Moore 88.13, Godin SD, 2 gk2a'currently on super strat and custom strat. (amps) Roland Jazz Chorus amps, 2 jc55, 1 jc77, 1 jc 120, 1 GK ML250II, 1, Peavey standard head, 1 Peavey Musician, 1 Peavey Bass. Roland GR30 synth, Roland rack reverse gate reverb,Alesis rack effects, & oodles of foot pedals I dont use at all.
Again, very solid and smooth feel to playing it. compares like a hybrid of all the guitars I have, the synth pickups "very good tracking" night and day over the gk 2a, or the roland ready, makes synth playing feel like a regular guitar rather than having to drastically change playing action with the synth hex setups. Was going to buy the LGX-SA model, but Joe talked me into a fantastic deal, cheaper, little more versatile, not quite as snazzy looking, but sharp enough! I'm still contemplating the LGX-SA. that is a sweet looking baby! last thought, its kinda heavy. my Brian Moore is so light, you almost forget you have it on, the strats are so-so, this one is weighty. nice balance, but weighty.

Made in Canada.

23 frets. Solid, Laminated top.

One volume control for Electric pickups. One volume control on the acoustic EQ control. 5-way selector switch. One tone control for all three electric pickups. Tone control also is functional for the bridge/lead pickup.

Pickup configuration is: Neck and bridge have super humbuckers. Middle pickup is a single coil. Pickups in the XTSA are manufactured by Godin. Active electronics. The 5 was switch selects neck as #1, neck and mid as #2, single coil middle pickup as #3, Mid single coil plus bridge pickup as #4, and bridge pickup as #5. The guitar also has a built in acoustic pickup. There are two outputs on the guitar. One for electric output. If you plug into this jack you get only the electric portion of the guitar. The second output is called the acoustic output. When you plug into this output you use the acoustic EQ and its volume control. While using the acoutic section you turn down the main electric volume pot. However, if the turn up the electric volume pot it blends in with the acoustic giving a variety of tones. The acoustic quality is excellent. You can obtain a full bass tone or by increasing the high eq you can get a brilliant acoustic string sound.

Body is made of Silver Maple center with popular wings. Fretboard -Ebony. Neck: mahogany.

Finish has a unique, hard glossy finish with a sort of zebra pattern in black and grey mix. Not gauddy - looks very nice.

Body style very much resembles the Fender Stratocaster in design with cutaway to easily play high on the neck.

Bridge style resembles the typical Fender bridge which allows string height and attonation adjustment. This guitar also has the equivalent of a Fender Tremolo.

Tuners are locking type. Brand unknown.

Neck/scale: 25 1/2. Jumbo frets.

Accessories included a gig bag case with two straps and an ajustment tool kit.

This guitar is so unique it fits all my styles. I play all types. Rock, Blues, Country, hard rock and have presently converted primarily to finger styler and a lot of classical selections.

I am presently using a Roland 30 amp cube amp using the clear sound selection.

The guitar is quiet. No noise.

The sound is the best I have ever heard in a guitar. I have an original 1958 Stratocaster a 1962 Gretsch Country Classic, a Gibson and this guitar outperforms all of them. I would classify the sound as full and rich. Extremely well blend of the sounds throughout the guitar. The lead or bridge pickup can produce a good cutting rock sound but not a bright, shallow, or tinny sounding as the Fender.

This guitar seems to have no end to the sounds you can produce. Since it has 3 electric pickups, the mid being a single coil, and an acoustic pickup the choices are many. As mentioned above, the guitar is equipped with an acoustic pickup with a 3 band eualizer with its own volume control. Upon using the acoustic output you can blend in the electric if wanted simply by turning up the electric pot.

I can best describe the electric tone as a mix between a Gibson, Gretsch, and Fender. The neck pickup is full and rich. The lead pickup gives a good strong lead output but not as bright and brittle as the Fender sound. To me this is a much richer, fuller sound with plenty of cut and punch. The guitar/pickup combination has plenty of output but remains quiet. Upon using the single electric tone control I noticed as it adds more base it is subtle. I does not give a muddy tone with full base on the tone. The tone control makes several revolutions so base adjustment can be very fine tuned. The acoustic resemble a true acoustic guitar with the option of changing the tone to almost any acoustic sound you require. No Dislikes.

I had the opportunity to open the guitar out of the original box it was shipped in. Everything was set optimum. everything is well built. No flimsy controls or deficiencies noted.

The action was set to normal playing, about 2/64. I set the action lower right at the store. I set each string to a low action so each string is only 1 millimenter from the neck to the bottom of the string. What amazed me totally is when I played the guitar there was no buzzing of strings at that low action. Further amazement was the fact that no matter what note or chord structure I played through the entire region of the neck, all tones remained true with high quality. The attonation was perfect as tested by an electronic tuner at open string and at fret #12 - second guitar.

By far, the best action on a guitar I have ever experienced. The neck is so smooth and easy to play. Little finger fatigue. I compare the neck action to my 58 strat except I believe this neck outperforms the fender. The jumbo frets also makes for a smooth clear playing. The frets and neck are designed so you don't feel the frets catching your hands from the side, nor a bumpy playing ride as your play over the neck by experiencing high, cutting frets.

The pickups were set optimum. I have not adjusted them or feel they need any further adjustment.

Both bridges were set optimum. The nut bridge was very professionally adjusted to a clearance of 1 to 1.5 millimeters.

Absolutely no flaws at all. Top condition.

The guitar resembles the construction of a Fender Strat. However this guitar is built like a tank. Very dense wood. A lot of sustain in the notes. Excellent hardware used. The finish appears heavy and durable. Strap buttons were attached solid.

I no longer play on live stage but if I did I would for sure purchase another for a backup.

Customer support was excellent. They DO respond to E-mail. IT takes them a little time but they do respond with answers and polite. I requested a lot of information about the pickup construction and specifications and they sent the whole works. construction, winding, resistance specs. etc.

I have been playing since age 18. Lead player for the Reveliers in Northern,MN. Cut several records. We were the backup band for the BeachBoys in 1965. We also have backed up Freddie cannon, Troy Shondel, Johnny Burnette, Ral Donner, and played with Bobbie Vee, the Fendermen, Trashmen, and many others popular in the late 50's and 60's. I own an original Strat 1958 but have replace the pickups for better tone, I just got rid of my Gretsch 1962 Country Gentleman because it was killing my fingers to play. I have an original Fender twin Amp. I susually play through a Roland Cube 30.

I researched the Godin XTSA in detail before I purchased it so I missed nothing in asking about it before bying.

What do I love about it? Everything. To me it is the Holy Grail of guitars. Great tone, variety of tones, fantastic action and neck construction, two guitars built into one. I like the tone because it is not that bright, ringing, tinny, cheap sound. This is rich, full, tasteful. Build like a Fender. Solid, great sustain and tone blend. Great price range. Good customer support. I only wish I heard about the Godin many years prior so I could have used it more. So far there is nothing I dislike about the guitar.

How do I compare it to other guitars? To me it out performs all Fender, Gretsch, and Gibons that I have either owned or played.

Anything else I wish it had? Well - you have to unplug the output chord from the acoustic after playing to preserve the battery. It would be nice if Godin would consider a kill switch. Also charge more and include a hard case for the guitar.

Anything else to share? Probably this guitar will not impress those who just want a loud, biting sounding guitar or the unique Fender Tone. The tones comewhat resmeble a mix or hybrid of a Gibson/Gretsch combination. It has a smoother richer tone that I like. Remember I am now into fingerstyle and require this tone and acoustic sound. However I think it would please anyone who plays a variety of music. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to play this on stage under loud conditions to see how it blends with the rest of the instruments or how it performs under live stage condition.