Norman B18-12

Finish - it's not "gorgeous" but at this price what is?
Body style - dread, 14fret
Solid Cedar top

Made in canada, not sure when.

I love the sound of this guitar. It is really loud when I need it to be and it seems to have great sustain. For the price I paid I cannot believe how good it sounds.

I mostly strum this thing and also play some acoustic blues on it. It sounds really good for both.

Neck is very very straight and the action is low all the way up the neck. No buzzing and really easy to play.

It's a cedar top so it does scratch easily. I already have a couple scratches from my thumbpick that I'm just learning how to use. However I think this is just a cosmetic thing, it won't affect sound. (hell check out Neil Young's new DVD his guitar is VERY worn and sound great.) It feels like it is very solidly built and it does seem to stay in tune fairly well.

haven't tried yet.

I own a Gibson Les Paul which is my main axe for playing with my band. I also have a Simon Patrick Cedar 6 string folk and right now am looking into getting a high end guitar.

I know these guitars made by Godin are well made, as I have seen Mr. Godin himself describe his process and he has signed my Simon Patrick, I have no worry about it.

If it were lost, I would replace it, since the price is SOOOO good for such a great sounding, easy playing guitar. At the price I paid I use it as my "campfire" guitar that I take while travelling and hanging out outside at cottages/campfires and passing around to others (while maybe drinking some beer... just a little bit :) ) It stands up well.

I rate "fantastic value" not because it sounds as great as some $2000 12 strings, but because it is VERY close to as good as those but only cost me $350!

This Guitar I purchased new in Montreal in mid 2004. I already owned a La Patrie Etude Classic which is made in the same place and wanted to take the opportunity while visiting Canada, to play and maybe acquire another Canadian made guitar as they seem to offer very good workmanship and value for money if you stick to the unadorned model. I believe the top of this model is Cherrywood rather than cedar as is often stated. The finish is the 'barely there' matt finish which I think enhances the response compared to gloss heavily sealed finishes. I will accept the occasional ding in return for the better sound. The example I bought comes with a Fishman Classic 4 Pickup.

The sound is rich and warm to the point of being seductive. I play it both with a pick and with fingers. The natural sound records exceedingly well with a natural sounding condensor mike and quite acceptably using the pickup. I compared it with a Takamine which as on special at about the same proce but there was really no contest when it came to sound. Despite the warm even response the guitar comes through very well in a live setting weven when matched with other guitars.

The action is not exceptionally low but not so high as I have been inclined to have it altered. I do tune it down a tone when playing at home or recording just to slacken off the strings a bit and in any case I like the tonality of that pitch but when I tune it up to concert pitch the action does not appear to change so the neck/truss road setting must be pretty stable. The neck is quite wide and deeper than the Takemine but for the sake of the sound I have adapted to it without difficulty and I am not sure that an ultra thin neck on a 12 string is a good thing long term anyway. There is a slight blemish noticeable in the top but this is probably only so because of the light finish and it does not in my view affect either the sound or the durability of the guitar. The Fishman simply works flawlessly with ample gain and no discernable noise either with a DI or an amp

This guitar is less than 2 years old but all the crucial bits seem to be built to last including the tuners. I dont take it out on its own but this is mainly due to the fact that I cant play the entire repetoire on 12 string.
I took the risk of taking it home to Australia on 3 aircraft and the trrip had no adverse impact.

The warranty has expired but I am not concerned. Norman Guitars have not to my knowledge been marketed in Australia but I am sure any local luthier would be happy to work on it if need be.

Bought new in July 2005. This guitar is made by the Godin folks who also make Seagull, Lapatrie, Art & Lutherie and Simon & Patrick in Quebec, Canada. Solid cedar top, laminated cherrywood back and sides, rosewood fretboard and mohagany neck. 14 frets clear and a satin finish. No electronics or case came with it. No name tuners, a painted rosette, a compensated saddle, a tortoise pick guard and a black headstock complete the picture. A basic no frills 12 string guitar. It does look beautiful though if you like a non-gloss appearance. This is a left handed model.

Sound is where this guitar shines above the rest. The cedar top gives it a nice warm and rich sound. 12 strings guitars tend to sound bright and "jingly". This one had a much better bass response then others I tried and the sound was much fuller. It is also quite loud. I play mostly strumming with some picking and it fits my style perfectly.

The action was nice and low right out of the box although I would still like it a bit lower. The store I went to had 2 of these in stock. One was on a rack and the other in the stockroom. The one on the rack had a small gap between the neck and the body and a scratch beside the soundhole. The sound of it just blew me away though.I asked to see the one from the stockroom and could see no flaws on it. The woods were also much nicer on this one. The woods are just beautiful and you can smell the wood. It was perfectly bookmatched and I mean perfectly. The action was a tad higher but this is the one I chose.

I only own this guitar for a month now so time will tell on reliability. The finish is satin and the top cedar both of these make this guitar more fragile. I take good care of it though and am confident it will last a long time. I am worried about the neck because it is a twelve string and it has to support a whole lot more tension. I keep it in standard tuning but may tune it down a tone to lessen the tension on the neck.

Never delt with the company (Godin)but they are well respected. I live in Quebec and they are made here. The guitar has a limited lifetime warranty.

I have been playing for over 25 years and own a Yamaha FG-335II acoustic and a Aria ProII Warrior electric from the early eighties. This is my first 12 string guitar. I read a lot before choosing this guitar. I also tried a few different twelve strings but being left handed, my choices were limited. I tried a few Takamines and Taylors that were twice the price and did not sound as good as the B18. I also tried the Norman B20 but the sound of the B18 blew it away. It was a lot better, much fuller and warmer....to me, the cedar top does the difference. There were also Seagulls and Simon and Patrick models in my price range but I could only order them. This guitar is a fantastic value for the price. The sound is its greatest quality. It was absolutly natural to adjust to the wider neck of a twelve string. Picking does get a bit of getting used to. I reccomend you seek out this guitar and try it

Handmade in La Patrie and Princeville, Quebec, Canada. Top: solid cherrywood. Back and sides: laminated cherrywood. Satin finish. You can smell the wood.

Ideal for country blues picking (e.g. Rev. Gary Davis). That rich 12-string sound rings out just like it should.

This instrument has a wonderful low action the full length of the fingerboard. They say it's handbuilt and it looks that way.

Solidly built but still reasonably light. Only time will tell how durable it is.

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I have been playing since 1962 but this is the first 12-string I've owned. I also have a Yamaha FG-200 and a Gibson L 00. I had never heard of Norman until I entered the store. I tried this instrument against comparable Tanglewood and Crafter models and its up-rated brother (B-20 12). It was far and away the best sounding. It's early days but I am expecting a happy long-term relationship with this instrument. At the price, truly fantastic value.