Norman B20

A standard acoustic, no electrics or frills whatsoever. It has a nice unfinished appearance, with no lacquer as you would expect. Made in Canada from solid spruce top, but with a laminated back and sides. My model did not come with any accessories at all, maybe just my dealer let me down there.

At first this guitar had a great sound, lively and bright without being shrill and having enough bass tones to be well balanced. It was well suited to most styles of play from fingerpicking to heavy strumming. With use however the sound has degraded until after 7 years it is not nice to play, easily beaten by cheaper and newer guitars. The sound now is bassy, but not rich and to get any sparkle or presence from the sound requires frequent string changes. Would have given this a 9 at beginning, but time has taken it's toll.

The setup was great, and has remained so, the wood is great quality, but sensitive to temperature and moisture variations, probably becuse it has a natural finish. The soft wood is also easily dented.

The guitar has been very reliable, but I have been careful with it because of the soft finish.

I have played for 12 years, and would love to say that I would buy another Norman, although I am not sure. Listening to a new Norman in a shop I could be convinced, but memories of how it sounds now may put me off. I compared this to a lot of other guitars in this price range and this sounded better than all of them, I liked the finish but others would be horrified at the thought of it.

Features. Hmmm, well it's basic as some guitars go - but that is not what really matter is it? (more on that later). I believe that these will be future values to collectors - no longer made as 'Norman', this small Quebec luthier company was acquired by the Godin/Seagull conglomerate in the early 2000's...
This is a relatively understated looking, but beautifuly built instrument. Mine is a dreadnought with a matte finish cedar top with laminate cherry back and sides, mahogany neck with 21 frets and a rosewood fret board.
Solid action, sturdy, sealed tuners, nut and saddle are made of Tusq.
Nowadays so many brands are being produced in Asia, making all these guitars with pearl-like inlays and quilted veneer coated plywood tops, that these features shouldn't be used to judge a guitar's worth.
I have installed a B-Band sound board pickup for when I use it on stage.

Now this is where this instrument really shows it's value. I have had SO MANY comments from other guitarists, some of whom had never heard of this guitar maker. I have played over 30 years and a variety of styles and types of music. Is not great tone 90 percent or more of what we search for in a guitar?
This instrument displays lovely clear bass, a prominent mid and nice trebles. Not boomy, yet really projects the sound well,
compare it to the Martin D-16, and has good intonation all the way up the neck.

Action was a bit chunky initially. I understand some instruments had plastic nuts and saddles? - mine has Tusq, a man-made ivory-like material which should show many years of excellent service and enhances the transmitted tone.
As stated earlier, the guitar appears to be very well put together. Now the finish is one "issue" many have described. For me it is a non-issue. I have applied a couple coats of hand-rubbed oil to the cedar top and cherry wood sides/back; just a couple and that's all. I don't want to build up any finish that might disturb the incredible tone of this guitar. If it gets marred or scratched 'Oh well'... this instrument is all about the art and the sound - if down the road I have to get it re-finished then so be it.

Reliability: I can rely on it usually being in tune and always sounding good.
Durability: As stated, the finish is delicate, but the guitar is built well and built to last.

No idea - Godin has a good name, but unsure of support, as I've never dealt with them.

I have quite a number of guitars, electric and acoustic, I love the tone of this guitar...

Bog standard B20, 6 strings, natural finish (looks like bare wood) which feels really nice but dents easily. No pickup, no gig bag, 1 receipt-nothing else

No doubt about the quality of the sound, it definitely rates highly as far as I am concerned. Nice balance to the sound throughout the range without any surprises at either end. When i first got the guitar I was really impressed with it, I had not heard of Norman guitars and for ?250 I thought it had been mislabelled so bought it immediately. Now however, 6 years later, I am less impresswed with it, it is still a nice sound, but no longer as stunning as it once was. I need to restring regularly to keep it sounding bright, but give the strings a while to settle in and lose some tinny edge.

It looked great new, but age and dents acquired through time do show up with the natural finish (no finish). The action is still great, would change the bridge pins though, they get damaged easily changing strings.

It would easily stand up to being played live, I have thought about having mine fitted with a pickup, but with the natural finish and the relative cheapness of decent electro-acoustics I think i can get a better sound out of a different guitar for not a lot more money, and can keep the norman too. It holds its tuning excellently, despite the rather cheap feeling tuners. Durability long term isn't really impressive, the sound has degraded and the body is showing signs of distress, that is without any undue abuse, just normal play.

N/A,

I have been playing for 17 years, and have owned a range of gear, electrics and acoustics and all the accessories. i play strictly acoustic now, it helps concentrate on the technique rather than the effect and fits in better wit family life. I wish I had bought a hard case with this guitar, a gig bag isn't really good enough for something with such a delicate finish. It may have helped preserve the sound quality too.
Overall I can recommend this to most players, whether experienced or not, they are great value for money and will last long enough to let you improve, they are never going to be an investment, but at that price what does it matter. A much better instrument that you normally get for the money.

Made in Canada, this guitar has a solid spruce top with cherrywood back and sides and a satin finish. I purchased mine new around 4 years ago. It is a relatively nice looking guitar, as long as you're not expecting anything too ornate. It has a cream colored binding on the body and I believe the rosette is painted.

Before buying my Norman I tried several (probably between 12-15) other guitars and none of them sounded as good as this guitar. The day I bought it, I compared it side by side with a Matin D-28. The two guitars were comparable. For the money, no guitar can touch Godin's acoustics. That being said, There's no 'magic' to it's sound. I've played Taylors that, from the first note, have had rich, deep sound to them. I would describe this guitar's sound as being more dry and one dimensional.

I purchased my guitar from a shop that does a lot of it's own set up work before the guitars even make it to the floor so I don't know whether the action on mine was from them or the factory. The action is a little high for my taste. The other problem I've found with it, is that is doesn't stay in tune and I'm not hard on it when I play it. I've never had an acoustic go out of tune as easily as this one.

The fit and finish when I purchased it were good.

So far this guitar has held up well. My only complaint is that the delicate satin finish has started to wear and rub off on the back but I knew that would happen when I bought it. Other than that it's been a very solid guitar.

I've been playing guitar for more than 20 years and have owned several acoustics, including Ovation, Tacoma, Guild, Takamine and Gibson. Basically I'm an idiot and over the years sold everything else I had and due to financially hard times was forced to buy a $350.00 guitar. When I compare the B-20 to other guitars that I've owned or played, it comes out being just an average guitar. However, when you look at what I paid for it, it's a great value. It goes head to head with Martin (though I'm not much of a Martin fan) and it's head and shoulders above anything else in it's price range. I liked it enough that I've since purchased a Seagull (another Godin guitar). I would buy another Norman.

It's "Handmade" (a very subjective term) in Quebec in Canada (more specifically, La Patrie, a town which supposedly has a massive history in acoustic-guitar making, and Princeville, which I know nothing about). It has no cutaway, and the dreadnought-style body starts at the 12th fret (so anything higher is a little difficult to reach). It has a solid cedar top (Norman have discontinued that particular model though, for a cedar top you'll have to look towards the ST40), and what I guess are most probably laminated rosewood back and sides. I have no idea what the neck and fingerboard woods are.
The finish, as others have said, is pretty much non-exisitant. But at least it feels and looks like wood, in my opinion a heavily-lacquered guitar just ends up looking cheaper. But it is easy to damage. When I bought it, it did has a few scuffs, and I've added a few myself. This is not the guitar for you if you want it looking pristine.
The saddle is both wonderful and terrible; wonderful because it's compensated beatifully, and the guitar plays very 'in tune', all over the neck. However, the composite material used is kinda weak, and string-sized gouges were there when I bought it, and they've worsened since. Maybe it's becuase I use heavy strings (12s, if you're wondering). Anyway, I'll replace it, when I find something that is composite (I do have issues with having bits of animal on my guitar) and tougher.
The scale seems to be about the same as a taylor big baby (15/16 if you;re wondering), and the guitar as a whole is certainly smaller than a full-sized dreadnought. I love this kind of scale, makes playing chords such as B barre much easier, and your fingers seem to just fly around the neck.
The tuners are good. They seem to stay in tune for an acceptable period of time, and don't require much effort to turn (not so much, though, that it is difficult to tune accurately). It also has a surprisingly ugly pickguard.
That's a pretty exhaustive list. So, on the features front, this guitar has what it needs and not much else. There Onto sound...

Rich, complex and mellow. It is absolutely wonderful for fingerpicking, yet doesn't seem to get muddy or indistinct when strumming loud. Even with a pick. Obviously, a Spruce top will sound a little crisper, and will cut through in a band situation far better. However, this just sounds beautiful in comparison. It is not the most powerful sound in the world though. I'd give it a ten, but I'm not it's a sound for everyone.

The action on this guitar is fine, getting a little too high up from the 9th fret onwards, but then continuing to be at a great height for my fingerpicking style (I rest my pinky on the edge of the soundhole, and hold the rest of my fingers and thumbs in a claw-like position).
I'd like to say this guitar is gorgeous. It just looks so... woody. The real wooden rosette is fairly stunning, and the cream of the binding, and the pegs that come with it mix in lovely. Even the cheap-looking pickguard blends in nicely.
It's a little shabby-looking though. There are glue marks all over the place; at the edges ot the pickgaurd, just inside the sounhole, on the neck, even on the body at places. Also, the dot markers are not even slightly parallel to the neck (they are still in vaugely the correct spaces though).
There is no fret buzz, and the general shabbiness does not seem to be affecting the sound or general playability.

The mixture of soft cedar wood, and a general lack of lacquer (hehe- see what I did there?), means this is not the most durable guitar that mankind ever beheld. Bumps and scratches will be inevitable, and, if you're not careful, more serious damage.
Everything seems built to last. There is one problem with the tuners though; if you carry it around in a soft case, you may encounter a completely differently tuned guitar than the one you put in. The tuners move with too little force.
My strap has never come off, which is more than I can say for most guitars. Oh, and I would never bring this to a gig, due to it's fragility, the fact they don;t make them anymore, and the fact that I'd probably cry if it broke.
Then again, everything else aside from the top is solid, and seems built to last.

Asked them where I could get a replacement saddle (by e-mail), the answer was recieved the next day. Which is kinda what you'd expect. A six, then.

An absolute bargin for the price I got it for. Would've been great for the #350 it originally sold for as well. I love it's sound, and playabilty, and everything about it. I'd try to get an ST40, the closest thing in production, if I lost this, or the SP6 from sister brand Simon and Patrick, which was runner up in when I was chose this guitar.

Canadian made solid spruce top with cherry wood back and sides.
Mine has no laquer whatsoever as i believed it would age better than a laquered model.

I bought this guitar as a learner about 12-15 years ago and as a new guitar i thought it had a bright and pleasing sound.
It was not overly expensive and could be left lying about the house while the kids were still small and didnt worry about it being knocked about.
HOWEVER, as the years have passed, the sound has degraded to a HUGE degree.
To me it now sounds like a cereal box with strings on and i honestly believe that this guitar has "died". Something i have never experienced before.
It has no life to it at all, no harmonic content and absolutely no tone or sustain to speak of.
In short IT SUCKS!!!

No issues.

Built like a tank, it has survived the kids beating it up when they were small and shows very little signs of the wear and tear inflicted on it over the years.
I havent even had to have it refretted.
Obviously built to last. (But why would you want it to?)
Real shame about the degradation of the sound quality as i had hoped it would improve as the years went by.

Never dealt with them.

I have been playing on and off for about 15 years and recently bought a custom built Jimmy Moon acoustic on ebay which really showed the sound of my Norman for what it is.
Deeply disappointed by the way this guitars sound has failed to develop, since every other aspect of its construction, durability etc. has been really quite good considering what i paid for it.
If it was stolen or lost, i would be very wary of buying another of this same model and would probably buy a Yamaha LL or similar.

1994 B20 made in La Patrie & Princeville Quebec, Canada. 21 Frets
No Finish. Great guitar, it replaced my Epiphone acoustic when it was stolen. I went out and tested numerous acoustics, none of which lived up to my standards.

The sound on this guitar has matured quite nicely, I look forward to playing it for another 10 years.
For the price, the sound is pretty much unbeatable.

The action wasn't all that great after purchase. After a pro set-up it sounded much better.
There is no finish, but I happen to like it. The color of it has changed over the years though.

Very dependable and I have used it many times without my backup (1978 Yamaha Eterna).

Never needed support...

I've been playing for 15 years now. I've Got a 1978 Yamaha Eterna, 92' Fender Strat, 89' Samick KR570BK and some Les Paul wannabe.
If it were stolen, like my Epiphone, I'd immediately replace it with the head of the person who stole it from me. I'd hunt him/her down like a dog!!
I love the full, rich sound, the bass when playing in my apartment (Has high ceilings).
Great guitar!!

Norman B20(6) made in Canada. Spruce top, cherry wood used in the back and sides, lacquer finish. The one I bought has a beautiful flamed mahogany neck. It has 21 frets and came with fishman classic4 pickups.

Fantastic! I was looking for a guitar that fell in the price range of about RM2,000 (500 USD). But after playing the Maton?s and Taylor?s; everything that fitted my budget sounded like crap. Then a friend asked me to try out the Normans, and it was amazing.
It definitely doesn?t sound a complete as the Maton Messiah but for RM10,000 less there isn?t a comparison. the pickups look cheap so i was also suprised that it sounded really good plugged in.

Overall it was a job well done. The guitars design was kept simple. Nothing fancy from the shape to the detailing. But I love how they allowed the natural beauty of the wood to be shown off.

No matter what brand of guitar you buy there will be the bad apples. in my case So far this guitar has been a gem. It is reliable and when gigging I don?t carry a spare. Even though it is not a high gloss guitar it still looks like new. I play at least 3 hours a day so the guitar is definitely not under used. However a high gloss guitar would definitely be more hardy.

The dealers in Malaysia were great; they were very helpful and very friendly. The guitar comes with a 1 year warranty but from the look of things I don?t think I will get to use the warranty.

Have been playing for more than 10 years. The best thing about this guitar is the sound. If I had not seen the pricetag i would have guessed that it cost a lot more. Have been using a number of laminated top guitars before this. The next guitar I buy will be a Maton messiah.

Canadian-made dreadnaught, solid spruce top, laminate cherry back and sides, tusq bridge. At this price, I give it 9 for having a solid spruce top. Doesn't have a gloss finish and didn't come with a case.

I give it a ten because of the price. Good bass without being boomy, clear highs, excellent note separation. Doesn't have the same warmth or air as my Larrivee, but then the Larrivee costs *11 times* as much. I routinely use both guitars when I perform. I use it for grittier bluegrass and blues styles until I can afford a Gibson J-45 (another much more expensive guitar) Medium gauge strings really improved the sound.

No complaints, again given the price. Gloss finish would have been nice. It certainly isn't as easy to play as a Taylor.

I've been giging with this guitar for 7+ years. I don't pamper it the way I do my Larrivee and on top of that I'm clumsy. It's still in great shape.

Never had any problems

I've been playing guitar for 12+ years. I own a Larrivee D-09, Fender American Deluxe Telecaster and Mesa/Boogie Nomad Amp, Washburn M-3SW/TS Mandolin, Lapatrie Collection classical guitar and a 200 year old fiddle. When I bought this guitar I walked into the store prepared to spend $1200 or so and ended up getting this. I've played a lot of guitars since then and I haven't seen anything I (personaly) liked better for less than $2000. It's a rugged workhorse guitar with a good sound; I'd replace it in a moment if it were stolen or lost. It will eventually be replaced by a Gibson J-45 for giging purposes, after which it will make an excellent "beater" guitar.

2004 model I think. Made in Canada. 21 frets with a solid spruce top.
Nice neck (Maple I think). I just liked the way it feels, so to me it could be maple or mahogany. Lacquer finish. Nice compensated Tusq saddle. Everything about this guitar is very nice. To me it's an excellent buy for the price. I suggest going to a dealer and trying several of the Norman guitars to find the one that's right for you. They have several models and I noticed they were all very well built and for a solid top guitar that's just a little more than a laminated-top guitar, I consider it money well spent.

Mine is very balanced and the guitar will just sound better with age due to the spruce top. I use 12's on it and it's just right for my ears. Good bottom end and sustain.

The action was a bit high, but my local luthier will just shave the saddle down and it will be great. It's fine for open chords now, but when I want to do some Bles runs it's a little high. But it's an acoustic, not a 1956 Les Paul right? The top and back were pretty well matched and this one was even finsihed better than the one I bought last year. The tuners are fine and hold well. It's obvious the people who built this guitar take pride in their work, or at the very least they have decent quality control in place. I don't know how many times I've walked into a guitar shop and seen guitars just thrown up on the wall and not even set up at all.

I'd never want to use any guitar electric or acoustic without a backup. Anything can happens, and sometimes does. I'd rather be reaching for # 2 than frantically trying to re-string in the middle of a set. It is dependable, but some care has to be taken if one cares about their instrument.

I've never dealt with the factory, but my local dealer has always been top notch in looking after me.

I've never had any problems with an Norman guitars I have owned. That's why I'm a repeat customer.
I've been playing off and on most of my life. Currently in the "on" position :-)
I compared it to Seagull, Art & Lutherie, Washburn, Crafter and Ibanez. They are all fine guitars, but this one just spoke to me with it's sound.
I'd buy another Norman. Next guitar I try from the company may be cedar top, just for a change.