Norman B20

Amazingly garbage material used for saddle that the strings have completely sinked in after only a few months' use.

Incredibly poor quality tuners that need to be tightened and adjusted every two weeks.

A beautiful no finish on this guitar... that's right, they must have used the stuff in the tub of my woodshop class in grade 7. I especially love how this ridiculous finish keeps the guitar so incredible unprotected to the lightest of bumps.

Actually, really, the only good thing about this guitar is its sound. And believe me, when you first play it instore, you definitely fall in love with the range of frequencies it manages.
So distinct. Don't be fooled. It won't last....

THIS GUITAR AGES SO POORLY!

WEEKS after i got the guitar home, it had intonation problems that basically never went away, they only got worse. I later realized this was due to the worst nut job (no pun intended) i have ever seen.
I mean, the nut was warped, coming unglued, placed crookedly, The bozo that built my norman was seriously drunk.

As i said before, the saddle was horribly cut, and made of the worst material. I think it's weaker than plastic. Anyway, the first time i changed the strings, to my surprise, the saddle FELL OUT. The strings were width-deep in the saddle with only a few months of use.

The frets were seriously destroyed from light use (i mean, i only play folk and alternative) before i owned the guitar for a year.

The E (bass) string buzzes constantly. (a guitar tech told me he couldn't understand why...)

The guitar's intonation problem is totally unexplainable, and absolutely irrepairable. Especially the bass E string, and the B string...

The action actually RAISED with age.

Seriously a joke.

you'll want to take it back after 4 months, only you won't know how...... :\

www.normanguitars.com

You'll see what i'm talking about, there is absolutely no way to contact these people. I sent a letter to some executive at godin guitars, i figure that's as close as i'll get. No response yet...

I've been playing two years, as long as i've had this guitar, and compared to the Yamaha FG443s i've owned for the same amount of time (which is supposed to be a comparable model) makes norman look like a joke.

If i can't get the guitar replaced worth my while... I will seriously not jokingly use it as fire wood, and watch it burn strings and all as i drink and weep.

NEVER BUY THIS GUITAR! EVER!

6 string...
Read other reviews, since it is pretty well covered.
Mine is a left-handed, this is the best feature for me! Also it is done in Quebec, bonjour les francophones. I will be able to get a good turlute!

Super!
This guitar sounds very, very good! I cannot compare to Martin or taylor, because I never could try one left-handed, but what I can say is that I had a 200-300$ Dread 10 years ago, and I really had an aversion for Folk guitar since this time.
I'm a Spanish guitar player.
This guitar just sounds incredible! Surely due to the solid top it has.
It really changed my mind on folk guitars now.
It has a very well balanced sound, the intonation is perfect, it is not too Bright, the Bass are not too boomy, the middle are just fine.
I can play everything with this guitar, blues, jazz, fingerpicking, chords, Brassens, even classical!

The action is perfect! a really easy guitar to play.
I really like the natural aspect of the guitar. It looks like a "macrobiotic" guitar!

It is fine, but as every guitars, you need to take care of it.
If you want to clean this guitar, never use a was or an oil on the top, it will damage the sound.
I have been told to use windows cleaner (but not directly spray it on the guitar)

This is the best guitar you could buy in this price range. <500$
Nothing comes even close of it. Merci mes amis du Quebec!

2003 Norman B20(6) see www.normanguitars.com if you want to see the features/woods/whatever list. Didn't come with a case but I bought a very good one ($75 Canadian) to go with it.

I'm giving it a 10 because this category really isn't a good fit for an acoustic guitar.

Wonderful! WONDERFUL!!! This is a great, great "pick of the litter" guitar. Not only are Norman's very good guitars for the money but this one is, as I just said, the pick of the litter. While at the store I played the whole Norman line while a friend (who is a better acoustic guitarist) listened from across the room (they had about 15 Norman's) and this one stood out from the rest. We liked the sound better than more expensive Norman's and toward the end I started playing it back and fourth with very expensive guitars from other manufacturers and it STILL stood out.

I have already recorded with it (guitar and voice) and it sounds great. I'm still using the stock strings (something I have never done in the past) cus it sounds so great.

I'm normally an electric guitarist and don't normally like acoustics? because they just don't feel comfortable to me. And this one does have that same, less than comfortable, feeling that I get when I play any acoustic guitar. Only this sounds so good that I keep playing.

Set-up was "spot on". While there were no flaws there is a blurry slightly discolored knot in the wood that looks like a flaw just as you look down at the body of the guitar from a playing position. I suspect that it was enough to put off people who wanted a glorious looking wood grain. But I want sound and am glad that they passed it by if they did.

It's only been three weeks but I have seen no warning flags as far as this stuff goes.

Have been playing for over 30 years. I have three electrics and one early 70's Fender acoustic that is now going to be my "beater" guitar. I would rush to replace this guitar but doubt if I could find another this nice. Love's -- It's all about sound and this one is great. My criteria with this purchase was "If I was going to record and had my pick of any instrument this is the one I would select". Hate's -- I don't like the feel of acoustic guitars and nothing is going to fix that. I am not a golden ear connoisseur but I feel that this guitar is the equal of Martin's that are three times it's price. I played a lot of guitars before buying this one. Just about everything that I could lay my hands on at a lot of different stores.

Anything else to share? I wish I could have practiced the guitar during all the time that I spent looking for guitars -- I'd be a much better player!

I bought my B20(6) in 1999. As other people have mentioned already, it's a pretty basic dreadnought. No features. My model was a "factory second". These models are designated by the "F" added to the serial number behind the headstock and the "FS" stamped on the label in the soundhole. Wasn't sure why this model was a factory second...but now I have my supicions.... I'm giving this guitar a 9 just because you don't need all kinds of frills on an acoustic and it's bargain at this price with a solid spruce top.

Great sound. Clear, with plenty of attack. Not exactly "warm", but it does have enough bass. Obviously, putting heavier strings on helps with the low end. I don't think it suits finger pickers too well. It sounds a bit thin when fingerpicking. But with a pick it can be very loud. This guitar projects well while strumming and flat picking.

Action is great especially for an acoustic. The neck is pretty thin and it's easy to move around on. One thing that's great is the intonation. I've never had a problem when using a capo, the intonation is great each time.

This has been a great guitar, however it developped a crack in the top after about 2 years. The crack starts under the bridge near the high E string and follows the grain until the binding. A second crack has also started near the A string and has only made it 1/3 of the way to the binding. At first I blamed the fact that my apartment was really dry (I mean really dry), but then another crack started forming from the soundhole to the fingerboard. This new one is in line with the first one. I don't think that this is the reason why they labelled this one a Factory Second, but I'm beginning to wonder. Despite all this, the guitar still sounds great with no vibrations from the cracks. When the humidity rises, the cracks almost disappear.

Never bothered calling Norman/Godin/Lasido. Bought this at Steve's Music and Montreal, and why would I even try to get service from those clowns?

This guitar is still a great deal. If you decide to get the B20 with the soft finish, make sure you keep an eye on the temperature and humidity around the guitar. I'm looking for a replacement, and I'm still considering a Norman, except this time with a gloss finish!

Its a plain jane acoustic dreadnought, but I guess material could be a feature. The solid top is very, very nice spruce. The rosewood bridge and finger board also appear to be of excellent quality. The tortoise shell pick-guard is very attractive. The cherry laminate back and sides don't look too shabby, but the are laminate. Mahogony neck, nice no-name tuners.

The sound is fairly bright, and louder than most acoustic guitars I've played. The brightness makes it better for fingerpicking than most dreadnoughts, it almost sounds like a grand concert. Strumming sounds good as well, but also a little on the bright side. Sound is a very subjective thing. I have an 18 year old solid top Fender F210 that has a much deeper more dreadnoughty timbre to it. I can't say either is obviously better. I guess it depends on what sound you are trying to produce. The volume on the Norman is impressive. I have to agree with many of the posts. This guitar sounds too good for the price.

This guitar was a second due to a finish flaw on the upper side of the guitar. I knew about it before I bought it, how else would I have gotten it for $200? Other than the flaw, it's perfect, and very pretty. The saddle required some work when I got it. The treble side of the saddle was too thick. The high E was actually higher than the low E. It's compensated for each individual string so it wasn't just a matter of flipping it over. I had to attack each individual string's section of the saddle for the G, B and E and reprofile them. It wasn't difficult, just time consuming. The action is excellent now, very comfortable, no buzzes. The "satin" finish looks like no finish at all, I like it. The whole minimalist look of the instrument is really very nice.

I've only had it 3 months. The initial impression, though is that it feels very solid.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this instrument. It's definitely got great bang for the buck. I was looking to retire my old fender F210LH, which plays fine, but will need a fret job soon from being played so much over the last 18 years. The Norman fresh out of the box is at least equal, but quite different in sound quality, which is pretty good when competing with an 18 year old solid top. This is my every day player for the last 2 months now. I can't say I hate anything about it. I wish I had more to compare it to, so I could give you a better idea. I leaned very heavily on the reviews here at harmony central to chose this guitar. Being a lefty, you don't get much opportunity to sample guitars at shops. What few lefties there are tend to be total crap. I was in Manhattan about 5 years ago and played some very lefty guitars ther, but all of the good ones were an arm and a leg. I owe harmony central and the folks that wrote the preceding reviews a big thank you. This is an excellent guitar.

To me, an acoustic needs only one thing: good tone. THe Norman B20 has a beautiful satin lacquer finish on everything,from the solid Sitka spruce top to the 3-ply cherry back and sides to the Honduras mahogany neck. The woods are gorgeous- the one I have has some figuring on the top which makes it really distinctive looking. While the absence of abalone inlays, neck and head binding, and a high-gloss finish might deter some players, I think that's what makes the Norman B20 so stuning. The tortoise shell pickguard, bound body, rosette design, and unique wood color (cherry) make it what it is. Understated, but elegant is how I would describe the way this guitar looks. However, while the B20 has everything you need, per ce, mine doesn't have any form of transducer onboard. This doesn't bother me though; what bothers me is the artificial, plasticy sound of piezo pickups. :-) I would rather mic the guitar or use a soundhole pickup (which sounds a lot warmer than an under the saddle transducer).

This guitar is about as close as many people (including me) will be able to come to the ideal acoustic sound. The spruce top and hard cherry back and sides combine to make a bright sound (especially with the 80/20 bronze strings I just intalled today), but still with plenty of punchy (not boomy) lows and blossoming mids. The guitar isn't especially loud (my all-plywood Ibanez PF-4 is actually a little louder) but the rich tone more than makes up for it. In regards to versatility, I can't think of a style that the B20 wouldn't work well for.

Every note rings clearly in barre chords all the way up the neck (even the 10th fret G chord on which my Ibanez buzzes like those cars with really loud bass). The finish is satin, but it still seems as durable as a gloss finish. The action is almost perfect. The only problem is some minor buzzing when you hit the low strings really hard (pretty much unavoidable if you don't want to spend over $2000).

The B20 feels really solid, and like I said the finish should last forever. I don't think anything could ever go wrong with it unless I drop it from about 10 feet or something.

I can't really say- I haven't had to deal with them (and I'm sure I never will).

This guitar is pretty much all I will ever need in the way of acoustics. the only reaon I would want another one is if I want something gaudy or a 12-string. It seems to me that now that Samick is making all these guitars with pearl inlays and quilted tops that these features can't be used to judge a guitar's worth at all. Hell, I think some of these Asian guitars look downright cheap. For example I would rather wear clothes that look decent and aren't too flashy. I would not want to wear a cheap fur coat, or purple velvet pants. People like me will buy a Norman, people who wear fur coats and velvet pants can have their $400-trying-to-look-like-$4000-but-really-sound-like-$40 guitars.

Made in Canada. Solid top and laminated sides and back, I believe. Dreadnought style guitar with a set neck. Sealed tuners. Nut and saddle are made of Tusq (immitation bone). No electronics on my guitar.
Can't really complain about the "features" - it has everything a simple acoustic should have.

Nice, rich sound. I haven't played a myriad of acoustics, but this guitar blows away other similar models by far. I think part of it has to do with the finish, which is strong and doesn't impede the wood's vibrations, like other finishes can. ie - I played a Yamaha with very similar features. The Norman made the Yamaha sound like a $30 Stella!!!

The set-up was mediocre, I had it redone. Well, it also didn't help that I had a go at doing it myself, which made it 100 times worse! The wood is beautiful, except for one flaw. I can't complain too much however, since I did buy a factory second - more on that in the "overall rating" section...

Looks well constructed. I don't play in clubs or anything, but the guitar feels very sturdy. If you do plan on playing live, I would suggest a set of replacement tuners (Grovers or something). The stock tuners aren't bad but don't seem to put up with hard playing like a good set of replacements would.

For the price, it's grrreeeaaatttt!!!
Good sound, good construction. Best of all, it's made in Canada.
My guitar is a "Factory Second" - that means that there's a flaw in the finish - but no other defects that would comprimise playability. I got the guitar $50 cheaper just because of this!!! I'm not even quite certain what the flaw is.
Concerning the price: don't be discouraged to pay a bit more that what I've stated. I believe I saved alot because I live relatively near the LaSiDo factory, which I think saved me (and the dealer) a bundle on shipping.
It's a great guitar for the price.

$800.00 WITH HARD SHELL CASE, MODEL-B20 12 STRING, SERIAL# 01215270, 22 FRET NECK SCALE, PURCHASED MAY 2002, MADE IN CANADA. THE TOP IS NON-LACQUERED FINISH, WHICH I FEEL ALLOWS THE GRAIN TO EXUBERATE ITS TRUE NATURAL APPEARANCE. THE MUSIC STORE ADDED A FISHMAN STRAP KNOB, 1/4" BRIDGE PICKUP. MARTIN MARQUIS ACOUSTIC PHOSPHOR, EXTRA LIGHT GAUGE M2600 (12) STRINGS.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE ALWAYS WANTED A 12 STRING GUITAR, BUT I HAVE TRIED VARIOUS MODELS AND HAVE FOUND THEM CUMBERSOME AND HARD TO PLAY. I PLAY MANY DIFFERENT STYLES, ROCK, JAZZ, BLUES, SOME FOLK STYLE AND EVEN MODERN STYLE OF GRUNGE. I USE A PEAVEY 212 SPECIAL AND A 4X12 CABINET FOR EXTRA PUNCH. I USE AN ART SGX2000 GUITAR PROCESSOR. ALTHOUGH THE NATURAL SOUND OF A 12 STRING DOESN'T REQUIRE TO MUCH EFFECT I'LL USE A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF DELAY. THE SOUND IS ABSOLUTELY WARM, FULL AND BRIGHT. WHEN PLAYING THE GUITAR IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ONE WITH THE GUITAR.

THE STRING ACTION IS PERFECT TO THE TOUCH AND ALLOWS FOR LONG PLAYING TIME. I CAN STILL BEND THE STRINGS AND PERFORM HAMMER-ON'S AND PULL OFFS WITH LITTLE EFFORT. SO FAR AS I CAN TELL THERE ARE NO MISALIGNED BRACINGS. THE WOOD IS MAPLE BACK, ASH TOP WITH ROSEWOOD NECK. A FISHMAN PICK UP WAS ADDED TO ENHANCE THE SOUND AMPLIFICATION, PERFECT CHOICE.

DUE TO THE FINISH NOT BEING HIGHLY POLISHED OR LACQUERED I MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO SCRATCH IT. AS FAR AS A GIG, I WILL BE PLAYING THIS GUITAR FOR ALONG TIME IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, IN PARKS, INSIDE & OUTSIDE. I DIDN'T PURCHASE THIS TO SIT IN A CASE OR STAY AT HOME. THE HARDWARE IS NEW BUT SEEMS DURABLE ENOUGHT TO LAST FOR A LONG TIME. IF NOT I'LL LET YOU KNOW FOR SURE. MY CURRENT FENDER ACOUSTIC (1980), WENT WITH ME TO DESERT STORM, HAS A BUZZING NOISE WHILE HOLDING A "F" CHORD, FRET OUT PROBLEMS ON THE 12TH WITH THE 1ST STRING, BUT I STILL PLAY IT (OLD SENTIMENTAL REASONS I GUESS). OLD HABITS ARE HARD TO BREAK. BUT NOW THIS NORMAN 12 STRING WILL BE MY NUMBER ONE!

NO NEED TO USE THEM AT THIS POINT.

BEEN PLAYING SINCE THE AGE OF 9. NOW 42YEARS OLD. I OWN A GIBSON LES PAUL CUSTOM STUDIO GUITAR, FENDER ACOUSTIC GEMINI II, TAMA ROCKSTAR DRUMS 10 PIECE WITH ZILDJIAN CYMBALS, IBANEZ 4 STRING BASS GUITAR, PLUS A STUDIO FULL OF EQUIPMENT...

This guitar was made in 2001 and has a solid Spruce Top with Cherry sides and back. The neck is solid Mahogany and has a dreadnought body. It has very solid action, and the tuners have been remarkable thus far. It keeps in tune for extended periods...very solid.

This guitar sounds beautiful! It has a rich, deep sound that complements my acoustic folk flavored style. I play a lot of old American folk songs, Woody Guthrie, Merle Travis, etc. I compared it to the Martin D-16, which I was considering, and for less than half the cost of the Martin, the sound was very comprable.

The guitar was set up well, although I did have the action tightened a bit to taste. The guitar was well put together...excellent finish. The wood work is simply gorgeous...hand crafted.

Have only had it for a month..so far so good. I would take it on gigs without reservation. The finish, according to several local pros, will last well and actually become more refined as body oil gets absorbed.

Haven't had to contact them...

I have been playing for about 5 years. I also have a beater guitar, a Hohner, that I take on outdoor ventures. I would definitely get another Norman if this were stolen. Truly, this was a bargain.

Plain looking, straight clear lacker that had yellowed with years.
Have added a cheap pick-up with no sound control (1984).

This guitar has been in hell...wasn't really taken good care of.Camping boosing pubs Brasseries etc. But new strings (extra-light gage) bring back its luster. Good sound for folk song, the greatest for fiddle accomp. It really has a heart.

One of the string tuner, it became loose after 2 years.
The bridge split up 5 years ago. Changed it myself, and it didn't make any difference to the sound.

It surely is good...if you take good care of it. Even though the things old and a little rattlelish, It's following me at every gig. No backup necessary with this guitar. (Played in a college course this morning and was great. Kids were impress)

That's a problem, I find. Even though any luthier can make the reperations that someone needs, fact is it would be nice to be able to get info or else from the factory...the maker.

I've been playing for little over 30 yrs and I know one thing. You just can't go wrong with any of the Norman Guitars. Because you get your moneyworth out of them guitars. Comparing any guitars is something I find tough because it depends on taste and budget and more of each and every individual.