Norman ST68

Iv'e had my Norman ST68 dreadnaught since about 1991. Previous to that I had, and still have a Norman Cherrywood solid top acoustic that I bought in about 1975. That was my first acoustic guitar as I liked the sound, the appearance, the way it played and the fact that it was a Canadian made guitar. When I started to play more in both jamming and in band situations, I wanted something with a bit more volume and tone and this guitar was perfect. In all of my travels, I have played with hundreds of musicians, that used and swore by their Martin's, Taylors, Santa Cruise, and many other high priced and exotic accoustics, and I even had the opportunity to play many of them. The thought of buying one those has never crossed my mind.

When I first saw the ST68, it was love at first site, it was everything I wanted in a accoustic, at what I felt was a very decent price for the quality and playability of the instrument. Wherever I go people ask, " what is that guitar you are playing, it sounds great". I am always delighted to say that it is a Norman and that it is Canadian made. I am into Bluegrass and Folk/Country music for the past 15 years, and it is nice to play a quality instrument that isn't a Martin etc.

I was using Martin Phosphur Bronze medium strings, but lately have been using Elixar Nanoweb mediums, and they seem to have more life over a longer period of time. The only set up I did was have the action lowered a bit, and the saddle altered a bit to bring the intonation on the B string into line over the whole neck. The saddle was also shaved a bit to bring all of the strings into a balanced volume with the under saddle pickup, when it is plugged in ( a Fishman pickup with an external belt clipped equalizer). I also changed the pegs from the plastic ones that came with the gutiar, to one's made of actual animal bone, I believe these are camel. I do believe that this helped to just fine tune an already great sound into something even a bit better. I think they transmit sound better.

I highly recommend this guitar for more reasons than there is space to write. I definitely recommend that anyone buying an accoustic at least give a home grown quality product a test paly.

Other reviews will give you the construction details. I bought a cutaway version with a fishman pro series pickup about a year ago, haven't looked into when it was made, but probably 2006 or later. It has plastic tuning knobs, and it came with the Tric guitar case that is the car-bumper foam. I think it looks pretty cool by not having too many ridiculous frills. Just a simple sound hole pattern of stars and maple leafs. I think the very light/blonde front contrasts nicely with the sides and back (rosewood?).
The case is an awesome one that is extremely light and probably the best for thermal or mechanical shock. A music store owner told me a story about a girl leaving her guitar in his sons trunk in the heat of summer (35C or 95F and humid), and when he noticed it next day he figured it would be destroyed....but it was still in tune!!

This is my first steel string acoustic. I've played a nylon string classical (Yamaha CG170S) for about 17 years and wanted something with some more grunt for rock/southern rock/blues/country types of music. I read quite a few reviews on different guitars, and was prepared to spend up to $3000ish to get what I wanted. Seeing as I waited this long why not get the absolute best for me?
I bought this guitar with one aspect in mind....Sound! I tried out about 5 guitars that were comparable....but they didn't compare. The strings on the floor model were also very old and dead and it still sounded better. I've tried a few different strings, and the latest are D'Addario EJ16 which are my favorite sound so far.
The sound is very crispy with lots of base...overall I'd say a gritty bright sound that could be considered as somewhat "angry". I absolutely love it....quite a contrast to my smooth/mellow classical. This is exactly what I was looking for.

At first the action was ok, but after a few months of playing it moved quite high and intonation was off. The guitar came with a free setup, so I expressed my concerns and the dealer adjusted. They lowered the action considerably and put on light strings, and it was much much better. Hard playing would induce buzz, which is always the price for very low action and light strings. Over the winter, the adjustment changed so the action was extremely way too low and it buzzed like a hornets nest. I did some adjustment on the truss rod and it improved immensely, but I decided I should take it in and get it done professionally. I just recently took it in to a nearby guitar store in Wingham Ontario (Ernie King music....thanks Dave!) where the owner put in a new bridge that wasn't so low, did some minor truss adjustments, and best of all I watched and learned how this is all done. The new setting is a compromise between low action/buzzing and high-action/no-buzzing. I also put on the EJ16 strings and I'm extremely happy with the sound and how it plays. I'm giving this category a 7 because of all the adjusting, but I may be to blame since I have my music stuff in a separate building that I don't keep as warm (60F)when I'm not using it, and there's no humidity control. When I go from the "hut" to the house the temp difference may have caused the change. From now on it stays in the house.

This guitar is quite heavy and feels very sturdy. Everything seems very tight and well constructed. I???ve only had it one year now, so I can???t really testify to its longevity...but based on initial assessment I think this will last a long long time.

I emailed a few questions about the pickup and some of the adjustments, I was making and they were quick to get back to me, with pretty good detail in the response.

I've been playing since 12 years old, which is 20 years now. First guitar was some cheap electric, then a cheap classical, then a Kramer electric which I still use today, and a Yamaha CG170S classical that I still use today. I've played some other guitars of friends, and this ST-68 is the best sounding I've heard yet. A friend of mine bought a brand new Taylor (forget which model) and I really enjoyed the playability of it, but it didn't have as powerful sound as the Norman.
I wish I had asked if there is some way to get this in a wider neck with larger string spacing. After decades of playing a classical I'm more used to spaced out strings...plus I have fairly fat fingers so I find some chords and picking a little crowded on the ST-68. Nothing I can't get used to though. If this were lost I would definitely replace it with the same.

solid spruce top, with solid indian rosewood back, laminate indian rosewood sides, and solid mahogany neck. gold tuners (i'm not really a brass/gold person, so i'll probably get a set of chrome ones) that stays in tune very well. basically a very standard dreadnought. one thing that is worth mentioning is that Godins acoustics are all handcrafted, so when it comes to the neck, every guitar IS different. if you can, try a bunch of the same models and pick the one you like best. no electronics...

i guess my style is alt-folk-rockish...this guitar tend to lean on the bright side of the acoustic spectrum, so i use it on my loud songs... i also have a seagull s6 (cedar top, a darker sound) that i tune differently, and gives my songs some variations. one thing that is worth mentioning is that solid spruce top acoustics take alot longer to break in than cedar top acoustic...if you play everyday, you won't really unlock the guitars potential till about 2-3 months into it. that's if you buy a new one of course. anyways, i love the sound. there's just something special about a solid spruce top with rosewood back and sides.

no complaints. L&M has a free setup when you purchase anything from there, so i'll probably bring it in one of these days.

i've played many open mics and coffee houses with this guitar, and it has never let me down. i have a dean markley soundhole pickup and when plugged in, this guitar just sings! alot of my songs are quite loud, and i can strum the crap out of it with no buzz. i look forward to many years with her.

never tried to get in touch with them.

for 600 bucks, you simply can not find a rosewood back and sides guitar. love the Godin philosophy, and i kinda like the fact that not alot of people out side of canada knows about Godin. makes me feel special haha. a really bang for the buck.

Norman ST68. Made in Canada in early 2005. 21 frets. Dreadnought. Natural Finish. Solid Spruce top, Solid Indian Rosewood back, Laminated Rosewood sides. NO Electronics.

Norman is known as "Canada's Guitar". I've heard many refer to them as the "Martins of Canada".

According to their brochure Norman's solid tops are "made from a very select grade of spruce or cedar harvested from trees more than 600 years old." Also according to the brochure, many expensive guitars are smothered with thick polyester finishes which "negates all the potential benefits of a solid top instrument." This is why they use a special LACQUER FINISH that encourages maximum vibration which leads to excellent sound. This Lacquer finish also allows quitars to age like violens do, just at a much faster pace!

The neck has a satin finish, but the body of this guitar also has a high gloss finish that is "comprised of EIGHT coats of lacquer which is buffed down to the equivelent of about six coats-a process that takes eight days to complete." And it is BEAUTIFUL!

This guitar also features one strap pin, pearloid tuning pegs, gold tuners, trimmed glossy headstock, beautiful maple binding, a wood rossette with Canadian maple leaves, double action truss rod, custom Tusq nut, and a limited lifetime warranty.

The Norman ST68 also came with a TRIC case made of polypropylene(the material used in bumper cores and dashboards. Weighs 2 1/2 LBS! It's provides excellent resistance against extreme weather!

UGLY as all hell, but it's a FANTASTIC thing to have especially when traveling!

SOUND SOUND SOUND...It's the reason I bought this beauty! I'm personally a much bigger fan of the sound that Cedar Top/Mahogany Back and Side guitars give, but I really do love the sound of the Norman ST68! The bass especially!

Not a big fan of the Godin strings, I slapped on a set of CURT MANGAN Phosphor Bronze 12's and this guitar came to life!!

I play a lot of Folk and Blues stuff so I always need a guitar that could take a lot of strumming, and ALSO it needs to sound great with finger picking...and it does, plane and simple. And, it even sounds great when you use the PALM MUTING technique! gives that great bassy thud you can feel through the guitar...

This guitar is great if you're looking for that versitile guitar that can handle heavy strumming and some fingerpicking thrown in the mix...

The action a little too low for my liking, but then again, all my dreadnoughts come too low. I like SUPER high action on my dreadnoughts!

I wish they still made the ST68 with an Ebony fretboard. The rosewood fret board was a little dry when I bought it, but I just put some lemon oil on it when I changed the strings and I hasn't looked "thirsty" since.

Godin makes QUALITY guitars, I haven't come across a single one of their acoustics that wasn't in great shape!

The finish was flawless! I'm not a fan of all those colored, loud guitars with a lot of fancy stuff-always thought it made them look cheap as heck! Natural Finish is so much more beautiful. The only thing I wished I could have changed was those damn gold tuners! UGGGHH! But they are SLOWLY growing on me...

This thing is going to outlive me!

I've played live with it several times, and I always get compliments, "Wow, what kind of guitar is that", "Where can I get a guitar like that", "That thing sounds great!"

The only guitars I have come across that are sturdier than these are Collings D-1 ($3000+ guitar!)

Godin is great when it comes to customer service! I wrote them a letter asking about the specs about this guitar and some random questions about their guitars in general and with in a few weeks I got a HAND WRITTEN letter back answering ALL my questions VERY THOROUGHLY! I was expecting some standard typed, unpersonal response with only one or two of my questions answered.

I got my action fixed at the shop I purchased it from...great people there too!

I've been playing for a few years mostly for fun, but I will more than occassionally play live with some singer-songwriter friends who need a guitarist to come up with some music for them.

Like I stated before, I am personally a much bigger fan of Cedar/Mahogany guiars so if this guitar got stolen I would not RUSH to buy it again only because I have others I love to play, and other guitars I'm looking to get....but if I had the extra money down the road I would definitely pick up another one!

I think the best thing I can say about this guitar is:

I was doing a live show at a local cafe with a female vocalist who played a bit of guitar. She brought her $3,000 Martin and there I was with my $800 Norman. We played a great show and after I started to joke with her about why she would spend that much money on a Martin (Collings maybe, but a MARTIN!?!) when mine sounded just as good! of course she looked at me and said, "THIS is a MARTIN!" I called some young boys over and played a song on her Martin then played the same song on my guitar, and then I asked the boys which guitar sounded better...with out missing a beat they all pointed at my Norman!

Mine was made in 2001. After emailing "Godin" with the serial number they told me the year it was manufactered. Made in Quebec, Canada. My ST-68 came with a pick-up and I have not attempted to find out if it's standard or not and what kind it is. From the reviews below, looks like it's not factory standard so it might be worth looking into. There might be a Fishman in there. But bottom line is it sounds good and works.

This guitar would suit anybody's music style. The sound that comes out of this guitar is a rich warm sound. I would give it 10 for sound but I still like the sound of that $3000 Larrivee or Martin. But exactly that.... $3000.

I brought a guy that knows guitar with me when I bought it and he said that the neck add been taken off and sanded for playability??? I immediately replaced the strings and noticed that probably medium gauge or something was on because the new strings(light) created a buzz(fret). I didn't even 1/4 turn the tension rod and voila, no more buzz. So as far as action goes, it plays nicely. You don't get sore fingers from playing even if you don't play too often. So that to me is a comfortable action. As far as the finish, well I bought it at a second hand store. Very Good condition considering.

I play drums in a band and actually can't wait for the guys to consider doing some acoustic stuff(stand up bass, a couple of acoustic and a mandolin vs the regular twin electric, elec bass and drums). If ever we do, I'll have a blast playing this beauty on stage. The tune key, strap buttons, finish of guitar etc etc are all of great quality and very reliable. No back-up guitar required here.

Emailed the company when I bought it just to find out the year it was manufactered. Quickly got a response. Don't know the warranty period but it doesn't have any warranty anymore for sure.

Been playing for 12 years or so. I own a set of Mahogany Tama Rockstar Custom/Sabian AA El Sabor collection. A cheap Yamaha electric with a Fender Sidekick 25 amplifier. This situation was a buy now ask questions later, hahaha. I would certainly buy again if stolen/lost but I hope not. I love that I got lucky for once in my life and landed this top notch guitar for pocket change. If I would have to shop for a new guitar. This model would "EASILY" compare to $1500-$2000 price range but is close to half the price.

I owned my St-68 since 1993. This guitar was hand made in Princeville, Quebec, Canada. Just have to read the previous comments for the features.

The only guitar I heard with that rich sound, heavy and loud, but clear as crystal. It really sound like at least twice the price I paid for it. In the 80's I had a Fender F-95 that was superb, but not even like my Norman ST-68. Tou have to ear it to understand, believe me.

With an ajustement every 2 or 3 years, It still perfect.
The only particularity is that since I bought it, the face "yellowed"...I have to say it's never in a case but on a stand always ready to play...It might be the age that start to show..

The way I treated since 12 years, I have to say it's a AA+...
I'm not to delicate with my instrument...and It never let me down.

I used it once for an info...They were helpfull and tried a lot to answer my questions, wich they did correctly.

I'm playing guitar for almost 40 years...I still doin gig with a band, playing Beatles and hard rock from the 70's till present.. of course not with my Norman, but it's always there for a few "unplugged" songs in the evening...My partner plays with a Gretch accoustic (at least twice the price of my ST-68) for those songs...and mine sounds better....he says..so what can we say more...

Bought used, but it was in perfect condition. The originial owner had played quite a few gigs with it. It included a case, however, I'm not quite sure whether that is standard with new ones. All in all, it looks like a standard acoustic. All the materials are top notch; this guitar was put together very well. I'm not sure about the year it was made, but this one is probably about 10 years old. The tuners are not locking, but the guitar stays in tune very well considering the amount of bending of the strings I do.

I can't say enough about this guitar. I usually play jazz, blues, and just generally anything I like the sound of (Ozzy Osbourne to Collective Soul). The sound is just amazing. I've had people come up to me and tell me that it is the most beautiful sounding guitar they've ever heard, if that says anything(I don't play live, just people who visit the house, etc.). I haven't played a ton of guitars, but of the guitars I've heard, and played, this one is the best, the sound is very rich, and very full.

When I got the guitar, the action was very nice. I've played guitars that were easier to play, but most of them were in the 2000 to 3000 dollar price range. It's very comfortable to play, the guitar is put together very well.

The previous owner, as I said, played live with this quite a few times, and when it was bought, it was in perfect condition. It has been played nearly 2 hours every day for the last 2 years or so, and it still looks and sounds exactly like it did when it was bought. I take quite good care of it, however, yet it has still been dropped, been bumped, and nearly tread upon several times. I rarely use the strap, so it doesn't go under much stress. It seems very solid though, the strap has never fallen off.
If I were to gig with this guitar, I would without a doubt be able to gig without a backup, I could depend on this guitar for just about any wild performance.

I have never had to deal with them. When it was bought, the warranty was expired.

I haven't been playing for an incredibly long time, yet my father, who bought this guitar has been playing over 30 years. Both of us agree that the guitar is remarkable. A pickup was installed underneath the bridge, and it sounds very good when played through an amp. If it were stolen, I would probably cry my eyes out, but I would without a doubt by another of the same line. The price paid for it was an incredible deal, but just about anything under 2000 is fair, in my opinion.

I bought my Norman ST68 brand new in 1994. It was made in the same year by LaSiDo in Quebec, Canada. This guitar is their top of range model. It is a solid spruce top (trees aged 600 years) dreadnought guitar based on the Martin D-28 model. Rosewood laminated sides and solid rosewood back, mahogany neck and ebony fingeboard. Solid square mahogany headstock Martin style. Wild cherry color for the back and sides, natural for the top. Gloss finish. Gold plated non-locking tuners (Schaller I think) with pearl 'mushroom' buttons. 14 open frets. Standard round sound hole with leaves in the rosette. Black pick-guard. 'Fort' cases were not existing in those days so I bought a regular rigid black case to carry it.
There were no strap button nor electronics on it but I installed a Fishman transducer and the strap button some weeks later. I also made the Micarta saddle replaced by a bone saddle.

This guitar looks like a $2,500 one!

Like everybody, I was immediately impressed by the sound of this guitar. Rich and powerful, type of sound you may have on guitars costing 2 and 3 times more than this one (if you're lucky). Great clean basses and exceptionals mid and trebles. The bone saddle gives it even more 'deep' sound than the original Micarta saddle. Its sound can be as loud as you want or as gentle as your girlfriend likes. I play mostly folk and rock songs with and without a pick and it does the job in every situation. Play it as it need to be played and this baby will always follow you (and it stays in tune).
It has in my opinion a far more natural sound than the Asian guitars (including Takamine).
The Fishman transducer does a great job, it gives even more wealth to the sound.
I used it for years with D'Addario phospor/bronze strings but I use it now with Elixir Polyweb strings, wich have an even more brilliant sound and a much longer life.

Finition is superb and the guitar is robust. I play it for 7 years and it still looks like a new one (no jokes). Action was initially quite easy but I made it adjusted to my hand a couple of months after I bought it.

I play with it almost every day. I carry it almost every week and I often play gigs indoors and outdors. I own 3 other guitars (Ibanez, Cort and Martin). I also played on a lot of other guitars (Gibson, Takamine, Seagull...). The ST68 is still the guitar I rely on as my favorite guitar. It seems that it will stand forever. I make it adjusted every year of course and it's ready for another year. I often carry the guitar in heavy freezing wheater and there is absolutely no degradation in the finish or the structure of the instrument. You only have to make it return to the room temperature in its case.

I never had to deal directly with the company.

I play guitar since 30 years (thanks Dad!). I also have a $800 Ibanez, a $800 Cort and a $1,600 Martin. The guys I play with owns BC Rico and Takamine guitars of about the same price as my Martin. The Norman ST68 stays on the road, is less fragile and can superbly stand the competition, including the Martin (wich is more fragile and sounds less powerfull). Other musicians are always impressed by the sound and most of the time want to play it a bit.
I will probably buy the same guitar in its cutaway version one of those days.
By the way, Norman is now on the Web.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Purchased my Norman st-68 at Nantel Music Store in Laval,Quebec.
Great guitar and looks,also can't beat the price,compares very easly to Martins twice the price.Comes with the fort new case,the carry case itself is something special also,lightweight,and bombproof,and also waterproof!This is my third guitar and by far the best and last guitar I will buy. And to top it off it's canadian made with nothing but the best woods.

I was looking for a guitar with a crisp bright sound,like the Norman b-50,so I installed d'addario 80/20 brass strings,and I got the sound I was looking for,plus a little extra rich warm sound!WOW great sound!

Super finish,high gloss coating and beautiful guitar with perfect workmanship all over.Action was a tadd too high for my own preferrence but what the heck!

Solid looking guitar,yet feels light and sturdy,should last a life time,especially with all the care I'm giving it,controling the humidity and temperature factor in my house.

No complaints with the normanst-68,but had some problems with the norman b-50 that I purchased before this one,the neck was crooked,and the salesman replaced it.

Started playing two months ago,and I'm glad that I'm the proud owner of this beautiful guitar,top of the line avaiable from Norman Guitars.