Godin (guitar maker)
Godin Guitars is a Canadian guitar manufacturer that has handcrafted acoustic and electric guitars in Canada and the United States since 1982 .
history
Robert Godin began making his first guitars in La Patrie, Quebec Province in 1982 . Godin is headquartered in Montreal , but the guitars are built in six factories in four different locations. Three of them are in Québec and one in New Hampshire .
Godin Guitars produce different guitar series under different names. Under Norman , named after Jean-Claude Norman's Canadian guitar construction company founded in the late 1960s and taken over by Godin, acoustic guitars of the beginner and middle class are built. Art & Lutherie stands for entry-level folk and western guitars. The Simon & Patrick line stands for western guitars in the higher price segment. Classical guitars are made under La Patrie . Seagull is known for acoustic guitars made from solid wood of the highest quality. Godin himself stands for electric guitars in the middle to higher price segment, the economically most important series is thus sold under his own name. The tonewood comes exclusively from North America, especially from the Northeast. Many models have special synth pickups that work with the piezo effect and have a built-in equalizer . Many of the more expensive guitars also have piezo pickups built into the bridge. In addition to these technical innovations, Godin has made a name for himself among guitarists for high quality guitars. Most guitars have a classic but typical shape that has been described as a mix between a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Telecaster .
The Godin guitars have won a number of awards including the Guitar Player Magazine Editor's Pick for the LG, Exit 22 and the Freeway Classic.
Several guitarists play Godin instruments, including John McLaughlin , Steve Stevens , Rumesh De Mel, Vinnie Moore and Daniel Puente Encina . Godin's guitars are also popular among session musicians.
Products
Performance Series
- Radiator - A unique design with a pickguard that covers the entire body.
- SD - A mix between a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul. This model has a pickguard, a screwed neck and the typical Stratocaster pickup arrangement, but Les Paul's typical humbuckers on the bridge and the longer scale length. The tone is more like a Les Paul, even if the exterior is more reminiscent of a Stratocaster.
- Detour - A heavy rock / metal guitar with a solid-body double cutaway design, a fixed bridge and two humbuckers. The Detour is very playable thanks to the 24.75 inch scale. Because the neck is screwed to the body, which consists of a maple core and two poplar wings, before painting , the guitar has a very high sustain.
- Exit 22 - Similar to the SD, but with a solid bridge and a mahogany body .
- Freeway Series - The newest model in the Performance line. A blues / rock guitar with many technical innovations, such as MIDI, synth pickups and a fixed or Floyd Rose tremolo.
- LG - A mahogany guitar with a fixed bridge. It is available with either a Seymour Duncan P90 or a Godin pickup.
- Solidac / XTSA - Both guitars have the classic electric guitar sound due to the conventional pickups, but also the sound of a semi-resonance guitar due to the piezo pickups . The guitars in this series are technologically advanced, the XTSA has a MIDI output.
- Freeway Bass - The only bass made by Godin. With active electronics and four or five strings .
Signature Series
- LG Signature - Similar to the Performance Series LG, but with a flamed top and Seymour Duncan humbuckers.
- LGXSA / LGXT - Corresponds to the LG Signature, but has piezo and MIDI pickups and a tremolo .
- Montreal - semi-resonance guitar with optional piezo pickups. In contrast to other Godins, which are aimed primarily at rock guitarists, the Montreal is more suitable for jazz and blues guitarists .
- Multiac Jazz - A semi-resonance guitar with a MIDI pickup and a mini humbucker on the bridge. The sound of the two pickups can be combined and opens up completely new possibilities. The guitar is full of technical innovations.
Multiac and A Series
A mix between electric and acoustic guitar. The body is thinner than classic acoustic guitars and they have MIDI pickups. They are equipped with nylon or steel strings. Godin is the only company that offers MIDI pickups as an option.
Glissentar
The Glissentar is a unique Godin design. It has eleven nylon strings and a neck without frets . Similar to a twelve-string guitar, the higher five strings (ADGHE) are available in pairs, sounding the same (not octave), the lower E-string individually. The Glissentar is aimed at guitar players who want to bring non-western influences into their music.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Tony Bacon, Paul Day: The Ultimate Guitar Book. Edited by Nigel Osborne, Dorling Kindersley, London / New York / Stuttgart 1991; Reprint 1993, ISBN 0-86318-640-8 , p. 41.