A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

Been looking for a nice multi-voice guitar to add to the stable...I've tried a few of the less pricey Godin models and knew that they made some really great stuff, so I put them on my shortlist for this hunt. After a failed Brian Moore iGuitar purchase (described as "like new" but more like "fair"), and a failed Godin Solidac purchase (shipped in an untaped single layer of bubble wrap loose in the box and without removing the trem bar so the whole bridge broke off lol)...we finally have an epic success story with this beautiful Godin XTSA!

This one is a 2008 model so it has the older and much better RMC piezo, and it's in absolutely perfect shape (minus needing a little fretboard cleaning). The first thing I checked was the piezo because that's the reason I bought it, and it didn't work. Said a little prayer to the guitar gods that it was the 9 volt, and thankfully it was...it apparently expired in 2011 . Popped a new battery in and holy COW does this thing sound incredible!

The Godin stock pickups are incredibly impressive, I had dreaded the idea of not liking them because I have to imagine replacing them with a different set given that this guitar also has the piezo and the 13 pin synth access would be a challenge, but they sound terrific and no worse than the many "boutique" sets I have in other guitars so they will definitely be staying. The piezo though is really the star of the show...I have never experienced a better sounding piezo on a guitar (including my $3600 EB Petrucci BFR that I owned many years ago). Warm, rich, and the onboard EQ sliders really let you shape the sound significantly. Neck profile is fantastic as well, and the tuning stability is excellent. I haven't checked out the synth access yet because I don't have anything to do that with, but I'll likely borrow my friends Roland just to make sure everything is functional.

This is my first experience with an "expensive" Godin, these are nearly $2,300 or so new after tax. Got it for $700 shipped with the original gig bag, so pretty pleased with the deal!

Onto the pics, and I'll do some audio clips a little later:

Sweet! Congrats and enjoy, great deal too.
I have only heard good things about Godin guitars.

Nice! I've actually seen these Godins for even less and overlooked them. LOL. Perhaps I need to keep better track of what Godins are high end so when I see good deals on them I don't pass them up.

golem wrote: ↑Fri Jun 02, 2023 9:14 am Nice! I've actually seen these Godins for even less and overlooked them. LOL. Perhaps I need to keep better track of what Godins are high end so when I see good deals on them I don't pass them up.

There are basically two different eras for these models, the older ones like this one tend to sell for more than newer ones because they made some cost cutting changes to the new ones (swapping the pricier custom RMC electronics for a cheaper LR Baggs, richlite fretboard instead of ebony, etc). The acoustic tones on these older ones are significantly better than the newer ones, and I think I've seen some folks say the synth access is better with the RMC as well. I don't think I've ever seen one from this era sell for less than what I paid for this one here...most recent Reverb sale from a month ago was about $875 shipped which is typically where they sit.

But yep, they are very worth looking out for...I think Godin is probably the most underrated guitar company of all time. What you get for your money, especially on the used market, is pretty remarkable.

Congrats! HGGD! - extra points for guessing what the other G stands for -.

Very nice guitar, I love it, and yes, Godin is a good name.

Looking forward to yopur sound clips!

Happy NGD. I have owned a couple Godin guitars and they make quality stuff.

tonebender wrote: ↑Fri Jun 02, 2023 11:56 am Happy NGD. I have owned a couple Godin guitars and they make quality stuff.

Thank you! Really enjoying this one, pretty crazy how loud and resonant it is unplugged. The piezo is really to die for, I have never heard a better sounding piezo on a guitar.

sabasgr68 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:48 am Congrats! HGGD! - extra points for guessing what the other G stands for -.

Very nice guitar, I love it, and yes, Godin is a good name.

Looking forward to yopur sound clips!

Thanks man! Should be doing some this weekend, both with my 76 Hiwatt and my Fishman Loudbox acoustic amp. The piezo is really the star of the show here, I'd be surprised if I spent much time with my real acoustics anymore after this