Inside: Godin Guitars

INSIDE: GODIN GUITARS

Building a modern tradition.

Godin Guitars was founded by Robert Godin on the principles of impeccable craftsmanship, exceptional play-ability, and modern design. Now with sons Simon and Patrick at the helm, the Canadian, family-owned company is one of the largest guitar manufacturers in North America, but quality construction remains a hallmark of the brand, offering guitars that are thoroughly North American, made from North American wood and carved, assembled, and inspected by hand at Godin’s facilities in Quebec and New Hampshire.

From hand staining to individually cut to fit by serial necks the attention to detail exists on a scale that would make anyone feel sure their guitar was made to perform and play as it exists from start to finish. As a result of keeping all the necks made per guitar they are also all individually measured, set, & adjusted as well—perfecting the fit, every time.

HAND MADE - EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT

The first CNC Machine to grace the floor of the Godin factory. Hand built by Robert Godin, it remains a staple of the making process, despite being all machine you could consider it a part of the Godin family without too much of a stretch!

The facilities are managed and operated by about 80% women, from inlaying fret dots to neck quality control and hand-sanding for hand-staining (with neck radius cutting done on a one-of-a-kind radius cutting machine pictured here) women are empowered and love working in the Godin facilities. Robert knows all of his employees and fosters an amazing sense of family within the company, as he does work with his blood relatives as well!

Robert visits the 5 facilities regularly and knows all of the 1300 employees. Being involved at this level allows himself and his employees the freedoms and camaraderie to be part of a singular mission, making Godin guitars and making them well. As an example of this standard of quality: 52% of the wood acquired is not usable, these guitars are built to be the best they can. Sub-par parts and materials are just not a part of the equation.

Godin Multiac Encore Burnt Umber Acoustic Guitars / Built-in Electronics

Godin Multiac Encore Burnt Umber

£983.00

From Godin:

The Multiac Encore Burnt Umber model is equipped with custom electronics by EPM. This easy-to-use Blendable Dual Source System features an undersaddle transducer as well as an acoustic soundboard transducer, with the ability to blend one with the other. This is the ideal guitar for players looking for a an incredible amplified nylon-string sound and feel in a live and loud band setting with virtually no feedback.

The Multiac Encore nylon string, also features a 25 ½” scale and a comfortable nut width, making it easy for electric steel-string players to transition to nylon strings. This model features a chambered silver leaf maple body with a solid cedar top, as well as a dual source preamp with volume, treble, mid, bass, and blend control sliders.

Body: Two-Chambered Silver Leaf Maple
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale Length: 25.5" (647.7 mm)
Nut Width: 1.9" (48.26 mm)
Color: Burnt Umber
Finish: Semi Gloss
Case: Gig Bag
Series: Multiac
Top: Solid Cedar Top
Fingerboard Radius: 16" (406.4 mm)
Nut Type: Graphtech
Frets: 22
Machine Head Ratio: 16:1
Bridge and Tailpiece: Rosewood
Bridge Eletronics: 2 body sensors, Custom Godin Dual Source System, Undersaddle bridge
Controls: On-Board Preamp
String Guages: .0285 .0327 .0410 .030 .036 .044

View details

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MATERIAL

Each top is cut to thickness based on the tensile strength of the individual wood itself. This has everything to do with density, grain, age, and any number of details with each piece of wood received and processed. Treating these pieces of wood lends to such a better quality instrument as the tone is basically trained out of the material itself, like people, each tree is an individual and produces slightly different characters of wood.

GODIN IS HERE TO STAY

Between Robert Godin and his relatives they have built an empire of a family in the guitar building community of North America. The various people, brands, and facilities of Godin do what many builders dream of: make quality instruments with your friends and family while having a great time with your coworkers doing it.

Curious about other Godin brands? Here is what's up with their extended family of great guitar lines:

Simon & Patrick Guitars-
Simon & Patrick Guitars are the product of generations of the luthiery trade in LaPatrie, Quebec. A collective passion, this deeply rooted tradition is a cornerstone in the small village’s modern heritage, so it should come as no surprise that the guitars produced at the LaPatrie facility are some of the finest in North America, hand-crafted with “Select Pressure Tested Solid Tops” for extraordinary stiffness, rigidity, and maximum harmonic vibration. The results are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also tonally sublime.

Norman Guitars-
Luthiery in LaPatrie, Quebec, in some ways, is older than the town itself. Settled in 1875, LaPatrie is a town known for building guitars, and it happens to be where Norman builds theirs. Norman began crafting guitars in the early ‘70s, and many employees in their LaPatrie facility can trace their ancestry back to the small village’s original founders. For nearly 50 years, LaPatrie’s luthiers have been hand-crafting guitars from wood well over 600 years old and passing that knowledge down to the next generation. Norman continues the tradition, supplementing old-world know-how with one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the industry to produce guitars that not only stand the test of time, they transcend it.

Art & Lutherie Guitars-
Evoking the inexpensive but well-made catalog guitars popular in the American South in the early 20th century, Art & Lutherie Guitars uses responsibly sourced, reclaimed Canadian timber to handcraft soulful, historically inspired instruments in their Princeville, Quebec facility.

La Patrie Guitars-
To much of Canada, the small village of La Patrie is synonymous with the acoustic guitar. It has been home to some of North America’s most gifted luthiers for the better part of 50 years, many of whom work at the world-class facility bearing its name, each day handcrafting classical nylon string acoustic guitars with such skill, attention to detail, and meticulous care that only such a name is fit to express their pride and passion: La Patrie.

TRIC-
Manufactured by Godin Guitars in Canada, TRIC offers durable, lightweight, and impact-resist instrument cases built to withstand extreme heat, cold or moisture.