Scotty Johnson here.
The Godin guitar that I am presently using plays and sounds awesome!
The quality of the instrument is excellent. I am presently using it
in the pit for a production of " Fame, The Musical" The double
coil pickup gives a nice mid punch while maintaining clarity. Very Nice!
I
am using the nylon-stringed Multiac, which is the perfect guitar for
me. Because I am teaching both classical and jazz courses and private
lessons, I am able to accomplish all my teaching on one guitar! It has
made both my commute to Berklee and my studio teaching much more efficient.
In addition to the teaching aspect of the Godin guitar, I have greatly
benefited from the performance experience with this remarkable instrument.
Prior to receiving my Godin, I have used full-bodied nylon stringed
classical guitars with built-in pickups for my live jazz performances.
This has often created the logistical problem of having to sit, and
the aural problem of feedback. The Godin guitar has eliminated both
issues, as I am able to strap it on and play, AND the sound is as good
or better than any amplified classical I have ever played! I am
very happy with every aspect of the Godin guitar and look forward to
playing this wonderful instrument at every opportunity in the future.
David Newsam
Assistant Professor
Guitar Dept.
I regularly produce musical scores for TV shows. My process has always
been to use a MIDI guitar to perform the majority of my MIDI parts.
Since receiving the loaner Godin XTSA I've scored three episodes of
the PBS Scientific American Frontiers series as well as a pilot for
a new science series, entirely with this instrument. The XTSA driving
a Roland GI-10 proved to be the best MIDI system that I've ever worked
with. All aspects of the tracking were more accurate and seemingly quicker
than any other instrument I've used with the Roland system, and
by no small margin. Left-hand damping, usually a major problem, is easy
and accurate with the Godin. The same is true for legato playing, and
the number of false triggers is a fraction of what I'd been used to.
In addition, the dynamic response of each string is even and very controllable. I've also
recorded many real-time guitar parts using the acoustic bridge pickup
in the XTSA, and with extremely nice results. With just a little EQ
and compression, I've been able to get a wonderful acoustic quality
from the guitar -- not just an imitation of an acoustic instrument,
but rather a guitar texture that's clearly acoustic, yet with its own
unique identity. So
I'm very happy to be using this guitar. I had no idea that the Roland
tracking would be so much better, and I've found a new (and insanely
easy to record) acoustic texture. Thanks, folks!
Randy Roos
Guitar Department
I have used the guitar I received on about 6 or 7 gigs so far. It has
been very comfortable to stand with for long sets. I found the neck
and action very consistent and easy to play. The pick-ups really scream
when I kick on overdrive or distortion, so much that I had to turn the
gain on the pedals way down. All in all it's been great and I plan to
continue using it on gigs all summer.
Thanks,
Joe Musella
Guitar Department
Dear Godin,
I have really been enjoying the Godin Guitar I received from the Guitar
Dept. Having been a long time user of guitar synths I find it tracks
a little better than my Les Paul with a Roland GK pickup and plays
quite easily. I have been using it quite a bit to input transcriptions
and guitar lab exercises into Finale notation documents, which really
speeds up the process. I am also currently using it on a CD I am recording
to add some synth and string parts to some of the tracks. I also really
like the acoustic pickup option, which adds nice variations with the
electric sound. Nice work!
Yours truly,
Craig Hlady
Guitar Department
The
Godin is absolutely fantastic! One of my unique character traits as
a guitarist has been my ability to get involved with a particular style
and do a pretty good job capturing it. I don't know if this is for better
or worse, but it's pretty much who I am! As you know Brazilian music
has been my preoccupation for the last 6 or 7 years, but in a
pasty life (or so it seems!) I at various times was trying to sound
exactly like Albert Collins and John Abercrombie! I haven't owned
a solid body guitar since selling my Ibanez Artist and Fender Strat
in 1989. Playing on the Godin has been a real treat, I'm rediscovering
a lot of things that I was involved in. It's by far the best solid
body guitar I've ever played. The thing goes from dark Pat Martino
solid body tones to Albert King, by just flipping a switch and adding
some treble. I can really cover any solid-body guitar sound that's in
my head with it.
Ben Sher
Guitar Department
My students &
I are digging how it plays & feels. It's not too heavy or big.
It feels extremely well made & has a noticeably even - every note
sounds rich - neck. The acoustic guitar even sounds great through
a regular guitar amp in class. I'm looking forward to playing &
having finale notate as I play. I plan to record with the Godin &
hear its colors in context on my new songs through high-end tube pre-amps
& with clean sounds & effects.
Congratulations
on a very cool line of guitars.
Lauren Passarelli
Associate Professor
Guitar Department
I teach in the Guitar Dept. at Berklee College of Music and I wanted
to let you know how impressed I am with the Godin XTSA the department
has loaned me. Great sound, playability, workmanship and most importantly
in my case, midi capabilities. I do a lot of work in Finale and Logic
and this guitar has significantly cut the amount of time it takes for
me to complete a chart or project. I write guitar method books using
Finale and now that my limited keyboard chops are not an issue
I finish in half the time. Once the template is set up in Finale I have
the midi signal running into the computer (through a Roland GI-20) and
the pickups running into a Boomerang phrase sampler and from there into
an amp. For my latest book in writing the etudes or examples I would
sample about 4 bars of chord changes at a time with the Boomerang,
write a section, then enable midi input in Finale and play it
in to the TAB. Then, in Finale I drag the TAB line into the regular
notation line and it’s done. The guitar tracks really well and
having each string read the fingering really saves me time in Finale.
Thanks again for designing and building this wonderful guitar.
Bruce Saunders
Associate Professor, Berklee College of Music
I'm
using the guitar on a variety of gigs. On the Country gigs, the acoustic
sound is fantastic. I put it through the PA and then bring in the electric
via my volume pedal when needed. It sounds great and adds a lot to the
band. On Oldies gig, backing up the Shirelles, The Cadillacs etc, the
electric sound is full and strong and works perfectly for raw rock and
roll. On Jazz gigs, the front pickup has a rich warm sound. At
Berklee, I use it in my Guitar Synth Lab and it tracks better than any
guitar controller I've ever used. I haven't had the chance to try sequencing
into the computer yet, but I'm sure it will work equally as well. I'll
let you know.
Overall, I love the guitar, it's wide range of sounds and it's playability.
And it looks great too!
Mike Ihde
This
guitar is the most versatile instrument I've played. I feel comfortable
grabbing it for just about any gig I do. For gigs that require electric
with tremolo as well as acoustic guitar it is perfect. In the past I've
used a Strat and a Godin steel string Multiac for those gigs. Now I
just use this guitar and don't feel that I'm compromising. I also use
it with a Roland VG-8. The tracking is great. I'm looking forward to
using it with Finale to compose on the fly. I could survive pretty well
with this guitar and my Godin Nylon string Multiac. It's any easy instrument
to recommend to students.
Eric T. Johnson
I played—the
single pickup jazz model—for two weeks in all of my classes
and guitar labs at the college and had all of my students try it out.
It has a very solid feel and nice neck that plays quite well. The
students and myself were pleased with the sound, feel and playability
of the guitar. The added feature of the midi capability is a real
plus for playing lines into the computer for use in creating lab and
lesson handouts.
Garrison
Fewell
Professor, Berklee College of Music
www.garrisonfewell.com
I
have experimented a little with its midi aspects. I've been using the
interface to connect to GarageBand on my computer. It's cool cause I'll
lay down a track and then go in later and alter it to my liking.
I'm a novice with midi and enjoying the opportunity to work with it. Guitar
itself is pretty good as well ... nice ebony neck with wood backing, nice
body finish and color, and a lotta neat electronic/pickup choices.
Bret Willmott
Dear Godin Guitars,
The combination of magnetic, piezo, and synth access pickups is a fantastic
concept. I am currently using the guitar to teach in my studio at Berklee
and in my home studio to access synth sounds. This is my first synth access
guitar, so it is quite exciting. My students are also very interested
in the guitar and it's potential.
Tim Miller
Assistant Professor
Guitar Dept.
Berklee College of Music.
Here's how I've been
using the Godin XTSA. Direct entry of tablature, using six MIDI channels,
in conjunction with
Finale 2005 Direct recording of guitar sounds into Amplitube and Logic
Pro MIDI recording in Logic Pro and Garage Band, making full use of
the soft synth sounds found in those programs, as well as with Spectrasonics
Trilogy (bass), Stylus RMX (drums) and Atmosphere (pads) The
intonation of the XTSA is flawless and the sustain is very helpful with
regard to MIDI applications. This is the best guitar I've ever seen
for Digital Audio Workstation and MIDI recording. I've created hundreds
of guitar exercises using the Godin guitar––many of them
found in my Berklee Chords 101 online course for berkleemusic.com.
Rick Peckham
Berklee College of Music 1140-GUIT |
