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Location: Chicago | A nice clip of Huston guitarist Mark Towns playing a LATIN JAM . I think it's a Godin of some sort. It sounds pretty good! |
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Location: Scotland | It's a Godin MultiAc. One of the few non-Ovations I own. I bought it only for it's 13-pin synth output. For an onstage nylon string I prefer my Viper. |
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| Mclaughlin plays the steel version on his current tour (seeing him in May) |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I think our own Country Artist went that way, too. |
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Location: Jet City | So many cool guitars, so little money. I love those things. I have a Roland GR30 synth, and I'd love to own one of those AND the Brian Moore iGuitar too. |
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Location: Tychy, Poland | i've noticed one thing about godin guitars. they're REALLY inconsistent. |
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Location: Chicago | Could you explain a bit? Have you tried to get a good sound and been disappointed etc? |
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Location: Tychy, Poland | i've been in shop which had a lot of godin guitars, because they're their only importer to poland and they use their shop to showcase them.
there were very big differences in sound between two guitars of the same model - and i've played on electric and acoustic godin's. Some of them were worth more money than they were priced, some were just weak. the biggest differences i've noticed in their Freeway electric guitars and their Multiac acoustics.
they had also 2 LGX guitars which sounded really good, but i wouldn't buy a godin from picture on internet. |
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Location: Chicago | I am really curious (LBJ Temp ?): do the Godin's play plugged-in like a "real guitar" or is there the DSP phoniness inbetween? In other words, do you feel, as you play up and down the neck, that YOU are in control of the sound and it's just like a cool guitar, whatever the make, that is acoustic and a bit louder (but real) or does it have that "teflon" or "virtual" feel that sounds good when you strum open chords but is totally useless when you get down to playing some real guitar.
Does my question make sense? |
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Location: Jet City | are you asking how it tracks with the synth? |
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Location: Tychy, Poland | when you plug it in "the normal way" it sounds like normal guitar.
imho if you want to add synth to your guitar, just do what rommir (Roman Miroshnichenko) did and add a roland module to your guitar. |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by dobro:
I am really curious (LBJ Temp ?): do the Godin's play plugged-in like a "real guitar" or is there the DSP phoniness inbetween? In other words, do you feel, as you play up and down the neck, that YOU are in control of the sound and it's just like a cool guitar, whatever the make, that is acoustic and a bit louder (but real) or does it have that "teflon" or "virtual" feel that sounds good when you strum open chords but is totally useless when you get down to playing some real guitar.
Does my question make sense? The MultAcs can be used in 3 ways, guitar only via the piezos, synth only, or a blend of the 2. The piezo side performs exactly as any piezo (except I prefer the tone of my nylon Viper) The synth can show some latency on the lowest notes, but that's to do with current guitar synth technology rather than and fault with the guitar, and when used blended it's not really noticeable |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by LBJ:
i've noticed one thing about godin guitars. they're REALLY inconsistent. I've played dozens of Godins, owned 3 and seen a lot more. I also make a point of visiting their Booth at NAMM where they also show their sister brands like Simon and Patrict, Art & Luthierie etc. I notice no more or less inconsistency than other manufacturers instruments in the same price range, and a lot less inconsistency than others, like Gibson for example |
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Location: Tychy, Poland | maybe this "inconsistency" is related to market. Poland isn't very attractive market to any high-end guitar maker, because there are very few people who can buy guitar which would cost in US $1500, and this is the range where Martins etc. start, so producers usually send lower quality guitars here, and it applies to Ovation too - unfortunately.
Multiacs i've played sounded identically when played through midi but when played through piezo they sounded very different - maybe piezo wasn't mounted at the same depth on those guitars? i don't know.
Freeway electric guitars sounded worst from all the line of Godin, with one guitar with really nice sound, and three others having short sustain, moody sound, and one of them was way too bassy. |
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Location: Chicago | Temp, tell me about the synth. Does Godin provide it or is it "find your own." If there is a Godin-made synth, how does it compare to the 80s-style Roland that some Ovationers use (with the familiar pan-flute and piano patches etc.?) |
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Location: closely held secret | It's a standard 13 pin roland compatible jack.
You use it with the GR-33, GR-20, V-Synth, ect.
It's like having a built-in GK-2 or GK-3 pickup.
Or, you can just get the pickup and mount it on your favorite ax.
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Location: Jet City | Or a GR30 :D
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Location: Scotland | Exactly. Godin use an onboard Roland GK2A driver but instead of a magnetic they use RMC piezo pickups. Godin don't make a synth, but their synth-ready guitars are compatible with any 13-pin guitar synth module. |
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Location: Chicago | Now I get it. My impression is that options for guitar synthesis are narrower than for keys. Roland seems to dominate the field. Are there alternatives? Back in the 80s when everyone from Metheny to yo Mama was using synthesis it seemed that there were some competeing companies out there. Remember the SynthAxe? |
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Location: Jet City | They pretty much dominate the market. It is all midi though. You could use the least expensive Roland setup and trigger any other MIDI instrument you own.
Interface wise there aren't many options. Line 6 has the Variax. There's also the Les Paul digital guitar...
http://www.gibson.com/DigitalGuitarNew/gibsonDigital.html |
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Location: Scotland | Greg, If you want to use something that feels and looks like a regular guitar then pitch-to-voltage conversion is the only way, and Roland is the market leader. If you don't like Roland sounds you can use their guitar synth module purely as a pitch/voltage converter to drive any Midi sound source.
Yes, I remember the SynthAxe. Do you remember the Arp Avatar or the Hagstrom Patch 2000.
Damon, The Variax is completely different. It's a guitar tone modeller, not a guitar synth. It's pickup is hexaphonic, but it's sounds and software are proprietary and will not interface directly with third-party midi sound sources.
The Gibson thing will dissappear without trace. Betcha. |
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Location: Chicago | I see. In our duo (trio) setting Jeff Burns had the synth thing covered. He used it tastefully and brought alot to the live sound. I do not actually feel motivated to "go synth"; The Godin has intrigued me as a popular axe and you've clarified how it fits into the picture.
There are some unplugged Godins played here and there on YouTube. Decent sound for such a sliver-thin box. I'd be very curious to hear the Holdsworth Adamas (bet it kicks Godin's keester). |
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Location: Scotland | There's a track on our myspace site where the double bass is actually the Godin via a Roland GR33. Other than very occasional studio parts such as double bass, piano, organ, tin whistle and maybe strings or brass I never use the thing, I certainly don't use it live. Great tool to have in the arsenal though. |
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Anyone try one of these?
