Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy_G
...Godin Fifth Ave. was sterile and clunky...Meh...
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Which one - I've got an all-acoustic 5th Avenue as well as a CW II dual P-90 electric, and not only have they got a small but loyal following around here but TMK Tony Bennett's guitarist has been using one of the latter on tour for the last couple years (and I'd be inclined to think both he
and his boss know a little something about tone); FWIW, for all their build quality Godin makes two fatal mistakes - equipping them with a plastic (they claim GraphTech) bridge as well as 12-gauge (wound-G 11's on the electrics) strings - which, if you've had any experience with archtops, will suck all your tone right out. I've got PB 14's on my acoustic (which I'll be replacing with Martin Monel 13's at my next string change) as well as a StewMac bridge (best $20 you'll ever spend IMO) and it's surprisingly good-sounding for an all-laminated 16-incher - plenty of low-midrange punch and bark, and a far cry from the Gypsy-jazz wannabe it was when I first got it a decade ago; the CW II currently wears D'Addario half-round 13's (formerly Chromes flatwound 13's) - with the twin P-90's it'll cover just about any style short of death metal, and while it doesn't have quite as much unplugged volume as my all-acoustic 5th Avenue it's quite usable when it comes time to work out vocal arrangements with my band. I'd recommend finding a used one (or two) that's been set up correctly (FYI archtops need heavier strings to get the top moving and get some "wood" into your tone, as well as a bridge base that's tightly fitted to the contour of the top) and give it a good workout - I suspect you'll come away with a
very different impression...
