Godin 5th Avenue CW Electric Guitar (Kingpin II, Cognac Burst)

Godin guitars aren't exactly the most popular instruments in the world of guitar; that role is reserved far more to Fender and Gibson, and Martin or Taylor in the acoustic guitar world. In terms of playability, craftsmanship and quality though Godin is absolutely up there (and I think even trumps some companies on that list).As an owner of multiple guitars from those brands above (Gibson ES-335, Fender Stratocaster, Martin D-15M, etc.), I can say that the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II is every bit as well crafted and versatile as those mentioned above.The P90 pickups it comes with are bright, well-balanced and capable of roaring rock tones or smooth jazz with ease. The neck profile is quite comfortable with some noticeable thickness, but nowhere near the "baseball bat" profiles of many old archtops from the 50s. Fit and finish are as perfect and you could ask for, and it's apparent that Godin uses excellent quality woods for their instruments (that dark rosewood fretboard and wild cherry grain pattern on the top and back are to die for!).Only thing I think would make this guitar even more desirable is a slightly larger fret size -- maybe some 6105 Jescar would keep the vintage feel of the neck but add a little bit of height to the frets. This thing has vintage fretwire so make sure you love it before making the purchase. It really allows for great low action but will wear out much quicker with play, especially with the .012 gauge D-Addario electric roundwound strings this thing ships with.Mine arrived nearly perfectly set up, with proper neck relief and bridge intonation. I did lower the Tusq saddle a tad for lower action, but that's all personal preference and an easy adjustment to make.All in all I am very happy with this guitar and already know it will remain a part of my guitar herd for a long time. Keep an eye on the price drops here on Amazon and you might be able to scoop one up at a criminally low price like I did.

I've owned Guild, Martin, Gretch and Gibson guitars costing more money and this guitar is as good or better than them all. I practice with it unamplified much of the time. It does not sound muffled or tinny to me. The craftsmanship and setup are excellent. I've gone to the D'Addario flat wounds I've come to like on my previous arch tops. Tuning machines seem fine to me and hold pitch extremely well for days. The amplified sound with humbuckers through my Fender Rumble 25 and reverb pedal gives me the 50years ago sound I like. No problems with fret setup even set lower than recommended at website shops. I like the idea of solid cherry and admit being partial to our northern neighbor country. The bridge's adjustable height works well and 12th fret pitches are dead on. I rarely use the bridge pickup but it works fine.All in all it's a great value.

I purchased the Godin used from an individual through Amazon. The process from order to delivery was excellent. The guitar was packaged with great care and arrived in perfect condition. It is a beautiful, well made instrument. It plays well and sounds, through a small tube amp, great. I’m very pleased with the Godin and recommend it to anyone looking for a great guitar made in North America.The one problem I had was the guitar had a bad buzz going up the neck from about the 7th fret. I took it to my local luthier and he told me the buzz wasn’t coming from the fretboard but the top. I contacted Godin who told me that because I wasn’t the original purchaser they couldn’t help me and suggested I take it to a local luthier. They also suggested that humidity might be the problem. I purchased the Godin in March but wasn’t going to be able to get it back to my local luthier for further work until mid-summer. I think the previous owner lived in a hot, dry climate. I don’t know if he used humidity control where he kept the Godin. My house is typically between 45 to 55% humidity and over the ensuing months the buzz (seemingly) moved around the fretboard and has now (5 months later) vanished and not returned.I don’t think this experience takes anything away from the Godin as an excellent guitar. If nothing else it re-enforces the practice of humidity control with wooden instruments if you live in an extreme environment, e.g., Albuquerque, NM or Houma, LA.

I read many reviews of this instrument and listened to many YouTube demos of it and very much wanted it. It reminds me of my uncle's acoustic Gibson archtop guitar from the 1950s and is almost identical except for the pickups. I am learning Blues and eventually wish to play Jazz Blues and Jazz, and this instrument makes a wonderful "jazz box" at a very affordable price.I checked it out and unamplified it has beautiful tone and projection. Amplified, it is just lovely on all three pickup settings. There is very little annoying hum from the P90 pickups, which can be controlled by turning down the tone knob. The finish is absolutely beautiful and satiny. I love the case, which is highly protective from dings and knocks. I have read that it will keep your instrument correctly humidified if you use a hygrometer and guitar humidifier, which I intend to do.The price on this instrument is unprecedented. Do not miss this opportunity to buy this beautiful guitar at this price. If you've read many good things about it, it's all true!

I'm new to electric guitars coming from an acoustic and nylon string background so I can't compare to other guitars of this type but I'm very pleased with the Godin 5th Ave. I play a mix of 70's folk, classic rock, bossa nova and latin and this guitar has can adapt to the different genres giving me so many rich tones and effects using my Fishman Loudbox acoustic amp. The craftsmanship and finish are top notch for the money. Highly recommended!

Not one issuePlays great, sounds great, high quality made in Canada with aged tonewoods.Pro quality at a better price. Godin is way underrated. Factory built with attention to detail.Tone is subjective but I’m in love.Tric case included is the bomb. See you at the jam