The Godin xtSA Flame Electric Guitar's sound power begins with three distinct voices: electric guitar, acoustic guitar and synth controller. The xtSA delivers big time electric sounds via the Godin humbucker-single-humbucker pickup configuration. Thanks to a special 5-way switch setup, extra meaty humbucker tones co-exist with glassy split-coil sounds in the second and fourth positions.
Turn down the electric output and raise the volume on the RMC transducer saddles and the xtSA sounds like an authentic acoustic guitar. The acoustic voice of the xtSA is enhanced by an onboard preamp with a three-way graphic EQ. The two outputs are set up so that the electric and acoustic voices can be blended in the guitar using a single patch cord or at the amp/mixer using both outputs.
The icing on the xtSA cake comes in the form of its synth tracking. As with all Godin synth-ready instruments, a built-in 13-pin connector provides direct access to all Roland GR-Series synths as well as most other 13-pin devices.
All of this sound power would be a lot less interesting if the guitar didn't feel great. Thanks to the same 25" scale mahogany neck used on the Godin flagship LGX-SA guitar, this is a very comfortable guitar to play. The ebony fingerboard is shaped with Godin's ergocut technique and equipped with medium jumbo frets. The body is made from a silverleaf maple center with poplar wings and decorated with a figured maple veneer on top.
Includes a gig bag.
Body - Silverleaf maple center with poplar wings
Fingerboard ” Ebony neck ” mahogany
Scale - 25"
Electronics - Godin humbucker, single-coil, humbucker, tremolo bridge with RMC transducers, custom pre-amp with 3-band EQ for acoustic sound
Three outputs - electric, acoustic/mix, 13-pin for Roland GR synths & most other 13-pin devices
Includes a gig bag
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It's a very nice guitar, and I'm so impressed with it that I'm planning on buying an A4Ultra bass next year (for many of the same reasons I bought the xtsa). I have never - repeat, never - had any tracking problems with the MIDI interface on this guitar, whether on the GR01 or the GR9 I have now. Once tuned (a sometimes lengthy process, thanks to the style of tremolo it uses) it stays locked in place well, even after going in and out of building - summer or winter. While I agree that a hardcase would have been preferable to the gig bag, it fits well enough in the generic case I had for my old Ibanez it replaced. Also, it may just be me, but it's the heaviest guitar I've ever played - so if you have a bad back, you might want to think about that Les Paul Studio instead...
I bought this guitar mainly because of the Synth Access. I had been using GK2 equipped guitar with a GR01 Synth, and after seeing the cost of retrofitting my existing guitar with a graphtec Ghost system, I decided this would be a better choice. I love the sound from the HSH pickup arrangement, although it takes a great deal of tweaking to get a good acoustic sound from the piezo bridge.
The flamed maple top is very nice, and the dye work well done -- the clear outer finish is another story. It suffers from what is known in the car refinishing business as an "orange peel" flaw (the surface is dimpled like that of the skin of an orange). It isn't extremely obvious, and certainly noone in the audience could ever see it, but you would expect a little better for the price. Also, I've had this guitar for a couple of years now, and I've noticed that the finish on the neck where it hangs from my Hercules stand is scarred up. I've had that stand for quite a while, and this is the only guitar that shows any ill effects from it.
For what you get, the price is more than fair - I couldn't build this guitar myself for twice the money, and from what I've read, it's price is very competitive with other similar functioning guitars.
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.I bought this guitar because I am currently playing in an oldies band and a lot of the music has signature keyboard parts that have to be there or the song just isn't right. I already owned a GR30 and a VG 88 but I was never happy with the GK-2 or GK-3. They never seemed reliable enough to use during a show. Sometimes they worked perfectly but if that pick up shifted a hair to the left or right it was game over. The tracking on this guitar is PERFECT. I was able to dial in the settings that were more than usable in just a few minutes. As an added bonus as a standard guitar this thing is well built and plays great and most importantly sounds really good through my Vox AC30
Top notch. Better built to be honest, after seeing what you get from Godin for the price I feel kind of stupid for buying more expensive guitars. This guitar sounds GREAT and is better built than most of my other guitars.
For what it is, it's a steal
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.I have to start out by saying this is a very solid feeling guitar that has great craftsmanship and materials. I have a Gibson, Fender Americans and a Carvin to compare it to and it is in the same ballpark as far as quality and components.
The one unique feature that it has is the EQ for the the acoustics and it is very effective especially if you are using a single amp for elec/acous functions. The versatility of single or multiple connections to different components great.
I don't have a synth yet, so I can't comment on that part of the electronics. The Godin HSH pup's are better than average but not great. The 2 and 4 position doesn't split the humbuckers so if you want Straty sounds the middle pup is all you have. Overall they sound pretty good and you can get a good variety of flavors, just not Fendery. The acoustic sound is really great for what it is, especially if you split the signal to a PA or acoustic amp. The switches and pots feel solid and work effectively.
The neck is mahogany with an ebony fret board and has a satin finish and for me it feels fantastic. It is not a thin wizardy type of neck. It is chunky on the back and pretty flat on top and for me very playable, 50's Gibsonish. Very well constructed. The locking tuners are very solid and work great. The tremolo has the screw in arm which I am not a huge fan of, it's loose and sloppy. I wish it had the push in, Wilkinson style. It does stay in tune very well and if your not a big trem user it shouldn't be a problem.
The finish and the overall quality and feel of the guitar is excellent, including the gig bag it comes with. It is comfortable and balanced sitting or standing. The overall look is unique and is better in person than pictures show. For the price and the 3 in one versatility, even if you don't use them all, this is a quality guitar.
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.I already own and love a Line 6 Variax model 69 modeling guitar. I also have a Squier Strat set up to interface with my Roland GR-55 guitar synth. I'm 63 years old..played professionally for almost 40 years and now I write and record my own demos.
THIS guitar by Godin is the best designed, most gorgeously built instrument I've ever owned. Fit and finish are exquisite...controls and pickups are astonishing..interface with the Roland is seamless and intuitive...this neck is easy on my arthritic hands...I can't keep my hands off this axe.
I'm so impressed by the quality of craftsmanship and the amazing attention to the tiniest detail (the bridge and nut construction for example) that I'm sure this is not going to be my only Godin.
If you get this axe for less than a grand (like I did) you stole it! I have played guitars worth 5-25 grand (not owned...played...) and I'd rank this one with those ones.
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.This is the third Synth Access guitar I've bought. Having started with the GK pickup and then a Carvin SH575. The Godin xtSA features the same RMC piezo system as the Carvin, but with strat-style saddles instead of a bridge. I particularly like the way the electronics are set up on this guitar. The EQ and volume for the piezos are up at the top of the guitar and I find it easier to blend the "acoustic" sound with the mag pups or switch from one to the other entirely.The Godin pickups sound nice, but I do find the humbuckers have a bit more "bite" to them than I'm used to. Running the 5-way selector from bridge to neck position does give you 5 very distinct sounds, but they all seem bright. If you are looking for an LP sound out of the humbuckers, figure on swapping at least one of the mags out. Most reviews I find prefer the Seymour Duncans.I purchased the Godin primarily because I was shopping for a single coil sound and was about set on a Roland Ready Strat. The xtSA delivers all that and much more for about the same price. For the wide variety of features you cannot beat this for the price. I paid close close to 3 times the money for my Carvin (however it was a custom build) but the xtSA delivers all of the features. I've been doing a lot of research and if you are into MIDI guitar, you won't find a better deal.
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.I am enjoying this guitar quite a bit. The one think I want to comment on is that, because it is real wood, these guitars look quite different from one another. The one in the picture is one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen, probably what brought me to this model, but mine is a much darker shade, with less distinct grain. I almost returned it to try my luck at a different shade, but after doing an internet search for images of the guitar, I decided that I liked mine better than most that I have seen. I also have an Epiphone Ultra III, which has a similar pickup configuration without the Synth Access. I like the acoustic sound of the Godin better, as well as the feel of the neck.
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.I don't think I can add anything new to the already posted positive comments; will merely offer my observations so far:
Build quality is top notch for this price range. The very subtle headstock binding is completely unnecessary, but is a beautiful, thoughtful touch reflecting the passion of the designers. I purchased the flame body: it has a *lightly* shellacked mahogany neck with ebony fretboard. Not normally a fan of ebony but I was floored by the feel of the combination. Though it is a bolt-on neck, the body's neck heel is rounded to facilitate access to the higher registers.
Despite sharing some loosely broad features, this guitar is nothing like a Les Paul, nor a Strat. It doesn't sound or feel like either of them. It almost seems like its been explicitly designed this way. Neck balance is good, body weight is slightly less than a Strat; scale length and fret thickness are totally Strat - but neck dimensions are an interesting hybrid of Strat and Les Paul: Strat depth and radius with Les Paul width, again feeling like both while feeling like neither. The sensation is difficult to put into words.
The xtSA is HSH configuration, which is not what I normally prefer (either HH, HHH or SSS; honestly, what is the advantage to HS in parallel without coil splitting?). But it has bridge transducers for "acoustic sounds" and to drive the 13-pin Roland-style synths.
To my ear, the electro-mag pickups are "middle of the road", which gives them the clean-ness and versatility for pop / country players; they can work for heavier styles with the appropriate distortion applied; to be clear, I would not use this guitar in a jazz setting with a Hammond B3 because I feel it lacks the smokiness of a "real" jazz guitar, even with the tone rolled down on the neck pickup. This is just an opinion, of course.
The piezo transducer acoustic sound: no one will mistake it for hearing an unmic'd dreadnought in person, but it very much sounds like a mic'd / recorded acoustic. It is bright, shimmery and has a dedicated three-band EQ. My biggest concern is that the piezo volume is where the Les Paul pickup selector would be, while the electro-mag volume is where the Les Paul rhythm volume would be (without a switch), meaning that switch back and forth solely between the piezo and the electro-mags could be a chore. I will look into possibly re-wiring this to a switch.
And of course, it also drives any Roland-type 13-pin GK interface, which means that it's an acoustic, an electric AND a synth controller in one package that feels great. I had no problem accurately tracking 32nd notes to the GR-55; actually, I was pleasantly surprised at how fast and accurately it tracked.
There are, however, two issues I'd like to point out: this guitar, triggering the GR-55's lead sounds produces ghost notes which the rhythm sounds do not - the transducer manufacturer offers an inexpensive hardware attenuator plugin to address this. My GK-2A equipped Strat isn't as noticeable in this regard, which is to be expected since the GK-2A / GK-3 pickups don't make direct contact with the strings; also, seems weird that the switch for advancing GR-55 sounds increments TOWARDS you, rather than away. I will probably flip it around because it feels counter-intuitive to me.
This is a beautifully crafted, incredibly versatile sounding and great feeling guitar. My only real peeve is the apparent inability to instantly switch between the piezo and electro-mag pickups.
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.The 1st xtsa arrived with synth electronics that did not work. The local dealer confirmed this and ordered a 2nd one. The 2nd one arrived with a plain non-flamed top that was disappointing. The synth worked but the latency was unacceptable. This guitar will usually not stay in tune more than a few minutes. Not sure if its the trem bridge that throws it off, or what. The pups sound nice when the guitar is in tune. The synth stoppped working a few weeks after I received it. Godin suggested cleaning the synth pups on the brige. This helped. Too many issues with the bells and whistles. I don't play it much because of the issues. The Roland Synth ended up in my equipment grave yard. I only played it about 5 times. What a waste.
Godin xtSA Flame Electric Guitar Transparent Black
.I am a pro player and have been playing 43 years. In that time I have owned and played just about everything. I was looking for a guitar with synth access and decieded on this one after purchasing a Le Patrie Nylon which is also a Godin made product. The neck on this Guitar has a nice wide string spacing and rounded shoulders which is very comfortable. This is the nicest ebony fingerboard I have ever felt. Very smooth but not slick. I prefer shorter scale length instruments because of the lighter string tension- but- when I put .009's on this (ships w/ .010's)the guitar felt like a Gibson scale (24 3/4"). This is partially due to the tremolo which adds a bit of give to the string tension. The Acoustic tones are great and sound better than many dedicated Acoustic/electric's. The idea of ceramic mag HB's put me off a bit but I think they are a good choice for the materials in this instrument- it is a very warm sounding- buttery guitar and it needs a brighter pickup- good choice. Regarding the tremolo, it works better that the American Deluxe Fender. It is not made for heavey use but more gentle shaping of sounds. I am surprised how well it works for a single locking system. Finally, the synth pickup is a big step up from the Roland Magnetic type. It is very fast and stable. In all, the only fault I can find is: when the neck edges were rolled on this guitar, they went a hair too far and as a result it could use a bit more fingerboard on the treble side. It is something I can get used to. You just can't find this type of custom quality and attention to design and detail in a north American made instrument ! This guitar is a keeper and will be equally at home on stage and in the studio. The quality is off the map! Godin is a gift from guitar heaven!!!!
Godin xtSA Flame Electric Guitar Transparent Black
.Got this a week ago and haven't been able to put it down. The guitar is built very well and the finish looks amazing. Right out of the box, the guitar was setup pretty well. It has a wider and thicker neck than a lot of guitars being built today, which I prefer, and the medium frets work well with this. It definitely doesn't feel like a Strat or even a Les Paul neck-wise. More like an old-school hollow-body. Once again, I prefer this, and that's partly why I bought it. Especially if you want to utilize the acoustic sound, it's nice that the neck is built to not lean solely towards a fast electric feel. There are a ton of tones you can get out of this with the 5-way switch, and I have found it to be great for recording because I can dial in just the right sound I want. Sometimes my Gibson ES 137 or Strat don't allow for a diverse enough sound to hit just what I'm looking for in a song, especially if plugged in direct. The piezo pickup gives this an unbelievably accurate acoustic sound. I am still surprised at how great it sounds. If you were to record the acoustic tone and play it back, I'm sure most wouldn't guess it was an "electric" guitar. I put on some thicker electric strings than it came with which helped with this. Of course, when playing it live, the lack of a sound hole and therefore natural sound projection makes it seem much different than using a normal acoustic, but when used with a good PA or acoustic amp, it really can get the job done. The ability to blend the piezo and your choice of pickup combinations is really nice. Sometimes I've enjoyed adding just a touch of the piezo to the electric tones to give the sound more body and make it brighter if I want. The three band EQ for the piezo is great and very responsive. Once again, you can get a ton of tones from this. With the electric pickups, you'll get some nice humbucker and single coil tones that will come close to sounding like some of the famous guitar models, but it won't be that exact strat, tele, or les paul sound. It has it's own sound that's for sure. Haven't used the midi connection, not my thing, but from what I've read, it gives you a ton of options for that, too. I also have a seagull acoustic (made by Godin) and I've been super impressed with the guitars and quality the company is offering, at a fraction of the price of similar guitars by bigger names. I bought a "Gently Used" one from MF for a great price (seriously can't see at any flaws on it, so recommend looking for those if they have any), but would definitely say this guitar is worth what it normally sells for. One last thing, I've heard some people complain about the quality of the tuners. While I can see that not having metal tuning heads makes them a bit more delicate, I don't have an issue with them. Time will tell if they'll hold up, but overall with the locking tuner mechanisms, this guitar's tuning is excellent, even when using the whammy bar. Way better than my Gibson (which cost....a LOT more than this).
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