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Pros:
- Amazing plugged-in sound
- Great electronics
- Comfortable and lightweight
Cons:
- Not the best-unplugged sound
- Strings
Balancing between tradition or innovation is not the easiest task. You go a bit too much to either side and end up with a dinosaur instrument that is uncomfortable in modern player’s hand or gets a futuristic (in a dystopian) way concoction of extravaganzas that the world is just not ready for. You know where I getting at… The brand is good only as good as their ability to bring together tradition and innovation. That is sort of the “bait” that every living (or nonliving) guitar lover will take any second. That is why Godin, through its 25-year existence has accomplished quite a lot and their Godin A6 is one of the best acoustic-electric guitars in its price.
Build Quality
The A6 is a semi-acoustic-electric (I know, that a bit of hyphen overdose) that brags good sound whether it is plugged or unplugged. This guitar leans more on the electric side than acoustic but nevertheless, tonewood and construction play a major part in the sound. The solid cedar top has a perfect balance of warm sound and resonance that comes together with the chamber silver leaf maple body to create heartwarming and mind-blowing sound. Apart from that, of course, the mahogany neck plays a big part in the playability and feel of the guitar. The tonewood that creates full rich sound along with two-chambered body that eliminated feedback when the guitar is plugged creates a guitar that is well worth the title of, if not the best acoustic-electric model in its price range than definitely, a top ten contender.
Hardware
I think one thing that this guitar does is focus really a lot on the electronics. That is why the hardware on this model is pretty basic. You get rosewood bridge, Tusq nut (1.68″) and saddle, classic headstock and that is pretty much it (not that there is the need for much more). The quality of this hardware is up to par that there is nothing too advanced or fleshy about it (which, in a way is a good thing). Apart from that, this model is shipped with EJ21 strings and a Godin VBGAC gig bag included. The EJ21 strings do not really feel right for me and give the guitar weird intonation, so I would suggest changing them. As for the gig bag, VBGAC does the basic protection pretty well. I would not say it is the most durable gig bag in the world, but it will definitely last you for a couple of months, maybe even years if you do not use it that often.
Godin A6 Sound
When it comes to the sound of the A6 it is a bit better when plugged. There seems to be something lacking in the acoustic feel of this model. That is why this is more of an electric guitar that an acoustic, so the problem immediately disappears when this model is plugged. That being said the unplugged sound is not awful by any means. The sound is still pretty rich, the volume is great and once you change the strings the intonation also gets better. Now, once you plug in this guitar you will be blown away by the rich, full tone that comes with a humbucker pickup in the neck position. We will talk a bit more about the setup in the electronic section.
Electronics
This guitar is primarily (but not only) amazing because of its plugged-in sound. And, of course, that is largely due to the choice of electronics. Godin equipped the A6 with a saddle transducer and custom preamp. The volume, treble, mid, and bass controls give you the ability to manipulate the instrument and achieve whatever sound you are looking for. There is also as an independent volume, treble and bass controls for the Godin GHN1 Humbucker which pretty much is responsible for the amazing, bombastic sound of the A16. There is no feedback due to a chambered body and the overall reproduction of the sound is perfect.
Conclusion
The Godin A6 is a semi-acoustic electric guitar and that shows. The electric sound on this model is a bit better than the unplugged one. So if you are planning on having more plug-in sessions than this is a no-miss guitar. Godin’s choice of electronics and construction methods create a model that is comfortable and lightweight.
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