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I need to choose between de Godin 5th avenue and the ibanez af105, I like more the ibanez pickups but the godin is more comfortable, can someone help me make this important decision.
I am thinking about getting one of these two guitars y had tested both and liked them very much, the godin has a better feel but I don't like p90's, also it doesen't have the cutway, so the question is what do you think about the godin pickups and what guitar should I get
Pd. My english is shit
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05-03-2016 10:28 PM
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They make Godin 5th Aves with cutaways: Godin 5th Avenue CW Kingpin II Archtop Electric Guitar | Musician's Friend
I've owned Godin and Ibanez guitars. In my opinion Ibanez tries to add more fancy details and appointments than the price point they sell at suggests. This results in a flashy nice looking guitar that feels a little like they had to cheap out to get all those features on an affordable guitar: Plastic-y finish, cheap gold plating, flimsy feeling knobs. That being said they look great, are solidly built where it counts, and do look nice. Godin on the other hand makes very plain stripped down guitars. However each component tends to be of the highest quality - the appointments may be plain but the wood and fit/finish of the guitar is perfect. Both Godin and Ibanez guitars can sound great so ultimately that is up to your opinion.
For what it's worth I like P90s but i would not buy a guitar without a cutaway.
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You could always get the Godin and change out the pickups. Several manufacturers make P-90 sized humbuckers.
p90 sized humbucker??
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I'd keep the guitar that plays best. Pickups can be switched out.
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5th Avenue acoustic and install a floater... or the two pickup cutaway model.
Last edited by bohemian46; 05-04-2016 at 02:03 PM.
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Spend a little more and get the two pickup cutaway Godin.
The Ibanez's are nice and shiny...I prefer the Godin.
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Very different guitars with a different feel, different construction and a substantially different voice. I own the two pickup version of the Godin and I have owned a few of the Ibanez archtops from the same series. I don't really prefer one over the other but I do prefer the feel of the Godin and the sound of the Ibanez. And yes, you can change the pickups on the Godin but it's got much more acoustic presence in the sound than the Ibanez and I suspect that different P90's won't change it all that much. My suggestion would be to ask which one works better for what you're trying to do and go with that.
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Wow, what different opinions on the same gits.
I for one never liked the feel of Godins, or the "finish". I haven't played a single one in a store that had a setup even remotely acceptable.
OTOH, My Ibanez AF/AK (100+ numbered models) have wood pickguards, knobs and tailpieces, very good s58 pups and they play like butter. The sunbursts (except the tobacco) are some of the best ( if not THE ) I have seen, and other appointments like head and F hole binding only available on some VERY expensive models from other brands.
Go figure taste :-)
This is from someone who REALLY disliked the brand when I played solid bodies exclusively. My first AF was a revelation that threw my prejudices out the window.
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I prefer Ibbys myself, but the OP said he preferred the feel of the Godin.
Originally Posted by GNAPPI
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I don't blame the brand on setup. It's expected that you'll need to get a new guitar setup with the strings and action you like no matter who makes the guitar. Originally Posted by GNAPPI
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Feel is what is going to assure you'll stay in love with the guitar. Pickups can be changed, and too, your playing will change with the guitar you work with.
It is worth mentioning that especially when it comes to Ibanez, you need to know exactly which one you're talking about and you should keep in mind that advice from others should be qualified with exactly which model they're talking about.
The reason being that there is no Ibanez factory. Ibanez is an entity that uses factories across the far east, Indonesia, Korea, China, Japan... and depending on the model, they may have even been assembled in the same factory, side by side with another guitar you're comparing with. Even within a year's run of a specific model, factories may change and the specs and feel of the guitars have been known to vary.
This means there are lots of opinions, good and bad about Ibanez but you'll need to try them out and know yourself.
They do keep their quality high, but one person may own an AS93 from 2010 and it'd be a different animal from an AS93 from 2014. Or whatever.
Trust your own hands to find the guitar that'll bring out the music in you. Good luck
David
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My JSM-10 arrived still in the box with a very nice setup. Of course I tweaked it a little to my taste, but it was extremely playable right out of the box. Ditto my long-lost PRS. The only Fender I ever bought new (my strat) had a decent setup as well. If Godins are consistently set up badly, I'd say either they, or the store you found 'em in, are dropping the ball. Originally Posted by drbhrb
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the upper level Godin Composer & Jazz models are very very nice.
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That's one of the good things that Hoshino (Ibanez) does. They have a facility in Bensalem PA where ALL Ibanezes are shipped to from all the various manufacturing facilities. Then each one is acclimatized to the US and as orders are processed from individual stores, they are taken down and set up to their specs and inspected for problems then sent out. Originally Posted by Boston Joe
I've worked for other guitar companies and Ibanez has a good QC system for sure. Though there's no accounting for guitar techs that were too high to find the ends of their arms. Hey, nobody's human.
David
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Originally Posted by TruthHertz
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I have very mixed feelings abut the setup issue. On the one hand, a really good setup undoubtedly makes a huge first impression. On the other hand, the best guitars I've ever owned were not obvious to me out of the box and only became obvious to me after a really good setup (most notably my Heritage). There is also the issue that many of us has very specific and often far from the norm needs for setups that match our playing techniques, In fact, I think a lot people on this forum would find my guitars close to unplayable because of the lack of tension but that works for me. So it's not a simple question. It is one that I think Ibanez addresses better than Godin but ultimately it says little about the quality of the guitar.
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Shipping, changes in climate, storage conditions at the retail location... too many factors that can screw up a perfect setup from the factory (also who is defining what a setup should feel like). Getting a guitar new that happens to be perfectly setup for you is a treat but turning down what could be your dream guitar based on it's current set up doesn't make sense. Originally Posted by Boston Joe
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Oh, agreed, but if I'm just sort of trying things out at a store, I'm probably not going to be drawn to a guitar that doesn't feel good to play. If I saw a guitar that I'd been thinking about for a while, I'd probably be more forgiving. Originally Posted by drbhrb
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Thanks for the answers guys, but how diferent is the sound of a humbucker and a p90? I'm into the sound of Jim Hall
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I have a Godin 5th Avenue acoustic , I have added a floating CC pickup to it. Personally I think it's a far better instrument than a comparably priced Ibanez, but everyone has different tastes. The Ibanez would likely be a far more versatile instrument, I don't play much modern stuff. The only thing that I don't like about my Godin is the 16"? radius on the fingerboard... and the frets are tiny. I'm much more partial to a 12" radius and bigger frets.
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I'm a big fan of the Godin... excellent, excellent guitars, and in my opinion far better value for your money than the Ibanez (or most other options at the price point). And I guess it comes down to taste, but I don't see anything not to like about those P90s.
If a cutaway and a wood pickguard are important to you, that can be sorted.
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I think Jim Hall started with a 175 P90. However, much as I love the Godins (have had 2), I don't think they have that dark Gibsony sound. They have a bit more bite to them. That said, they are versatile guitars, and can play country, twangy rock, rockabilly, jazz, blues--I wouldn't expect them to do loud fusiony stuff or George Benson stuff though. I find the neck super comfortable and the light weight a real benefit. Especially good for fingerpicking. Everyone should have at least one in the arsenal.
Last edited by Doctor Jeff; 05-05-2016 at 06:51 PM.
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I compared a used Godin 5th Ave. to an Ibanez af95 rosewood yesterday at Guitar Center. I liked the feel and the sound of the Ibby better, but that's just my personal preference. There were things I dug about the Godin. P90 in particular!
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Up until a couple of months ago I never played a Godin that felt right to me. I picked up a used one at a shop and really liked it. One great feature is the cantilevered fret board. The top seemed to really resonate well.
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That's kind of how I feel. I like the Godins but the Ibbys just speak to me more. Originally Posted by jbucklin
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