- Excellent take on S-style guitars
- Spotless craftsmanship
- Extremely high-value purchase that are still made in Canada
- Cover so many sounds that you don't need any other instrument
- Very difficult to supply in the EU
Hello there, back again with another excellent guitar review for you. This time you will find out one of the best value-for-money guitars I have ever seen in my life: the Godin Session electric guitar.
Table of Contents
Not sure if a lot of people are aware of the Godin brand. I believe many of you have bumped into Godin’s Multiac series guitars, in which they modernise a nylon string guitar to the highest possible level ever. With these Multiac series guitars, you can actually connect your nylon string guitar to a MIDI device with a 13-pin MIDI cable and trigger digital sounds precisely with your guitar.
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However, I reckon most people don’t know much about their electric series. Until I started working for MyDukkan (want to know solid reasons why you should trust my reviews?) I had never bumped into a Godin guitar in my life.
About Godin Guitars
Godin Guitars is a prominent Canadian guitar manufacturer renowned for its innovative designs and commitment to craftsmanship. Established in 1972 by Robert Godin in La Patrie, Quebec, the company has grown to become one of North America’s leading guitar producers, with its headquarters in Montreal. The company has over 600 employees and produces over 200000 guitars per year, and its products are distributed in over 65 countries! 
At first glance, Godin Guitars may not come as a huge guitar manufacturer. However, the company not only exists as Godin but also encompasses several distinct brands, each catering to different segments of the guitar market.
Godin: Offers mid- to high-end electric and hybrid guitars, known for integrating advanced electronics like MIDI compatibility.
Seagull: Focuses on acoustic guitars, emphasising sustainable materials and innovative designs.
Simon & Patrick: Produces mid-range steel-string acoustics with a blend of tradition and modernity.
Norman: Provides a range of acoustic guitars suitable for various skill levels.
Art & Lutherie: Targets entry-level players with budget-friendly acoustic options.
La Patrie: Specialises in classical guitars, reflecting the company’s origins.
Additionally, Godin manufactures the TRIC guitar cases, known for their lightweight yet robust protection. Godin Guitars is distinguished by its vertical integration, controlling every aspect of production, from sourcing North American tonewoods to final assembly. This approach ensures high quality and allows for continuous innovation. Notably, the company has pioneered the integration of MIDI technology in guitars, enabling seamless connectivity with synthesisers and digital interfaces. 
Their commitment to craftsmanship is evident in the extensive handwork involved in each instrument, surpassing that of many competitors. The company also collaborates with research institutions like McGill University‘s CIRMMT to explore new technologies in music media. Godin‘s instruments are available worldwide, with a significant presence in over 65 countries. The company has streamlined its distribution through “Godin Direct,” allowing for efficient and consistent delivery to international markets.
As you may know from my early guitar review articles, I had the chance to test and play dozens of Godin guitars back in the day during my service in the musical instruments industry. We would have Godin Session guitars every week for months. I was so blown away by the consistency, build quality and unique tones and ergonomics of their guitars! 
But I was lucky, and I had the chance to play a couple of Godin Sessions and a Godin Freeway SA guitar, which was incredibly excellent. But for this review, I will be talking about the Godin Session Series electric guitar, both rosewood and maple fingerboard versions. Let’s hear the guitar first, then we’ll talk about the specs.
The first one is a Lightburst colour with a maple fretboard. This Godin Session review video (no talking) was recorded with a Marshall JVM205C valve amp + Shure SM57 microphone. Please see below.
Sound Demo, Maple Fingerboard (no talking)
Unfortunately, the sales were not as good as the distributor company had expected for the Godin brand. So there were always stock problems. I believe it is also a discontinued model, and you won’t be able to find it on Godin’s website. I hope you can hear the guitar despite my sloppy playing. Here are the tech specs for Godin Session series guitars below:
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Tech Specs
| Godin Session | Tech Specs |
|---|---|
| Construction | Bolt-On |
| Body | Canadian Laurentian Basswood |
| Fretboard | Maple or Rosewood |
| Nut Width | 41.91mm |
| Neck | Maple |
| Radius | 304.8mm |
| Frets | 22 Frets |
| Pickups | Godin Custom Humbucker + GS-1 Single Coils |
| Bridge | Godin Tru-Loc Tremolo |
| Tuner Ratio | 18:1 |
| Finish | Semi-Gloss |
| Controls | 1x Push-Pull Tone, 1x Volume, 5-way Switch |
| Gig Bag | Yes |
Before I provide you with what I feel about this model, let’s hear about the rosewood fretboard version. As you can see, the lighting was much worse than the maple fretboard one. Because the rosewood one was the first one that arrived in our store! So you can have an idea of how good or bad the sales were 🙂 This one is a Cream colour option.
Sound Demo, Rosewood Fingerboard (no talking)
During those days, I was really into having a proper Strat and quite confused with the options. I spent lots of time researching Strat clones, Fender American ones, Standard line, etc. However, when I had this guitar in my hands, I was blown away by the craftsmanship and quality. There was not even a tiny problem with the instrument.
Everything was perfectly built and ready to play right out of the box. The string action was really low but not really buzzing and choking up the low end; the pickups were great. Also, I must tell you that I was in love with the semi-gloss finish. It was just right in between a glossy finish and a full satin finish. It also comes with a super high-quality gig bag, which makes this guitar a STEAL! 
Pricing & Availability
Unfortunately, these wonderfully made Session guitars rarely appear in the EU. Except for some smaller music stores, it’s so difficult to supply the entire Godin catalogue. Godin tried to come up with alternative Session models, but to be honest, I really didn’t like them in terms of features and cost-cutting specs (such as predominantly satin finishes). These Godin Sessions that I played back in the 2015-ish era were absolutely mind-blowing! Very unique take on the S-style guitars!
After I first released this article back in 2018, there was no sign of Session series guitars on Thomann. However, after a while, I was able to see the limited versions of these that came in very nice colour options. But these were gone immediately! 🙂
Having said that, you may come across used as well as brand-new listings on Reverb, because there are still a lot of dealers in the EU.
Check out Godin Session guitars on Reverb here
Although there are no Godin Session series guitars listed on Thomann, you can still keep an eye on the brand page, as Thomann actively imports Godin guitars.
Check out Godin Guitars on Thomann here
Last but not least, you may want to check out Amazon for Godin Session series guitars. Sometimes they pop up over there more often than Thomann! 🙂
Check out Godin Guitars on Amazon here
Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me so far! I will hopefully see you in the next review here!
