Was clear what guitar was what once you threw some dirt on the bridge pickups. The Fender had a different attack that is Fenders sound, nuances picked up from playing teles I suppose
The Godin clearly had the better sound. Since these two were the only guitars available for such a comparison, you video was well thought out and fair 👏. I do recommend you try the Godin Radium with the 5 position blade switch and coil split 😉. I did, and sold my Fender player plus after discovering the abundance of tones found on the Godin.
Tone can be altered 10 ways till Sunday what counts is feel, quality, components and playability and sitting in your room listening to a video will never tell you that.
After looking at two Fenders at GC, I went with the Godin. The Fenders both badly needed a set-up and the necks were, ick and they cost twice as much as a Godin. I am very happy with the Godin Stadium. It feels much better to me. There really isn't a comparison to be made. Godin all the way.
Awesome comparison love the Godin!! I have two Godin’s and two fenders (tele and strat). the fit and finish, playability, sound are all slightly better on the Godin. The fenders have history and brand recognition; the only difference that keeps people coming back to fender I think. My two cents.
Guessed right! I have the Godin Stadium HT and I think its a great bang for your buck. They cost less than the player series and the playability is up there with the professional/performer series about twice their price if not more. I personally found the stock pickups too hot and wanted balanced tele pickups so I opted to replace them with Fender Yosemites. I kid you not, its one of my absolute favourite guitars ever. To put it into context, I also own 2 strats, one AM Pro2 and one mexican, an Ibanez AZ, a PRS SE, and a baja tele
I'm québecois and I'm tempted to buy everything Godin, the Session (strat) the Summit (les paul) and this one. A part of me wants to have the real classics, but my wallet feels patriotic.
@@thorinbane I bought my stadium ht in the summer ‘22 for 889$CAD and now they are 1269$. Insane. But, for the price of a MX Fender, I’ll take the Godin anyday.
I own a lot of Tele's. From Squier Affinity to Custom Shop. The Telecaster is my favorite guitar of all time. That being said, my primary live guitar, for the better part of 10 years now, is a Godin A6 Ultra. Absolutely amazing guitar. So many options, and so much versatility. I would replace my A6 before I bought another $1000+ Telecaster.
As an owner of a Miami Blue Pro 2 tele, I'm glad I picked that correctly as those VMOD 2 tele pickups have a high end sparkle to them. The Godin I assumed would be warmer and smoother for a more modern sound.
I have the Godin Stadium 59’ LOVE IT it has a great feel, the neck is smooth like butter and you can play for hours with out feeling hand fatigue. Also the settle contour they did on the body of the Stadium 59’ is one of the reason why I love this over a regular Tele shape guitar, thy little detail it made WAY MORE comfortable on my shoulder when playing.
@@IMCC1772 I have a Session HT which is the Strat style version and it has a pretty slim neck. Its not big at all. But the feel is absolutely incredible for me. I'm trying to sell my Fender player tele right now because I love it so much. Its way better than my Fender. But not for people who like chunky necks.
@@IMCC1772 hi sorry I missed this, the neck is not meaty, but it neither to slim, to me it has a pretty balanced thickness to it, I’ll say it feels modern, I think it is a slim C shape, if i remember correctly. All that said, I love it, it has a very nice feel, so smooth and easy to play!
@@IMCC1772 Their 'ergo' neck is great for me. Only neck I found better was a japan made jackson from the 90's. But I have small hands. Some of their products are meatier and their velocity is an even shreddier neck. Their Icon 2 is the best LP style guitar I have played and I find the neck perfect. I never get tired on the 24.75 scale with that neck profile.
You end up paying for the name with Fender- I don’t say that cynically or negatively in any way Part of owning a fender or Gibson is that they hold their relatively high value better than other brands- that’s just an economic reality that may be important for many people- even though Epiphones, Squires, Godin etc etc are excellent guitars For me no way the fender is worth twice the price, but certainly you could sell the fender for reasonably close to what you paid new, whereas the Godin? Who knows what percentage you’d get back (maybe 60%?) Love Godin and particularly their gigantic lineup of Canadian acoustics!
People say that about all big brands, "it's just marketing". No it isn't, strong brands are built with heritage and products people want. Sales gives companies muscles for rnd, skilled employees and quality materials. Apple, Rolex and Porsche are examples of this, you pay for a lot more than just the brand name and you can easily pay more for boutique stuff and get a lesser product. Fender and Gibson make great guitars. Squier and epi aren't even close. They don't seem overpriced to me considering indonesian made guitars from lesser brands are creeping up towards 1500-2000 usd.
I guessed correctly, but was surprised at how well the Godin handled the "dirty" tones. The tele wins the clean test, but Godin's a step up in an overdriven match up! Wish this was a Radium test, as I'll be snagging one in the morning, but this was informative regardless.
Thank you for this! AMS has these on sale for 879. Considering these went up to 1099 I pulled the trigger. It seems like no one has anything bad to say about these.
Not gonna lie, I got them wrong. I'd take either one of those guitars. I like the looks of the Fender a lot more, but the Godin is much closer to my price line. I think either guitar is a win.
I was wrong on which was X and Y and I own a Godin. I find with the 12" radius it's easier for me to go from my Godin Progression to my Les Paul. I believe the Godin comes from the factory with their own branded strings. Both are outstanding guitars, and both sound great. I love that finish on the Fender!
Holy shit, when I say I was SHOCKED with the blind test. The whole time I thought the X guitar sounded x100 better, the Y just sounded a lot muddier. Still Can't believe how amazing the godin sounds
I took the the blind test. I'm not into brand-fan. I love how Guitar X sounded. And honestly didn't expect it was Godin. Going to get one soon. Thanks for your video.
Both guitars sound great. One thing I DON'T like about the Godin is the jack placement. I like it to be in the same place as on the Tele, but the Tele is blocky with no contours and as a lifelong strat player I don't need contours, I DEMAND contours. But for tone, both guitars sound great for rock. They have a nice spank and growl.
Got it right. The Godin (pronounced go-Dan) sounded more "acoustic" in the clean than the Tele, which just has more lows in the neck and a twangier bridge. With that much dirt, in a mix, their differences would be minimal. So if the player is using that much grit, I wouldn't recommend they spend more $$. The Tele is what it is and does what it does well. Not everyone wants that, and it's ok, like you said, you can wear pants or not, no big whoop, do your thing. I'm not a Tele guy at all, but that was a good shoot out. Great job.
I guessed wrong. I laughed a few times! Was probably a Saturday… I’ve played the Godin for 5 min in a store and was impressed with how easy to play it was, action was low, neck comfortable, etc.
I was kinda on the fence with the clean tones. After throwing some dirt in there, guitar X was my clear favourite. To be sure, I listened to the comparisons 3 times before checking which was which. Don't get angry, I'm not saying the Godin sounded better. Okay, I am actually saying that the Godin sounded better. But, please understand that I'm saying that purely because the Godin sounded better.
I went to GC to check out Teles. There were two that were $1,349. This was a couple of years ago Both Fenders had horrible "set-ups" and they didn't feel great even it you took that out of the equation. I eventually bought a Godin. It beats fender in every conceivable way. The neck is perfect, the sound and feel are also very good. Fender has a 2x4 neck joint feel. The Godin has a slimmer neck joint. It's much better. Just buy the Godin. You'll be happy with it.
Very intersting, I had a same approach when I wanted to buy a Fender Jaguar and finally took a Godin Radium after more than one hour of try of several fender, Jaguar, american and mexican telecaster...The sound and the playablity were better to me on a Godin.
Awesome demo. This godin stadium is high on my list. One thing I noticed is it appears the way the heal joint is cut, you're not able to play the last few frets high up with ease. Do you notice that?
Thanks Landon. Fender was for sure 'janglier'. The Godin had better, more defined bass notes - a win for the Godin IMO. I can't be arsed going back to the deep dive videos but I'd say the Godin pickups are hotter (bearing in mind it's not just about resistance, inductance is very important as well as magnetic flux). I recently put my 'LCR' meter on my Mr Glyn's 'Cruel Mistress' Tele pickups and was surprised at how high the inductance was compared with other pickups I've metered. Cheers.
I guessed it at the first demo. The neck strat pup gave it away. That being said the Godin matched up well . If you're on a budget and want a T style,the Godin looks like a deal.
I guessed them right. I wanted to like the Godin better, being a Canuck and all, but I think the Fender is more articulate and the neck pup has a warmer tone. Do I like it enough to pay that much more? I don't know...
No comparison here. If you're looking for tele sound, get the fender. If you're interested in tele looks, but are open to other options, Godin might fit you. The bridge pickup sound is completely different but I guess you can always replace the pickups.
@@Mamo878 what does best bang for your buck mean? The Godin reviewed here I half the price. You point about resell proves further. If you want a quality guitar for less Money buy a godin. If you want even further value buy the secondhand Godin. I have play more than a few of both and I agree Godin products are incredible value.
@@Mamo878 you continue to make no sense. Godin is the best bang for your buck. And this is true regardless of how popular they are. There is quite an assortment available second hand on reverb. So it’s available to people that want a quality instrument for less money. There’s that money thing. Godin owns the forest and makes a quality instrument for less money. I own several Godins and fenders. I love em both. Godin is great. The acoustics are sweet too. And guess what? They typically cost less.
@@Mamo878 I had a mim and a mij fender and now own a Godin session ht. The Godin is the better value. The Fender looks better though. Either way, both are made in North America, so I'm happy to support companies that don't use cheap Chinese labor.
happy to see a review for a godin guitar , i tested the godin radiator in store ad it is both fun to play and absolutely gorgeous it feels like butter in your hands
I might be wrong (probably am) but I believe the saddles on the Fender are compensated to make intonation easier while the Godin are not. At least that's the way it looks. Another great post. Cheers, Landon.
Godwin’s have always been punching above their weight class. Great build quality and value. Fenders are great too but Godin are under appreciated. From Acoustics to basses and electrics, great company.
Landon, has Fender ever offered a pickup configuration like the one on the Godin? Seems like it'd do really well as most Tele players I know don't ever use the lipstick pickup.
the neck pickup on the tele IS NOT a lipstick tube pickup. If you took the cover off it would look similar to the Godin. A real lipstick tube pickup is an entirely different type of pickup and used in stratocaster type guitars. Check out SRV using one. You see them on Danelectro guitars as well.
Was that some trooper I heard you play? And radiohead of course. To my ear, the godin sounded warmer but the fender sounded fuller. But I couldn't have told you which is which until you disclosed them.
yes i got it right. the pickups in the godin are not as, what is the word i am looking for ( full / Round / dynamic / warm ) but both very close. set up on a good amp and most could not tell. I have 20 years in headphones recording with strats , teles and with PAF's so I am very intune with the classic tones.
I chose the guitars correctly due to the clean sounds of both guitars pups. The Godin had a more warmer tone than the Dark Knight . I really liked both guitars tone but I could be very happy with Godin. I could be happy with either but the Godin was, in my opinion, a sweeter tone. Good video man. Heck I liked the Havana Brown in the mat color. At $750 that's appealing, as well.
It’s GOdin, not go-day (unless you speak french, I guess) And, of course basswood is to light, why do you think they are called Axes? Tele is the ultimate axe (a Strat is a pretty good axe too), anything else is just too fragile to use on a job site.
Ive owned quite a few godins being from Canada... great guitars. All the wood and parts from Canada and assembled in Newyork State. I love Fenders too so its a win win.... great comparison and i did get it right... just lucky...
I just came across your comparison video I guessed right. I must say that I was a step ahead for hearing the Stadium because I own the exact same model since a year ago. I love it but the only real issue I would say with this guitar is the tuners. They keep in tune during play really well but from day-to-day, they consistently need to be fully retuned. Which is I think not that big of a deal but comparing with lets say, my Schecter, Godin could use a little upgrade on their tuners. Other than that, it does the exact same thing as a Fender tele.. Still, you buy a real Fender Tele when you want the get that rich Fender feeling in your hands. Other than that, it's not worth the double price for it.
Well, I got them wrong. The brightness of the neck pickup I was sure guitar x was the Fender. Wow, the Godin is extremely versatile. I'm sold on it (to add to the other Godin's I have).
I guessed them because the maple fingerboard gave them away at least for me, the sound is a bit more on your face or less rounded, which is what I'm used to. Also the neck pickup of the godin has the bigger poles and uncovered, so the sound is a little gainer.
@@landonbailey yeah, maple speaks to me like snakes to Harry Potter haha. To be honest I don't really believe in tonewood that much, I just prefer maple for cosmetic reasons but in this particular case maybe I got them right by sheer luck. Great video man.
Thanks for this video Landon! The Godin frets are 2.4 mm wide and 1.2 mm high on all their solid body models...I just asked Godin for the specs a few days ago :)
Can't believe I missed this one. I almost bought the Godin but watched your video on it and I can't bond with the jack placement. But thank you..you demoed it very well. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Great review Landon. Any chance you could feature a Godin Stadium 59 for a review? Your Fender dark knight is awesome. Debating between that and the Stadium 59. Your view of the Stadium 59 would help a lot.
You will not regret that choice! I got one a year ago and it is everything it's cracked up to be. That said, I'd love to get the Godin as a companion piece...
@@Creaulx It's black with a maple neck and the nicest guitar I've ever played. Fortunately I purchased it in December before the Fender price hike. :-)
Yes I got them right...the Fenders are nominally deeper sounding bass tone than others because of the Alder body and the neck pick up... Sound on the Alder is more pronounced than others because of it's density... However both are very sturdy and exceptional sounding instruments...I like both and their uses would be very nicely enhancing for song tones.
Tonewood doesn't exist. I have two identical strats one rosewood and one maple. I had a tone change from swapping the pickups, but not from the neck. Electronics are 95% of tone in guitars. You also never hear tonewood in the mix.
The fender definitely sounded more present, but that’s you can compensate for with an adjusted eq on the amp for the godin. Without the haptic feedback VR experience that will come out some Saturday to feel the difference in my hands, it’s hard not to like the godin at that price point.
Big fan. I was gripping at the end of the comparison. I own A brown Godin Stadium and I really liked X better. So I'm A happy camper. Are you familiar with the Tubesteader Beekeeper made in Canada?
I had a Godin LGX, It had Duncan's in the neck and saddle and an LR Baggs ribbon pickup system under the bridge with a stand alone EQ, separate outputs for electric and acoustic tones with a blend pot.The saddle pickup had a coil tap on top of all that.Bar none it was the best overall gigging guitar I ever owned, you could get almost any classic tone out of it less maybe a Rickenbacker and the acoustic sound was amazing right down to even the fretboard chirps you commonly hear in a real acoustic, oh! Not to mention it played awesome too.
I got them right only thanks to the clean neck pickup. I prefer the sound of the fender, but that's the only thing I prefer about it, so i would probably get a Godin and change the pickups
I picked correctly. Clean tone Tele much warmer and more full. Dirty very similar. Tele at exactly twice the price? Depends how much money you have I guess. I have two Teles, definitely interested in buying a Godin. I want one of everything. The nature of addiction!
Okay Apples and Oranges...A better comparison would be that Fender pro vs Godin Radium. Fender at $1,495 to Godin $1,049 with 5 position blade switch with coil split capability to Fender tone pull single coil to humbucker sound. This would have been a closer comparison in both price and features. Give it another run at it and update your fruit basket.
Preferred Y, a bit more sparkle. Then afterthought Y probably jangly fender because I didn't remember your godin review being noticeably bright. But was it twice as good? Nope. Godin wins on sound per pound.
I think Godin sells directly to dealers, so you skip a distributor who will market it up a good chunk. I don't know the margins, but commonly the price can double with each step of distribution in many industries
I could tell the fender right away with the neck pickup lol it has this airness mixed with a bit more depth idk how to explain it the airy Ness on the bridge also gave it away for me lol all from the clean channel that is you should of had us guess I knew when the second one came on Y was it for sure
I guessed right. It was the clean tone that was more "familiar" sounding from the Fender. Not really better or worse, but, you know, better. The dirty tone was slightly more controlled sounding from the Fender, if control is your thing. If you held a gun to my head, though, I'd call the police.
It’s taken some time to get over myself and laugh at your videos; but I finally get it now. They’re just guitars, for god’s sake! Oh, and I did buy one through your link….so you know. Keep up the good work.
wish you would have done the Godin HT pro. its 1399. so almost same price but way nicer guitar over all. I had the cleans as a tie. I split the Dirtys on the neck and Bridge so over all its a tie and what you want . of course 800 dollar difference now makes the Godin a simple choice....
I got a Godin Radium which is the Stadium mixed with a Radiator. It has the Tele shape and controls but the Gibson scale length and headstock with a HSH pickup configuration with coil splits. Something different I guess.
Fender was guitar Y to me. A little more glassy on the cleans. For the money or even otherwise the godin is still great, just different. Still regret getting rid of my Godin session custom tele styled that had a Prail in the neck. One of the nicest flamed bodies I have seen. Traded for a USA strat. Hated it and sold it for about the same as that Godin new(1,000 cdn at the time)
I've been testing out Teles and the like for over 12-months, narrowing my preference down to a Dark Night, so I was naturally drawn in by this video, and was actually nervous listening the first time through. I got the x and y wrong, but wasn't confident. I've played it back 5 or 6 times with earphones and without. I think the Godin's neck pickup sounds great, both clean and dirty. I prefer the Teles Bridge pickups clean and dirty, but it is fairly close, especially clean. Would be good to hear them both with Rosewood fretboards and with common pedals. I still want a Dark Night . . . time will tell.
I didn't bother guessing, they're both pretty close but guitar x had a noticably better clearer dirty sound on the neck, guitar y sounded a bit like the tone rolled off, could be a pickup height thing too
With so many other companies making more affordable and equal/higher quality price / quality ratio - the only real reason to spend the extra money on a fender these days is strictly the resale value. If you’re looking for a keeper, your money is definitely spent better elsewhere.
I absolutely love the looks and finish on the godin and have been wanting to pick one up. But now that i know the nut is very narrow its 100% off my list
I can't tell if you're kidding or not. It's 0.03 inch thinner. Not 0.3. But 0.03. You really are not gonna notice that. I have a squier which has a 1.6 inch nut, so a full 0.05 thinner still, and I can't even notice it over my other guitars, tho some might. But this godin is so similar you will not be able to tell. In fact, try one out.
@@paulgordon6949 im an acoustic guy and classical. I purchased a couple classic 50s, tele and strat. I have so much trouble with chords on my electrics. The godin Is a little bit thinner than those. Im happy with acoustic and will probably just stay there
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Timestamps:
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0:00 - The guitars
2:30 - Side by Side specs comparison
8:35 - Blind Tone Challenge
Was clear what guitar was what once you threw some dirt on the bridge pickups. The Fender had a different attack that is Fenders sound, nuances picked up from playing teles I suppose
The Godin clearly had the better sound. Since these two were the only guitars available for such a comparison, you video was well thought out and fair 👏. I do recommend you try the Godin Radium with the 5 position blade switch and coil split 😉. I did, and sold my Fender player plus after discovering the abundance of tones found on the Godin.
Wow! I could've swore Fender would've been the X guitar. The Godin had a way better brighter tone and heavier crunch, plus better sustain.
It's the Basswood. It's very full and resonant
Tone can be altered 10 ways till Sunday what counts is feel, quality, components and playability and sitting in your room listening to a video will never tell you that.
@@bluwngtrue thats why i went with the godin. All aspects the same quality, but do like the feel of the overall guitar.
After looking at two Fenders at GC, I went with the Godin. The Fenders both badly needed a set-up and the necks were, ick and they cost twice as much as a Godin. I am very happy with the Godin Stadium. It feels much better to me. There really isn't a comparison to be made. Godin all the way.
congrats! have fun
Still have and what do you think of the jack placement? I have an A6 and a Session and an LG. Solid, gigable and smooth necks! Best Regards!
I bought a Godin after watching your videos on it. Love it!
Awesome comparison love the Godin!! I have two Godin’s and two fenders (tele and strat). the fit and finish, playability, sound are all slightly better on the Godin. The fenders have history and brand recognition; the only difference that keeps people coming back to fender I think. My two cents.
I have a B-stock Godin. I bet you can't find the flaw. I couldn't. Also the Godin is incredible. They make great guitars.
check out my deep dive. I had the same thing!
Guessed right! I have the Godin Stadium HT and I think its a great bang for your buck. They cost less than the player series and the playability is up there with the professional/performer series about twice their price if not more. I personally found the stock pickups too hot and wanted balanced tele pickups so I opted to replace them with Fender Yosemites. I kid you not, its one of my absolute favourite guitars ever. To put it into context, I also own 2 strats, one AM Pro2 and one mexican, an Ibanez AZ, a PRS SE, and a baja tele
The Godin rock-maple necks feel fantastic, and the gig bags are top quality too.
I'm québecois and I'm tempted to buy everything Godin, the Session (strat) the Summit (les paul) and this one.
A part of me wants to have the real classics, but my wallet feels patriotic.
the Godin is great
Godins are great but the prices have gone bonkers in the last 5 years. I bought a progressin for 600 in 2015. It would be 1500 not given comparables.
@@thorinbane I bought my stadium ht in the summer ‘22 for 889$CAD and now they are 1269$. Insane. But, for the price of a MX Fender, I’ll take the Godin anyday.
@@thorinbane I think it was cus of covid but I definitely remember buying a LGX-SA for only 999 brand new. What a steal.
Love your sense of humor Mr Bailey!
Thanks for putting this together 👍
I own a lot of Tele's. From Squier Affinity to Custom Shop.
The Telecaster is my favorite guitar of all time.
That being said, my primary live guitar, for the better part of 10 years now, is a Godin A6 Ultra.
Absolutely amazing guitar.
So many options, and so much versatility.
I would replace my A6 before I bought another $1000+ Telecaster.
Thanks for sharing!
A6ULTRA is a huge huge pro guitar!!!
As an owner of a Miami Blue Pro 2 tele, I'm glad I picked that correctly as those VMOD 2 tele pickups have a high end sparkle to them. The Godin I assumed would be warmer and smoother for a more modern sound.
I have the Godin Stadium 59’ LOVE IT it has a great feel, the neck is smooth like butter and you can play for hours with out feeling hand fatigue. Also the settle contour they did on the body of the Stadium 59’ is one of the reason why I love this over a regular Tele shape guitar, thy little detail it made WAY MORE comfortable on my shoulder when playing.
nice!
How's the neck shape on this? It's stated as D. Is it slim or does it have some chunk to it?
@@IMCC1772 I have a Session HT which is the Strat style version and it has a pretty slim neck. Its not big at all. But the feel is absolutely incredible for me. I'm trying to sell my Fender player tele right now because I love it so much. Its way better than my Fender. But not for people who like chunky necks.
@@IMCC1772 hi sorry I missed this, the neck is not meaty, but it neither to slim, to me it has a pretty balanced thickness to it, I’ll say it feels modern, I think it is a slim C shape, if i remember correctly.
All that said, I love it, it has a very nice feel, so smooth and easy to play!
@@IMCC1772 Their 'ergo' neck is great for me. Only neck I found better was a japan made jackson from the 90's. But I have small hands. Some of their products are meatier and their velocity is an even shreddier neck. Their Icon 2 is the best LP style guitar I have played and I find the neck perfect. I never get tired on the 24.75 scale with that neck profile.
You end up paying for the name with Fender- I don’t say that cynically or negatively in any way
Part of owning a fender or Gibson is that they hold their relatively high value better than other brands- that’s just an economic reality that may be important for many people- even though Epiphones, Squires, Godin etc etc are excellent guitars
For me no way the fender is worth twice the price, but certainly you could sell the fender for reasonably close to what you paid new, whereas the Godin? Who knows what percentage you’d get back (maybe 60%?)
Love Godin and particularly their gigantic lineup of Canadian acoustics!
People say that about all big brands, "it's just marketing". No it isn't, strong brands are built with heritage and products people want.
Sales gives companies muscles for rnd, skilled employees and quality materials. Apple, Rolex and Porsche are examples of this, you pay for a lot more than just the brand name and you can easily pay more for boutique stuff and get a lesser product.
Fender and Gibson make great guitars. Squier and epi aren't even close. They don't seem overpriced to me considering indonesian made guitars from lesser brands are creeping up towards 1500-2000 usd.
I guessed correctly as the Godin was warmer on the bridge with less twang, which I prefer. Good video, thanks
Thanks for watching!
I guessed correctly, but was surprised at how well the Godin handled the "dirty" tones. The tele wins the clean test, but Godin's a step up in an overdriven match up! Wish this was a Radium test, as I'll be snagging one in the morning, but this was informative regardless.
I got one of the Radium limited models with bare knuckle pickups. It’s great.
@@popollo22 I ended up with the matte green model... Fantastic finish for a fantastic instrument!
I felt the same way, Fender sounded better clean to me but dang Godin is a worthy opponent with distortion on!
Totally agree with this
Thank you for this! AMS has these on sale for 879. Considering these went up to 1099 I pulled the trigger. It seems like no one has anything bad to say about these.
Not gonna lie, I got them wrong. I'd take either one of those guitars. I like the looks of the Fender a lot more, but the Godin is much closer to my price line. I think either guitar is a win.
I was wrong on which was X and Y and I own a Godin. I find with the 12" radius it's easier for me to go from my Godin Progression to my Les Paul. I believe the Godin comes from the factory with their own branded strings. Both are outstanding guitars, and both sound great. I love that finish on the Fender!
Holy shit, when I say I was SHOCKED with the blind test. The whole time I thought the X guitar sounded x100 better, the Y just sounded a lot muddier. Still Can't believe how amazing the godin sounds
👍🎸
I guessed right! The Y guitar sounded clearer, which I assume is part of what makes the Fender more expensive
I took the the blind test. I'm not into brand-fan. I love how Guitar X sounded. And honestly didn't expect it was Godin. Going to get one soon. Thanks for your video.
cheers!
Both guitars sound great. One thing I DON'T like about the Godin is the jack placement. I like it to be in the same place as on the Tele, but the Tele is blocky with no contours and as a lifelong strat player I don't need contours, I DEMAND contours. But for tone, both guitars sound great for rock. They have a nice spank and growl.
Got it right. The Godin (pronounced go-Dan) sounded more "acoustic" in the clean than the Tele, which just has more lows in the neck and a twangier bridge. With that much dirt, in a mix, their differences would be minimal. So if the player is using that much grit, I wouldn't recommend they spend more $$. The Tele is what it is and does what it does well. Not everyone wants that, and it's ok, like you said, you can wear pants or not, no big whoop, do your thing. I'm not a Tele guy at all, but that was a good shoot out. Great job.
I can't believe the guys at Godin pronounce it wrong! 🤪
Being from Canada I have a few Godin guitars, you can't beat the quality and sound
Wearing pants is good!
Basswood is amazing for consistency. Jerry Donahue and Steve Vai both chose them for weight and guitar to guitar consistency.
Got it right 😀 The Pro II had a fuller sound to my ear
Your quirky way of describing stuff has me learning stuff. Thanks. Oh, and that Fender sure is pretty.
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I guessed wrong. I laughed a few times! Was probably a Saturday… I’ve played the Godin for 5 min in a store and was impressed with how easy to play it was, action was low, neck comfortable, etc.
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Landon, really love your Fender from the moment you showed it months ago i must get my self one of these
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I was kinda on the fence with the clean tones. After throwing some dirt in there, guitar X was my clear favourite.
To be sure, I listened to the comparisons 3 times before checking which was which.
Don't get angry, I'm not saying the Godin sounded better.
Okay, I am actually saying that the Godin sounded better.
But, please understand that I'm saying that purely because the Godin sounded better.
I hope it wasn't a barbed wire fence
I went to GC to check out Teles. There were two that were $1,349. This was a couple of years ago Both Fenders had horrible "set-ups" and they didn't feel great even it you took that out of the equation. I eventually bought a Godin. It beats fender in every conceivable way. The neck is perfect, the sound and feel are also very good. Fender has a 2x4 neck joint feel. The Godin has a slimmer neck joint. It's much better. Just buy the Godin. You'll be happy with it.
Very intersting, I had a same approach when I wanted to buy a Fender Jaguar and finally took a Godin Radium after more than one hour of try of several fender, Jaguar, american and mexican telecaster...The sound and the playablity were better to me on a Godin.
Awesome demo. This godin stadium is high on my list. One thing I noticed is it appears the way the heal joint is cut, you're not able to play the last few frets high up with ease. Do you notice that?
I didn't notice. I don't tend to play up there much
I liked the tone of guitar x. Was it Godin?
Thanks Landon. Fender was for sure 'janglier'. The Godin had better, more defined bass notes - a win for the Godin IMO. I can't be arsed going back to the deep dive videos but I'd say the Godin pickups are hotter (bearing in mind it's not just about resistance, inductance is very important as well as magnetic flux). I recently put my 'LCR' meter on my Mr Glyn's 'Cruel Mistress' Tele pickups and was surprised at how high the inductance was compared with other pickups I've metered. Cheers.
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I guessed it at the first demo. The neck strat pup gave it away. That being said the Godin matched up well . If you're on a budget and want a T style,the Godin looks like a deal.
I guessed them right. I wanted to like the Godin better, being a Canuck and all, but I think the Fender is more articulate and the neck pup has a warmer tone. Do I like it enough to pay that much more? I don't know...
Both sounded great but I preferred the slightly cleaner tone of the Godin. Both sounded like Teles so I couldn't make an educated guess.
No comparison here. If you're looking for tele sound, get the fender. If you're interested in tele looks, but are open to other options, Godin might fit you. The bridge pickup sound is completely different but I guess you can always replace the pickups.
I did the comparison here
@@landonbailey lol I didn’t mean that. I meant the sounds are quite different to say that one is a replacement for other. Good comparison thanks!
Great idea. Godin is the absolute best bang for your buck.
Nah, a used Fender Tele or Strat MIM is better bang for the buck. Plus, better resale value and much easier to sell, if you ever need to.
@@Mamo878 what does best bang for your buck mean? The Godin reviewed here I half the price. You point about resell proves further. If you want a quality guitar for less Money buy a godin. If you want even further value buy the secondhand Godin.
I have play more than a few of both and I agree Godin products are incredible value.
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Except hardly _anyone_ would buy a used Godin and almost anyone would buy a used Fender.
So there is that.
@@Mamo878 you continue to make no sense. Godin is the best bang for your buck. And this is true regardless of how popular they are.
There is quite an assortment available second hand on reverb. So it’s available to people that want a quality instrument for less money. There’s that money thing.
Godin owns the forest and makes a quality instrument for less money. I own several Godins and fenders. I love em both. Godin is great. The acoustics are sweet too. And guess what? They typically cost less.
@@Mamo878 I had a mim and a mij fender and now own a Godin session ht. The Godin is the better value. The Fender looks better though. Either way, both are made in North America, so I'm happy to support companies that don't use cheap Chinese labor.
happy to see a review for a godin guitar , i tested the godin radiator in store ad it is both fun to play and absolutely gorgeous it feels like butter in your hands
Cool, thanks! I've done a full review of the Godin in another video
Guess. X is the Godin and Y is the Fender? I like the Godin because I’m Canadian and they’re one of the best values in Canada.
Thx Landon. Enjoyed the comparison.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I might be wrong (probably am) but I believe the saddles on the Fender are compensated to make intonation easier while the Godin are not. At least that's the way it looks. Another great post. Cheers, Landon.
Godwin’s have always been punching above their weight class. Great build quality and value. Fenders are great too but Godin are under appreciated. From Acoustics to basses and electrics, great company.
The one thing that stood out what the hammer on at the end between them both. One picks up the frequency the other doesn’t.
Yep, did get them right. Godin is more brighter, the Fender is more softer and cleaner.
Landon, has Fender ever offered a pickup configuration like the one on the Godin? Seems like it'd do really well as most Tele players I know don't ever use the lipstick pickup.
not that I know of. I've seen humbuckers. I use the neck for clean tones
the neck pickup on the tele IS NOT a lipstick tube pickup. If you took the cover off it would look similar to the Godin. A real lipstick tube pickup is an entirely different type of pickup and used in stratocaster type guitars. Check out SRV using one. You see them on Danelectro guitars as well.
Any chance you're going to take a look at the Radium? I know there's not much to compare it to
maybe sometime next year
Was that some trooper I heard you play? And radiohead of course. To my ear, the godin sounded warmer but the fender sounded fuller. But I couldn't have told you which is which until you disclosed them.
the was probably some General Hand Grenade in there :)
Y was the Tele for sparkly reasons noted below
yes i got it right. the pickups in the godin are not as, what is the word i am looking for ( full / Round / dynamic / warm ) but both very close. set up on a good amp and most could not tell. I have 20 years in headphones recording with strats , teles and with PAF's so I am very intune with the classic tones.
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I chose the guitars correctly due to the clean sounds of both guitars pups. The Godin had a more warmer tone than the Dark Knight . I really liked both guitars tone but I could be very happy with Godin. I could be happy with either but the Godin was, in my opinion, a sweeter tone.
Good video man. Heck I liked the Havana Brown in the mat color. At $750 that's appealing, as well.
What's that song you're playing at 9:54? Isn't that Radiohead?
some of Karma Police :)
I liked the neck tone from Y and the bridge from X. I guess good news is it would be easy to swap in a traditional tele neck pickup into the Godin.
Godin makes beautiful guitars!
agreed!
It’s GOdin, not go-day (unless you speak french, I guess) And, of course basswood is to light, why do you think they are called Axes? Tele is the ultimate axe (a Strat is a pretty good axe too), anything else is just too fragile to use on a job site.
it's the way I said it. I didn't say goDay. it's a French last name
You should check out the Godin Radium. Would love to see you review one!!
Ive owned quite a few godins being from Canada... great guitars. All the wood and parts from Canada and assembled in Newyork State. I love Fenders too so its a win win.... great comparison and i did get it right... just lucky...
thanks for the good musical choice that let us really compare the sound of these two Guitars in demo.
I just came across your comparison video I guessed right. I must say that I was a step ahead for hearing the Stadium because I own the exact same model since a year ago. I love it but the only real issue I would say with this guitar is the tuners. They keep in tune during play really well but from day-to-day, they consistently need to be fully retuned. Which is I think not that big of a deal but comparing with lets say, my Schecter, Godin could use a little upgrade on their tuners. Other than that, it does the exact same thing as a Fender tele.. Still, you buy a real Fender Tele when you want the get that rich Fender feeling in your hands. Other than that, it's not worth the double price for it.
I prefer the tuners they use to have on godin, their overly branded one are kinda clunky.
Well, I got them wrong. The brightness of the neck pickup I was sure guitar x was the Fender. Wow, the Godin is extremely versatile. I'm sold on it (to add to the other Godin's I have).
I guessed them because the maple fingerboard gave them away at least for me, the sound is a bit more on your face or less rounded, which is what I'm used to. Also the neck pickup of the godin has the bigger poles and uncovered, so the sound is a little gainer.
you can hear maple? 😝
@@landonbailey yeah, maple speaks to me like snakes to Harry Potter haha. To be honest I don't really believe in tonewood that much, I just prefer maple for cosmetic reasons but in this particular case maybe I got them right by sheer luck. Great video man.
It's a thing for acoustic guitars, but I don't think it's distinguishable with electrics :)
The dark knight finish was really good. You are correct.
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Thanks for this video Landon! The Godin frets are 2.4 mm wide and 1.2 mm high on all their solid body models...I just asked Godin for the specs a few days ago :)
Thanks for the info!
Can't believe I missed this one. I almost bought the Godin but watched your video on it and I can't bond with the jack placement. But thank you..you demoed it very well. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Glad I could help!
I wasn't trying to guess - but I hoped X was the Godin. Sound was righteous.
I have a Godin Session - Strat style.
Great review Landon. Any chance you could feature a Godin Stadium 59 for a review? Your Fender dark knight is awesome. Debating between that and the Stadium 59. Your view of the Stadium 59 would help a lot.
Maybe one day!
I got them right basing my decision on the bridge pickup tones. I'll be getting the American Pro II Tele as a birthday gift in January. :-)
nice!
You will not regret that choice! I got one a year ago and it is everything it's cracked up to be. That said, I'd love to get the Godin as a companion piece...
@@Creaulx It's black with a maple neck and the nicest guitar I've ever played. Fortunately I purchased it in December before the Fender price hike. :-)
Yes I got them right...the Fenders are nominally deeper sounding bass tone than others because of the Alder body and the neck pick up... Sound on the Alder is more pronounced than others because of it's density... However both are very sturdy and exceptional sounding instruments...I like both and their uses would be very nicely enhancing for song tones.
Tonewood doesn't exist. I have two identical strats one rosewood and one maple. I had a tone change from swapping the pickups, but not from the neck. Electronics are 95% of tone in guitars. You also never hear tonewood in the mix.
The fender definitely sounded more present, but that’s you can compensate for with an adjusted eq on the amp for the godin. Without the haptic feedback VR experience that will come out some Saturday to feel the difference in my hands, it’s hard not to like the godin at that price point.
Big fan. I was gripping at the end of the comparison. I own A brown Godin Stadium and I really liked X better. So I'm A happy camper. Are you familiar with the Tubesteader Beekeeper made in Canada?
I had a Godin LGX, It had Duncan's in the neck and saddle and an LR Baggs ribbon pickup system under the bridge with a stand alone EQ, separate outputs for electric and acoustic tones with a blend pot.The saddle pickup had a coil tap on top of all that.Bar none it was the best overall gigging guitar I ever owned, you could get almost any classic tone out of it less maybe a Rickenbacker and the acoustic sound was amazing right down to even the fretboard chirps you commonly hear in a real acoustic, oh! Not to mention it played awesome too.
nice!
The Godin for half the price sounds great!!
agreed!
I got them right only thanks to the clean neck pickup. I prefer the sound of the fender, but that's the only thing I prefer about it, so i would probably get a Godin and change the pickups
both are really nice
Godins are super nice! I like the art and luthiers too
I picked correctly. Clean tone Tele much warmer and more full. Dirty very similar. Tele at exactly twice the price? Depends how much money you have I guess. I have two Teles, definitely interested in buying a Godin. I want one of everything. The nature of addiction!
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Both look good. And oh, at 7:35, can't unsee that.
I worked hard for that moment! 🤣
Okay Apples and Oranges...A better comparison would be that Fender pro vs Godin Radium. Fender at $1,495 to Godin $1,049 with 5 position blade switch with coil split capability to Fender tone pull single coil to humbucker sound. This would have been a closer comparison in both price and features. Give it another run at it and update your fruit basket.
this is what I owned at the time!
I couldn't tell which was which, but I liked guitar y's tone better, which was the fender 🙂
Preferred Y, a bit more sparkle.
Then afterthought Y probably jangly fender because I didn't remember your godin review being noticeably bright.
But was it twice as good? Nope. Godin wins on sound per pound.
I think Godin sells directly to dealers, so you skip a distributor who will market it up a good chunk. I don't know the margins, but commonly the price can double with each step of distribution in many industries
ah ya interesting!
I could tell the fender right away with the neck pickup lol it has this airness mixed with a bit more depth idk how to explain it the airy Ness on the bridge also gave it away for me lol all from the clean channel that is you should of had us guess I knew when the second one came on Y was it for sure
I guessed right. It was the clean tone that was more "familiar" sounding from the Fender. Not really better or worse, but, you know, better. The dirty tone was slightly more controlled sounding from the Fender, if control is your thing. If you held a gun to my head, though, I'd call the police.
I have a Godin Summit CT and an A6 . Both are great guitars. I also have a custom Fender Telecaster. Also very good
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Thanks for a great video. Please do a comparison video between this Godin and the fender player tele.
I got it right. Just something in the definition told me Y was the Fender mostly in the bridge pick up settings
It’s taken some time to get over myself and laugh at your videos; but I finally get it now. They’re just guitars, for god’s sake! Oh, and I did buy one through your link….so you know. Keep up the good work.
cheers!
does godin do metal? blues? rock? not many videos of this!
probably depends on the guitar and person.
wish you would have done the Godin HT pro. its 1399. so almost same price but way nicer guitar over all. I had the cleans as a tie. I split the Dirtys on the neck and Bridge so over all its a tie and what you want . of course 800 dollar difference now makes the Godin a simple choice....
I got a Godin Radium which is the Stadium mixed with a Radiator. It has the Tele shape and controls but the Gibson scale length and headstock with a HSH pickup configuration with coil splits. Something different I guess.
Fender was guitar Y to me. A little more glassy on the cleans. For the money or even otherwise the godin is still great, just different. Still regret getting rid of my Godin session custom tele styled that had a Prail in the neck. One of the nicest flamed bodies I have seen. Traded for a USA strat. Hated it and sold it for about the same as that Godin new(1,000 cdn at the time)
I've been testing out Teles and the like for over 12-months, narrowing my preference down to a Dark Night, so I was naturally drawn in by this video, and was actually nervous listening the first time through. I got the x and y wrong, but wasn't confident.
I've played it back 5 or 6 times with earphones and without. I think the Godin's neck pickup sounds great, both clean and dirty. I prefer the Teles Bridge pickups clean and dirty, but it is fairly close, especially clean.
Would be good to hear them both with Rosewood fretboards and with common pedals. I still want a Dark Night . . . time will tell.
great guitar! still my #1
Landon, you didn't give us a weight on either guitar, and you've spoiled us to that!
it's in the deep dive videos for each one
Did you ever try the godin radium vs Stratocaster an Les paul?
I haven"t
I didn't bother guessing, they're both pretty close but guitar x had a noticably better clearer dirty sound on the neck, guitar y sounded a bit like the tone rolled off, could be a pickup height thing too
With so many other companies making more affordable and equal/higher quality price / quality ratio - the only real reason to spend the extra money on a fender these days is strictly the resale value. If you’re looking for a keeper, your money is definitely spent better elsewhere.
I'm always wrong, so I just gave up and listened to them. The Godin seems like a pretty good deal .
PLay again! 😝
I absolutely love the looks and finish on the godin and have been wanting to pick one up. But now that i know the nut is very narrow its 100% off my list
it's a thin and narrow neck
I can't tell if you're kidding or not. It's 0.03 inch thinner. Not 0.3. But 0.03. You really are not gonna notice that. I have a squier which has a 1.6 inch nut, so a full 0.05 thinner still, and I can't even notice it over my other guitars, tho some might. But this godin is so similar you will not be able to tell. In fact, try one out.
@@paulgordon6949 im an acoustic guy and classical. I purchased a couple classic 50s, tele and strat. I have so much trouble with chords on my electrics. The godin Is a little bit thinner than those.
Im happy with acoustic and will probably just stay there