Godin A6 vs PRS Piezo

[DoryDavis]

I've scoured the forum and read up on both guitars. I guess like many who want a hybrid, I'd like to switch between acoustic and electric sounds, and even combine them. This would be for stage use, normally bars and coffeeshops with ambient chatter. I'm not looking for a pure acousitc tone, close is fine.

I have a Multiac SA nylon, and love the neck on that. And have a Seagull dread, nice neck. So I like the Godin necks. However, on paper, the PRS neck sounds great and I know its a shorter scale. I'm looking to buy used, probably through GC, the prices are pretty close. I can't play either, I'd have to order.

Any recent thinking on the preferences between these 2 guitars? Oh, I bought and returned a T5z. Fantastic gutiar (I have a 712), but the neck was (way) too thin for me. That is why the PRS sounds promising with its wide fat neck. THANKS!

[Random1643]

Hi @DoryDavis - Just some thoughts from my experience.

• I've been gigging a lot with the Godin A6 for the last 4 years. (The pandemic only limited my gigging for a few months.) I like that it's slim and weighs 6 lbs. I keep this guitar in standard & drop tunings only. (I gig with a 2nd guitar kept in open G or D.)
• Agree about the Godin neck. Just so nice and friendly.
• I bought my A6 used in early-2020 for exactly half the price of a new one, "as new" with the protective film still in place.
• I think the piezo pickup sounds okay - we're not achieving deathless acoustic purity here, but it sounds like you are okay with that; that said, it is balanced and clear, serviceable. Godin's stock neck humbucker however IMHO was dark, murky, bass-heavy, pretty much unusable. I replaced it with a Lawrence/Wilde L-90, a clear, articulate & musical dual-rail Alnico 5 humbucker; the 2.0Henry option. Sounds awesome, esp for slide, and blends well with the piezo.
• The A6 has proven very reliable at gigs, but has needed a fair number of adjustments for intonation. 2-3 times a year. Maybe I'm just spoiled? I have a 2005 Simon & Patrick Woodland Parlor; bought new and never been adjusted, tweaked in any way ever. So IDK.
• At this point, at age 70 and dealing with major fretting hand issues, the A6 is the only long-scale guitar I gig with. It's got lighter strings now, the action has been minimized, etc. but I don't rule out replacing it at some point with a shorter-scale instrument.
• Same experience with the Taylor T5Z. There wasn't much I liked about that guitar for gigging.
• I have never played a PRS of any kind, so can't comment on that. Now I want to see if you get one and post about your experience. Particularly interested in the short-scale aspect.

[hotroad]

I played a PRS HOLLOWBODY and thought it was very inferior. I bought a Godin Montreal older model with Piezo and two humbuckers. It's a 2006 in mint. It vastly superior to the PRS. Just saying. It is heavy so i will be sitting down with it.

[DoryDavis]

Originally Posted by Random1643

Hi @DoryDavis - Just some thoughts from my experience.

• I've been gigging a lot with the Godin A6 for the last 4 years. (The pandemic only limited my gigging for a few months.) I like that it's slim and weighs 6 lbs. I keep this guitar in standard & drop tunings only. (I gig with a 2nd guitar kept in open G or D.)
• Agree about the Godin neck. Just so nice and friendly.
• I bought my A6 used in early-2020 for exactly half the price of a new one, "as new" with the protective film still in place.
• I think the piezo pickup sounds okay - we're not achieving deathless acoustic purity here, but it sounds like you are okay with that; that said, it is balanced and clear, serviceable. Godin's stock neck humbucker however IMHO was dark, murky, bass-heavy, pretty much unusable. I replaced it with a Lawrence/Wilde L-90, a clear, articulate & musical dual-rail Alnico 5 humbucker; the 2.0Henry option. Sounds awesome, esp for slide, and blends well with the piezo.
• The A6 has proven very reliable at gigs, but has needed a fair number of adjustments for intonation. 2-3 times a year. Maybe I'm just spoiled? I have a 2005 Simon & Patrick Woodland Parlor; bought new and never been adjusted, tweaked in any way ever. So IDK.
• At this point, at age 70 and dealing with major fretting hand issues, the A6 is the only long-scale guitar I gig with. It's got lighter strings now, the action has been minimized, etc. but I don't rule out replacing it at some point with a shorter-scale instrument.
• Same experience with the Taylor T5Z. There wasn't much I liked about that guitar for gigging.
• I have never played a PRS of any kind, so can't comment on that. Now I want to see if you get one and post about your experience. Particularly interested in the short-scale aspect.

Thanks for this response. This is the third instance where I have heard someone's disastisfaction with the humbucker in the A6 (along with a number of people that are happy with the guitar as is). I've zero desire to start modding a guitar I just need to take to gigs. Still, as you say the neck is great.

Yes, I wanted to like that T5 so badly, it arrived in great shape, not great but okay deal on it... i don't know why they make those necks so darn thin...

[DoryDavis]

Originally Posted by hotroad

I played a PRS HOLLOWBODY and thought it was very inferior. I bought a Godin Montreal older model with Piezo and two humbuckers. It's a 2006 in mint. It vastly superior to the PRS. Just saying. It is heavy so i will be sitting down with it.

Thanks for this response. Can you mention whey you felt the Godin vastly superior to the PRS? I know this PRS is made in China, and the few guitars I've tried of various brands of China origin have been fine, but to me uninspiring.

I looked at the Montreal's, those are cool guitars. Do you get a good 'acoustic' sound out of the piezo on yours?

[hotroad]

The reason i bought the Montreal is because the piezo provides the best acoustic tone of the many guitars I tried. It blends with the two humbuckers really well too. The acoustic tone can be eq'd with the separate on board sliders for good acoustic tone. I also use a LR Baggs preamp with eq etc. Cole Clark has a hybrid guitar that seems nice but costs a lot.

[DoryDavis]

Originally Posted by hotroad

The reason i bought the Montreal is because the piezo provides the best acoustic tone of the many guitars I tried. It blends with the two humbuckers really well too. The acoustic tone can be eq'd with the separate on board sliders for good acoustic tone. I also use a LR Baggs preamp with eq etc. Cole Clark has a hybrid guitar that seems nice but costs a lot.

Thanks. Yes, I saw that Cole Clark, and I think it sounds great. Beyond my budget at this point, and I am looking for a stage guitar that if I nick it up it is no big deal.