Godin Summit Classic SG

Godin Summit Classic SG

Guitar Interactive star rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

MSRP (UK) £659 (US) $TBC

PROS

Elegant good looks.

Superb playability.

Very competitively priced.

CONS

Hard case option would be nice.

SPECS

Canadian Laurentian Basswood Body

Maple Neck

Rosewood Fingerboard

Semi-Gloss Finish

Godin looks to pack both bark and bite with lively and rich tones with the Summit Classic SG Matte. Featuring a Canadian Laurentian Basswood body and Ergocut Rosewood fingerboard, Phil Short gives us a full rundown on this exciting release from the highly respected Canadian guitar builders.

Godin has a long legacy of designing elegant and highly functional instruments. From their beautiful 5th Avenue archtops to their all-singing-all-dancing multivoice instruments, Godin guitars are masterclasses in both high tech appointments and high-end design. The Summit Classic SG is an altogether different beast. Sporting a stout mahogany neck set into a flat-topped basswood body and furnished with a simple wraparound bridge and a pair of humbuckers, it’s pretty clear we’re dealing with a stripped back rock machine.

Before we go any further, it’s worth noting that our demo model came fitted with Fishman’s exceptional Open Core Fluence pickups in place of the Godin Classic Humbuckers usually fitted to this model. As such, I won’t be spending a lot of time talking about tones in this review, but be sure to check out the separate review of the Open Core Fluence pickups featured in GI issue 66.

Visually, the Summit SG Classic is a lot “tougher” than most of Godin’s offerings, but still exhibits the same “classy” vibe as it’s more cultured cousins. The headstock text is delightfully understated, and the matte green finish is reminiscent of classic British sports cars. The unbound neck with its simple dot inlays only adds to the minimalist aesthetic, drawing more attention to the beauty of the woods and the body finish.

The neck itself is a joy to hold, with a profile that’s full and round but not excessively clubby. The frets are fairly tall and fat, which make for a very slick playing experience once we lowered the action a hair. We were able to achieve our preferred height of 1.4mm on the treble side and 1.8mm on the bass side with a simple adjustment of the wraparound bridge, without so much as a hint of rattle or buzz from the frets. This, combined with the ergonomic contours of the basswood body, makes the Summit SG Classic a guitar that’s very hard to put down.

The Godin Summit SG Classic is a very classy, no-nonsense instrument that’s at home in just about any musical setting - both visually and sonically. The price tag puts it within reach of most players, so there’s no excuse for not trying one!