Godin Montreal Premiere - One of the Best Semis?

**Tcaron20** · 04-30-2017, 02:59 PM

I have been waiting to pull the trigger on a used Sadowsky but they are rarely available and frankly I'm not sure that I need one. The Godin Montreal Premiere Supreme looks really nice. And actually the Premiere looks nice also.

would I or you be happy with a new Supreme over a used Sadowsky?

Any opinions?

thanks,

tom

**Jim Soloway** · 04-30-2017, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tcaron20

I have been waiting to pull the trigger on a used Sadowsky but they are rarely available and frankly I'm not sure that I need one. The Godin Montreal Premiere Supreme looks really nice. And actually the Premiere looks nice also.

would I or you be happy with a new Supreme over a used Sadowsky?

Any opinions?

thanks,

tom

Interesting question and one I've thought about recently. The Sadowsky 15 comes in both a semi-hollow and a true hollow but for this comparison I think you really have to restrict the Sadowsky to the semi-hollow to keep it as a direct match/alternative.

The Montreal Premiere also comes in a few variations. None are a perfect match. The Supreme has a trapeze tailpiece (vs the tuneomatic tailpiece on the Sadowsky while the standard Montreal Premiere HB has an unbound fingerboard (vs bound on both the Sadowsky and the MP Supreme). Since I have the Montreal Premiere HB, I use that as the comparison. I need to also point out that I have never played either the Sadowsky or the MP Supreme, so I can't comment on the actual playing experience.

They're actually remarkably similar in design. They both feature an almost identical body size and shape, a mahogany neck with a rosewood board, a 1 11/16 nut width, a 24.75" scale length, a single volume and tone control for both pickups, a rosewood fingerboard, dot position markers, a weight relieved center block, chrome hardware, and two humbucker pickups.

The most obvious differences between the two are the body woods, the pickups, some of the construction methods and the price.

The bodies on both guitars are thin multiply laminates. The Sadowsky uses figured maple while the Godin uses the much less common Canadian Wild Cherry. The Cherry is not figured so the appearance is much less ornate but this is the third guitar that I've had from Godin made with this wood and all three were both light weight and excellent sounding guitars so in my mind, the advantage of maple over cherry is strictly cosmetic.

The pickups in the Sadowsky are listed as custom Sadowsky's but I believe they are actually custom DiMarzio's based on their very high quality 36th Anniversary PAF. The pickups in the Montreal Premiere HB depend on when it was made. Until very recently, they used a Korean-made, Godin-labeled generic humbucker (I believe the Supreme always came with US made Duncans). That's a big advantage to the Sadowsky but one that is easy negated by a pickup upgrade in the Godin. The newest versions of the Godin (including mine) come with US made Seymour Duncan's with an Alnico II in the neck and a 59 in the bridge. I would probably still prefer the Sadowsky pickups but the difference is now much smaller (and much more subjective).

I'm told that the construction on the Sadowsky is both outstanding and very traditional. Based on my guitar, the quality on the Godin is also very solid but there are a few modern industrial processes that Godin uses on all of their guitars that some people dislike, most noticeably a spliced heel and headstock. These are much less obvious on the Montreal than on the 5th Avenue models but nonetheless, they are there.

Then there's the price and that is easily the biggest difference between the two. Based on US prices, the Sadowsky is about three times the price of the Godin. That pretty much kills the comparison for me. I get tremendous joy from my Godin and it's a wonderful guitar to play. The Sadowsky may well be a better sounding guitar but given how good my Montreal Premiere sounds the difference can't be that great and given how well the Godin plays, I don't believe the Sadowsky can be a better playing guitar. I don't think I could ever justify spending three times as much for that small a difference.

I've seen some wonderful videos of the Sadowsky and I always thought it would be a great guitar to own but I've spent almost two months playing the Godin every day and I am really thrilled with it to the point where it gets almost 100% of my playing time. I can understand wanting the Sadowsky but the Godin is making me a very happy player.

**Tcaron20** · 04-30-2017, 05:51 PM

Thanks for your detailed response and also for the tasteful YouTubes.

I have a chance to get a Supreme for the price of a used MP Premiere so I am going for it.

Happy to be joining the Godin family of owners!

Tom C

**Naquat** · 04-30-2017, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Bluedawg

With a US wife and I assume a "green card" ... You might also consider places like Flagstaff, Show Low, Springerville, Sedona or Bisbee Arizona ... also Santa Fe, NM might be a cool place to try out.

Somewhere far enough south to be warm and high enough in elevation to be tolerable in the summer ... and without the humidity of the coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico

And without the California cost of living

At least Jalisco is the home of Tequila .. if you go for that stuff

One has to be careful about some states. Parts of Colorado, NM, AZ, CA, South TX and a number of others may be not be the place to move because water is an issue. Many of them get their water pumped in from the Colorado River or from Washington and Oregon areas because they don't get enough rainfall. One good year isn't going to change that. The cost of water in those areas is sure to steadily increase over the next 10-20 years. One needs to do some research before moving to many S.W. US States.

**Tcaron20** · 05-01-2017, 08:31 AM

So I bought a Supreme after a lot of research on a 15" semi. Went through the 17" gas for a while and had an Aria New Yorker. Just too big and a one trick pony. Got an Eastman ER1 and it satisfied by Jazz box needs. Very deep sounding guitar. Putting new Manlius pup in it for a bit more detail.

The Godin should fill the gap in my arsenal without breaking the bank.

I got over the build attributes a few years ago and just look for comfortable playing guitars and tone. If man made materials are used to substitute for banded materials, etc., it's ok with me. Many cheap guitars that play well such as Epiphones do not finish the fret ends which drives me nuts. That's not a setup issues, it is a build issue.

Also so went through a phase where I only played hand built tube amps. My favorite is my Carr Rambler. The new Boss Katana 100 changed that. Inexpensive, Asian made, but a very playable and versatile amp for $329.00.

So anyway, looking forward to getting the Supreme soon and will report on it here once it arrives.

Tom c

**Tcaron20** · 05-08-2017, 04:01 PM

Just got my new/used Montreal Premiere Supreme which is in mint condition and a dream to play. Strings were too light so I put flat wound 11s on it. Love the neck, action balance and looks. Case is funky but works really well.

While I mad happy with the look and feel the tone seems thin to me even with the Seymores. I hear that Godins can sound thin but I figured it was the overseas pups that were the cause.

Are the Montreal Premieres generally tones for a higher range sound? I was hoping for a nice Jazz tone but I am not finding it even through my Polytone Mini Brute. Am thinking about a pups swap but maybe I am missing something?

thanks,

tom

**drbhrb** · 05-08-2017, 05:08 PM

I tend to keep acquiring Godins and Seagulls. For my budget I feel no one else comes close. Sure there are boutique builders that make "nicer" guitars but Godin stuff is north american made, has the sound, and is affordable. I like that they don't go crazy with appointments - they put the cost of the instrument where it really matters. Eyeing up a Godin or Seagull mandolin next.

**Uncle Micky** · 03-11-2021, 02:00 PM

I've owned my Montreal Premiere for over five years now and it's still every bit as wonderful as when it was purchased new.

After using it with a number of amps and with and without all kinds of effects, the guitar never comes up short. I think you can use it very successfully for almost any kind of music.

I now worship the ground Robert Godin floats over for answering my prayers for a guitar like this.

I wish Godin offered a solid case for this model. I bought the TRIC case and the zipper broke. A shoe repair shop fixed if for forty bucks so that wasn't too bad but a better case design would be appreciated.

I love my MP so much I'm looking for another with the Bigsby.

Perhaps the only other guitar that can be used for all kinds of music and be so versatile would be the venerable Telecaster. But you can't control feedback on a Tele the way you can with the MP. The MP can get wonderful sounding feedback if desired. I found out on stage by accident but it's so easily controllable I just went with it and produced some very usable and musical feedback sounds.

After five years living in a cabin in a place with harsh winters, varying humidity and temperates the MP is still rock solid and stable like the day I bought it. Never needed to adjust the truss rod once, so far. Plays and sounds like a dream come true.

Godin understands musician's requirements and they exceed them, a true "Quality" company that cares. I'll never sell it.

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-11-2021, 03:22 PM

Glad you like it. I have a 5th Avenue which I like quite a bit, and have played several Premieres over the years. It's good to know they still make it...they are probably the only major manufacturer making quality archtops (and semis, other than the Gibson 335) in North America these days.

I don't see the Composer and Jazz on their website, so I guess these have fallen by the wayside, but there are still a lot of 5th Avenue variants for every taste.

https://godinguitars.com/product-category/electrics/5th-avenue