Gibson vs. Godin - Acoustic Guitar Comparison | Brickhouse Guitars

Roger Schmidt compares the new Godin Metropolis LTD Natural acoustic guitar with a Gibson Hummingbird Custom Shop Mystic Rosewood Dreadnought.
--------------------- Godin Gibson
Fingerstyle: 1:48 2:32
Flatpicking: 3:23 3:46
Strumming: 4:19 5:11
Conclusions 6:03
Can you describe the differences you hear?
Godin Metropolis LTD Natural EQ
$1695 CAD includes TRIC case and LR Baggs Anthem SL electronics
Gibson Hummingbird Custom Mystic Rosewood Dreadnought
$4500 CAD (estimated sell price)
Shop our website at brickhouseguitars.com
CONNECT WITH US!
Please subscribe to our KZbin Channel
Follow us Instagram: / brickhouseguitars
Like us on Facebook: / brickhouseguitars
Contact us at Brickhouse Guitars for more information.
E-mail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]

[@Denon395]

two magnificent guitars. The Gibson sounds a little louder and brighter, the Godin sounds a little softer with a smoother and warmer sound. I much prefer the Godin, besides, I intend to acquire it.

[@wilwaren8571]

the godin is indeed neat 👌

[@Derek-rv3ee]

Not a fair comparison, totally different tone woods, but holy crap that godin sounds amazing

[@ishaancurtis620]

pro tip: watch movies at Kaldrostream. Me and my gf have been using them for watching all kinds of movies recently.

[@prestonjasper9357]

@Ishaan Curtis Yea, I've been watching on Kaldrostream for months myself =)

[@musicandthewalk]

Wow loved the Godin. Sounds more refined and balanced

[@chrismaloney1905]

i don't think you could make any guitar sound bad they way you play....beautiful man! For the price point, that godin is incredible! WOW!

[@StonebridgeGuitars]

Many thanks! Cheers. Roger

[@zororosario]

The Godin is Magnificent what a rich sound! The price point compared to the Gibson is the kicker. Thanks for the video ,Cheers from B.C.

[@louissimonouellet]

the Godin has a more balanced sound and it shows in fingerpicking nice to see Godin can make such a great instrument and best value for the money

[@rogerschmidt615]

Thanks for having a listen and sharing your impressions. Cheers. Roger

[@Mrsaittout]

I’m looking and I tried yesterday the Metropolis Classic, I have actually Norman B50! Big dream about Godin!

[@baeghursty]

Great comparison!! And playing! I picked the Godin on the first play through as clear winner and pretty much a tie for the other two play throughs. But what that really says is Godin wins when comparing price points!!!!

[@BrickhouseGuitarsKitchener]

Thanks for your insights! Cheers.

[@scookie5569]

Thanks for the comparison! Its rosewood vs. mahogany here but the Godin is holding its own. The Hummingsbird seeems a bit louder.

[@BrickhouseGuitarsKitchener]

It's true the back and sides are different, so not the perfect comparison. I would agree the Gibson has more volume at points.

[@trenthogan4212]

I'm buying that Godin. I played one today and it absolutely blew me away. It sounded almost Identical to the Martin D28 I played just before that cost $4,000+

[@AcousticHunter]

That Gibson warmed my soul 🤯😍

[@wireman9560]

I own a Godin acoustic and I love it BUT, that gibson does sound beautiful

[@johnmorrell]

gorgeous playing. You can make any guitar sing.

[@BrickhouseGuitarsKitchener]

Thank you kindly! Cheers.

[@williamsmith4607]

These have different tone woods. They both sound great and look great. The Gibson is fuller and brighter with louder bass probably because of the rosewood back and squared shoulders. Like them both -can have two Godins or a seagull artist and a godin for the price of the Gibson. Sweet comparison.

[@markhansen8078]

The Godin sounds very good but the Hummingbird is incredible. Wow. It doesn't seem fair. I was blown away by the Hummingbird. Thank you for the comparisons. Nice playing too.

[@fouellet1701]

I just got the Metropolis LTD in Havana Burst, the cedar top brings different tones, an awesome guitar for its price. It also looks terrific.

[@CrownedForCreation]

That’s awesome! I was looking at the same Godin you got. Are you still enjoying it?

[@fouellet1701]

@@CrownedForCreation : Yes, still my acoustic of choice.

[@Andy-dj3hg]

I'm waiting for the Godin Fairmount Rosewood LTD to come out in the end of Jan. 2020 to have a fair comparison. The price difference is substantial. Go Godin!

[@jeromeleoterry]

Just traded in my Taylor 324ce and picked up the Godin Metropolis LTD Havana Burst. I just couldn't stand the ES2 expression system in the Taylor. Loving the Godin so far. Great review!

[@BParker55]

I just played one of these. I was blown away by how full that sound really is. The vid isn't doing it justice.

[@drewkingson]

the Godin sounds great as does your playing - my style exactly

[@bluedan66music55]

Godin means a quality of craft and quality of the sound.

[@davidknowler4719]

I have the godin , its amazing , mine has a semi mat neck as well . lr baggs is great . so for the money the godin wins hands down . love from West Wales .

[@jimsliverootsculturemusic]

I am really sold on that Gibson. Though I do have a SeaGull Walnut 12-string that I love.

[@tibidonjacques]

Great comparison indeed for cosmetic aspects, but i think the Godin is a magohany dreadnought with more slope shoulder than the Gibson which is rosewood dreadnought with square shoulder.

[@fouellet1701]

Thanks for the video! Two great guitars, but Godin being all Canadian, that's what I would pick (pun intended)! Note: for the price of the Gibson custom you can get two Godin and have some money left!

[@stimpsonjcat67]

I am a n00b with little to add but DAMN Roger you are gifted. I own the following 'Godin' guitars: S6+CW I added both a bridge pup and a set of pads to. An S12. An XTSA I have no right to own...but...just damn. And an ACS SA. The cedar tops these people make are simply magick. Somewhere between dark and rich. I'll fight buying a spruce as long as I can.

[@lowkiasoon]

i love both .. mother nature's woods.. but of cause I will buy value for money one ....

[@stevemyers2092]

i own godin's love them. The gibson dred sounds a lot brighter while retaining the base/mids - nicer sounding guitar, however likely 2x as much $$

[@ronbzoom8531]

Considering that the Gibson Hummingbird is well over twice the cost of the Godin, I'd say the Godin holds its own fairly well. After all, a top of the line Miatta is still no match for your average Maserati. But the Miatta can still be one fun ride.

[@treetopher9342]

The intonation up the neck was better on the Godin. It was softer and warmer. Gibson was more bold and powerful with better low end, but the highs were a bit unflattering. I find that highs are a bit sharp with rosewood though.

[@jed1166]

Apples vs. oranges.... square shoulder vs. slope shoulder, mahogany vs. rosewood, $1700usd vs. $5000ish ? All that being said, I like the sound of the Metropolis. Already have a nice Takamine P4DC spruce dreadnought, so will probably buy the Metropolis Cedar!

[@FrankSpeer66]

The Gibson is more Three-Dimensional, more ALIVE, more breath.

[@mikepj1025]

My question is, what frets do the Godin/Seagull lines use? I had a Seagull Original S6 years ago and I loved it but the frets seemed smaller to me than other guitars. I now have a Seagull Maritime SWS and I absolutely love it all except the frets. May seem weird but if you don’t fret perfectly, you get a buzz or a satire sound. The guitar is top notch craftsmanship wise but I may get it re fretted.

[@williamsmith4607]

The Gibson frets are better. I own a flock of seagulls - my only complaint - the frets just do not last.

[@mikepj1025]

@@williamsmith4607 I agree. I find the smaller frets Seagull uses are the weak point of the guitar.

[@blackbirdpie217]

The Gibson has a significantly bigger bottom end- more bass in tone. However it's lacking in the highs. I've always felt that way about the Hummingbird model over the J-45. The Godin has the highs and slightly less bottom end. The Gibson is probably better as a rhythm guitar and I'd choose the Godin for fingerpicking or melodies. I think they're both great, the Gibson is a more familiar sound to me. I wish they could both have the upper and lower tones more equally. If they h ad a J-45 I'd like to hear that along with the other two. My guess it's got it. The pickguard on the Hummingbird is so big it kills tone I think.

[@rogerschmidt615]

Thanks for your great comments. Cheers.

[@flivverj7934]

that song is beautiful

[@jorgetrimboli]

Great

[@JJMMWGDuPree]

Curious. To these ears the Gibson wins right up to the end of all three pieces, at which point the Godin has a much nicer closedown. What I would really like to hear is a comparison between two guitars at the same price point.

[@kundziu6]

Good review….of two different guitars (different wood! ) and wish you played not on dropped tuning ( great playing though:)). Personally I like mahogany softer tone Considering price difference Godin is a easy winner

[@AGC828]

The Godin more than held it's own. Don't know how much the Gibson is sold for but I'd assume double? Proves you don't NEED to spend a lot for a decent guitar. More so for new players. Not bad for a $1800 guitar.

[@bobaldo2339]

He does not say when he is using the pickup and when he is not. The Godin, I believe has a 16" Martin-like fretboard radius. The Hummingbird, of course, has the Gibson traditional 12" fretboard radius. The resulting sound, however it was made, sounds good on both guitars. The Gibson sounds like a Gibson. The Godin has its own sound - does not sound like a Gibson. And I believe it really is of exceptional value. The Gibson he used in the demo probably costs at least twice as much

[@im58woody]

To my ears the Godin is more balanced over the bottom, kids, and highs. The Gibson like most commented wins on total bass tone. I like the look of the Godin better and it sure is the price winner. Resale value is what will hurt the Godin.

[@denniskwong9458]

The Hummingbird looks like a bigger guitar?

[@jed1166]

@@denniskwong9458 it is bigger... wider at both the lower bout, and especially the upper bout. Square shoulder vs. slope shoulder.

[@BadOmenRGV]

gotta keep them kids balanced

[@im58woody]

@@BadOmenRGV for sure lol 😂

[@hollistermattraw2465]

I am not Taylor Swift, so I will go with the Godin.

[@sooparticular]

u look like Taylor

[@eekamoose]

Great comparison (although as you recognize, comparing different woods of course gives different results). Listening on decent headphones (AKG Q701s) the Gibson sounds exactly like a decent Hummingbird sounds. Very authentically captured, great job. I've just bought a Seagull S6 from the Godin range and I like it. It doesn't sound anywhere near as refined as the two Guild D-25s, (one flatback and one archback) that I tend to play every day but it has different woods and fits in a different price bracket so that is to be expected. I like everything about Robert Godin's approach to building guitars while on the other hand I think that Gibson is managed by a bunch of nasty corporate lawyers and other forms of creep these days so sadly I will never even think about buying a Gibson. Hummingbirds are still excellent guitars, even the ones that are being produced with the woods that are available these days, but the Gibson company makes my flesh crawl. For the above reasons I really wanted to the Godin to be as good as (or almost as good as) the Gibson. But to my ears and to my preferences and despite my hatred of the foul Gibson Brands, Inc. I think that the Hummingbird which is nearly three times more expensive also sounds nearly three times better. By comparison with the Gibson the Godin sounds weaker, flatter and less full of rich tones to my ears, whether it is played with fingers or a pick.

[@Plekteret04]

I like the Godin Metropolis best, because it has a sweeter mellow sound. The Gibson Hummingbird has a harder and not so enjoyable sound. Some more expensive guitar this.

[@jerryodom7358]

I’ve had Godin nylon string guitars that were exactly same sound and tone as the most expensive Taylor guitars for a huge difference in price…Godin used= 600.00..

[@clear_destination]

Both excellent and great sounding guitars . My budget and caliber of playing does not justify a Gibson . I also support Canadian made as much as possible , we all know Godin is made in Quebec , right ? And with the exchange rate of 25 percent on the Canadian dollar , what is there to not like about a quality made Canadian instrument . Godin have two videos on You Tube , on the making of their guitars , most impressive .

[@mikepj1025]

I love my Seagull Maritime SWS and I loved my S6 Original. To get the feel and tone of much more expensive brands in a much more affordable guitar is amazing. I wish Seagull were more widely available. Godin and the other acoustic lines are nowhere to be found in the US.

[@placeballsonchin]

What? Seagulls and Godins are everywhere here in the U.S.?

[@mikepj1025]

@@placeballsonchin We may get a few models here and there but to actually be able to try the whole line, nowhere to be found. What guitar store has the full line of seagull or Godin? Online yes.

[@pikerdpike747]

To me the Gibson sounds brighter while the Godin sounds warmer. Any one of these 2 would work for me

[@quantumeseboy]

Godins are awesome.

[@TomasAWalker53]

I'm sure you had reasons for picking a Gibson Hummingbird but I feel now having listened that perhaps the J45 might have been a more fair comparison. Looking at the price difference blows my mind as there surely isn't a case to be made that the Gibson is $2800. better than the Godin. Not by a long shot. This only reaffirms my position that Gibson is still overpricing their guitars. They do have their yearly continent wide sales and specials which no other company does. I'm very proud to be able to buy quality Canadian guitars from Godin's long line of great guitars at very reasonable prices.

[@BrickhouseGuitarsKitchener]

Thanks for your thoughts. We simply picked the Hummingbird out of convenience. We had it in our shop at the time. Cheers.

[@moonobservergilles5730]

I would buy Godin any day.

[@jonathanpope5068]

I think the gibson sounds more even, but the godin has better dynamics and mids. If I was playing alone gibson sounds smooth, with a band godin probably cuts through better.

[@donald-parker]

I feel you failed to deal with 2 key points. Playability/feel and price. You mentioned the Godin price but not the Gibson. I assume it is probably 2 or 3 times the Godin, but that is an important factor you left out. Also, comparing the onboard electronics (or lack thereof) deserved more detail. You sort of mentioned the Godin system but did not mention the Gibson at all. For a performing musician, more detail on the electronics is important. For sound and flexibility. And if the Gibson has no electronics, its kind of a stupid comparison. These instruments are targeting completely different needs.

[@davidthorton1068]

Gibson your able to do a neck reset gordin seagul the neck to body construction is very poor, and they use epoxy to rest the neck, so they end up being throw away guitars

[@moonobservergilles5730]

BOth guitars sound good.

[@Bigasstbone]

Gibson sounds much better but you're also spending nearly three times the amount

[@joacogaray]

I thought I was going to like the Godin better, but the Gibson has a much richer and warmer sound

[@timharris4249]

Godin is cleaner in sound. Get your ears checked or un bias

[@whitefoamsea8070]

The pickguard on the Godin is a disgrace.

[@dakas74]

Gibson has full sound, but not as much reasonance and sustain as the Godin. Godin sparkles more on the top end.

[@catnapgee5357]

Godin slightly quieter but just way more balanced and over all ... better

[@hissingbeatles499]

Gibson was nuts, but it's not really a fair comparison. The Godin did better than Gibson could ever do in the same price range.

[@James-oh1wp]

Gibson sounds richer to my ears … you also have to be richer to afford that over the Godin:)

[@walterwoodpecker5869]

I'm Canadian and own two Godin guitars. I don't believe that this particular Godin holds up to the Hummingbird. Not even close. Sorry.

[@ramspencer5492]

They have distinctively different voices.... If you want the Gibson sound... The Gibson has that..... The Godin does not... It's not a better sounding guitar .. Just different.

[@theone262]

Gibson is better sounding in my opinion

[@tmc5158]

Not fair but I think if we going to compare then Gibson blew the Godin away.

[@jrileycain6220]

As beautiful as the Godin is to my ear the Gibson has more clarity

[@idessaoutlaw]

🌴Gibson smoked it🎸🎶✌️😎👍🌴

[@quantumeseboy]

Is it me or is Gibson out of tune?