Godin XTSA User manual

Congratulations and thank you for choosing
a Godin guitar. Each Godin guitar is metic-
ulously crafted from the finest materials to
provide you with an instrument worthy of a
lifetime of music making.
Our goal with each Godin guitar is to find
the perfect balance between the finest tradi-
tions of guitar crafting, the new design con-
cepts that we are developing and the inte-
gration of the latest developments in related
electronics. From the selection of the wood
to the final adjustments to the finished
instrument, each Godin guitar is designed
and built by people who love guitars.
Enjoy your new guitar.
XtSA
The xtSA is a multi-voiced guitar. A jack-of-all-trades, and
master of all of them, the xtSA's incredible sound power
begins with three distinct voices: electric guitar, acoustic guitar
and synth controller.
*Throughout this manual we refer to the humbuckers as mag-
netics.The acoustic pickups found on the xtSA are referred to
as bridge transducers.
Acoustics
Electric guitars are actually acoustic instruments. Perhaps not
particularly loud, but the point here is that if a solid body guitar
does not sound good un-plugged then it won't be saved by a
great set of pickups and a good amp. There are many factors
that contribute to the un-plugged sound of a solid body guitar
but most of the response of the instrument comes as a result
of the wood used along with fit and finish.
Godin guitars are made using only solid wood. Guitars made
from plywood or particle-board tend to lack sustain and can be
somewhat muffled sounding.
Body
The body of the xtSA is made from a blend of two tone-
woods. A center of silver leaf maple serves as an anchor for
the neck and is flanked by yellow poplar sidepieces.The top is
covered with a figured maple veneer (Leaftop).
Neck Fit/Pitch
The angle of the neck attachment - called pitch - has a huge
impact on sound, a slight tilt forward will cause the guitar to
sound boomy, a slight tilt backwards can make the guitar
sound tinny. Equally important is the fit of the neck into the
body. Godin guitars are renowned for tight-fitting neck attach-
ments that support excellent neck/body energy transfer and
precise neck pitch.
Neck
Honduras Mahogany has a long history as the tone-wood of
choice for acoustic guitar necks. The same properties that
give mahogany its appeal in an acoustic guitar namely a warm
harmonically rich sound have a similar effect in a solid body
electric guitar.
Ergocut
The xtSA neck features our Ergocut shaping technique which
bevels the edges of the fingerboard and frets back in towards
the center of the fingerboard providing an extremely comfort-
able “worn-in” feel.
Ebony Fingerboard
The ebony fingerboard on the xtSA not only contributes to a
more focused sound, but also helps to optimize the guitar's
synth tracking capabilities.

The Electric Voices
The xtSA delivers electric sounds via the Godin humbucker-
single-humbucker pick-up configuration and thanks to a spe-
cial 5-way switch set-up, extra meaty humbucker tones co-
exist with glassy single coil sounds in the second and forth
position.
The Acoustic and Synth Voices
Turn down the electric volume and raise the volume on the
RMC transducer saddles and the xtSA becomes an incredibly
authentic-sounding 'acoustic' guitar.The acoustic voice of the
xtSA is enhanced by an onboard preamp with a three-way
graphic EQ.The two outputs are set up so that the electric
and acoustic voices can be blended in the guitar using a sin-
gle patch cord or at the amp/mixer using both outputs.The
third voice on the xtSA comes in the form of its synth tracking,
which simply put, is the best in the business. As with all of
Godin synth-ready instruments, a built-in 13-pin connector
provides direct access to all Roland GR-Series synths as well
as most other 13-pin devices.
Tone
Volume
Custom Godin Pickups
Pos. 1 - A,B
Pos. 2 - A,B,C
Pos. 3 - C
Pos. 4 - C,D,E
Pos. 5 - D,E
The xtSA features 3 output jacks:
Output #1 is a regular 1/4" electric guitar output
Output #2 is a 13-Pin output and is capable of carrying all three
voices (electric, acoustic, synth). The 13-pin cable can be used
in conjunction with GR Series guitar synths and most other 13-
pin devices.
Output #3 is a dual function jack. Used on its own it serves as
a mix output carrying the signal from the acoustic bridge trans-
ducers as well as the magnetic pickups. Separate volume con-
trols on the guitar make it easy to mix the two signals.
When an additional cable is inserted into output # 1 (electric
output) the magnetic pickup signal is removed from the mix out-
put so that there is now a separate output for both the magnetic
and bridge transducer pickup systems.
3 Outputs - 3 cords
You can use all three outputs to carry out the dedicated signal
into three different channels or amp sources.
*tip: when all three outputs are used you can insert a dummy
plug into the “guitar out” jack on the guitar synth to remove the
guitar from the synths’s stereo output.
three-way selector
momentary S1/S2
Volume
Treble
Mid
Bass
Synth Volume
A
B
C
D
E
Pos. 1
Pos. 5

Mini toggle switches
There are two mini toggle switches on the guitar.
Switch #1 is a three-way pick-up selector that allows you to
switch between the acoustic/electric and synth voices.
This switch is designed to work with the 13-pin connection as
follows:
Position 1: Acoustic/Electric
Position 2: Acoustic/Electric/synth sounds
Position 3: Synth only
*The mini 3-way switch is disabled as described above when using 1/4"
jacks.
Switch #2 is a momentary switch. A momentary switch always
springs back to its starting position, which in this case, is the
center position.The momentary switch duplicates the func-
tions of the S1/S2 buttons from Roland's GK pickup. (See your
Roland GR manual for details).This switch can be assigned to
access the tuner, wah pedal, or to select sounds (patches) on
the synth. Clicking the momentary switch downwards dupli-
cates the S1 function and clicking it upwards duplicate the S2
function.
Care and Maintenance
To avoid drying out your fingerboard apply lemon oil on a soft
cloth and then to your fingerboard. Allow the ebony to soak in
the oil for a few minutes before removing the excess.This
should be done with the strings removed and at least once
every year. The easiest way to keep your guitar clean is by
simply using a polishing cloth without using any polishes at all.
However if you are going to use a polish please use a non-
abrasive non-wax based polish. Apply the polish on a cloth
first. Do not spray it directly on to the guitar. After you have
polished the area you are working on turn the cloth over to a
'dry' side and remove any excess residue.
Additional information
Tuners
The xtSA features front-loaded
locking tuners for easy string
change and better intonation.
Simply turn the locking tuner
counter clock-wise to loosen,
insert string, tighten the lock-
ing tuner by turning clock-wise
and you're ready to tune.
Pre-Amp
The built in active pre-amp for
the bridge transducers is pow-
ered by a single 9-volt battery accessible via a small compart-
ment on the back of the guitar.The pre-amp is activated when
the guitar is plugged in.Therefore, to avoid draining the bat-
tery please make sure to disconnect your cable when the gui-
tar will not be used for a extended period of time. If the sound
of the bridge transducers begin to sound thin or fuzzy, a bat-
tery change is overdue. Battery life is approximately 300
hours.
Double functionTruss Rod
The xtSA's neck is reinforced by a sophisticated truss rod sys-
tem, the truss rod provides for easy adjustment when the neck
reacts to changes in relative humidity.Truss rod adjustments
should only be made by a qualified guitar technician.

The Godin Guitar Company,
19420 Avenue Clark-Graham, Baie D’Urfe Quebec Canada H9X 3R8
www.godinguitars.com
Strap Pins
The xtSA comes with factory installed Schaller locking strap
pins. If you do not have a strap with the corresponding
"female" lockers you can purchase them at any music store.
Additional specifications
Top nut:Tusq by Graphtech
Nut width: 1 11/16"
Scale: 25 1/2"
Radius: 16"
Tuners: High ratio front-loaded locking tuners.
String Gauge: Godin Nickel electric strings 10-46
Frets: Medium Nickel
Pickups: Godin GHN1 (Neck) GS1 (Middle) GHB1 (Bridge)
Bridge: Transducers and pre-amp: RMC custom Poly-Drive
system.
Body: Silver leaf maple center with white poplar wings capped
with a Flame Maple leaftop.
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
*Specs subject to change without prior notice.
All Godin guitars are assembled in Berlin NH, USA from parts crafted in La Patrie,
QC, Canada.