Simon & Patrick Woodland CW Cutaway and Trek Natural Solid Spruce SG
ROBERT GODIN RE-THINKS THE PRICE/VALUE EQUATION OF NORTH AMERICAN GUITARS.
Simon & Patrick is part of the Godin family of guitar brands designed and manufactured in Quebec, Canada, by Robert Godin and his team of committed luthiers. For over four decades, Godin has been passionately pursuing his dream of building better and better guitars – instruments for real people at realistic prices. To listen to him talk about guitars and construction techniques is to receive a master-level education on these subjects, and it’s all based on personal experience, solid research and an almost child-like sense of excited wonder.
Simon & Patrick - named after Robert’s sons - is one of a half dozen brands, each one having it’s own general type (electric or acoustic; nylon or steel) and price point. This particular marque represents traditional guitar types (dreadnoughts, folk, parlours) with fairly simple appointments. A recent change has been applied to the headstock, where the Martin-style squared-off shape has been modified with a soft and very classy curve.
INTO THE WOODLAND
The Woodland CW Spruce A3T a dreadnought with a solid spruce top sitting atop a dark-toned red wild cherry body (similar to mahogany), with a Venetian cutaway offering plenty of upper fret access. The satin silver leaf maple neck has an unbound rosewood board with simple dot markers, and the headstock has a nice maple reveal under the mahogany overlay. The Woodland is finished with a semi-gloss lacquer, with simple binding (front and back) and an unobtrusive rosette providing an understated, almost vintage appearance. The rosewood bridge is fitted with a compensated Graphtech saddle, and the headstock is fitted with lightweight Grover-style machines and a beautifully fitted and finished Graphtech nut.
Acoustically, the Woodland presents a nice balance between fingerstyle definition and “big rhythm” projection. The medium-small frets and the soft U-shaped neck are super comfy, and make for a great feel all the way along the neck. The bottom end has a tight, defined tone but still retains some of that typically dreadnought boom. The treble tone is rounded and pops out with a complex harmonic structure – a real surprise at this price point. Into a Fishman Loudbox Mini, the B-Band pickup/preamp system represents the Woodland’s acoustic sound very well. There’s no low-end flubbiness, and the mids have a warm and defined tonality that gives fingerpicked passages some extra body.
GET TREKKIN’
The Trek Natural SG, by contrast, is quite a different guitar. This is a new (and quite limited) series that addresses the need for a more affordable instrument while still providing a quality guitar. Cosmetically simpler, its light-coloured wild cherry body combines with a maple neck for a brighter and livelier response all round. The Trek continues the semi-gloss finish theme, but the appointments (binding, headstock construction, rosette, etc.) are pared down. However, the Trek SG retains Simon & Patrick’s usual features: rosewood bridge and fingerboard, Graphtech nut and saddle, lightweight tuners (Grover-style buttons), a great fret job and a top quality pickup/preamp system – in this case, a Fishman Isys+.
The U-shaped neck is very comfortable, and there’s plenty of neck-to-body resonance to feel through the hands and ribs. Strummed, the Trek has a bright voice that cuts through a band mix beautifully. The bass is tight and never woolly, and the feedback threshold is quite high. As a fingerstyle guitar, the Trek excels in note definition. Even complex chords hang together nicely – plugged in or unplugged.
The Woodland is a great all-rounder – especially if you love fingerpicking. Its voice is warm and inviting, ideally suited to the troubadour-type who wants to pick a little, strum a little, and hear their own voice within the chorus of other acoustic guitars.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It’s great to see the Godin luthiers produce great-sounding, well-built guitars at such a friendly price – and the left-handed versions are about the same price! You might have to look around for these instruments (ask your local music store, or try Harvey Norman or The School Locker) but it’s worth the effort. This is the way most guitars should be built: simple and to the point.