Norman Guitars by Godin (Seagull) sounded good

Started by bluesman67, August 24, 2007, 06:59:11 AM

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They are from Canada and made my the company that owns Seagull.  I think they sound great for the money.  I liked the tone a little more than the S6 Seagull.  It was still a warm tone and when I hit some chords, it seemed to project the tones more clearly.  It could have just been the strings too.  Either way, they sounded very similar to the Seagull's.

Anyone one ever heard/played/owns a Norman guitar?
bluesman67
HOGTOP CHARLOTTE

www.reverbnation.com/hogtopcharlotte

I've got a Norman B20 folk guitar that's about 3 years old. VERY temperamental neck that requires seasonal adjustment. I don't know if this is common to Norman or just an anomoly. My guitar room is appropriately humidified and the other 5 guitars in my house are rock solid. It's a nice little guitar for what it is, but the constant neck adjustments are driving me nuts.

Well I think I'll give it a go.  I was really liking the tone and feel of this one,  B18 w/ a cedar top and fake cherry back/sides.  Very loud, a warm tone, but the chords also stay together very nicely, more so than the couple Seagulls I tried out.
bluesman67
HOGTOP CHARLOTTE

www.reverbnation.com/hogtopcharlotte

I've always liked Seagull better than Norman or Art & Lutherie. But I bought my son a Simon & Patrick that's at least as good as Seagull. Godin makes great guitars.

Those guitars are a very good deal, no matter which one you buy.
And not made in Taiwan or Korea or China or Mexico.
and yes, they do sound good.
dave

Well, I bought it and have enjoyed it all weekend.  It fills a good void for me.  I am totally happy with it, we'll see about any adjustment problems with it, hopefully they have corrected that problem.  Comparing it to a Seagull S6, Seagull S6+, Seagull Folk, Yamaha, Alverez dread, and Crafter cedar dread...here's how I ranked them best at the top:

Norman B18
All Seagulls (a very close 2nd)
Yamaha
Crafter
Alverez

...all lefties too.
bluesman67
HOGTOP CHARLOTTE

www.reverbnation.com/hogtopcharlotte

Quote from: bluesman67 on August 24, 2007, 08:40:24 PM
a cedar top and fake cherry back/sides. 

Not fake.
Real cherry, but laminated.
L-04 koa
L-03-12
Parlor (mahogany)
Forum III MT
Yamaha FG-180
Gretsch Sundown Serenade
Fender Stratocaster

I have played some recent production B18s and they represent amazing value for the money. There are lots of guitars that I have played that could not hold a candle to all three of the specimens that I played in the shop on the same day. I marvelled at the consistent quality. Every bit a good as my 1999 S&P 6 Mahogany Cedar.

I own a Norman ST-68, among other guitars and it is their "top of the line model".

It is a very good guitar that competes well with the Martin D-1, and D-15 Spruce topped Custom models. It also competes well with the Larrivee D-03 models.
That is not to say that it is any better that any of those.
But it is a wonderful guitar that one does not want to put down in a hurry.

On Friday I played several Larrivees, Taylor 3 series, S&P guitars, a sweet Masterbilt R-500, and a nice Martin D-16 RGT.
The Martin was an excellant and articulate instrument., but it should be for over 3 times the price. Some people might prefer the Norman. (I like them both!). The Masterbilt was right there with most of them and for the money might well be chosen by some, but sells up here in Canada for a price that makes it less than $100 cheaper than a Norman ST-68. I payed 55% of that for the Norman I got for a "Deal of a Lifetime" price.

The real star of that day was a Larrivee D-09! I played 6 other Larrivees, that were very nice guitars much like the Norman.

That D-09 was in a different league entirely.......but it wants to be for over 5 times what I paid for a new shopworn Norman ST-68.

That Godin Family Stuff isa huge bang for the Buck! :thumbsup

There is a music shop in Ottawa that I've been to that specializes in just the Godin family of guitars . They told me that the Seagull and Simon & Patrick are of the same quality and are the higher end guitars , where as the Art & Lutheir and Norma are their entry level guitars .  I'm ONLY offering information here , not knocking any line of guitar  . I know people with Norman guitars and they are fine sounding guitars . I think ANY part of the Godin guitar family is a great value for the money .

I should maybe mention here ( just in case someone is interested ) I have a Simon & Patrick Mahogany/Spruce model that I bought fro my daughter last Xmas . She played it maybe 3 times and now would like to sell it , as she seems to have lost interest . I would keep it myself in a heartbeat because it sounds great , but I already have a Larrivee D-02 thats pretty much the same wood construction , so that seems pointless . If anyone is interested please feel free to contact me .


play em , enjoy em  :nana_guitar

I can't buy the "Seagull and S&P are the premium line" information.

The A&L guitars are the entry level line.

There are comparable models among Seagulls, S&P gutars, and Normans.

The Seagull Artist series, the Showcase S&P guitars are solid back and sides. The ST-68 Norman, the older top line Seagulls and the older S&P Pro series are all hand rubbed alcohol laquer gloss finished guitars with Solid Tops and Backs. The sides were 3 ply laminated solid woods.

I have played them all.

I defy anybody to tell the difference in quality of the Top line Models in each of the three brands. I have had all three in my hands in the same music shop on the same day.

It comes down to which neck profile and Headstock look you prefer.

I do believe that the Artist series and Showcase series, being all solid wood, is an attempt to bring further prestige and brand recognition to their respective lines, by offering a full blown all solid wood guitar in a Seagull or S&P.

It reamins to be seen whether the Norman line will do the same.

Quote from: bluesman67 on August 24, 2007, 06:59:11 AM
...  I liked the tone a little more than the S6 Seagull.  It was still a warm tone and when I hit some chords, it seemed to project the tones more clearly.  It could have just been the strings too.  Either way, they sounded very similar to the Seagull's...

They're all pretty similar except some Godin made flattops have different nut widths, and some of them have more spruce than cedar (S&P at least).  They're all made in the same place by the same people.  The more expensive ones are made by better, more experienced staff.

I'm pretty sure they all come with d'Addario PB lights.  That's what their house brand actually is ... seems to me they even have the color coded ball ends too.

May have just been a sample thing.  Cheaper guitars are much, much more consistent than they used to be but sample variation is still a very real thing.  That's why I'd never buy a guitar before trying it unless it was a high end hand made job.

The price difference between the Norman and the Seagull S6 was 30 bucks, so I don't think you can call one a entry level guitar and one a higher end.  Anyways, they all sounded about the same, really good.
bluesman67
HOGTOP CHARLOTTE

www.reverbnation.com/hogtopcharlotte

I just bought an A&L Folk a couple of months ago as a couch guitar, so I didn't need to subject me Larrivees to my 2 year old daughters inquisitve hands. Took me awhile to get used to the neck and the short scale but's it a nice little box for not much mulla and I don't have to worry as much about my little virtuoso playing with it.. I tried out a lefty Seagull and the same time and they sound very similar, and like Bluesman said only about 30 dollars difference.
jeff

Larrivee 00-03MT Forum IV  #30 of 29

I Had an A&L Ami Parlour before my P-05; very good bang for the buck, but I sold it due to the narrow (1 11/16") nut width.

I'd like to pick up a cheap "disposable" parlor to leave in my motorhome (which is stored in Europe), but I can't find anthing with a wide nut (minimum 1 3/4, preferably 1 13/16")

http://music.jeffersoncampervan.com/

http://travel.jeffersoncampervan.com/

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