❌SOLD❌ Godin 5th Ave Uptown TR Red GT with Bigsby, 2014

The Godin 5th Ave Uptown GT, now discontinued, was one of the many forms the 5th Ave Uptown has taken since its launch in 2008. Here it is equipped with a pair of Duncan humbuckers a licensed Bigsby B30 tailpiece and a ‘pinned’ floating bridge.

Archtop F-hole guitars were very popular from the 1930s into the 1950s, until advances in amplification allowed stage volumes to dramatically rise. Gibson’s groundbreaking ES-335 thinline was the first successful blending of the archtop tone with the feedback resistance of solidbody models. Since then, amplification has continued to advance, but with a shift to PA systems supporting smaller on-stage amps. This has opened the door for the return of archtop, flat top and other hollowbody instruments.

The Godin 5th Ave Uptown GT uses a laminate Canadian Cherry for the top, back and sides, with Maple for the neck and Ebony for the fingerboard and pinned bridge base. ‘Pinning’ a bridge base addresses the tendency of an otherwise ‘floating’ archtop bridge to slide from side to side under hand pressure. Here, it’s done by routing small channels in the bridge base ends, and putting a pair of small headless set screws into the top. The bridge base drops onto the set screws, and can move forward and back for intonation, but not side to side.

On the Uptown GT’s bridge base, there is a tune-o-matic style bridge with roller saddles, which can help maintain tuning with use of the licensed Bigsby B30 true vibrato tailpiece. At the head, there are a set of Kluson-style individual tuners with metal buttons. For electronics, a pair of Godin branded humbuckers run through s pickup selector and Master Volume and Tone controls.

This Godin 5th Ave Uptown GT is dressed in a Translucent Red finish, which is in very good condition.  

This instrument is in overall very good condition, with only minor wear. It plays well, and the single-roller B30 style Bigsby has a smooth feel and is quite stable.

The original TRIC case developed by Godin is included.

Premier Guitar magazine reviewed the Godin 5th Ave Uptown GT in 2012 and here’s their conclusion:

“Capable of covering Joe Pass and George Thorogood moods, this latest 5th Avenue is a versatile player’s guitar that oozes vintage class and dirty, bluesy attitude. Thanks to its super playability and wide range of tones, the Uptown makes an excellent choice for taking your first archtop plunge—especially if you don’t want to deal with excessive feedback or floating bridges that can be hard to intonate. The Uptown is also a blast to play unplugged, and its pleasant unamplified voice and smooth feel are great for practicing or songwriting while you kick back on the couch. And given the impressive craftsmanship, this Godin represents a great value and an investment you’re unlikely to regret.”