Godin Bridge Woes
I've got a Godin Grand Concert Duet Ambiance classical guitar and had a problem with a pickup going bad a while back (just on the bass end oddly enough). I took it to a repair shop that really mucked up the bridge on it. For some stupid reason they took a router to it and created a ridge and . . . well they just ruined it. So, I ordered a new bridge from Godin along with a pickup. This is what they sent me:
Obviously not the right bridge. They knew what model and year I had because I even sent them the serial number. So I emailed them and they said the new models were using this new bridge now. I said, "That's great but you know I don't have a new model. Where's the bridge for mine?, and why did you send me one for a different year where you knew before you sent it that it wouldn't fit?" They said they no longer made the old bridge and had none of the older ones in stock.
I was in shock. They just switched over to the new bridge a couple of years ago. This guitar has been in production with the older bridge for nearly 15 years. There are thousands of them in the world. And they've already quit making parts for it? I can see where they might stop making the older ones eventually (like ten or fifteen years down the line), but this was a $2,000 guitar that you could buy new exactly like mine just a couple of years ago, and already you can't get all the proper replacement parts for it? Obviously the new bridge is smaller and the finish under the old bridge would be sticking out and not match up with the rest of the top. In fact, the bridge is so large that there isn't a replacement bridge made anywhere by anyone that's big enough to cover the entire space.
Fortunately, I found out a guy who used to do repairs for me decades ago was still in the business, and even though he lived pretty far off, I took it to him. He was able to fill in the saddle slot with a piece of rosewood and then re-route it and put in the new pickup. The guitar is now better than ever.
I'm still a little ticked at Godin though. Am I wrong to be? I know that no manufacturer makes replacement parts forever, but my gosh, they were still selling this guitar with the old style bridge just a couple of years ago. Doesn't make any sense to me. If you're in the market for a Godin, buyer beware I guess. It's a really nice guitar, but . . . man.
Bill