See the video review of the Godin 5th Avenue Archtop

Archtop guitars have an aura of elegance and tradition that leaves a lot of guitarists longing for their own. But for flattop-oriented players who can't afford a guitar to suit every whim, they can be impractical from a tonal and financial standpoint. Although archtops have been around since the 1890s when Gibson pioneered the design and were made popular by early jazz and country greats such as Eddie Lang and Mother Maybelle Carter, the true acoustic archtop has had less impact than its flattop cousins. There have been numerous highly regarded archtop luthiers over the years, including John D'Angelico, Jimmy D'Aquisto, and Bob Benedetto. And a period during the 1950s and early 1960s saw companies like Gretsch, Harmony, National, and Guild produce some prosaic but affordable instruments. For the most part, however, the acoustic archtop's relatively high price and dry, barky tonal signature have made them a luxury or novelty instrument outside of a small coterie of enthusiasts.

But with the introduction of the Godin 5th Avenue, the affordable, quality acoustic archtop's stay in limbo may be over. Godin Guitars' founder Robert Godin—whose first instrument was an archtop—has long dreamed of building an affordable version for contemporary players. And with a $520 street price, excellent build quality, and a voice that will appeal to a variety of guitarists, this guitar will be of interest to anyone who harbors dreams of archtop ownership.

CLASSY AND UNDERSTATED

While the 5th Avenue is also available in natural and black finishes, the orange-to-red hued cognac burst that adorned our test instrument beautifully highlighted the wild cherry laminate used for the top, back, and sides. The pressed top is arched nicely, with a consistent radius from one side of each f-hole to the other. A cream binding accents the burst on the back and top, and combined with a rosewood fretboard and adjustable bridge, black peghead overlay, and satin finish, the entire effect is classy but understated.

The high level of care and craftsmanship that goes into the 5th Avenue's construction is evident throughout. And with the exception of a very small gap between the back of the heel cap and the body (which was more of an aesthetic issue than a structural one) fit and finish were superb.

The design is not without quirks that will inspire double takes among archtop neophytes. The floating fretboard rests on a section of neck that curves upward and away from the body at the 16th fret and the neck itself narrows at the 15th fret, creating a fretboard overhang of about 1/16th inch on either side. This allows the pickguard to conveniently tuck in under the fretboard on the treble side.

NOT JUST FOR JAZZERS

The 5th Avenue's sound will not make acoustic archtop diehards want to trade in their vintage L-5s, but it does possess a classic archtop's trademark chunky midrange honk combined with a bit more high end that delivers balance and sweet tones in all registers. In general, the 5th Avenue responded better to a light touch than a heavy hand. With light strings it makes a fine swing rhythm guitar in a small group setting—of violin and voice, for instance. A switch to medium strings (.013–.056), however, boosted the guitar's volume enough to cut through a big band in the style of Freddie Green.

Delightfully, it's not hard to imagine the 5th Avenue excelling in settings other than swing and jazz. It sang with authority when playing full, open-string chords, which certainly aren't the first thing I tend to try when presented with an archtop. It lends a nice bluesy vibe to simple Travis-style fingerpicking and would make an excellent midrangey partner for a soprano voice. Flatpicked melodies, though somewhat quiet, are sweet and singing, especially on the treble strings up the neck. It's a guitar that's likely to record well too, because there are no overamped peaks to worry about, and it remains warm and full when played delicately. Need to add a jazzy lead sound to a track? Here's your ax.

The neck is cut in a comfortable U-shape that, with its 1 11/16-inch nut width, 2 1/8-inch string spacing at the bridge, and short 24.84-inch scale, will be ideal for smaller hands as well as players who use a pick. I left the adjustable bridge where it was when it arrived in the Acoustic Guitar office, since the action was set for easy fretting in all positions without buzzing.

THE WRAP

The 5th Avenue is destined to entice a lot of players who are struck by its handsome look; hooked on its silky, easy playability; and lured by its almost-too-good-to-be-true price tag. But players ecstatic over finally finding an affordable “jazz box” should not limit themselves to extracting jazz chords from this guitar. Sure, you'll have a blast with a few standards or swing tunes. But the real joy of the 5th Avenue is experiencing what its unique voice can lend to the music you ordinarily play.