The Uptown GT features the following appointments:
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Flame maple top with high gloss red finish
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Canadian Cherry back and sides
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Satin gloss finish on back, sides, and neck
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24.8" scale maple neck with 16" radius Rosewood fingerboard
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Two Godin humbucking pickups with chrome covers
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Roller saddle adjustable bridge with Graphtech Tusq base
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Bigsby licensed tremolo
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Floating pickguard
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Schaller strap lock buttons
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Weighs only 5 pounds 2 ounces
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Godin TRIC lightweight hardshell case
(This guitar is an "SF" with a slight finish imperfection. You've really got to look hard to see anything)
Right out of the case, the Uptown is a really pretty guitar. The gloss top, chrome pickups, and Bigsby Tremolo give the Uptown a flashier look than the P-90 equipped Kingpin II. There is nothing like the look of a Bigsby, and even if you never use it, just having it on the guitar adds to the overall Wow Factor.
We tried this guitar through our '67 Pro Reverb, and a Dr. Z Remedy and found that compared to the P-90 Kingpin the Uptown is a little less brash, with a balanced sound that is neither bass heavy or overly bright. The neck pickup is refreshingly open and clear with nice high frequency response and a controlled low end that is also articulate and clean. Jazz players can dial down the tone control for a more muted sound, and the option of having a clear-voiced rhythm or a woodier neck tone is a plus.
Both pickups together have the familiar twang that you get from this position, although with a little less punch as you'd get with the P-90's. Like the neck pickup, it's clear and balanced and sounds good both for rhythm or picking. The bridge pickup is sweet and clean and again as compared to the P-90 is more balanced with a nice top end sparkle. Trying out the guitar with a couple distortion pedals -- Pigtronix Aria and JHS Charlie Brown -- yielded great results. The bridge pickup was fat and juicy with plenty punch without fizz or harshness. The Uptown knocked out some fine rock tones and worked especially well with the fat, tweedy punch of the Pigtronix Aria pedal.
The Bigsby Tremolo is not meant for any real pitch diving pyrotechnics, but for adding a nice shimmer and wobble to chords and notes it worked just great. Used in moderation, it worked very smoothly and always came right back to pitch. Godin outfits this guitar with their own brand of .012 strings that always feel a bit stiff to me. For for easier playing, bending and tremolo work we recommend .011's, and for a measly $5 we'll set the guitar up with our favorite Ernie Ball Classic Pure Nickel Slinkys.
The Uptown GT really surprised us with a very different personality than it's P-90 stable mate the Kingpin II. Think of the Uptown as the sophisticated older brother to the more brash and aggressive Kingpin II. Kudos to Godin for coming out with a guitar that is not just an upgrade in cosmetics, but a completely different sound.
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