Bellingham, MA, United States
About this listing
The Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II HB blends old-world archtop style with modern playability, and this HB version adds a pair of jazz-voiced humbuckers. Built from Canadian Cherry, the Kingpin is crisp, responsive, and full of character, with a level of fit, finish, and tone that far exceeds its price. It’s easy to see why the 5th Avenue remains a favorite for players seeking value, style, and performance.This is a Godin "SF" Factory Second guitar, meaning a small cosmetic blemish was found during inspection (see photo). These flaws are usually hard to spot without close inspection. SF guitars carry a full factory warranty, and you save a bit of money in the process.
Handcrafted in Princeville, Quebec, the Kingpin is solidly built with an emphasis on functionality and understated elegance:
Canadian Cherry top back and sides
24.8" scale set maple neck
16" radius Rosewood fingerboard
1.72" nut width Graphtech nut
Two Godin chrome covered humbuckers
Cognac Burst Finish with cream binding
Adjustable compensated TUSQ graphite bridge
TUSQ nut
Floating pickguard
Schaller-type strap lock buttons
Two-way adjustable truss rod
Weighs approx. 5 pounds
Made in Canada
Godin limited lifetime warranty
Cherry is a sustainable, domestically available wood, and Godin has put it to excellent use for many years. While it’s not considered a “classic” tonewood, it makes for great-sounding acoustic and hollow-body guitars. It also has a beautiful grain pattern that looks especially elegant under the Cognac Burst finish.
Tonally, Cherry delivers plenty of volume, full bass, bright, snappy highs, and excellent sustain. It’s often compared to maple, but we think it offers a touch more bass response and a more complex top end. The "HB" version of the Kingpin arrived a few years after the very popular P-90 Kingpin CW II. Its chrome-covered humbuckers are moderate in output, with a smoother, less aggressive response than the P-90s. With a softer neck pickup and an overall warmer feel, this guitar leans more toward jazz and less toward the raucous rockabilly bite of the original P-90 model. That said, you don’t have to play jazz on it—add some gain and it responds with thick, creamy overdrive, and, if you want it, some genuine hollow-body feedback.
While it’s not built for lightning-fast rock licks and pull-offs, the neck is easy to navigate and comfortable even in the upper frets. It ships from the factory with 12s, so the action may feel a little stiff for some players. We find that a set of 11s makes it play much more like a typical electric. For jazz players, flatwound 11s or 12s give it just the right nightclub vibe.
The Godin Kingpin has been a dependable staple in the Godin lineup for years, and while the company has explored a few variations, it’s hard to go wrong with the original formula. The addition of humbuckers gives the Kingpin a mellower voice that will appeal to jazz players, but step on the right pedal and it can still show a darker side. At a very reasonable street price, the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II HB is an easy addition to any guitar collection.
We are an authorized Godin dealer, and this is a new guitar complete with all tags, tools, paperwork, and certificates. We keep a wide selection of Godin-family guitars in stock, so feel free to browse our other listings or contact us for delivery times and availability on other Godin models.
Price$872.10
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