Godin Multiac Encore Review – A Nylon String Guitar for the New Age

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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When it comes to classical nylon-string guitars, there really isn’t that much from a feature standpoint that makes one model truly stand out over the others within the same price range. Most look and play the same, which is a testament to the timeless style. That being said, the Godin Multiac Encore is a great sub-$1,000 option that completely revamps how one may look at a traditional classical guitar.

Body & Neck

If you’re looking for a traditional classical nylon string instrument you’re in the wrong place! The Godin Multiac is unlike any nylon-string guitar you may be familiar with. To start, the entire look is modernized, with no sound hole in the solid cedar top.

The entire body design isn’t typical of any acoustic guitar either. Instead of a simple top-sides-back construction with a lot of air in the middle, the Multiac has a chambered maple body configuration with basswood ‘wings’. Chambering allows some of the benefits of solid guitar bodies to be applied to the nylon string world, such as increasing resonance and voicing.

The neck is constructed from mahogany, paired up with a rosewood fingerboard, while the body has a cutaway design to allow easy access to all 22 frets, helping to ease the transition from electric to acoustic.

Hardware

Since the body and neck design of the Multiac is unique, you might as well have the hardware do the same – right?

One of the main features that the Multiac’s designers focused on was live sound. Godin has integrated a dual-transducer piezo pickup system by having one mounted under the bridge and the second on the soundboard itself. The five sliders (mounted on the front of the guitar instead of the side) give you control over volume, treble/mid/bass EQ settings, and a blending between the two transducers. Very versatile.

The tuners have a 16:1 ratio for precise adjustments, and the chrome coating with pearloid buttons adds a nice visual touch to the semi-gloss natural finish. In addition, the Graph Tech nut is precision designed to give consistent tone and exceptional playability. Did we mention it comes with a gig bag?

Sound

There’s no doubt that the Multiac sounds great on its own thanks to the impressive tonewood selection and innovative body design. It’s smooth and warm with plenty of definition and unamplified volume – just as a good nylon string should sound.

Using the dual transducer configuration is where it really shines though. It’s a great instrument to plug in through an acoustic guitar amp (or direct to the board), and the onboard EQ and blending options will let you find ‘your sound’ easily.

Another benefit? The lack of a sound hole tends to reduce feedback to the point of being almost non-existent, and that’s a huge plus. Any gigging acoustic player should have a story about hitting a resonant frequency that makes a boxy acoustic just howl – not exactly what an audience would want to hear!

Conclusion

The Godin Multiac Encore may be the nylon string guitar of choice for players that want the sound of a top-quality classical nylon string with the playability and profile of a traditional electric guitar. It makes the transition extremely easy, and it’s a worthy addition to any guitar collection.

For more info about the Godin Multiac Encore, click here.
For more of the best classical guitars under $1000, click here.