Willis Music Oxmoor Product Profile
Godin Freeway Classic
Made in USA, Silver Leaf Maple and Poplar body with Flamed Maple cap, rolled edge Rock Maple neck with Maple or Rosewood fretboard, 2 humbucker and 1 single coil pickups, 5-way pickup selection, stainless steel tremolo bridge with satin finish saddles.
Robert Godin’s insistence that every instrument bearing his name be above average in playability, materials and sound is incredible. Each instrument his company offers is designed to appeal visually and sonically to all and they most certainly do.
The Freeway Classic feels like an old friend. Early on other companies such as Kramer, Zion, Fender and more hired Godin to build their “custom shop” necks or bodies simply because they were able to do it better than anyone else. When Godin made the decision to stop outsourcing themselves and focus on establishing their name within the industry many retailers knew what the public did not; that Godin craft some seriously cool guitars. All the basics of the original Godin neck are here; smooth rolled edge so your thumb can slide right over the top, jumbo fretwire to make even the biggest bends easy and a straight-grain fretboard to prevent warping or twisting. This neck feels so good I hate putting it down. The fretboard radius is 12” making full chords simple in any position.
The Maple/Poplar body is lightweight but very vibrant sounding. I’d compare the unplugged tone of this guitar to an early 90’s USA made Hamer guitar. It’s so lively plugging it can become an afterthought. The electronics sound rich in the humbucker mode and shimmering in the single coil. The Freeway Classics pickups were designed in conjunction by techs from Godin and Seymour Duncan. While not overly hot in output their tone is excellent. Many companies place more value on volume than frequency when it comes to pickup choices and Godin choose the latter. Similar in tone to older DiMarzio or Seymour’s own Antiquity series these pickups match the guitar perfectly.
The bridge is based on Leo Fender’s classic design, but the materials used yield a much smoother feel and drastically improved tuning stability. When hammered hard I did find myself doing minor tweaking, but the overall tuning held up very well. The brushed finish saddles are a nice addition since players who mute there won’t have to worry about metal splinters or rough edges.
My only dislike with the Freeway Classic is the location of the Volume and Tone knobs. While adjusting these isn’t hindered by their distance from the bridge pickup, it is farther than most and therefore a bit uncomfortable. I’m sure I’d get used to it quickly, but using smaller knobs would allow more familiar placement without upsetting the balance of this fine instrument.
Godin delivers again. This guitar is a dream to play, comfortable to hold and sounds exceptional. The Freeway Classic is a custom shop instrument in every way but cost.
Reviewed by: Mike McAfee
Contact reviewer at: oxmoorstore@willis-music.com
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About the Contributor:
Manager Mike McAfee is a 13 year plus Willis veteran who has hand picked each employee on his floor because they excel in providing a superior experience to every customer. The confidence, knowledge and courtesy you encounter lives up to an environment tailored for each department of their store. The home-like piano experience alone is worth a visit, and no other store in town carries the stock or selection of Willis’ Oxmoor location. Please accept Mike’s personal invitation to see first hand how hard we’ll work to make sure you’ll always come back home to Willis Music at Oxmoor Center.
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