The Godin Connaisseur was already one of the biggest surprises I've experienced this year.   Simply stunning.   As soon as I showed it to one of my lovely customers (coming in for a Furch I believe!) - they took it - gone!  

When I first played the mahogany version, once again I was genuinely taken aback by just how refined, responsive and musical it felt. It immediately challenged my preconceptions of where Godin sat in the acoustic guitar world.   This shouldnt have surprised me I suppose because they have always been truly brilliant at making guitars that are very slim and feedback free - sound immense when plugged in and wonderful acoustically - and the Seagulls had always been gorgeous even with laminate back sides.... anyway.... rambling....

OK so now I've had the opportunity to spend time with the Rosewood model.

The Mahogany Connaisseur is all about warmth, balance and intimacy 

This rosewood model....  I dont know where to start and will try and convey it so much more when I have it on video for you - maybe...  My playing restricts the potential but I hope my words are always taken from the heart.   I am telling you - You need to pick one up!!!

In short this rosewood/spruce combination gives you everything you would expect from it...

Greater complexity / detail

More overtone content.

More of that beautiful piano-like richness that seems to surround every note.

But its the the sheer scale of the sound and purity that is making me fall in love with these guitars (both of them!). Notes don't simply appear and disappear — they really do go through their own "story" I suppose I would say?  Chords develop layers and harmonics that seem to hang in the air? Fingerstyle passages gain an almost orchestral quality, while heavier strumming produces a strong voice without losing clarity.

Yet despite all that power, the guitar never feels difficult or demanding.

The Mini-Jumbo body shape remains one of the cleverest aspects of the design. It delivers much of the projection and fullness players associate with larger-bodied acoustics, whilst retaining a comfort and responsiveness that encourages you to keep playing.

In the hand, it feels like pure luxury and sadly the only way to appreciate this - is to get one in your hands - and once again I hope you will trust my words!!

The mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard create a wonderful smooth and "confident" playing experience, whilst the modern 16" fingerboard radius gives the guitar an effortless feel that electric players will immediately appreciate. The craftsmanship throughout is absolutely first class.

Some technical stuff definitely worth knowing...

Godin have clearly obsessed over every aspect of this instrument. The Graph Tech RATIO® machine heads are a perfect example. Beautifully engineered and wonderfully precise, they make tuning feel remarkably natural. It's one of those premium touches that quietly reminds you this is a serious instrument built for serious musicians.

This particular model features Godin's Natural Sound NS3V pickup system — a sophisticated passive three-sensor design that captures the character of the guitar with impressive authenticity while keeping the instrument lightweight and beautifully resonant. There are no batteries to worry about, no complicated controls, just a simple volume control and a remarkably natural amplified tone (I didnt even know this guitar even HAD a pickup when I first tried it - and now I am like.... ok?   BRILLIANT - Thats NOT why I love it but its great its there!!)

Visually, the Satina Gray finish is stunning - and once again....  Godin have totally flipped how I see guitars around me and now I am thinking - I want more of this in my life!!! Yeehaa!! - its AWESOME!

When you see and listen to the guitar in person (and its mahogany sister), it just smacks of pure class, boutique vibes and for someone who wants to absolutely stand out from the crowd in a way that says to everyone around "...and you THOUGHT you had the best guitar :)"

I cannot wait for my customers to experience this WONDERFUL new World I have found with Godin ACOUSTIC guitars.  It ireally is so odd to hear myself saying those words?  Despite loving what I considred their specialist areas of expertise for 3 decades?  I suppose its arguably about time they focused on all solid acoustics - and omg theyve blown the the lid off with the Connaisseurs

Godin Connaisseur Mini-Jumbo – Satina Gray

Body & Construction

• Body Shape: Mini-Jumbo
• Orientation: Right-Handed
• Top: Solid Engelmann Spruce
• Back & Sides: Solid Rosewood
• Finish: High Gloss
• Colour: Satina Gray

Neck & Fingerboard

• Neck: Mahogany
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Fingerboard Radius: 16" (406.4 mm)
• Scale Length: 25.5" (647.7 mm)
• Nut Width: 1.72" (43.7 mm)
• Nut Material: Bone
• Frets: 21 Medium Frets

Hardware

• Machine Heads: Graph Tech RATIO® Tuners
• Bridge: Ebony
• Bridge Saddle: Bone
• Bridge Pins: Bone

Electronics

• Pickup System: Godin Natural Sound NS3V
• Pickup Type: Premium Passive 3-Sensor Pickup
• Controls: Master Volume
• Battery Required: No

Strings

• String Type: Acoustic Steel
• Factory Strings: D'Addario XSAPB1253
• String Gauges: .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053

At a Glance

• Handcrafted in Canada
• Mini-Jumbo Body Design
• Solid Engelmann Spruce Top
• Solid Rosewood Back & Sides
• Mahogany Neck
• Ebony Fingerboard & Bridge
• Graph Tech RATIO® Machine Heads
• Natural Sound NS3V Passive Pickup System
• No Battery Required
• Bone Nut, Saddle & Bridge Pins
• Premium High Gloss Satina Gray Finish

Tone Profile

The combination of a solid Engelmann spruce top and solid rosewood back and sides delivers a rich, expansive voice with excellent projection, strong bass response and beautiful harmonic complexity. The Mini-Jumbo body shape adds depth and power whilst retaining comfort and responsiveness, making it equally at home with fingerstyle playing, accompaniment work and more dynamic strumming.

The passive NS3V three-sensor pickup system has been designed to capture the guitar's natural character without the compressed, artificial quality often associated with traditional piezo systems, all while requiring no battery and keeping the instrument lightweight and resonant.