GEAR REVIEW
FEATURES
Under the hood, Passion Custom is powered by
a Seymour Duncan “P-Rail” in the neck position
which gives options of a P-90, humbucker, and
single-coil all in one pickup, and is perfect for
jazzier playing styles and classic blues. The fiery
Godin “Custom Cajun” single coil in the bridge
position packs a ton of power and bite that will
cut through any mix. There are five-way selector
switch toggles through five pickup configurations
beginning in neck position and moving towards
the bridge: humbucker, P-90, two single coils in
series, two single coils parallel, and single coil.
Mounted between the tone and volume knobs
is a super cool H.D.R. (High Definition Revoicer)
button that bumps the mids and brings out more
harmonic nuances, which gives the player a
choice between active and passive, and ultimately
two different sounds for each pickup for a total of
10 unique sounds. A single 9-volt battery drives
the H.D.R. and is accessible through the back of
the guitar.
The Red Cedar body has five synchronized
resonance chambers giving it a lightweight feel
VERDICT
Make no bones about it. The Passion Custom
Swamp Ash is unmatched when it comes to
versatility and function. It feels solid, well built,
sounds smokin’ hot, and makes for a perfect
go-to axe for multi-genre players and studio
cats that want tonal flexibility and a classy
look on one guitar. Take heart in knowing that
you’re purchasing a supreme instrument that
looks great, delivers great tone, and will last a
lifetime.
AUG/SEPT
without compromising tone and topped off with a
cherry-looking, thick Swamp Ash top. One small
detail (and nice touch) I didn’t expect to see on
the back of the guitar was classy real wood plates
covering the whammy bar and electronics cavities
rather than the usual plastic. Whether rocking
out on the stage or sitting at home practicing,
the contoured body is remarkably comfortable,
lightweight, and balanced. The bolt-on Hard Rock
Maple neck has a smooth, satin finish that’s very
different from the glossy finishes on other guitar
necks, which tend to feel sticky, and rounded off
with well-dressed frets on a maple fingerboard.
Play crazy dive bomb explosions a la Hendrix and
Van Halen, or gently vibrato chords and melodies
from your favorite surf songs with Godin’s Tru-Loc
Tremolo. This unique system lets the player lock
the whammy bar in a desired comfort position
(an upgrade from standard screw in whammy
bars) with an Allen wrench (included) that’s
accessed through the tremolo cover plate on
the back of the guitar. Godin’s 18-to-1 gear ratio
custom locking machine heads provide stable
and accurate tuning, as well as a pair of roller
design string trees on the headstock to keep the
whammy bar system in tune when in use.
Electric guitars have long had issues with the 1/4”
output jack hexagon screw inconveniently coming
loose or detaching. Over the 70-plus years of
building electric guitars, one would think this
issue would’ve been solved by now. Well, look
no further. I was pleased to see Godin fixed this
problem by installing a unique jack output that
won’t fall apart! The Passion Custom has a 25
1/2” scale for a tight string response and comes
strung with Godin E-10 Nickel regular light gauge
strings (.010-.046) as well as a sporty padded gig
bag with lots of pockets to store strings, cords,
music, and other necessary accessories. ■
DIGITAL EDITION
81