What happened to Simon & Patrick guitars?

duotone

Played one years ago in SoundControl when a friend was looking for a new acoustic, & thought it sounded really good, especially for the £250 it cost at the time.

I don’t see their name mentioned much & had a look today at https://simonandpatrick.com/product-category/guitars/ & saw they just make 6 different models now.

Seeing the links at the bottom of their website to; Norman, Seagull, Godin, Tric & Art & Lutherie. I’m guessing they are now all owned by one group?

Are they still Made in Canada?

Cheers!

thermionic

They were all brands owned by Godin AFAIK, just aimed at different markets. Simon and Patrick are Robert Godin’s sons, no idea who Norman was!

Tannin

So far as I know, they have always been simply brands used by the Godin group for marketing purposes - same as Seagull, Art and Lutherie, and also the brands @thermionic mentions. 

munckee

I used to have an SP6 cedar which I guess is similar to the woodland. Decent guitar to play and really thin finish which wore off if you looked at it. 

I have heard people say they are not very well made but I don’t know enough to know for sure. 

blobb

I've got a S&P 12th fret parlour. Quirky thing, think I bought it from Hobgoblin in Manc a few years ago.

hessodreamy

I’ve owned one and played a bunch of them and I find them good players. Maybe not loads of character but solid. 

The fact that they ship with a very nice and playable low action helps. 

Ive been told there’s an issue with the headstock joint which makes them a little prone to breaks. But if you don’t drop it then don’t worry!

might be worth noting that most of this is based on 20-odd year old examples, rather than current runs. 

guitars4you

Norman was effectively Simon and Patrick - Not all SP models were available with the Norman name

Imported into the UK in the 80s and 90s by a friend of mine 

price points were about the same 

Chris_J

I had a Norman dreadnought for 20 years, great sounding guitar and the best 18th birthday present I could have received. I had a great day out with my dad to a music shop in Cleckheaton, and of all the guitars there I picked out the Norman.

StuartMac290

I still have an SP6 Cedar at the studio that I bought in 1998. It's been hi-strung for about 22 years now, which it's brilliant for. Actually, I recorded it yesterday.

grayn

Chris_J said:

I had a Norman dreadnought for 20 years, great sounding guitar and the best 18th birthday present I could have received. I had a great day out with my dad to a music shop in Cleckheaton, and of all the guitars there I picked out the Norman.

Probably Dave Mallinson's shop.

Revolutions

I heard Patrick was an abandoned clone experiment that turned out to be evil?

A rare photo of Art & Patrick performing together:

menamestom

I have a Pro Mahogany which I got in about 2000.  Been my only steel string in the last 24 years.  Always planned to upgrade to something like a D18 but preferred the S&P when I played them ( no doubt partly due to a new guitar not usually sounding as good as a well played in one).

Think mine is solid top and back but the sides may be laminate.  Very nice, a definite keeper.

jellybelly

I remember liking a few of their instruments and seriously considered a top end s&p as my 21st present many moons ago. Alas, it was to be a USA Taylor 210, which I can't fault and still own. Shame they're not around any longer. Lot of 'raw' wood and attractive cedar if I remember correctly?

Supportact

I used an SP6 as my main gigging guitar for years. I've still got it, and still play it and gig with it occasionally (usually places I don't want to take a more expensive guitar). I like the sound and have a bit of a soft spot for them (also prefer the S&P headstock shape to some of the other Godin types). 

BigMonka

I've got an SP6 Cedar that my parents bought me as my first proper acoustic when I was 15 (in 2000). It's been the only acoustic I've regularly played and gigged even to today.
If I recall correctly, back in the day they were the only solid-top acoustic you could buy at that price point, whereas all the Taylors and Takamines at that price were laminates.