Gear Review: Mörglbl guitarist Christophe Godin on his Vigier guitars and Laney amps

Recently guitarist Christophe Godin took a moment out of his schedule to speak with me about the gear he uses to obtain his signature sound. As the main guitarist for the French experimental, jazz metal band Mörglbl for the past fifteen years, Godin has had time to develop and hone his sound; which can be heard on the group’s upcoming release, Brutal Romance. Here’s how the conversation went.

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Christophe Godin: I have been using Vigier guitars and Laney amps for more than fifteen years now, and the conjunction of both has become my sound. I add some Palmer and Zoom effects when playing live; mainly a chorus and a small delay unit. I still play through the same old crappy wha pedal that doesn’t seem to want to die, although it makes weird noises when plugged and played! We designed a Christophe Godin Signature Vigier guitar which has been used a lot on the last Mörglbl recording. And my main amp is Laney GH50L tube amp with one channel. Easy and massive!

What about it makes it so important to you?
Godin: What I love about Vigier guitars and Laney amps is you have to master them before you get your sound. You never sound like the guy next door even though he has the same equipment. We toured with Freak Kitchen quite a few times, and Mattias Eklundh uses the same amp, but to achieve our sound we came to different settings, and we sound different. There are brands where it doesn’t really matter what guitar or the way you play, you sound the same because the amp leaves you no option. With Vigier and Laney, you build up your own personality by experimenting, and when you find the right setting, it sounds like you!

What are the major pros and cons?
Godin: Honestly, I chose to work with those companies because I think their stuff is the best for me! This may sound very diplomatic, but it’s not! I have been using those amps and guitars for fifteen years and they evolved with my playing. Both companies pay real attention to the feedback from the artists about their product, and they improve along with us. As an endorsee and an ambassador, my role is to use and abuse the gear up to their limits when on tour, or rehearsing non stop for hours. At the moment, I have not found myself often in trouble with equipment; must be not too bad.

How long have you had it, how do you use it, would you ever change it?
Godin: As mentioned before, I have worked with both companies for fifteen years, but my main amp has been in use for about eight years. I still have the very first heads they built up for me, and to this day they still work great! As for guitars, I still have my first Vigier and the guitar still rocks! At the time, I was using Floyd Rose tremolos, but I switched to unlocking systems for sound reasons. My main live guitar is seven years old!

Any final thoughts or comments on the gear?
Godin: I always feel blessed to have such a great relationship with all the companies that have been supporting me for more than a decade now, and it’s a mark of loyalty to them to give back a bit of this by spreading the word around the world as much as I can. These are very passionate people, and their gear is simply the reflection of that passion!

Check out the song: “Stoner de Brest”