Godin Radiator

this guitar was made in Canada and purchased from THOMANN in Germany so its travelled a bit.
Pickups are godin s/c and have a nice sweet sound.
The neck is 24.75 and mine has a maple board (I ORDERED ROSEWOOD AND RECEIVED MAPLE. BUT I PREFER THE MAPLE.........MAPLE WAS "OUT OF STOCK HAHAH oh well....... no prob) although there was a neck mixup, I have to compliment THOMANN on speed,,,,,,,, I had the guitar 2.5 days after ordering.....NOW THAT IS FAST. iT WAS WELL PACKED AND CAME WITH A NICE PADDED GIGBAG
Neck is low and flat,, just a minor rod adustment needed but I'll let it settle for a while after its travels.
Frets were nicely finished and no buzzes.
All in all it was a good buy so far and Im more than happy with the Radiator.

This guitar just sounds very musical. Unplugged it has an even ringing quality that surprised me. There was plenty of acoustic sustain, probably the nicest unplugged sound Ive heard.
I ran it through my litttle 60s vox ac4 and it chimed nicely.
Im sure this guitar will be great for country and general light rock.The guitar was not noisey in my livingroom but onstage,,, I cant say as yet.I could hear a bit of strat/tele/gibson all gently sitting there... I was impressed.It had a good variety of sounds via the two blend pick up controls from warm to bright,,,,, but not quite as brittle as a tele or strat.
Great for lighter blues/ country/ light rock.
Ive yet to try overdrive effects on this.

I loved the sound.

Set up was low out of the box and playable.
Everything was adjusted for a comfortable playing position but everyone makes their own adjustments in time anyway.
All joints and fittings were perfect, clean and tight.
The guitar was as perfect as you could expect. No marks or blemishes.Chrome was bright and paintwork prettymuch perfect.
Machineheads work fine and it stayed in tune for a 2 hour session.

All the fittings seem durable but Id always have a backup no atter what guitar I was using.
Everything seemed durable and secure.
Im sure it will be dependable..it feeels solid enough. Maybe a couple of pounds lighter than my strat.

I have emailed godin and have generally had a fast response.
The guitar seems to have been put together with great care which I have to say is rare these days. Ive tried usa strats and teles that dont seem to have the feel or finish of this little guitar.

Ive been playing for 35 years I think.thereabouts anyways.. using fender vox squier ovation peavey.

My one gripe on the Radiator is the positioning of the front control knob.... its in the way of a strum. After a couple of hours with it you get used to playing it either side of the control.It could be very annoying at times but I can live with it.
It lost a point for the control position.

I would buy 2 if I had spare cash. It is the sweetest guitar I have purchased.

I guess the features are already well known by now...it's a light-weight retro-lookin' guitar. Sounds en plays fantastic. I bought this guitar a few months ago; our band had to do some rehearsels because of an theatre-tour and I needed to borrow a guitar ( I travel by train and hate to carry heavy guitars all the way; an' I can always use guitars from the musicstore next to the studio). Djowie, the general manager, recommended the Radiator, but gave me also a few USA strats....played whole day on the Godin....amazing.

Fantastic....sparkling...bright...I think it's a rythmguitar, and that's what I play; never tryed it for leadguitar 'cause I can't....

When I bought it, it was very nicely set; great action and noiseless.The guitar plays like hell and is never out of reach. In my opinion, you can never find a guitar, that sounds and plays like this for that amount of money; In 1992 I played on a "tele"like Godin, and I thought it was terrible and bought a Gretsch 6022, but now I know... Godin makes very good stuff.

I'm not that friendly with my gear, but this guitar will survive; seems durable...

Just send them an e-mail...waiting for it..

In fact I'm a singer, who play's a bit of guitar. Got a realy nice collection of special guitars (www.derukde.nl/gitaren), and I'm gonna use de Radiator for my special gigs.

Radiator cool sounds,probably 99 or so blue with white pick guard which I spray painted blue, 2 volume pots,removed tone pot rewired in a stero out jack instead all else stock

Played thru fender blues j.r. with and without effects r.p.50 etc.
also roland spirit 25A very low noise can get just about any sound I like D.I for recording thru small mixing board still sounds great.

Bought new recieved as gift. Set up my self for personal taste. plays in tune stays in tune

Played live lots... back-up? never occured to me..plastic broke on one tuner. glued it back together w/crazy glue, pearly knob thingies fell of long ago replaced knobs w/ speed knobs replaced female mono jack as original kept shorting use stero jack for recording..

no,really

Playing 45 years, have other guitars this guitar does everything I ask it to which is play in tune and stay in tune. I've been playing long enough to know the rest is up to me

I will not go into much in this review since so much is covered elsewhere. I like having a seperate volume knob for each pickup. Seperate Tone controls would have really added to the Sonci capabilities. I paid a bit more used than many, but I wantes the sweet blue color that is no longer available new. Neck is fantastic. Smooth maple that feels like they made it just for me.

Godins own pickups sounded real nice. Sort of a Pseudo Danelectro/Telecaster tone, but not identical to either. I use it into a Woodcross Blues Buster for the most part and it sounds awesome. A classic tone that will cover many jazz/rock/blues or even country styles. Like any single coil, it can get noisey at high gain, but this in not a guitar for high gain styles. Better suited to the mellower side of things.

Godin may be the sleeper brand of all guitars. Everything they do is incredible in fit, and feel. Mine was used, so I can not comment on action since it may have had a setup, but every other one I have tried feels like it was custom made for me.

Great stuff. Never had a problem with Godin

My dealings with them have been pleasant, though it takes a day or so for them to reply!

Been playing a couple of years now and I am slowly buying all Godins. If it were stolen I would hire someone to find it. GAve it a 9 because ther is no 9.5

I will not go into much in this review since so much is covered elsewhere. I like having a seperate volume knob for each pickup. Seperate Tone controls would have really added to the Sonci capabilities. I paid a bit more used than many, but I wantes the sweet blue color that is no longer available new. Neck is fantastic. Smooth maple that feels like they made it just for me.

Godins own pickups sounded real nice. Sort of a Pseudo Danelectro/Telecaster tone, but not identical to either. I use it into a Woodcross Blues Buster for the most part and it sounds awesome. A classic tone that will cover many jazz/rock/blues or even country styles. Like any single coil, it can get noisey at high gain, but this in not a guitar for high gain styles. Better suited to the mellower side of things.

Godin may be the sleeper brand of all guitars. Everything they do is incredible in fit, and feel. Mine was used, so I can not comment on action since it may have had a setup, but every other one I have tried feels like it was custom made for me.

Great stuff. Never had a problem with Godin

My dealings with them have been pleasant, though it takes a day or so for them to reply!

Been playing a couple of years now and I am slowly buying all Godins. If it were stolen I would hire someone to find it. GAve it a 9 because ther is no 9.5

I have no idea what year it was made, but it has all the original parts except for the nobs. No accessories were included. Rosewood fretboard. Typical features as described in other reviews.

I was traveling and didn't have a guitar with me, so I picked it up as a cheapo to practice with in my hotel room.

It is perfect for my style, I set it up for open E slide. 12 - 56 gauge strings. I usually play a tele, it is more like a danelectro or rickenbacker sound that a tele.

I figured it was a chinese guitar when I bought it. I was surprised to find it was of canadian/usa manufacture/assembly. I would say the quality is similar to the CBS american fender guitars.

Sounds great through an old Hiwatt 50.

The thing is too old to judge the fit and finish. The bridge saddles are a little too moveable, similar to CBS fenders, but the neck is solid and does not shift.

The thing feels solid and stays in tune. Again, I would compare the reliability and durability to the CBS american made fenders. As far as using it on a gig without a backup...I guess I could, but I would never play a gig without a backup...and I would fire anyone who made it a practice to gig without backups. But that's me.

Never tried contacting the company.

I'be been playing for more than 35 years. I usually play tele's, old Dan Armstrongs, 60's model epiphones and play either through old Hiwatts or 60's Ampeg Gemini's. If it were lost or stolen, I would buy whatever I could get a good deal on.

I love the sound and the feel and the price. I hate the fact that I have to tighten up the screws just like I have to do on all my fenders.

When buying it, I was comparing it to chinese and mexican imports, new and used. This was the best thing in the price range of the 5 music stores I visited.

If this is a cheapo guitar from Godin, I suspect their higher end guitars are great.

I got the pearl finish standard model with maple neck. Tele style bridge. Lovely retro shape. Unique blending volumes, which although took a while to master (after playing with an Epi LP), sounds great when used to full effect - a wide range of tones!

Its a versatile guitar if youre into teles and the like. I wouldnt purchase for hi-gain work, but for other sort of light/inde rock, jazz, funk, bluesy stuff, this is the one.

I'd describe it as a cross between a modded tele with a bit of Les Paul injected in. I think the sound is versatile, you can play lead (won say screaming), but it excels in the bluesier, jazzier, funkier sorta dirty tones. Id say its bright, with twangy elements (bright), but also has the bottom edge there. Particularly love the neck setting.

Just lately ive moved onto more heavier tones, which my Epi Les paul does handle better. I wouldnt recommend this guitar for any hi-gain work, which my Epi Les Paul tends to handle tons better. Just the SC pickup is laking the gain really, and of course feedback stars to become an issue there. But saying that, get the amp settings right it can still sing for solos.

Although im not using it live at the moment, i have before, and i will do again. I also use it for recording, as i think the clean and dirty and funky tones are tons better than my Les Paul or Washburn Mercury 2 will ever give me. Very useful, and cheap addition to any guitarists sound arsenal.

My normal setup is a Line6 POD XT thru a JCM 800 power amp and 2x12 cab. But where this baby excels best is straight into (no effects!)into my little 50w Marshall 2554 (the little grey one). Sounds fab thru this, got a real chilli peppers thing going on! The tones alone inspired me to write this riff (http://www.mitch-music.com/music/new/longwayfromhome.mp3)!

Bought off ebay, so setup wasnt brill. But then again paid less that 200 quid for it, so was quite willing to pay the local guitabod a few quid to set it up for me. Once set up, was beautiful to play, action was nice and low, no string buzz. Finish was gorgeous - i feel guilty ive already put a couple of dings in the body (was gigging around London with it). I love the neck on this thing, feels great.

The only real gripe i'll have is the tuning. It does slip out everynow and again. Might invest in some locking heads next time.

Ok i was a dick one time. I threw me guitar across in the stage in a raging temper. (Dont do it kids, its not big and clever). Anyway, this guitar FLEW! And it landed. And the only damage was one machine head snapped off. Ok, i did have to ring around half the world to find a replacement one (now i realise i should just have replaced them with some lockable heads).

Other wise it has been susceptible to dings here and there. Oh and the little pearly covers fall off the knobs easily.

Erm, i must admit Godin werent particularly helpful when looking for replacement machine heads. In fact took a long while to get hold of them. So sorry Godin, i got let down there.

I actually bought a 2nd one off ebay because that too was selling for under 200 quid. For that price! These are quality made guitars with amazing sounds for the money. I bought the 2nd one as insurance after i bust my original one, as i was gigging with it. I must admit im not using it live at the moment (im going thru my LP phase at the moment) mainly because our style of music has come back to being hi-gain again. But when we start playing lighter more 'tonal' sort of rock, then i will not hesitate to throw it back on at a gig. Looks the part too!

I also have to admit im possibly going to mod the back-up one by seeing what happens when i strap a decent HB or stacked single coil pickup at the bridge. If that works to help increase the gain for the heavier stuff then my poor little LP had better look out!

Ps i think Godin are underated. And i might just be out to buy another one!

I gotta blue baby blue one with the standard plastic top,maple on maple (one day i'm gonna glue down a maple veneer top...) this colour is kinda...well i don't really care too much...

the pickups are very low noise, but i changed them for vintage Kay chrome covered wonders(and the age of these things makes for a nice rounded bridge tone).

i had to dig out the chamber a bit to fit my old pickups in...the wood is very soft...i think they glued 4 or 5 layers of thickness to get this...not impressive, but hey, the neck is SOLID!!!!!

the body wood is a weak point, i think, but the resonance is good. Like some cheap rickenbaker or danalectric, it has a cool sound. i recorded direct thru a my butler pedal into mixer, to my Nakamichi tape deck, and was pleasantly surprised at the vintage twang (partly thanks to my 1950's Kay pickups...)

Always want to pick it up when i pass it...great playing satisfaction

the neck is real pro finished

dunno

bought on yahoo auction so N/A

8. great for adolescent or kid just starting out...i would pick up another for the same price to give to a nephew or someone...or keep to customize/experiment...

The serial number says it was made in '01 though I bought it from a store in '04.
Came as it is with no gig bag or anything.
Straight from the box, it was play-ready without having to do much setting up.
Much has been said of the highly comfortable neck and it is what glued me to it in the first place.
Being hollow bodied also made it lighter and hence lesser strain on the shoulders when playing for a long time.
I have one gripe though, the neck volume knob tend to get in the way when playing. There's high possibility of cutting the neck pickup altogether accidentally especially when strumming hard.
Also, the strings tend to slip off the neck while bending. Not a good idea.

I play more jazz and light rock so this baby suits me to a T.
As much as Godin herald it's versatility, I pretty much doubt anyone would need the whole spectrum of sounds it is deemed capable of producing by blending the bridge and neck pickups. I play it through a Korg AX1500 so most time I keep it at full tone while using the effects modelling.
For single coils, it is extremely quiet.
The sustain is a little bit short but I rarely need it to scream so it's ok.
The sounds were clean and for it's price, it offers really good value for uncongested sounds.

The action was a little bit high out of the box but nothing an alan key cannot fix. I particularly like the individual action on the bridge compared to a lp. Then again, the chrome plate on the bridge looks like it's price and maybe cheaper. I've lost a spring already due to loose screws. But then, can't complain much about the aesthetics for such a price.
The thrust rods were not accessible using normal keys though it is not too much of an issue but may be an irritating thing when you're on the road and don't have your tools with you.
The screws attaching the scratch plates tend to rust. Most of mine's has rusted due to the perspiration under the heat and lights from my sweaty arms. Is it too much much to ask for stainless steel screws? Perhaps...

Though it feels lighter than most solid bodies, it is a sturdy axe to grind on.
The neck feels very solidly bolted to the body but if you knock on the back of the neck, you'll hear some rattling of the rods inside. I wouldn't trust it to survive being accidentally banging on something solid.
The strap buttons were solid and never gave any problems.
The finishing is good. Just wondering if Godin sells replacement scratch plates, cos it'll be really cool to be able to swap scratch plates for different gigs and it'll look like a different guitar each time. I saw a black body with a chrome plate and it looks awesome though I dunno about how it'll look with scratches on the chrome face.
I've gigged with it without backups and it was okay. I guess as long as you're not too energetic and violent with it, it will serve you very well.

Never had to deal with the company.

Been playing guitar for 17 years, mainly acoustic stuff. This guitar is a cool piece of gear to have both in terms of look and sound. If it were stolen, I'll replace it. If I had to get another one, I'd probably buy second hand, though it's already so inexpensive, it also costs so much lesser second hand and the QC in Canada is good enough to ensure the second hand will be a good piece as well.
I could play for hours and hours on it because of it's well crafted neck. Excellent piece of work from Godin.
Like I said earlier, having options to purchase additional different scratch plates will make it a really exhibition piece.

pretty good on the features count;
Guitar is assembled in the USA, from parts lovingly crafted in canada.
high quality selected (1 PIECE!) short scale maple neck - nice and clubby.
2 single coils, no noisy toggle switches (i prefer this solution of blending the neck and the bridge using the 2 master volumes).
Tone chambers routed out of the 2 piece quality body, all over pick guard, decent tuners for the price.
My only complaint would be the design of the bridge - not the worst i have seen by any means, but i found it fiddly to get what i wanted in terms of set up.

HOWEVER
for #200 this is by far the most fully featured guitar i can find anywhere before sacrificing general quality for components - bear this in mind

well to be honest i only love the radiators tone for some things - its faultless through clean, especially when yu roll the bridge off just a little. I find that it just doesnt have the fluidity that a great heavy rock guitar should - but i would rather have this guitar doing some things really well than everything just ok. It gets played through a marshall cab and a line6 flextone head - so to be honest i can make any guitar sound ok.
I find that the guitar is a little noisy on high gain settings, and tends to increase more than my other guitars in proximity to the tv.

I'd say its a tremendous guitar for blues/jazz/country/lighter rock. I have heard many say it sounds alot like a rickenbacker, and i would have to say it offers the jangly quality that my les paul can't.

as long as you don't need to go gain crazy i would reccomend it highly.

action was a little higher than i play normally, but i am used to dropping that down and changing to 10's all the time.
The paint to me was a little thin on the back, and its covered up with the full face pickguard so i cant tell on the front.
The frets were all very even and the neck was as well set and was as straight as anyone could get within reason - something godin particularly prides itself on. The fretboard has been beautifully mated to the neck - really amazing - you would expect that kind of finish on a guitar of 3x this price.
No scratches or anything - even after 2 years - so its cosmetically totally durable - best guitar i have in that respect.

my only other complaint is the bridge volume control keeps falling off, but i can take that because of everything else

guitar stays in tune well - no trem anywhere and shorter scale means less string breakages.
All the hardware is untarnished, and tuners have years and years left.
Strap buttons are small but very solid. The full face pick cover will mean that this guitar should look new for so long. Its durable enough for a world tour, so long as it suits you elsewhere

never needed them

i gave it a 10 most places - its not the most versatile guitar in the world but
a)it will do a lot of things very well for most people
b)you can pick them up for half of less than retail because godin don't (can't) trade on their name like gibson - you get a bargain.
c)i think when you get american/canadian crafted electrics for korean bolt on epiphone money - how can you complain?

I seriously mean it when i give this one a ten - its not the fastest - there are no jumbo frets and high output humbuckers - but what it does do it does with alot of class