Godin Radiator

This is actually just an update for my review below... I recently installed a Duncan TB-2 and now I have one of the most versatile guitars!

If needed, for clean I can roll off the TB2 and turn the neck pickup to about 4-5 (i own a JCM800 so i have to make-do with the one channel) and I've got the clean fat strat sound, turn the TB2 back to 11 and I'm right back up there with the thick harmonic gain... Beatiful..

Get a high gain pickup in the bridge and you have every base covered...

Bought new in 2002. Assembled in USA from Canadian parts. Maple fretboard and black finish with white pearl pickguard - striking combination. All stock when I got it but I've made one necessary modification: the pickups are each wired to a volume control so there is no selector switch and the tone control is a master to both pickups. This is a great configuration for getting many different sounds but the knobs are knurled chrome so there are no markings or numbers on them. This makes it hard in live situations to adjust your sound at a glance so I use 3 strat knobs so I can glance at the guitar and understand my options for loudness and tome.

Very versastile. I can get sounds from single coil to humbucker. Very quiet. Its a bright sound but you can adjust the tone control down to 3 and it gets nice and warm without being muddy. I play in a cover band and use this guitar for every tune from Elvis to the Stones. It does not drive an OD pedal very well so you will need a pedal that has a lot of balls.

Beautifully made and set up right out of the box. My only adjustment was to raise the treble side of the pups for better e and b string definition.

The quality of the materials seem very durable. I've had no problems using it in a band setting. The body is mostly hollow under the large pickguard so I take care. Gig without a backup - not with this guitar or any other for that matter.

Never dealt with company.

I've been playing off and on for 20 years. My other guitar is a 1960's RI Stratocaster. I love the strat but for now the Radiator is number 1 come gigtime. If stolen I'd immediately buy another one. Cheap, dependable, versatile tones, cool looks, unique, plays and feels great!

1999- I just bought it new which tells you how many people like the look of it... All the specs have been said already. Mine's that hideous aqua colour. MINE DOESN'T HAVE SOUND CHAMBERS LIKE IT'S MEANT TO- JUST NORMAL ROUTING AROUND THE POTS AND PICK-UPS. In fact, it's a really tight squeeze for the pick-ups and pots. But good for what it's meant to do.

It's ok for us- lots of people have said 'scratchy' and that's what I like. Great sustain. For two singles, relatively good variety of sounds. Pick-ups squeal like stuck pigs with the gain over 1/3 the way up- really annoying. Bright sound- sometimes too bright for me. (One note: That's not Godin's fault. Why do people buy a guitar and then mark Godin down for sound because it doesn't suit them? If it doesn't suit you, why did you buy it? LP's and Tele's don't suit my sound, but I'm not going to mark them down for it.)

Needed fret dressing from new- not impressed. What I was impressed at was the built quality and the paint job. The paint didn't go into the edges of the neck screwholes (CLEARLY visible), but the paint was thick and perfectly applied. It is the standout factor with this guitar. But loses many marks for needing fret dressing when bought new.

I have only gigged with it once and I had 1/2 an hour between sets where I just had to sit on my amp and do nothing. So I cleaned out my machine heads. I got up to play and was out of tune. Haha. Nothing to do with Godin, but a true story. I never gig without a backup, but if I did, I would feel more than confident to do so with this one.

1 email sent - 1 email reply in 4 days. Good enough for me. Good website too.

Playing for 13 years. Setup: Godin/Ibanez CT Strat/Yamaha RGX/Yamaha APX-4-->Jen (red fasel) Crybaby-->Boss OS-2 -->Boss ME-30 -->Ibanez DML-10 (modulating delay)--> (between amps but probably a Behringer GX212). I wish I had spent more time playing it in the shop (and I already spent a lot) 'cause I don't really think it's for me. But it's great for what it is.

Mine is a regular Pace car blue Radiator. I have removed the stock pickups and installed a Seymour Duncan Alnico II at the bridge and a DiMarzio DXL Plus at the neck

I change the pickups because I agree that this guitar's only real flaw was the low output of the pickups. I noticed this particularly when using clean auto wah effects and driving other effect units.

The DiMarzio provide a big fat sound that is still nice and tight. It has output

The Alnico II removed that tele-like twang with a more vintage sound.

I bought this guitar new in '99, the same year that it was made. Check other reviews for a full list of features. In reality this is a chambered maple bodied guitar with a plastic top (scratchplate). The two single coil pickups are not particularly beefy...similar to a Fender Duo Sonic that I recently played in a pawn shop. Each has its own volume control. A single universal tone pot is the only other control provided.

The neck is hard rock Canadian Maple, and my version has a maple fretboard. The tuners appear to be Gotoh, (or something comparable). This guitar has 24 medium/jumbo frets on a rather short 24.75" scale. The fretboard radius is very flat (12"), and has a comfortable "C" shape, similar to current US Fender necks.

At the price point for which this guitar is targeted, the features are adequate, but a pickup selector would be a nice addition. Additionally, the pots, pickups, bridge pieces, nut and string retainer are NOT top shelf components. In fact, I have seen comparable quality on more fully featured--but comparably priced-- Korean imports (check out the Hamer Californian or Stellar 3). So, while everything works fine, this guitar feels, looks, and sounds more like an Asian import than a guitar that has its origins in Canada and is assembled in the US.

Summary-- Good Features: Neck, body, tuners, tidy construction. I subtracted some points for the quality of the bridge, pickups, and pots and its lack of a pickup selector.

Others have mentioned the cool indie, jangly sound that this guitar has. It sounds great through my Vox AC-15. Kick on a good overdrive pedal and this little axe breaks into a nice even grind without any harsh high frequencies or overpowering bass. Its chambered body and slightly underpowered single coil pups mounted directly to the plastic scratchplate combine to create a unique strum friendly rhythm guitar. You're gonna need a couple of effects and a well voiced lead amp channel to cut through keyboards and drums if you play lead guitar.

The pickups are really quiet for single coils. You can blend them to get a bit of variety, but if you are looking for the versatility of a good strat or tele, you won't find it here.

As far as the Rickenbacker comparisons go, don't read too much into this. Yes, it has a hint of that jangly, hollow 330/360 sound, but it is definitely not as complex, interesting, or "musical" sounding as a Rick--nor is it as versatile. Still, it's a cool sounding guitar with a unique voice. It sounds just like it looks! Kinda plasticky with a hint of maple syrup. COOL.

Here is where my opinion might depart from the mainstream a bit. Yes, this Godin Radiator is a reasonably well built guitar; but you get what you pay for most of the time, and there are concessions that need to be made since this guitar is a budget Canadian/US built instrument.

First, the neck is terrific...and a good neck means everything in terms of playability and tuning stability of a guitar. Also, the body is beautifully shaped and finished, and the neck bolts snugly to the body with four bolts. The tuners are also very good and easily keep everything in tune.

Here is what I discovered when I dismantled my Radiator a couple of years ago. The screws that secure the scratchplate to the body are really cheap, and it is easy to torque the head right off of the screws if you are not careful. The pots work fine, but they are exactly what one would expect given the price of this guitar. The pickups are marginally adequate by today's standards, but they can sound pretty good through the right effects and amps.

Since this guitar has a plastic top, not much craftsmanship is required in terms of assembly or finish. This helps keep the price of this guitar down. Also, the bridge saddles and thier adjusting screws are just plain crappy. The screws are not installed at a consistent angle, and they slip occasionally throwing the height adjustment out of kilter.

I have two Korean made guitars--a DeArmond Starfire and a Hamer Stellar 3. Both feature better components and better fit and finish than the Godin. I paid less for both than I did for the Godin, but remember that Asian labor is really cheap.

But the real strength of this guitar, besides its quirky sound, is the fabulous neck!

I have had this guitar for three years. I do not gig with it very often, but it is one of my regular travel guitars when I go on vacation or on business trips. It travels well--it's light, compact, and the neck and body are rock solid. There is not much that you can damage on this, but I did break the tone pot--it basically fell apart after a few months of use. Again, these electronic components are the weak links.

Fabulous. They sent me a replacement tone pot...no questions asked! They would have repaired it free of charge, but I did not want to ship it to a repair facility, so the techs sent me a new pot and I replaced it myself. Excellent company.

There are plenty of choices at the $300-$400 level these days, and the products from Asia and Mexico are improving all the time. Godin has done a good job at keeping the price point of this Canadian/US made guitar competitive with the Asian and Mexican imports, but it shows up in terms of the quality of the electronic components.

That said, this is a cool guitar with lots of mojo. People will notice it, whereas your garden variety Asian strat is not likely to draw much attention at your regular gig. Also, it has its own unique voice which says alot about Godin's commitment to be different.

I own lots of guitars and amps, most of them premium grade US made instruments featuring solid tonewoods and professional grade electronics (you can see some of them at http://home.attbi.com/~drjeffreyb). I also own two Asian guitars and a Mexican Fender 50s Classic Series Strat. This Radiator sits firmly on the bottom of the pile in terms of quality and versatility. But it's a select group of instruments, so the bottom is not at all indicative of the quality of this guitar.

The Radiator is simply unique and hard to pigeon hole. I always enjoy playing it, and I have been able to coax some toneful sounds from it over the years. If it were lost or stolen, I think I'd try another quirky guitar like a Danelectro or a Reverend. But I'm happy with it for now, even though it has come perilously close to becoming eBay fodder. Too much fun to sell to some alt.punk.country wannabe from L.A. for $150:-)

1999 USA/Canadian-made semi-hollow with large pickguard. Body has tone chambers hollowed out to give the jangly Ricky tone. Two single coil pickups with volume, volume, tone controls. Black finish with black pearl guard.

The sound is ideal for the market that Godin is aiming for: that Rickenbacker/Telecaster cross that another reviewer alluded to, but with a bit of Jazzmaster Jaguar in there for good measure. Nice bright jangly bridge and a warm neck pickup. Great at the sound it is aiming for, but not a versatile guitar. Not the ideal guitar for a top 40s player or someone that plays many styles of music.

I used this guitar to play lead lines in a rock band and it did a great job of cutting through the mix.

I actually bought this guitar from the store that I used to manage, so I can account for it's great setup from Godin out of the box. Godin seems to be the last manufacturer out there that can put this level of crafstmanship into a guitar in this pricerange. This is how Fender, Gibson and the other brand name guitars used to be!

Perfect action and intonation out of the box, but I did raise the action for my playing style a bit.

The tuners, controls and body are durable and road-worthy. the only surprise for me was the cheap looking and feeling bridge. The tiny string saddles look like something off of a guitar from the Korean Samick factory, and they seem flimsy to me. This isn't a huge issue fot a hardtail guitar, and corners have to be cut somewhere, but the bridge looks and feels cheap. If I had decided to hold onto this guitar, I would have replaced it with something a little more stout.

Again, this is one of the last companies to put quality and service above sharholder profits. These guys will bend over backwards to keep their guitars working out in the real world. If you have trouble with anything, don't get mad, call LaSiDo and they will fix it!

I've been playing for 13 years or so, and since I was able to buy guitars at discount, I have owned 50+ stringed guitars and basses, for whatever that's worth. This is a great value on quality alone (bridge excluded), and a does a great job of getting that retro, jangly, surf-rock, indie sound at a great price. Not a do-it-all guitar, but what guitar really is?

On the back of the head stock the first 2 #s in cerial# says it was made in '99. hand crafted in the USA. 24 frets 2 vol. 1 tone. 2 Godin single-coils hard tail

I mostly play classic rock and punk. i have a peavey 15-watt that i play through. the guitar has a bright sound. i like its clean and lead sounds. Can sound like every guitar from a paul to a tele or strat

black w/ pearloid pickgaurd very well set up when i bought it the strings were wound the wrong way but were fixed by the store

the hardware seems like it will last the life of the guitar yes i would use it at a gig without a backup.

the tone pot broke and Godin sent the store brand new pots and knobs store fixed for free

i've been playing for a year and i think i made the right choice!!!!!! the only thing its missing is a tremelo

2000/2001, Canadian/US made guitar. Canary Yellow with a huge pearloid scratchplate. 24 fret Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, Alder(?) single cutaway body.

Hardware as described in previous reviews: Two Godin single coil pickups, hardtail bridge, two volume controls and a tone control, simple, but that's OK if the guitar sounds good!

I play what I can only describe as jangly/scratchy indie rock; think REM, Pixies, Byrds, Television.... mostly rhythm guitar, using mostly clean or lightly distorted sounds. I use a Peavey Bandit and a selection of ratty old pedals (an Ibanez overdrive, a Boss Compressor, Danelectro Trem/Leslie simulators).

This guitar suits me down to the ground - it's somewhere between a Telecaster and a Rickenbacker, with a bright, even ring and a fairly short sustain. The volume controls give it a good degree of versatility - there's no unusable sounds to be had, even with the tone rolled off completely, and you can get that dark Tele front pickup sound if you want to!

The blending effect is much more pronounced when you're using distortion, and you can get a decent sustain out of the guitar for lead work if you want... but beware if you're into the whole high-gain metal schtick... these pickups will start to squeal and howl at really low volumes if you crank up the gain!

It's not a guitar for every style or occasion.... but I tried a fair few guitars whilst making my mind up, and for the money, this was by far the best sounding and most enjoyable to play.

I don't know whether the dealers or distributors had checked the guitar over before I go it, but it came in pretty good shape; a few minor tweaks of the truss rod, new strings, the usual intonation/action set up and the guitar plays very nicely indeed.

The hardware seems good quality for the price - the tuners (newer style pearloid ones, no brand name) are positive and smooth, and the bridge is very solid. The nut was well cut, the fret ends tidy (no nasty edges), but the frets themselves were a bit rough - nothing a bit of playing in won't cure, though. I was a little worried by the string retainer, but that seems OK... the guitar stays in tune no matter what I do to it!

It's a solid, well made guitar - everything seems good quality. The finish is good and even (if a little bright for some people!), everything works and has kept working. The pickguard seems to be solid, and that covers the whole front of the guitar, so there's not much damage that can be done there. Tuning is always solid, which is always a good sign. No crackle from the volume/tone controls yet, the neck screws and pocket are a good tight fit... there's not much else to go wrong with it.

I don't think it's ever wise to gig without a backup, really: but this guitar is a bit of tank, so I might give it a go!

Dealers (Popmusic in Hammersmith) were really helpful at the time of purchase... but I live on the other side of London, so I've been using a local store for set-ups and the like. One year warranty, but I didn't need to use it.

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years.... Bass is my first love, but I play a lot more six string since I bought this guitar. It is by far my favourite - and I've owned a variety of guitars, including a Tokai strat, Aria 335 semi, Epiphone Les Paul....

It's well built, sounds good, and is thoroughly enjoyable to play. Really Good Thing is, this one was such good value for money...in this price range it blows the competition away.

If someone were to steal it, I would definitely consider buying another one, although I might be tempted go for a Godin SD if the funds were there....

The looks and the sound aren't for everyone, true: but if this is the sound you're after then the Radiator really delivers. I turned down a Gordon Smith GS1 to buy this one, so consider me a fan. Great guitar.

Made in 1998
24 frets
solid body
2 volume, 1 tone(no pickup selector)
2 godin single coil pickups
Very light guitar

this guitar puts out real nice crunch. i have a line 6 flextone head and 4x12 cab with vintage 30's

Belive it or not this guitar can put out some pretty hard tones

a mix bettween P-90's and tele nice warm tone not much hum for single coils

basicly my guitar is perfect

mines a pretty rare color BLACK WITH CHROME MIRROR PICKGUARD
its nice cause it looks like the guitars not just a wad of plastic

the action needed some work when i got it. but the original owner played acustic and thats what the guitar played like but i ajusted the truss rod and now the action is perfect!

this guitars a great live player but the finish get worn off pretty easily. Whatch out for your belt buckle!

this isn't a backup guitar i use it cause its got different tone than my other ones gibson Les Paul Custom, Fender 60's strat

never delt with them

i like this guitar its got cool looks and a great sound Its not quite as versitle as my Gibson Les Paul but it packs a mean punch

i hate that theres no pickup selector i bought one and put it on myself

i love that its so light 19 pounds with hardshell case!

no offense guys but black with a chrome pickguard is the best color

GREAT GUITAR!!!!

EXTRA COMMENT!!

I have just seen the JPEG file of the Radiator innards submitted by Marek Soszynski - and mine looks nothing at all like that dismantled! It just has some routing around the pickups and control pots! I am sure that would make quite a bit of difference to the sound - though for better or worsr who knows!!

What's goin' on Godin???