Anyone played a Godin Radiator ?

Bogwhoppit

I've been offered one for silly money (£100), however, its no use to me if it wont get played.

 

Edit : Body was split down the middle,so walked away.

JookyChap

I think @DiscoStu had one and I must admit I've long lusted after one meself. Only ever played one for five minutes but was really impressed. Not sure what they generally go for but that sounds cheap - if you don't like it - dibs

Bogwhoppit

JookyChap said:

I think @DiscoStu had one and I must admit I've long lusted after one meself. Only ever played one for five minutes but was really impressed. Not sure what they generally go for but that sounds cheap - if you don't like it - dibs

Richards Guitars sell them for £549, so even taking into account their massive depreciation, sub £150 is a bargain.  If I get the chance I'll take a look tomorrow, if its not for me I buy it and sort a way out of getting it to you later on.

JookyChap

Sounds cool to me...

There goes the new year resolution (maybe)

ThePrettyDamned

They're fantastic! One of those guitars that make you smile. I've long lusted... Dibs after jooky if you wanna part ex for a bass

Bogwhoppit

JookyChap said:

Sounds cool to me...

There goes the new year resolution (maybe)

They other one is dragging its heels, the tracking reads like the hokey cokey lol

EricTheWeary

JookyChap;111729" said:

Sounds cool to me...



There goes the new year resolution (maybe)

if its cool surely that's a broken radiator... %-(

I think they look good and £100 is certainly a bargain price. Some of the colours might be an acquired taste though.

Bogwhoppit

Form a queue   lol

ICBM

For £100 I'd still buy it and I don't really like them all that much. They're *nearly* characterful and cool, but somehow just a little bit bland and generic at the same time… if that makes sense!

The two main faults they have are lack of a pickup selector switch (although you could always rewire it), and on the earliest ones the bridge is mounted on top of the scratchplate not through it, so in order to get at the electrics you have to take the whole guitar apart.

JookyChap

Bogwhoppit said:

JookyChap said:

Sounds cool to me...

There goes the new year resolution (maybe)

They other one is dragging its heels, the tracking reads like the hokey cokey lol

It does, doesn't it? I looked this morning.. Think I live in a black hole though, meant to have a dozen things delivered on Friday and none of them made it... Reckon our posty is have a fine Xmas mind

DiscoStu

Hi! 

Suddenly I'm useful for something haha!

Radiators are cool as fuck, but it depends what colour it is. Mine is pace car blue and is gorgeous. I've toyed with selling it on many occasions, but never gone through with it.

What colour is the one you've been offered? Rosewood or maple fretboard?

Godin make fantastic necks. For me, the nicest I've played. They just 'fit', you know? The Radiator pickups have loads of bite and twang, somewhere between Tele and Ricky. The body is partly chambered which adds to the resonance.

As ICBM mentioned, there are only two things to consider. One is the lack of pickup selector switch. There are two volumes and one tone pot, and you use the volumes to blend pickups in or out rather than use a switch. I've never had a problem with this.

Secondly, should you wish to get under the scratchplate, earlier models are more fiddly as the bridge is fixed on top of it rather than recessed in to it like mine is. ICBM brought this to my attention.

But come on, we're nitpicking here! It's an awesome guitar and you're getting it for a ton! They regularly go for around £200 on eBay. You'd be dick to say no!

monquixote

I say buy it. 

I like them a lot. 

Nice slimish to medium necks, chimey clean sounds and good for indie with a bit of dirt, nice and light as well. 

£100 you can't go wrong.

EdGrip

I was always rather intrigued by these too. Certainly quite an unusual guitar!

blueskunk

Bloody cool guitars for sure. Regret selling mine ages ago.

Howard from this forum bought mine and uses it for slide.

The lack of pickup selector soon becomes no issue

Great sort of semi ish tele type tones. Great for back keys type stuff.

vasselmeyer

If I can just chip in, I bought a Godin Radiator from @blueskunk which, as he says, I now use for slide. Personally I quite like the dual volumes as it lets you get a decent blend for the tone you want. That picture above actually has much more wood in it than mine. It's routed all the way around and then covered up with the scratchplate.

I would say that the pickups are a little weedy, but then everything else I play has humbuckers or P90s, so maybe that's just my comparing them. The neck pickup is lovely and very fluid; you can get some beautiful Hendrixy tones from it. The bridge is a little shrill for me but it's easy just to roll the volume off a little. The guitar LOVES fuzz, but I think fuzz does more for single coils than it does for humbuckers anyway.

The sound isn't great as it was recorded on a phone but I have a video of me playing it (solo starts at about 2:00). I wasn't really expecting to play slide on this song so the playing's a little ropey, but you can hear the difference between the sounds as I rolled the neck pickup right off for the second progression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaUWJsuUubA

Basher

I think they look fantastic!

For £100 you should rip their arm off.

@vasselmeyer - I wish I sounded that "ropey"! Great sounds and great playing.

usedtobe

I think they look well cool.

DiscoStu

EdGrip said:

I was always rather intrigued by these too. Certainly quite an unusual guitar!

Oi! That's my photo! That's my spare room and the donor Radiator which became my Mirrortop guitar.

Google image search I take it??