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After all they aren't Gibson or Fender are they
This means that you can pick them up for a song, but they will possibly never appreciate in value, so just enjoy them.
I particularly like the feel of the necks, very smooth satin finishes.
Currently have 4 Godin's. A Radiator, SD24, SDXT & LG P90 & no plans to sell any of them
They do their own thing, rather than copying standard designs, but the brand never seems to have achieved much profile in the UK.
Its not the same price range as the one you linked, but I’ve currently got an XTSA listed FS here ...
That even applied to the Acousticaster, which just seemed like a complicated and expensive way of making something that didn't actually sound any better than a Crafter.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I have a Radiator, it sounds fantastic and filled my Tele hole for over a decade until I succumbed to the Baja. Baja has been in its case for months and the Radiator is back on my 'go-to' stand next to the TV. I have 10 guitars but I've had the Radiator the longest, from new in 1999. That says a lot!
I've had an Exit-22 in the past which I really liked (I upgraded the pickups) and I used another Radiator as the starting point for building a heavily modified custom guitar.
So yeah, I rate them!
I fitted locking tuners and a pickup selector switch which makes it more usable but since I bought other guitars I hardly ever play it.
My nearest stockist has carried a succession of 5th Avenue Kingpin models. After an initial flurry of interest, sales have tailed off. The models that I have tried were perfectly playable but lacked any "wow" factor.
I don’t find them characterless, to be honest. To balance the above, I also had a 5th Avenue Kingpin ll which was vile.
Subjectively this can be true :-D
But... I have had Gibsons & Fenders etc. that fit this description, exactly.
My Godin goldtop LG P90, with it's Seymour Duncans, wipes the floor (other surfaces are available) with any Gibson equipped P90 that I have played (& I still own such Gibsons).
My SD24 has SD Pearly Gates & is as good as any guitar that I have access to (lots).
Not a scientific or reproduceable opinion, but are anyone elses opinions/endorsements any more more reliable?
The Radiator pickup blend control, gives tele-ish options that simply aren't available from a guitar not similarly equipped.
@ICBM has a thing about maple necks being good & tough, so is this now a failing?
As ever, opinions are just that, opinions.
Buy a bargain, swap the pickups & enjoy laughing at the people that know best.
Some people don't want a sexy guitar - the sort of guitarist who marries Nora Batty types.
Brilliantly-made guitars, but the electronics can be better. For mine, I ended up replacing the toggle switch to a Switchcraft, as the one it came with packed up after a few months. The neck humbucker, a Godin-branded one, GHN1, was nothing to write home about, no spark. On my searches online I found that it has a ceramic magnet, and that went at the same time as the switch replacement, for a SD Jazz neck, to match the SD '59 bridge that the guitar came with. While at it, I also replaced the pots and caps, which were PCB-based and not very confidence-inspiring, with Orange Drops and CTS mini pots (because the cavity was rather small).
The resulting guitar is a very good one. Apart from the electronics it came with and the neck pickup, I cannot fault it in any way, especially now, and to me it plays better than the Les Pauls of different prices I tried in stores. It is, however, a guitar for the rock/blues player. Whatever I played, it screamed to be driven, and 'abused', and I am not that type of player, hence the sale.
My opinion, in summary, based on both my hands-on experience and the various Godins I tried in store and the information online when researching them, they are beautifully put together guitars, very versatile, very playable, and very good value, even new. Second-hand, even more so. The electronics, however, are not the best, that is the consensus online to which I can subscribe, but replacing them improves the guitar tremendously. They seem to be appreciated by those who need a guitar in a professional capacity and don't care about brand image, as they are durable, mod-able, very playable, and very versatile.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!