GUITAR- ... the big fish that got away!!!

A truly unique and great sounding guitar Made both in the U.S. & Germany

GODIN RADIATOR
1999 to 2013
the body is made from triple A hand select silver maple with a Canadian hard rock maple neck
The Godin PU's sound like Rickenbacker toasters PU's
...yet they still have the low end of a Gibson PAF.
even something written for an acoustic works great...
throw on a dirt pedal and it has a near hummie like sound.

Too many players listened to this guitar with their eyes so it is gone.

 If they plugged one in and actually heard it
this crazy looking thing might be blowing a few LP's, Tele's and Strats off the stage.

Good news ....about $280.00 USD used is typical

I stumbled onto the Godin Radiator. I always had a thing for a good looking Retro...as cool as they looked most do not have a great sound. This is a BIG exception.
When I buy a guitar 99% of the time I change one or all the PU's. Not only that but nearly always after having it for less than a week.
This guitar's PU's 'ain't broke' ... so they don't need fixing.

BUT...if you do you can with surprisingly amazing results. More on this later.

The guitar came in 8 different colours over the years and offered both a maple or rosewood fretboard. The one in the pic is in  Pace Car Blue.

EUREKA!
 I found one in good condition on Kijiji. A  few small scrapes one slightly scratchy pot and one pot with the tiny nut and washer missing nothing crucial.
It is in black. I love the colours but fate sent me a black one. The black has that classic contrast with the white pickguard giving it's crazy pickguard an air of dignity . Yes a guitar wearing a tux. 

I wrote to Godin with my S/N. In just a day they got back to me. Apparently I have a 1999 Radiator.
How cool is that? The year it was introduced.

THE BUILD

... mine has the maple  fingerboard...I am totally pleased with the flare it adds and it seems somehow it turns the fun toy look of it into a serious looking tool. 
I already have a sonic blue, a daphne blue, a yellow and orange guitars. 
Odd as it seems black is a real novelty for me.

I had not had a chance to plug it in the day I got it as I was far from my amp.
I found myself at 2am not only playing it but composing a new tune. Bonus! It's acoustic properties are so strong it sounds good even acoustically. 

the classic that put Godin on the map

The Inside of the Radiator is majorly hollowed out. This uses the pick guard to act as the top of a semi acoustic. Traditionally this seems childishly stupid. 
BUT!!! Keeping in mind Godin got into the very top of the heap of  acoustic electric guitars that sound surprisingly good but would NOT feedback like nearly all others do that you find them useless in a Rock band live.
They seem to have nailed it again with the Radiator. 
The chamber keeps the profoundly heavy solid maple body a manageable weight. BUT...it is transparently obvious by the exquisite tone of this guitar that
played without even plugging it in sounds stunning. The huge pickguard is a big part of the the genius of this design. It has become the 'spruce top' of this 
beautiful sounding instrument.


IS IT NEARLY A REISSUE?
MAGNATONE MKII & MKIII

I have read up on many, many classic retro electric guitars. In general most were made in or near Chicago.
The Magnatones however were made during mainly the 50's in Los Angeles.
I missed this one. I always new about Magnatone amps as they were famous for their amp tremolo.
They have recently been reproduced.
But they made a few guitars too.
The 1956 MKII single PU and the MKIII dual PU

They were designed by Paul Bigsby famous for the Bigsby vibrato.

The obvious point is the Radiator has a grandfather. LOL

THE BIG PROBLEM
I feel that Godin just do not know how to market. This guitar was bought by fans of  retro looking guitars. 
Players that are 'tone crazy' would never pull it off the wall of their fav guitar store completely missed out on an amazing sounding low priced gem!!!
Godin does not seem to have had a plan to wise them up.

Note: readers that are dying of curiosity should get out there and dig up a used one to check out.
I have 45,000 viewers that may be reading this right now. trust me...this sucker's used price is less then $300.00 USD. Cheaper than a lot of good pedals. I predict the price will one day go thru the roof.

Best Vid for dirt sounds

Best Vid for clean sounds 

Good Vid for fusion type sounds

OK I've digressed yet again.
back to 

THE BUILD
The headstock is a deliberate knock off of a PRS aproach. This design is the only 3 aside tuner layout that keeps your guitar in tune as good as ol' Leo's 6 inline. The body has a tummy cut and the shape and weight facilitates an excellent balance. The 'D' shaped and ...24 3/4 classic Gibson style neck is a bullet proof winner perhaps even to a young shredder.  The neck feels perfect. Even though it is quite shallow thru like a Metal players neck it somehow has a medium type feel.
So in short the whole guitar is a total mind blower.

THE TRADITIONALIST 
It doesn't take much to turn this gem into the GIBSON that was never made
with the dead on Gibson shape and length of the neck and a near ES335 hollow body slap in your fav PAF's and be prepared for the shock of your life
perhaps you will be thinking "why in the F. didn't Gibson make this?"

All GODIN guitars have fit and finish specs equal to or better then a Fender made in the USA
So if you see yourself as a Gibson or Fender guy then grabbing one and dropping in the appropriate 'ENGINE'
Which in this case are couple of Duncan's hummies, Tele or Strat PU's gets you a 'serious' guitar for small change!!!

SUMMERY

 NOT made in Asia but used it sells as cheap as a Chinese entry level guitar and plays and ...sounds stunning. Not to mention you get high end components..grade 'A' woods...a fit and finish as good as a new Tele pro. Just that simple and you get a true pro guitar.
Then later if you wish you can spend a couple of hundred more and you get a star rookie just by swapping out pickups for some Fender or Gibson.

KNOCK ...KNOCK...the lights are on but is there is anyone home ????
Only the wealthy or very stupid would not want to give this guitar a test drive.

SOOO...you are neither wealthy or stupid!
...hence I expect hundreds of readers to find one and quite frankly STEAL it from their owner

THINGS TO KNOW AS THE BUYER
-the first two digits in the S/N tell you the year it was made.
-a sunny yellow model made only in 1999 is the rarest. It is not hard to figure the yellow        is the most valuable.
-the first group of new buyers searching for this guitar are recording studio's. When they get stuck trying to get a good or a fresh tone that sits beautifully in a mix this sucker is a saviour. Not only that everyone handed the guitar never finds it difficult to adapt to the neck.

  I have 6 guitars ...with 25 1/2" ...24 3/4" and even a 24" neck...and this is the easiest neck to play.I just picked up the guitar and played for a few hours. it did not occur to me until later just how good that necked felt. I have since did a shoot out with all my guitars.
My 59 Les Paul reissue with a Duncan 'Pearly Gates' sounded best. 
My 59 LP winning best sound award? It did...but if I read that in another guys review I would want to throw a pie in his face. LOL
The 'RAD' was just as fat and had the best neck.

After a few weeks of using this guitar on the typical tunes I write with clean sounding verses and chorus I find that I am just using the Neck pickup. I also find that like all my tunes the intro and various bridges etc use a lot of medium gain OD. They sound best with a hummie driving them. So I will put a hummie in the the bridge postion. 
I found a new one I would like to try. 
The Seymour Duncan Pegasus
...they call it a Progressive Metal pick up. It is definitely a hot hummie ...but it looks like a PAF and still has those rich PAF harmonics. It has an output that is dead on to the middle point between an average PAF and a high gain Metal PU. It sounds perfect! 

See You In the Funny Papers LOL