Godin is known for producing forward-thinking products and this shows in their guitar concepts. You’ll find unique shapes, versatile combinations of electronics and refreshing concepts that stray away from traditional designs. One of these original models is the Radium, a curious mix of a Telecaster and a Les Paul. I’ve recently taken it for a spin and I’m here to report on how it feels and sounds.
First, make sure to check out this short video I’ve filmed. It showcases the Radium’s tone, its features and who I think would benefit from such an instrument.
Feature packed electric guitar
The Godin Radium is a sort of hybrid guitar. It includes features you’d normally find on a Les Paul and a Telecaster. This makes it a rather bold and unique concept that will surely catch the eye of the unconventional guitarist.
Combination of two legendary guitars
The body and neck combo is definitely Les Paul inspired, but with a Telecaster influence. It is in fact a combination of Godin’s own Stadium and Radiator models. The body is built out of Canadian Laurentian Basswood and a mahogany neck topped by a rosewood fingerboard. The neck has 22 frets and a 24.75” scale length; Gibson’s choice on its most famous instrument. Even the headstock has the classic 3×3 configuration. The nut is a Graphtech, which is a great component that helps with tuning stability. Speaking of which, the Godin machine heads do an excellent job of contributing to a stable playing experience.
Versatile electronics
The electronics on the Radium are quite interesting. The dual humbucker with middle single coil pickup is a very powerful and versatile combination. Two Godin custom Zebra humbuckers are placed in the neck and bridge position. In the middle, we have the manufacturer’s own Cajun Nickel model. Thanks to the 5-way switch, you can select a single pickup by itself, or a combination of the middle with either the split neck or bridge. With the push-pull tone, you can split the coils of the humbucker for even more options.
The plate on which the controls rest is straight out of the Telecaster book. It has two potentiometers for volume and tone. The selector switch is placed at an angle, something that helps follow the natural movement of the hand.
Beautiful finish
While the model I received is in a beautiful matte green finish, the Radium family at Godin includes options in carbon black, Winchester brown, Rustic Burst and a natural stain. These guitars have some differences between them, so makes sur you look through their spec sheets to find which one suits you best. For example, there are two models with a double humbucker set up with a floating bridge.
Included with your purchase is a Godin gig bag. It is of excellent quality and has a few pockets to house your cables, strings and other accessories. It also has extra neck padding that ties with Velcro. This is extra protection for the angled headstock featured on this guitar.
Plenty of tones backed by great feel
Playing the Radium is a pleasant experience. The neck is very comfortable. It has a slight finish that doesn’t stick and slides very well. It is a bit hefty, without being too bulky for precision playing. The smaller scale makes bends a breeze and fretting a bit easier than on 25.5 inch fretboards.
Tone-wise, the Radium delivers a wide range of sounds, as promised. Both humbuckers are quite punchy and lend themselves well to various shades of rock. You can also get interesting and full clean sounds out of them. The tele middle pickup offers bluesy twang that you can use to great effect.
With the wiring, it is possible to split either humbucker for even more tonal options. The in-between positions of the selector switch combine the split ‘buckers with the middle pickup for out of phase, strat like sounds. When you add all these possibilities up, you get quite a versatile instrument!
The only thing I didn’t like about this guitar was the placement of the electronics. The tone knob is a bit too close to the input jack to my liking. The space is a little narrow, and your cable might get in the way of adjusting your settings. This is not a major issue, as it is not very common to adjust the tone as much as the volume. I suspect that it will become a bit annoying if you push and pull the knob a lot in your playing style.
Interesting choice for those who want to go against the grain
Godin strikes an appealing combination of quality and versatility with the Radium. This guitar offers a very wide range of tones. Such a trait will interest those that need a single tool to cover many different sounds. With the different pickups, it’s easy to cover various song sections that require diverse colours. This model excels at this, since it has a powerful pickup configuration, as well as coil splitting through the push-pull knob. It is essentially a workhorse guitar with quality construction and components.
For someone that has a collection that is oriented towards a specific model, this might be a very good buy to ensure they have access to any missing tones. Since the Radium is very versatile, it covers a lot of ground, and you won’t need to shop for different instruments to cover those missing bases. It’s equally a good choice for alternate tunings, thanks to its fixed bridge.
The guitar is road ready thanks to solid components and high-quality construction and assembly. For the serious musician, the cost becomes very attractive, because it’s still at a low price point for a product made in Canada.
For the beginners that are willing to spend more than what your average entry-level model costs, this is also a great opportunity. The advantage here is that you get a well-built, long-lasting guitar that you’ll be able to grow with.
Make sure to check out the Godin Radium on Best Buy’s website.
