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The Godin Core HB is another winner from Godin and features the following:
We first got exposed to the Core line via their excellent Core P-90, and we're happy to report that the Core HB is just as much fun, and a great value. We gave it a quick test spin using our Fender Bassman Ltd Reissue amplifier with four Jensen P10R speakers.
Like all guitars in the Core line, it features a glossy maple top and chambered mahogany body. The maple/mahogany combination has been used for decades, and combines the fat, warm nature of a mahogany body with the additional upper end snap provided by the maple top. The addition of a chambered mahogany body imparts a clean, open tone that is the signature sound of the Core series. Regardless of which Core model, they possess a balanced, open midrange and a level of clarity that is a cut above most set-neck mahogany guitars. It's like combining the more defined upper end of a semi-hollow such as a 335 with the brawnier low end of a solid body.
The Godin-branded pickups are medium output pickups made by G&B from Korea (which supplies a lot of guitar builders including the PRS SE line). They are certainly a good starting point, and the neck pickup combines good upper end string clarity, and commendably percussive low end that does not get soft and wooly like a lot of humbuckers. It's capable of jazzy rhythm tones, but it is tight and articulate enough to get funky when the mood strikes. The bridge pickup is a little hotter, but still sounds clean and avoids the stiff, harsh upper midrange that can afflict bridge pickups that are wound too hot. There is a pleasing level of brightness, and single coil players will easily warm up to its fat punchy tones that somehow still manage to sparkle.
A must-have feature of the Core is the individual tone and volume controls for each pickup. Guitarists who have played Strats all their lives have really missed the joy of individual volume and tone controls. The best way to experience the flexibility and range of the Core HB is to use both pickups together and explore the all the nuances that individual volume and tone controls offer. Just the simple arrangement of keeping the bridge pickup on full, and adjusting the neck pickup to control the level of warmth is a very powerful tool. And there are vastly more tone possibilities beyond that. In my opinion, it's how these guitars are meant to be played.
The neck is a reasonably slender Gibson/PRS
shape that is technically a "C" profile, but Godin tends to flatten the
back a little bit. It's a cinch to play, and the traditional 24-3/4"
string length provides comfortable action and easy bending. Like all
Godin electrics, the medium sized frets are highly polished with very
smooth fret ends, and the fingerboard has rounded edges that feel broken
in from day one. Dialing in the setup is a snap, no doubt aided by
Godin's dual action truss rod and a fully adjustable wrap tailpiece.
For players -- especially single coil players -- who want to experience
the fatter, warmer nature of a set neck humbucker guitar, the Core HB is an exceptional value. The Core HB
provides the girth and punch made famous by this style of guitar, but
adds a level of clarity and definition that most guitars of this genre
lack. Even without fancy name brand pickups this guitar rocks, and at a
street price of under $800 it easily deserves a space in your
collection.
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