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Godin A5 Owners

alwbass

alwbass

Nov 12, 2009
36
40
#1
I'm interested in those who own a Godin A5 and have a few questions:

First off I do not have access to play one and am interested in the fretted version of this bass.
1) I play Modulus Quantum 5 with 17mm string spacing and a Lakland Skyline 5501 5 with 19 mm string spacing. What is the string spacing of the Godin A5?
2) I've read things about dead spots. How prevalent is this?
3) How defined is the B string with a 34" scale length?

Thank you
 
#2
As an acoustic bass player you will need to take this into account: the first acoustic basses were made to write songs with, practicing and were not meant to be seriously played. However in the past 10 years many big companies have begun to produce acoustic basses that are meant to be played professionally.

Unfortunately they haven't figured out how to make them good yet. As a result most acoustic basses you will find will be of low quality, and for higher quality ones you will have to pay A LOT more. However there are many great ones for reasonable prices.

Godin has taken a very interesting approach with their acoustic basses. Instead of focusing on a bass that's loud acoustically, they have gone all out and made it have amazing electronics and just an all around great bass while plugged in.

They are excellent while plugged in, but if you want to play them in acoustic settings they are terrible.

If you're just practicing on your own, or will be plugged in most of the time you will be set since this is a great bass in that sense :)
 
#3
I appreciate your response, very informative. I will be playing plugged in. I play gospel and am looking for a more mellow tone. Do you own a Godin A5 or A5 Ultra? I would like to know the B string reponse since both of the basses I have now have a great B. Also is the new Ultra still prone to dead spots like on the original bass? Finally, what is the string spacing?

Thank you
 
#5
I have an A5 fretless. B string is very nice. No string saddles, it's an acoustic bridge. String height is really a function of neck relief anyway. I believe the string spacing is about 17 mm (feels narrower than my Stambaugh which is 18).

Overall good basses, I like mine as a utility bass that I can bust out if fretless is necessary.

edit: OP mentioned 34" scale with regards to B strings. Honestly, most 34" B's sound just as good as 35". The fundamental is just fine. Maybe not as bell-like with their tonal definition, but honestly, you're ONLY going to notice that when you're listening to it without any other instruments.
 
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#7
I got this from a Godin Tech guy regarding string spacing and adjusting the string height:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The spacing at the bridge is 2 5/8" (from the 1st to the 5th string).

The action cannot be adjusted at the bridge, but you can shim the neck to lower the action.
-----------------------------------------------------------

So, string spacing is roughly [2.625/4 (spaces between strings)] = .656" (or ~16.5mm). Jazz bass spacing is .75" (or roughly 19mm)

For reference, Ernie Ball MM5's are 17.5mm... Ibanez SR-5 strings are also 16.5mm...
 
#8
I have a Godin A5 fretless, and I am very comfortable with the neck. Mine doesn't get used that much, because my Precisions sound better to me. A friend has the same model and gets a great upright bass sound out of it, but I can't seem to do that with mine. It's a very nice bass, with a useful B string, but I expect to trade it off for something else I need more.
 
#9
lpdeluxe said:
I have a Godin A5 fretless, and I am very comfortable with the neck. Mine doesn't get used that much, because my Precisions sound better to me. A friend has the same model and gets a great upright bass sound out of it, but I can't seem to do that with mine. It's a very nice bass, with a useful B string, but I expect to trade it off for something else I need more.
Click to expand...

lpdeluxe, thanks for the reply!! Is yours the "ultra" model with the soapbar pickup on it? I'm figuring on picking this up to be a sort of double horse... Upright sounds, and fretless electric sounds... ...and eventually working my way into the synth stuff...
 
#11
I just bought a new Ultra A5 fretless in December. I really like this bass alot. It's a bit heavier than I expected but manageable. Mine came setup very nicely, haven't had to tweak it at all.

I play Lakland Skyline, 55-02 and Joe Osborne 5 so I do like that wider string spacing. But I've had no issue with the tighter spacing of my A5. Actually, I find I seem to be able to play faster with this spacing. I too went with the newer model A5 to have the flexability of the bridge pup. I find I use the electric input - bridge pup only- more as it gives me more tonal control and I just EQ on my amp(s).

Maybe OP already bought one or something else. For me, I'm enjoying playing this bass and I take along my Am St P5 to the spanish-acoustic-guitar band gigs when I need even more variety. But I mostly play the A5 all nite and the guitars plug into PA, so never any full acoustic playing. I planned to only use my A5 plugged in so no problem there. But I can still pick it up at home and just play it from my lap unplugged for quick reference lines or fiddling about. Great basses.
 
#15
Not sure if this old thread can be revived? Looking for opinions on strings for my Godin A5 Ultra. I've had the factory strings on since new, (D'Addario Chromes Flat Wound ECB81-5s 45 65 80 100 132 I believe) and recently shimmed the neck with business cards, which adjusted the action very nicely. I just put on a new set of La Bella 760FLB Flat Wound 43 60 82 104 128, the D, G, A, E and B work well, but the lighter G is hopeless, and buzzing all over the fingerboard. The La Bellas do sound a bit punchier more defined, but that may be because they are new... Has anyone tried the balanced La Bella 760FSB Flat Wound 45 65 86 105 128 strings on their A5? I'm not sure how the heavier A and E would be, and $50.00 a set is a lot to keep shelling out on sets of strings for experimenting. Remember the days when you could go to a store and buy individual strings and make your own custom guages?
 
#16
ScotJam Bassie said:
Not sure if this old thread can be revived? Looking for opinions on strings for my Godin A5 Ultra. I've had the factory strings on since new, (D'Addario Chromes Flat Wound ECB81-5s 45 65 80 100 132 I believe) and recently shimmed the neck with business cards, which adjusted the action very nicely. I just put on a new set of La Bella 760FLB Flat Wound 43 60 82 104 128, the D, G, A, E and B work well, but the lighter G is hopeless, and buzzing all over the fingerboard. The La Bellas do sound a bit punchier more defined, but that may be because they are new... Has anyone tried the balanced La Bella 760FSB Flat Wound 45 65 86 105 128 strings on their A5? I'm not sure how the heavier A and E would be, and $50.00 a set is a lot to keep shelling out on sets of strings for experimenting. Remember the days when you could go to a store and buy individual strings and make your own custom guages?
Click to expand...
Hey hows it going.

Am also very late to this chat but I've been trying to fix a tiny buzz on the G string right where the G# is (where the 13th fret would be if the A5 Ultra had frets) and just looking around at other ideas, see what other folks do about the action. The shim sounds like an interesting idea but might revisit the truss rod first.

For the most part I really like mine, at the beginning the neck was too straight but we've adjusted the truss and have a good relief now, might try adding a bit more, I don't mind working with a higher action as it brings out the sound of the bass a bit more, and I am predominantly a double bassist so don't mind having to dig in a bit. The strings I went for on the Godin were these - Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Nickel Flatwound 33-136 6-String Bass Guitar Strings, Long Scale [JF346]. I got the 6 bstring set because I will swap for different projects. Sometimes I use the high C and other times the low B. I don't feel like the bass complains too much when I do that but you need to be gentle playing the C string to get it singing properly. I am thinking for the next experiment to try some normal DR roundwounds just to jack up the definition and playability. The Thomastik were very expensive and I don't think they were worth it.

Still haven't figured out what the heck the 13 pin MIDI stuff is for, and can't find anyone who has. Think this was like a Godin April fools joke to catch out the over techie minded bassists who haven't found enough bonkers projects to satisfy their ADHD. Or at least thats how it works for me. hahahahahahaha

I really do like my A5 - I just wish they had added a contour to the body where your picking arm comes over, I find that edge a little severe because the thickness of the body makes that edge more pronounced. I haven't found a lutier brave enough to tacklet the idea of making an angle cut and refinishing it, so it would be like those Taylor acoustic guitars. That would be a cool upgrade.

As I was thinning out my bass collection, the Godin was a surprise second place winner. My Jazz bass holding onto first place, I the sold my Musicman Sabre, the Sadowsky J5, and the '66 Precision.

20250503_090850.jpg
The Godin rocks.
 
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#17
I own a fretless Godin LR Baggs Acoustibass (the original version) Since I recently contacted Godin via their information email support. I highly recommend that you drop them an email with your questions. They were excellent at answering mine and even sent me a wiring schematic for the original LR Baggs Preamp. You should be very careful modifying your A5 as the internal bracing underneath the top is pretty unique. Thomastick Jazz Bass Strings are very expensive relative to their US made counterparts and due to their light gauges have a tendency to roll under your fingers a bit.
I’m trying Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Jazz Flats as my next set. As a Double Bassist my primary complaint about fretless bass guitars is their fingerboard radius isn’t curved enough. Only the Takamine TB-10 has a really curved fingerboard like a Double Bass does.
 
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#18
tomlyne said:
Hey hows it going.

Am also very late to this chat but I've been trying to fix a tiny buzz on the G string right where the G# is (where the 13th fret would be if the A5 Ultra had frets) and just looking around at other ideas, see what other folks do about the action. The shim sounds like an interesting idea but might revisit the truss rod first.

For the most part I really like mine, at the beginning the neck was too straight but we've adjusted the truss and have a good relief now, might try adding a bit more, I don't mind working with a higher action as it brings out the sound of the bass a bit more, and I am predominantly a double bassist so don't mind having to dig in a bit. The strings I went for on the Godin were these - Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Nickel Flatwound 33-136 6-String Bass Guitar Strings, Long Scale [JF346]. I got the 6 bstring set because I will swap for different projects. Sometimes I use the high C and other times the low B. I don't feel like the bass complains too much when I do that but you need to be gentle playing the C string to get it singing properly. I am thinking for the next experiment to try some normal DR roundwounds just to jack up the definition and playability. The Thomastik were very expensive and I don't think they were worth it.

Still haven't figured out what the heck the 13 pin MIDI stuff is for, and can't find anyone who has. Think this was like a Godin April fools joke to catch out the over techie minded bassists who haven't found enough bonkers projects to satisfy their ADHD. Or at least thats how it works for me. hahahahahahaha

I really do like my A5 - I just wish they had added a contour to the body where your picking arm comes over, I find that edge a little severe because the thickness of the body makes that edge more pronounced. I haven't found a lutier brave enough to tacklet the idea of making an angle cut and refinishing it, so it would be like those Taylor acoustic guitars. That would be a cool upgrade.

As I was thinning out my bass collection, the Godin was a surprise second place winner. My Jazz bass holding onto first place, I the sold my Musicman Sabre, the Sadowsky J5, and the '66 Precision.

View attachment 7285437The Godin rocks.
Click to expand...
Interestingly my A5 Ultra fretless also has a slight buzz around the 12 ‘fret’ area, somewhere between G and G#. Not sure if this is common with these Richlite fingerboards? I may need to get the fine sandpaper out at some point.

I was going to post on here to find out if anyone had tried the Thomastik Jazz flatwound strings, as was interested in trying them to see if it would get me a little closer to an upright sound? I am hesitating to experiment given the price of them. I recently put the Labella strings back on after sorting the main buzzing problem with the G string. I do prefer the Labella’s to the original D’Addario’s.

My big buzzing and action problem was caused by the bridge tailpiece lifting away from the soundboard/body. I live in Jamaica, and having over 80% humidity is not kind to wooden instruments. I had the bridge re-glued by a luthier in Los Angeles, and removed most of the shims. In the Southern Californian climate currently so far so good. Let’s see what happens when I return to Jamaica…

One of these days I might get a Roland midi controller and see what the MIDI pickup can do…

On another note, I recently acquired an EBS Stanley Clarke two channel pre amp. Sending the magnetic pickup and the piezo pickup into separate channels gives me more control than the onboard controls do, and really brings this bass to life.
 
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#19
The problem with most U.S. Made Flatwounds is they are too stiff under the fingers and too dull sounding . Ernie Ball Slinky Cobali Flatwounds and Thomastick Jazz Flats have just the right balance between bright and flexible. Thomastick’s are made from a high quality German steel.
 
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