After fifty years of playing I must admit that this bass shift me into the second gear...
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Godin Club
- Thread starter mattpnolan
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I'm looking at acquiring a BG5 to accompany my recently acquired SD electric guitar.
The BG5 has fret markers that I've never seen on any Godin. They look like birds to me, so maybe this reflects the transition from Seagull to Godin?
If anyone knows the story behind these, I'd love to hear more!
The BG5 has fret markers that I've never seen on any Godin. They look like birds to me, so maybe this reflects the transition from Seagull to Godin?
If anyone knows the story behind these, I'd love to hear more!
I can’t say I’ve ever seen a BG-5 that looked like that before..! Interesting inlays.
The people at Godin might be able to tell you something about it if you send them pics and/or the serial number. When I picked up a couple of used Freeway 4’s last year, I emailed [email protected] with the S/N’s and they got back to me a couple days later with info on the build years, woods used, etc.
Great suggestion! Michel at Godin got back to me immediately with all the info based on the serial number, confirmed it's a 2004, and said that it didn't come from the factory with those inlays or the addition under the body logo. The current owner doesn't know anything about them either. So it's a mystery!
That’s a fun little mystery. I guess you’d have to meet the previous owner to get the story. Are they stickers or actually inlays in the fingerboard? Hard for me to tell from the pictures
I was sure I had responded to this but, to solve the mystery, they were just stickers. I've removed them and given the fretboard a good cleaning.That’s a fun little mystery. I guess you’d have to meet the previous owner to get the story. Are they stickers or actually inlays in the fingerboard? Hard for me to tell from the pictures
At some point a previous owner did a half-assed shielding job:
I haven't noticed any significant hum/electrical interference, but doing a proper shielding job is on my (long) to-do list.
Otherwise I'm loving this bass!
A4 SA vs A4 Ultra
I have the opportunity to buy a fretless A4 SA at a very good price (about 1/3 of a new A4 Ultra). However I'm wondering if I'll regret not investing that money into an A4 Ultra instead, and would appreciate advice.
If I understand correctly, the differences are that the SA includes a MIDI output, while the Ultra includes a magnetic pickup that can be blended with (or output separately) from the piezo saddle transducers.
I envision using this only when I want a near-upright sound, and not as one bass to rule them all. So I suspect not having the magnetic pickup in the A4 SA would suit my use case. I don't plan on using MIDI.
But perhaps someone who has played both can highlight other differences between the two, or can explain why it would be a mistake not to continue saving up for an A4 Ultra?
Edit: forgot about the lonnng thumbrest on the Ultra, vs no thumbrest on the SA. I play floating thumb so I don't think that will be an issue.
Also, here's an A4 SA review and here's the Godin page for the Invalid Link Removed in case you want a refresher.
I have the opportunity to buy a fretless A4 SA at a very good price (about 1/3 of a new A4 Ultra). However I'm wondering if I'll regret not investing that money into an A4 Ultra instead, and would appreciate advice.
If I understand correctly, the differences are that the SA includes a MIDI output, while the Ultra includes a magnetic pickup that can be blended with (or output separately) from the piezo saddle transducers.
I envision using this only when I want a near-upright sound, and not as one bass to rule them all. So I suspect not having the magnetic pickup in the A4 SA would suit my use case. I don't plan on using MIDI.
But perhaps someone who has played both can highlight other differences between the two, or can explain why it would be a mistake not to continue saving up for an A4 Ultra?
Edit: forgot about the lonnng thumbrest on the Ultra, vs no thumbrest on the SA. I play floating thumb so I don't think that will be an issue.
Also, here's an A4 SA review and here's the Godin page for the Invalid Link Removed in case you want a refresher.
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If money were no object, I’d lean more towards the new A4 Ultra. I like the ability to mix the magnetic pickup and piezo, and not having MIDI would not bother me any. They’re really nice instruments that play and sound awesome. I noodle on one whenever I come across one in a music store. Problem is: A new A4 Ultra plus tax gets you dangerously close to $ 3,000 CAD these days… 
Not to say it isn’t worth it, but I don’t have that kinda cash to spend on a bass right now 
Therefore, if it were me in your shoes (with my tenuous financial situation
) I would be looking really hard at the used A4 SA. Those are super nice basses too. As long as the previous owner(s) have taken good care of it, you’ll get a very fine instrument for a better deal. And it sounds like the A4 SA would be very capable of achieving the tones you’re after.
Not to say it isn’t worth it, but I don’t have that kinda cash to spend on a bass right now Therefore, if it were me in your shoes (with my tenuous financial situation
) I would be looking really hard at the used A4 SA. Those are super nice basses too. As long as the previous owner(s) have taken good care of it, you’ll get a very fine instrument for a better deal. And it sounds like the A4 SA would be very capable of achieving the tones you’re after.
Sage advice. Money is an object (at least until I hit the bigtime
) so I'm going to try to take a look-see at the A4 SA.
There's an A5 Ultra fretless listed in Edmonton for a good price, but that's too many provinces away for me!
) so I'm going to try to take a look-see at the A4 SA.There's an A5 Ultra fretless listed in Edmonton for a good price, but that's too many provinces away for me!
Dang, it got away. Someone sniped it this morning... Hopefully a TB'er!Sage advice. Money is an object (at least until I hit the bigtime
There's an A5 Ultra fretless listed in Edmonton for a good price, but that's too many provinces away for me!
I'm looking at replacing the tuners on my Shifter Classic 5 (NBD post forthcoming) and wondering if you think the 3/8" Ultralites with their 9/16" (14.3mm) post diameter would avoid having to drill out the holes. Sadly, Hipshot only offers bushings for their 1/2" Ultralites.
I suppose I could make my own bushing with some leftover copper tape...
If I remember correctly, the tuner holes were a kinda weird in-between size, something like ~15mm diameter, on my Shifter. The 1/2” Ultralites were so close to fitting but not close enough. I only had to ream out a very small amount of material to make them fit. The OEM bushings were very tightly fit into the tuner holes, so remove them slowly and carefully. The 3/8” Ultralites will likely have a bit of play in the holes but that should be easy to remedy with a bit of tape. In hindsight I probably should have done that instead of widening the holes. Oh well, the bass is a keeper so I’m not worried about the value. It plays good and stays in tune
I picked up a Godin A4-SA this week. I'm a massive Godin fan. Bass is my primary instrument, but I also have an XT-SA, and Nylon Multiac.
I love the acoustic tone, probably one of the best sounding acoustic basses I've ever played. (Have a fewest set of flats coming tomorrow morning.) I also tried it with my Roland GR-55 and was pleased with how well it tracks.
Great price too!
I love the acoustic tone, probably one of the best sounding acoustic basses I've ever played. (Have a fewest set of flats coming tomorrow morning.) I also tried it with my Roland GR-55 and was pleased with how well it tracks.
Great price too!
I honestly have mixed emotions about the Godin. It tracks well, but I find I have to adjust the octave of a lot of patches. It's fae easier to track n guitar unless I'm doing something that requires bass synth, and that's not all that frequently.
Nice! That looks really clean. I have a 2009 Freeway 4 with a very similar maple veneer. It sounds really nice.
I returned that A4-SA to Guitar Center. tt's currently listed under $900. It's really nice. Opted to get an Anagram instead.
Well, @Acoustic356 just got rid of his A4-SA, while I just picked up a 2016 fretless A4-SA last week, so there is balance in the TB universe:
Got a good deal from a guy who bought it used at an L&M for $1200 CAD back in 2021. He kindly included the receipt in the nice Godin gig bag. I can't believe they were selling for so much less just a few years ago!
Anyway, it's in great condition, just a few cosmetic blemishes as you would expect. Plays great and sounds wonderful. I have my hands full getting ready for a rock covers band gig in a few weeks but after that I'm looking forward to kicking back with the fretless.
Got a good deal from a guy who bought it used at an L&M for $1200 CAD back in 2021. He kindly included the receipt in the nice Godin gig bag. I can't believe they were selling for so much less just a few years ago!
Anyway, it's in great condition, just a few cosmetic blemishes as you would expect. Plays great and sounds wonderful. I have my hands full getting ready for a rock covers band gig in a few weeks but after that I'm looking forward to kicking back with the fretless.
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And here's the 2019 Shifter Classic 5 I picked up about a month ago. It has become the main weapon in my arsenal. The bridge pickup died a couple of times and then a day or two later would work again, which was annoying, but it seems to have been fixed by resoldering a daily solder joint 
(The tech I brought it to was very confused by the wiring setup; at first he didn't believe it came from the factory wired with a series/parallel switch, LOL)
I also shielded the control cavity with copper tape: my first shielding job, and it shows. But you're only going to see it if you open it up, and I don't plan on ever getting rid of this.
(The tech I brought it to was very confused by the wiring setup; at first he didn't believe it came from the factory wired with a series/parallel switch, LOL)I also shielded the control cavity with copper tape: my first shielding job, and it shows. But you're only going to see it if you open it up, and I don't plan on ever getting rid of this.
