Is a used Godin worth taking a look at?

[Ric Vice]

I've owned a Godin Acoustibass since 1990-91 the year they were originally introduced. The bass is still
as great as when I bought it. No issues.

 

[thunesBARROW]

I always wanted a Godin shifter bass, but never saw a lefty.

 

[Williethump]

I paid $280 for this pawnshop Canadian/ American Godin Freeway 4. P/J style with narrow headstock and small tuning pegs. Because they are somewhat odd and uncommon, their resale value can be hard to determine, not many are sold. I've got D'Adarrio Chromes on it and almost equals my MIJ P-bass for quality and tone, I'll never sell it.

 

[juancaminos]

All I know is that I have a Godin fretless neck on one of my basses and it's real nice.
Also was in a band with a guitar player who played a Godin guitar that sounded darn good!

 

[Freekmagnet]

Those 3-pickup Shifter 4's are really cool. I played one in a music store in Riverton, WY, and it was a great bass!

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Robert has used them on Metallica's acoustic sets and they've always sounded great. He even has one in green!

 

[BobKos]

I never played one but I am intrigued by the 3 pup Godin model and would buy one to try if it was near me or a GREAT price. Look forward to your NBD post!

 

[StayLow]

High-quality, very solid instruments. Give it a shot.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

A5 fretless is on my acquisition list. Scott Divine demo'ed one and said it was one of the top three fretless basses.
Also, Canadians are so polite I'd assume the bass says "soorry aboot that" whenever we make a mistake.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

There is an older Godin bass shifter bass for sale near me. At this point I have not seen it or played it. Been told it is a "Classic " model with a sunburst body and a maple neck. It has the three pickup set up and all the electrics work well.
Does any one here have any experience with these Bass guitars?
Any thing I should look for?

Please let me know and thank you in advance.

Clayton

I had a Godin LGIII guitar and wish I never sold it. Great instrument, nice quality, with some neat additional features.

 

[Koshchei]

There is an older Godin bass shifter bass for sale near me. At this point I have not seen it or played it. Been told it is a "Classic " model with a sunburst body and a maple neck. It has the three pickup set up and all the electrics work well.
Does any one here have any experience with these Bass guitars?
Any thing I should look for?

Please let me know and thank you in advance.

Clayton

I'd probably recommend an A5 instead. A Shifter will be a competent instrument, but the value proposition isn't there, compared to other Godins.

 

[HubbardsFate]

There is an older Godin bass shifter bass for sale near me. At this point I have not seen it or played it. Been told it is a "Classic " model with a sunburst body and a maple neck. It has the three pickup set up and all the electrics work well.
Does any one here have any experience with these Bass guitars?
Any thing I should look for?

Please let me know and thank you in advance.

Clayton

If it has the three big single-coil pickups, it is not the Shifter Classic, but rather just the "regular" Shifter bass. The Shifter Classic was produced with a PJ configuration and also JJ.

 

[Hawk256]

Great instruments for the money. Just don't expect to be able to resell if you don't bond with it. Great players but the value is lower than it should be.

 

[rojo412]

Every Godin instrument I've ever felt was built incredibly well. And yes, the resale on some of them is shockingly low, which I find odd. But it means that at the right price for a buyer, you're getting something amazingly good for not a ton of cash.

 

[blacktocomm]

I've owned a Godin SD bass and a SD guitar for 20 years. I gigged the bass exclusively for about a decade. Their quality is on par with US Fenders imo.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Godin shifter classics are nice, I had a white one, it was a really good bass! It it has a 5 way selector switch then it also has a push pull on the volume know, for I believe just neck pick up and also neck and bridge, like a jazz bass.

 

[lermgalieu]

I have a Godin RG-4 in swamp ash. It's quite nice and has a variety of tones. Great neck.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

My experience with them isn't extensive, but I'd put them in a similar ballpark as G&L quality-wise. They don't seem to hold value all that well. Buying used can yield a bargain without paying the "new car" tax if you can find what you want.

 

[JReno]

I've had an A4 and A5 ultra on separate occasions, and while a completely different instrument, if the build quality is anywhere close, the shifter should be great. As others have said, the market value doesn't seem to hold for resale, which is good for picking them up on the cheap, just don't expect to flip it. I actually miss them now that I think about it. If they're good enough for Esperanza Spalding, they're good enough for me.(To clarify, the second video is not me. Just a good example of a Godin sounding great)

 

[John Swartz]

I concur mostly with what everyone else has already said - BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Check it out!

I checked into one of these quality basses for a perhaps strange reason - my wife's maiden name is "Godin" so I thought it would be cool to have one. Found this used Shifter a few years back...

Lots of great tones are possible with the 3 pickups and 5 position selection switch (actually, it's a 4-position selector and you pull the tone knob up when it's in the 1st position to get the 5th selection), and for me the neck is perfect (probably similar to a jazz bass).

I decided to customize the look with a turquoise motif as it's my wife's favorite color - I made a fake advertisement, but still haven't gotten an endorsement deal from Godin...

I own 8 basses and the Godin is my "Number 1".

John