Hello from the Great White North (actually hasn't been much white stuff in the Toronto area this winter though ... so far). I just wanted to share my thoughts on the Godin Shifter Classic as I learned a few things with this one.
My first decent bass back in the day was a Godin BG4. It was great and I eventually ending up owning several because they are so well made, and such a bargain on the used market.
Then I got my first Fender Precision in 2008 to fit in with a tribute band I was in, my tastes changed, I decided I no longer liked the active pickups in the BG4, sold all my Godins and never looked back ... until recently, due to a couple of factors.
Firstly, earlier in 2018 I was completing my MBA degree (at the good ol' age of 50!) and as part of my studies I had to write a comprehensive "export plan" for an organization. Being in Canada, and being passionate about guitars, it seemed a good idea to research the business-side of Godin. It was fun (as fun as school can be), I learned a lot, and scored a 93%
Anyway, the point is I came away with a lot of respect for Godin as a company.
I was aware of the Godin Shifter Classic since they became available years ago, but looked at the specs, with the ceramic pickups ("too bright and sterile") and the 1.5" nut width ("too thin") and thought "not for me."
What was "for me" by mid-2018 - and my initial departure away from only playing Fender Precisions - was a US-made G&L L2000 I received in a trade. The clarity of the tone was amazing, and the growl was inspiring - even in passive mode. I was surprised to learn ceramic magnets were at the heart of those MFD pickups. Lesson learned about making assumptions about ceramic pickups in passive mode.
Second surprise was realizing that I liked a fretboard that is a bit flatter than the standard Fender 9.5" radius. The G&L was 12" which visually isn't much, and neck "feel" is more dependent on width and depth .... but still, it planted a seed in my head about a flatter radius and the ability to get lower buzz-free action.
Ultimately, the G&L had a a very beefy tree-trunk for a neck, and a heavy-smoking previous owner of the bass seemed to saturate it with a cigarette smell that bothered me to no end. That bass found another home with someone who is less sensitive to smell ... lol
Anyway, once I started searching for basses specifically with ceramic pickups that are passive, with a flatter radius neck, the Godin Shifter Classic was suddenly on my radar screen.
This past October I found a store with a black satin / rosewood in stock. My love for the tone was immediate ... clear, focused and powerful. The 16" radius? Feel-wise I don't really notice a difference. Not surprising on a thin neck with a 1.5" nut width I guess. However, the low buzz-free action is insane. There is almost no relief in the neck at all, yet it plays like a dream. And fassssst. At first I was thinking I'd love the same bass with a 1.625' nut width ... I notice a significant difference in this regard, but I am quickly getting used to it.
I find it to be the perfect compliment to my Fender P's (which I still, and will always, love). Different enough to justify having ... it has it's own thing happening with tones that I cannot get from a Pbass and vice-versa (Shifter Classic = more modern with punchier high-mids) .
Paired with my Traynor 300 tube head, the Shifter Classic is glorious (and very Canadian). The Traynor 300 has a lot of clean head room and it's not easy to get the Ampeg-ish mild-grit, gutty drive out of it when I use any of my P basses. The high output pickups in the Shifter Classic, however, pushes the tubes into mild-distortion heaven. That more than anything gets me smiling at band rehearsal.
So three-months and a bit later, a mint Godin Shifter Classic 4, but in the Créme Brûlée and maple fretboard popped up on the local classifieds. When Godin names a finish after a delicious dessert, it's really not fair I was pretty much powerless there. I just picked up my 2nd Shifter Classic on Wednesday. Just to dispel another "myth" (which I already knew but this further confirms it) ... this one with the maple fretboard is much "warmer" not "brighter" than my rosewood one.
So I'm back full-circle to playing Godin. If they ever release one in a "Blueberry Pie" finish, I'm in trouble. lol
Edit: Unsure of weight. Maybe a bit over 9 pounds. I have chronic back and shoulder issues, but I rehearsed non-stop for 3-hours straight last night with my black satin one on a strap ... no issues or aches whatsover. Is nicely balanced.
My first decent bass back in the day was a Godin BG4. It was great and I eventually ending up owning several because they are so well made, and such a bargain on the used market.
Then I got my first Fender Precision in 2008 to fit in with a tribute band I was in, my tastes changed, I decided I no longer liked the active pickups in the BG4, sold all my Godins and never looked back ... until recently, due to a couple of factors.
Firstly, earlier in 2018 I was completing my MBA degree (at the good ol' age of 50!) and as part of my studies I had to write a comprehensive "export plan" for an organization. Being in Canada, and being passionate about guitars, it seemed a good idea to research the business-side of Godin. It was fun (as fun as school can be), I learned a lot, and scored a 93%
Anyway, the point is I came away with a lot of respect for Godin as a company.I was aware of the Godin Shifter Classic since they became available years ago, but looked at the specs, with the ceramic pickups ("too bright and sterile") and the 1.5" nut width ("too thin") and thought "not for me."
What was "for me" by mid-2018 - and my initial departure away from only playing Fender Precisions - was a US-made G&L L2000 I received in a trade. The clarity of the tone was amazing, and the growl was inspiring - even in passive mode. I was surprised to learn ceramic magnets were at the heart of those MFD pickups. Lesson learned about making assumptions about ceramic pickups in passive mode.
Second surprise was realizing that I liked a fretboard that is a bit flatter than the standard Fender 9.5" radius. The G&L was 12" which visually isn't much, and neck "feel" is more dependent on width and depth .... but still, it planted a seed in my head about a flatter radius and the ability to get lower buzz-free action.
Ultimately, the G&L had a a very beefy tree-trunk for a neck, and a heavy-smoking previous owner of the bass seemed to saturate it with a cigarette smell that bothered me to no end. That bass found another home with someone who is less sensitive to smell ... lol
Anyway, once I started searching for basses specifically with ceramic pickups that are passive, with a flatter radius neck, the Godin Shifter Classic was suddenly on my radar screen.
This past October I found a store with a black satin / rosewood in stock. My love for the tone was immediate ... clear, focused and powerful. The 16" radius? Feel-wise I don't really notice a difference. Not surprising on a thin neck with a 1.5" nut width I guess. However, the low buzz-free action is insane. There is almost no relief in the neck at all, yet it plays like a dream. And fassssst. At first I was thinking I'd love the same bass with a 1.625' nut width ... I notice a significant difference in this regard, but I am quickly getting used to it.
I find it to be the perfect compliment to my Fender P's (which I still, and will always, love). Different enough to justify having ... it has it's own thing happening with tones that I cannot get from a Pbass and vice-versa (Shifter Classic = more modern with punchier high-mids) .
Paired with my Traynor 300 tube head, the Shifter Classic is glorious (and very Canadian). The Traynor 300 has a lot of clean head room and it's not easy to get the Ampeg-ish mild-grit, gutty drive out of it when I use any of my P basses. The high output pickups in the Shifter Classic, however, pushes the tubes into mild-distortion heaven. That more than anything gets me smiling at band rehearsal.
So three-months and a bit later, a mint Godin Shifter Classic 4, but in the Créme Brûlée and maple fretboard popped up on the local classifieds. When Godin names a finish after a delicious dessert, it's really not fair
I was pretty much powerless there. I just picked up my 2nd Shifter Classic on Wednesday. Just to dispel another "myth" (which I already knew but this further confirms it) ... this one with the maple fretboard is much "warmer" not "brighter" than my rosewood one.So I'm back full-circle to playing Godin. If they ever release one in a "Blueberry Pie" finish, I'm in trouble. lol
Edit: Unsure of weight. Maybe a bit over 9 pounds. I have chronic back and shoulder issues, but I rehearsed non-stop for 3-hours straight last night with my black satin one on a strap ... no issues or aches whatsover. Is nicely balanced.
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