All user reviews for the Godin Shifter 5 Bass

5 string bass made in Canada.
Maple bolt-on neck with 6 points reported key and access to the trussrod head. rather thick profile, U. 20 medium frets well finished.
slightly tinted satin varnish for handle (it slides right)
Basswood body (basswood), beware! nothing to do with the wooden crates that are found on the lower and entry-level guitars, the body wood is heavy and résonnat here. the lime was used for prestigious instruments such as Suhr for example.
cutting the body tele kind strato /, ie a stratovolcano shape but a very rough profile as a Telecaster.
a volume, a tone
a 5-way switch + 6th position push / pull on the tone.
open mechanism that seems well made (tuning not move, it is fluid)
classic easel with possibility of moving the strings through the body.
3 single coil pickups with large blocks so musicman (7k ohm bridge, 6.2 to handle). electronic cavity unshielded but oddly I did not pick a single parasite when I play (computer screen, protable phone ...).
all for a generous weight of 4.5 kg.
a brief reminder of the original instrument creations past (fender, musicman ...) without making a copy and bringing innovations (config microphones ...)
Comes with a fairly good cover (fairly rigid and well padded).

UTILIZATION

user level, it is a heavy bass, massive, pretty gross.
the handle is awesome at the beginning (the sleeve of my warwick like a jazz bass to handle side) but take well in hand (not recommended anyway small paws). btw for trussrod adjustments, take his time as the wood of the handle takes a few moments to respond because of that rigidity (it's not a marshmallow!)
the weight of the instrument is well balanced.
ergonomics is pretty gross but remains in the standard of JB, PB and other stingray (this is of course not comparable to an Ibanez for example).
quickly found a good position to play using the microphones to ask the thumb.
to summarize what is heavy, clumsy enough but after a bit of practice there is. For small jig I think it's a different story ...

SOUNDS

its level, it offers a fairly wide range of sounds, the bridge pickup is dynamic enough slamming the middle pickup is a good way PB attack, neck and wide and deep micro and just tease the "bass" type sounds.
the sound is thick, with a side quite "vintage" (low round well, sweet treble, midrange singing), it is quite far from a jazz bass, the sound is more muscular.
I would say to locate it approaches the sound typed musicman bridge or bridge / central position (punch, dynamic bass, treble slamming), while the handle and central micro rather make me think of a bass precision (the Round, medium further forward).
tone easy to have a cozy and soft sound.

the grain is very special, hard to define, this low a personality of its own, quite marked.

I think it is well suited for rock, blues, funk, jazz. least for modern music such metal

plugged into my markbass the reports is really not bad.
If the string is well defined.

trying to make it an idea ...

OVERALL OPINION

I have now for 2 months, it is well established.
I love the build quality and neat finish of the instrument. The sound of this bass stick exactly what I was looking for, with real personality and very nice ons (central micro closing a little tone, I love). The price (1100 euros) is also very proper for an instrument made of a "developed" country.
I think it is an interesting alternative to conventional precision, and other jazz bass musicman for someone looking for a sound "old school" and an original instrument without breaking the bank too.

in final, I am satisfied.