Godin SD-4 Bass

2002 model, assembled in America from parts made in Canda. 20 frets, rosewood fretboard. 4-bolt neck joint, sculpted to allow access to upper frets. Uses standard P/J pickup combination; not my favorite, but works well. A really nice massive convertible bridge; using the string-through option (along with the dual string trees above the nut) is great for down-tuning a half or whole step. Fretwork is excellent overall, and it plays like a boutique bass. It's a steal for the money. Has active electronics (9-volt power sup[ly), but only a one-band EQ (i.e. a tone control), which doesn't allow for terribly good tweaking of tone, but I go direct to PA most of the time and can EQ there. A nice medium blue finish on a body resembling a bulbous, rounded Tele (the bouts almost look like a Brian May guitar), but the swooping pickguard looks kind of stupid. Great tuners; I miss them every time I'm tuning up my Japanese-made Fender Fretless Jazz Bass. A kind of U-shaped neck, pretty fat and thin, with fairly decently fast fingering. A pretty poor-quality Godin case came with it, thrown in by the music store where I bought it.

Simply put, this bass sound awesome. It was originally strung with D'Addarios, but I switched them out for Rotosounds like Geddy's. When they broke, I took a chance on a set of DR heavy-gauge Hi-Beams, and could not be more happy. They're fat heavy-gaugers, but they're made to be extremely bright, so they have lots of low end with plenty of high end, and insane amounts of midrange growl. The Godin pickups are about the best "stock" pickups I've ever heard. They're nice and warm, with very balanced frequencies, allowing for great customization of tone. Right now, my current project is recording a rock opera with some of my friends, and this is my main bass (along with the Fretless Jazz mentioned earlier), but I also play in a woship band, and this Godin is appropriate for both. My patron bass player is Geddy Lee (of Rush, for the uninitiated), but I generally prefer a fatter tone than his, and this bass pulls it off excellently.

Set-up was pretty much perfect, being that it was set up at Lights Music Center where I bought it. The pickups are insanely hot, so they had to be lowered quite a bit, but now are just right.

Hardware is generally quality, but the saddle poles, pickup pole pieces, and some screws are now starting to rust, about a year after I bought it. Doesn't affect the sound or playing, and could just be the wet climate, but not exactly beneficial. The finish is nice, doesn't wear off easily. The strap-buttons need to be replaced with Dunlops, and I had issues with that (the left button kept coming loose, until a glued a match in there to anchor it better). Other than that, this bass is a TANK! I haven't had to adjust the set-up or truss rod since I got it, a year ago. I would definetely use it without a backup.

Never had to deal with Godin, but Robert Godin is very involved with his company and its products, and tries to make you feel like his company knows you personally (at least, that's what I've heard).

I have been playing about a year and a half, and also own a '91 USA Fender JP-90 and a '90 Japanese Fender Fretless Jazz Bass with EMG-Hzs (Fender didn't suck so bad about 15 years ago). If it were stolen (no way I'd let it out of my sight to get lost), I would definetely go for a Godin, but as the SD series is discontinued, I doubt I would get this exact bass. If I were to change this bass at all, I would maybe redesign it aesthetically, and make it a neck-through (oh, also a more full EQ), but at this price, it can't be beat. Kudos to Robert Godin for building a better bass for less.

2002 SD-4, rosewood FB, slim Jazz-style maple neck, sparkly black finish, cream plastic pickguard. Single cutaway maple body, kinda shaped like the USA. Rounded neck heel allows easy access to upper frets. The most unique feature on this bass is the massive bridge which goes through the body and allows top-load or through-body stringing. Passive Godin P+J pickups, two volumes, and a tone control. Enclosed lightweight tuners, chrome hardware.

Other reviewers talked about the long reach to the lower frets. I think this is because the single-cut body puts the top strap button closer to the bridge (around the 15th fret) than the typical Fender double-cutaway body, which puts the button more in the 11th/12th fret area.

Sweet, thick marshmallow fudgy goodness is how I'd describe the SD-4's tone when strung with Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats through the body. I play mostly jazz, Latin, and funky improv stuff. Fingers, flatpick, thumb mute, occasional slapping /tapping. Pretty versatile but J pickup sounds kinda thin on its own and is pretty noisy. Pickups are probably the hottest passives I've owned, and I adjusted height so their output is equal.

With the TI Jazz Flats through the body, this bass sounds utterly great, especially with the P pickup soloed. There is a real depth and complexity to the tone and stringing through the bridge gives more sustain and clarity.

I played SD-4s in two separate stores before buying one. Both were strung with D'Addario roundwounds through the body. On each occasion I found it to be the best sounding bass of all the Godins and I didn't find a Fender I liked as much under $1600. I think the massive bridge really adds to the sound. I also had a chance to try the fancy deluxe SD-4 (no picguard) with the nice maple body and I didn't think it sounded nearly as good. Godin routes out a fair amount of wood under the pickguard which give the bass a special acoustic resonance. I feel that the new Godin Freeway models (which replaced the SD series) don't sound as good as the SD because of their lack of pickguard. I also feel that the single-cutaway design of the SDs gives a little extra neck/body coupling that the Freeway lacks.

The bass was pretty well setup when I bought it but I do have a few complaints. First of all, all 3 control pots are scratchy, even after cleaning them twice with contact cleaner. They only make noise when they're being turned, so I haven't bothered to replace them yet.

Major annoyance--I haven't yet found a tool that lets me adjust the truss rod without detuning the strings and loosening all 4 neck bolts.

Another bad design feature--the strings aren't grounded when top-loaded. I think the bass sounds better strung through the bridge, but since they provide the option I think it should be grounded both ways.

Nut, fretwork, and finish are all good for the price range. The birdseye maple neck looks really nice, the rosewood is tight-grained. Stays in tune well, and I didn't have to change the intonation at all when switching from roundwound to flatwound strings.

This bass is very solid. I bought it to be a backup/beater bass, something that I can carry around on my bike or leave in the car if need be without worrying too much. It gets as much play as my other basses, which is to say a lot--I've been having at least 3 or 4 rehearsals/gigs a week.

I transport it in a medium-grade gig bag which provides adequate protection. I haven't yet found a case that fits its funky shape. I use Dunlop Straploks--the bass kept falling off the strap without them. I wouldn't mind replacing the tuners, pots and jack sometime, but they've never failed on a gig or recording. Overall quality is impressive for an instrument in its price range.

Haven't had to deal with them, website seems pretty informative.

I've been playing bass for 18 years. I've owned Kramer, Guild, Fender, Alembic, and Music Man basses. I now have an F-Bass BN-5, a Peavey Cirrus fretless 5, a Conklin GT-7, a Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom 6 , and a very nice upright bass. For amps I have a GK 200MB combo, a GK400RB head/EA Wizzy cab setup, and a Euphonic Audio iAmp 800/Bergantino HT-112 (x2) rig. Bunch of FX pedals. The SD-4 sounds great through all of the amps, rich and old-school. Sometimes I think about replacing the pickups, maybe some nice passive Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios with a hum-cancelling bridge pickup.

It's definitely not perfect--it's pretty goofy-looking, the pots are noisy, and the weird body shape isn't the most comfortable, BUT with the right strings it can sound incredible. I don't think it would appeal to someone looking for a real cutting, modern sound, at least with the stock pickups. If this were lost or stolen I'd try to find another SD-4 or SD-5 with a pickguard. Resale on Godins is pretty low--you can get some great instruments for cheap.

I own a 2002 model. It was made in Canada, assembled in the US. It has 20 frets, 4 strings. It has a 3 piece silver maple body with a transparent blue finish. It has passive electronics. The neck is maple ("rock maple"). It has a p and jazz pickup. They are Godin pickups and electronics. It has a string thru body bridge.

I play in a funk rock band. I use it with an Ampeg B100r at the moment, eventualy to upgrade to a Gallien Krueger amp head and Avatar cab. I use overdrive, fuzz, wah, and chorus with it and it sounds great. I like my tone to sound slightly vintage-like, but with some bite. This bass does that quite well. I usually have the P bass pickup on full and the jazz on 3/4, with the tone knob around half. I didnt experience the single coil hum others did, but i know it is a common occurence with every single coil bass.

I am probably upgrading the pickups to Bartolinis. The Godin pickups arent bad but I plan on using this bass as my main bass for a while and i want it to sound superb.

People always give bad ratings here because it wasnt set up good when they got it. I say stop complaining. Dont give it a 3 if you have to do a little work. This bass was set up quite horrible when i got it (i bought it used though) but it only took 30 minutes to get it adjsuted well. The jazz pickup was too high when i got it and the action was too low ( buzz). I raised the action a little and got it where i like it (medium ish) and lowered the jazz pickup. The knobs were also loose but i tightened them with a wrench. (there is no adjustment screw on the side of these, you have to slip a wrench under em, or take the knobs off and tighten them.)The bass itself was made well though. The frets are even; no dead spots in the neck.

Only real complaint here is the strap buttons. They seem small and my strap slips off. I ordered Schaller strap locks for it and they will be arriving soon and they will fix the problem. I havent had to adjsut the truss rod yet. The bass seems durable and solid. The finish has one dent in it but thats the previous owners fault.

n/a

I have been playing for about a year. I own a Hohner headless bass and a Essex fretless bass (great company for the money www.rondomusic.bigstep.com )
If it was stolen or lost i would get a new one definitely.

This beautiful instrument was made in Canada and assembled in USA in 2002. Its got 20 frets, which is pretty much the only thing i can criticize.... I like the 21st fret! Its a black pearl finish - a pearl(this looks really cool) scratchplate on a slightly glittery black colour. When I first got it the neck seemed longer than usual, but I got used to it very quickly, its beautiful to play. The body is very sexy and originally shaped, a bit like a backwards les paul.

The 3 pickups are active.... good controls provide a wide variety of tones to suit any kind of music. I play a lot of solid rock like pink floyd and stone roses, and i play a lot of slap stuff like the red hot chili peppers(what bassist doesn't admire Flea???)..
I use a BFX-708 multi-effects pedal and a trace commando 100w amp. The sound is always clear and crisp, whether youre playing with a lowwwwww muted sound or a bright sound... I havent done much recording with it, but its great live...

OK this is where I let all hell loose.
I have had problems with this bass.
When I got it, the action was too high, so I had it re-adjusted at the shop. It returned to its shitty action a few days later so I brought it back, and they did it again, PROPERLY. Then the strap button pulled itself out of the body, the screw ripped straight out!
I had to keep returning it to the shop a few times. Also, the buttons don't hold on to the strap very well, they just slip out, so I recommend getting more secure ones like I did.

hmmmm
apart from what I mentioned above, the bass works fine, and seems soid.... However the strap button and action thing bothered me....
I do use it at gigs without backup because I cant afford TWO basses.... damn, that would be heaven :)

I didn't go to Godin for reapirs, but my local guitar shop was very helpful and nice about the fact that IT KEPT BREAKING... damn right, they should have been.

Ive been playing for 2 years now
If this broke or something, I think I MIGHT get another one, but I've heard a lot of good stuff about the Warwick Rockbass, which is in the same price range, I'd recommend that instead.
I love its beautiful, unique appearance and shape, and it has great sound. And I love that its mine

- Body is maple, 3 block construction with laminated quilted maple top, med brown stain with semi-gloss finish.
- Passive split P & J bridge pickup configuration with dual volume controls and tone. Don't know who makes them, they have "Godin" marked on them.
- String-thru body bridge.
- Jazz body-style but a little smaller, body cutouts are not as extensive as with Fender, more thick upper section, more square body section.
- 34" scale with 20 frets
- Neck is fairly flat 16" radius but narrow like a Fender Jazz. Very comfortable for my small hands.

- Currently using a used Peavey TKO115 that I leave at church and an ancient Fender Sidekick Bass (30W) that actually sounds pretty good if you don't turn it up past 3-4 for practice at home. No effects.
- I play in a praise & worship band consisting of miked piano, 2 miked saxophones, flute, trumpet, elec guitar and miked drums. We play contemporary and traditional gospel songs. With the right adjustment, you can get a warm, yet substantial bottom end.
- Lots of sustain on the strings from the string thru body bridge. E and A just ring on and on.
- Sound has some emphasis in the midrange, I tend to leave the pickup volume controls in a position to favour the split body pickup over the J bridge pickup, with the tone control set less than midway
- This gives a meaty and thicker tone that still has some bounce to it (still sounds like a plucked string)
- I recently changed the strings to Dean Markley blue and the sound has taken on a little bit of brightness and added sustain. Previous factory strings (D'Addario I think) were about 3-4 months old and were good all-arounders. I'm still going to experiment with some other strings to find that "Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy" sound.
- Sound may have less precision and pitch articulation than my other Godin 5-string BGV bass but it has more chunky bottom and punch.
- When trying amps I A/B'd the Freeway 4 against a Geddy Lee Fender and the Godin definitely had more percussive presence than the Fender (which was nearly double the price). Good for rock.
- Quiet operation.

- From the factory, the action was fine but the neck had a litte more bow than necessary, otherwise it is comfortable and fast, it just always feels right, a couple of judicious adjustments of the truss rod have lowered the action to a very acceptable level
- Sound seemed biased somewhat more toward the J bridge pickup. I have raised the split body (E/A) pickup to give it some more bottom.
- No flaws from the factory

- Strap buttoms seem a little small to me. My strap slipped off the lower button during practice once causing my bass to swing away and crash into the amplifier behind me. I was expecting the worst but couldn't find a mark on it. It feels solid.
- The bridge is a substantial die-cast metal piece. It looks so much more structurally solid than the thin-guage stamped Fender bridges.
- The neck/body joint is tight, which is evidenced by the nice sustain that the strings have.
- This bass is dead simple and feels like it's going to last.
- The body and neck feel of a high enough quality that I would be comfortable experimenting with upgraded pickups / electronics in the future, a good platform for future mods (Bartolini, Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders maybe?)

- I emailed Godin twice about the Freeway 4 and received an answer within 1-2 days (good).
- My last email regarding preamp levels on my BG-V has gone unanswered by Godin for over a week (bad) Not impressive, seeing that I spent nearly double on the BG-V).
- 1 yr. warranty

- I'm a drummer and have only been playing for a few months. My other bass is a Godin BG-V (active 5-string)that has a more articulate, and refined "jazz" type of sound (a bit of yin & yang)
- I was set on buying a Fender Jazz because of the heritage and name, but spent a few weeks researching and playing some Yamahas and Ibanez guitars in the $500 Cdn range, but once I started playing the Godin, it just felt right, it's very easy to play
- The only thing I would wish for is a more comfortable thumb rest position. I tend to lightly rest my thumb on the split body pick-up which just happens to be be where the height adjustment screw is, not the most comfortable place for long practices etc. My thumb is starting to wear the semi-gloss finish (making it more shiny) than the surrounding semi-gloss area
- If it were lost or stolen, I'd seriously consider buying it again. I don't know of anything else in the price range that is as solidly built.

Made in 1999, from Canadian parts, assembled in the US. 100% Silver leaf maple body, cream color with Canadian rock maple neck and rosewood fretboard. Neck is the same width as a jazz, but slightly thicker. Passive P-J pickups made by Godin. String through body. Kind of retro looking with the Gibson body shape. Features? Well it is a semi-clone Fender Precision with a J pickup in the bridge. I put it at 9 since it is standard but has the following extra:

Does come with a battery compartment and the internal wiring to add a preamp. Some of the SD-4's come with basslines pickups with preamp, so the passives are built to handle it. Very nice to have this.

Sounds great on stage. Rock, jazz. Has midrange presence that can be heard, as well as the deep P bass sound for holding done the low end. Has a variety of tones that you would expect from a fender P bass plus the tones from the J pickup. Usually run through a sansamp BDDI on stage to the soundboard, a SWR at home. The sound is brighter with the maple body with the tone control full, but reducing the tone knob really alters the sound to full, deep, or honky.

Did not like the Di'Addario XLs that came on it, they were to bright with the maple body, nor did I like the flatwounds I put on. Had an older set of GHS Boomers that sound great. I think with the maple body, it it more finicky as far as strings compared to my other basses. I want to try TI jazz roundwounds. They will probably be perfect.

I thought of upgrading the pickups, maybe to DiMarzio P-J passives, but with the right strings and running through the sansamp, I am happy at present, and may not need to do that soon. The sound may even get better with new pickups, but it is an expense to find out, so I'll wait till I have money sitting around.

The single coil J pickup is a slightly noisy, but with the tone control turned down some, it is almost quiet. With the P volume all the way up and the J turned down slightly, there is very little noise at all. This is the other reason to look at changing out the pickups in the future. At all the settings for the different tones i like, the noise from the J pickup is non existent or very low.

Probably not as good a bass for the studio as my Alembic, but I don't record anyway.

With the right strings I am very satisfied with the sound.

Very well made bass. Compared to many Fender P and Jazz I tried for a long time, it is much better built with no dead spot on the neck. One of the strap locks was loose and could not be tightened. I plugged with wood and redrilled with a longer screw. Now it is tight. The neck and frets are well made, no fretting out, but it came with higher action than I am used to keeping my basses. However, sometimes I play very hard, and I have been thinking of raising my action anyway. I may lower it slightly when I change out the strings again.

I raised the J-pickup and lowered the P pickups. Now have equal volumes from both pickups. The jazz Pickup was to weak the way it came. Intonation was right on. The soldering seems very well done and the cavity is partially sheilded, probably adequate there.

Neck moves more than my Alembic set in neck 5 string. Playing in a very cold room and then moving to a humid outdoors setting in San Antonio causes me to have to adjust the tuning more than the set neck on the Alembic. This is not a problem, just an observation.

Very solid bass. I would not be to concerned about dropping it on it's body. I would not want to damage the neck, since I do not know if Godin makes replacements and whether one could get a replacement from Warmoth or elsewhere. If it were a Fender, no problem.

The finish seems durable. One can tell where the three parts of the body is glued together. I may sand it down someday to change the color and will fix this at that time.

I like the older sounding passive bass after having a active bass for so long. I got tired of worring about the battery going out. I don't worry about problems with this bass on stage, and don't use a backup.

Sent an e-mail off for information last week. I'll see if I get a response and how long it takes.

Their website states that the persons with the most knowledge are busy and are not always available to respond back right away (to keep costs down). Personally, I think customer support is very valuable and worth the extra cost of an instrument. Look at Alembic's support....Fantastic, makes you feel you are part of a family.

Played for three years, have owned an MTD535, Lakland 55-94, ESP J-4, Alembic Epic 5. I think it is a fantastic bass for the money. Much better tones and value than the Fenders I've tried and used, American or Mexican. Easy to play, sounds great, seems durable. It is a great stage bass. I don't have to feel like it is a baby to protect.

A little heavy perhaps with the maple body, but at home on the chair or on stage playing, I don't notice it, just to busy playing.

If it were stolen, I would get another if I could find a new one. Godin seems to make extremely fine quality interuments for the cost. Much better that other manufacturers I've tried.

2001 black pearl with P-J configuration. Bass has a heavy maple body and string through bridge

I play blues-rock and this bass has a dense, heavy but clear sound that cuts quite well and sustains for daysBass is deep and mids refined and probably sounds as good as it gets without active pickups.Pobably as expensive as it gets too without active pickups. Feels rock solid and sounds better than any Jazz I've tried, including the active jazz. I do have a buzz on it tho; you know, the one that disappears when you touch the strings. If anyone knows a cure for this, please email me.
Has explosive punch for thumbing the E with the pickups as close to the strings as you can get without hitting em

Bought it from a store and was already set up, although I thought for a while the intonation on the G was out.
Comes with straplock buttons standard.

Solid as rock maple, tough polycrylic finish and solid feel make this a good stage bass. Has a density of tone that probably records well

Not contacted anyone

I play this through a Hartke 3500 and Nemesis 8x10 and I like the meaty tone. I'd take this over just about any other passive bass for the weight, tone and sustain, although I am sniffing after a Tobias Renegade so I probably wouldn't replace it if it were stolen. But I would if it were my second bass behind a Renegade

This bass is a Godin SD-4 bass made in 1999. Godin parts are made in Canada, but assembled in the US. This bass has the standard 34 inch scale and is a 4 string. The body is constructed from maple. The neck is rock maple, with a rosewood fingerboard. This particular model is black pearl (black body, with pearl pick guard). The black finish is somewhat sparkley. The pick guard has an interesting shape, unlike that of a Fender, which gives the bass it's own look. The pick ups are both active and passive and made by godin. There is one Jazz pick up and P-bass pick up. The head stock is rounded, but not quite as much as a Fender. The body is almost like that of a Les Paul. Rounded Top and cut-away bottom. Godin uses a string-through body type bridge for added sustain. I am not sure what sort of tuners Godin uses, but they are quite solid and don't seem to slip. The neck on the SD is long and sleek. The construction of this bass is more than solid. I am more than willing to bet that this bass can take some major abuse and still rock like crazy. I gave the features an 9 because this bass is very well rounded and gives you a lot to choose from, especially for many styles.
Also the neck takes a little getting used to, it seems rather long for some reason. All in all great bass for the money.

The sound on this bass is great, especially if you are playing rock. The P Bass pick up really cuts with a mid-range smoothness that is typical of a P-Bass. The Jazz pick up sounds sort of thin compared to the P bass pick up. It is definitely made for some slap, and some jazz, but if Jazz and funk are your staples in music, you might not like this bass. Overall the tones are good, the bass is smooth. I have not gigged with this bass, but I have a feeling, from hearing this thing through a Trace Elliot, that it is would tear some ass on stage. The active pick ups make this bass perfect for recording. I gave it an 8 for the lack of it's low end on the Jazz pick-up.

From the Factory, it was set-up decently, the action could use some adjusting, but overall pretty good. I raised the Jazz pick up on this bass to try and give it a bigger sound in this area, it helped a little, but nothing too dramatic. No visible flaws on this bass, the thing is solid as a rock and everything is working order. I give it a 9 for the Jazz pick up being set kind of low

This bass is very reliable. I would gig without a back up. This guy is built like a brick shit house and could tour with the late GG Alin, if that's what you need to know. Every thing on this bass is made real solid from what I have seen. Nothing is loose or wobbly. I would feel comfortable dropping the thing and know that it would probably stay in tune.

Don't know about the customer support at Godin. Have not had to deal with them. They have a website and somebody you can email. Not sure about Warranty. I would not worry, the basses are sturdy.

I have been playing guitar for 9 years or so and I own a ton of shit, some really nice amps, not to mention a 74' Gibson 335. I can say from my personal experience that this bass is solid. I like it more than any New American Fender bass I have played. Although the neck is not as smooth as a Jazz bass, by that I mean it takes some getting used to. The bass has great sustain and tone. You can really feel and hear what you are playing. The bass has an original look which I like too. It seems that everyone is sporting Fender basses because they are popular. That is bullshit. I highly recommend that you try a Godin bass if you want something reasonably priced with a good sound. If this bass were lost or stolen I would kick my own ass for being so stupid, but seriously, I would get another.