Godin basses are assembled in New Hampshire U.S.A with necks and bodies made in Quebec, Canada. It all started over 20 years ago in a village called La Patrie in Quebec. The convertible bridge on the freeway bass provides the option of stringing through the body-adds snap to the sound—or through the back of the bridge—for a mellower tone. Two Godin single coil pickups are screwed right into the body amplifying the natural resonance of the bass producing smooth and dynamic tones. The active version of the Freeway basses replaces the maple/poplar body in the passive models with solid mahogany. Godin active electronics can handle everything from a mellow to a clear bright sound that will propel the Freeway through whatever sonic-soup gets in its way. The A4 and A5 basses produce superb acoustic bass sounds from instruments that are only slightly larger than a standard solid body bass and much lighter. The two chambered body design found in all of the A-Series instruments is also at work in the A4 and A5. This design resists feedback as well as the negative effects that loud stage levels can have on top vibration. Vibration of the solid cedar top is further controlled by a cello inspired bracing pattern. The custom A-Bass electronics include an under-saddle ribbon transducer and preamp by L.R.BaggsTM.