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Birdsong visit

J

jbossolo

Guest
Sep 22, 2011
813
15
#1
Just returned from an excellent Hill Country weekend. Visited Birdsong to work on my bass (Sadhana #055), here's some pics, hope you like them:

Body plank:
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Planing my body (that's me):
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Outline of body is drawn:
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Cutting my body (yes, I was sweating, thanks Jake for not letting me screw it up!):
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Sanding that baby down:
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Some more sanding:
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The pro at work:
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One gorgeous body done, beautiful piece of Walnut:
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Isn't she pretty?:
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Jake getting the neck ready:
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After a little work (Jake is like a Jedi master with that spokeshave!):
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Some nice figuring on the maple neck:
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Sanding/rounding the fretboard:
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One beautiful bocote fretboard coming right up:
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Magnificent figuring on the fretboard! (this is before any oiling):
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My 12th fret, who needs markers when you got knots?
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This is how we roll in Texas!:
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Can't wait to see this baby completed! :hyper:

Thanks Jake, Brady, and Scott for all your patience and hard work. I'm truly a Birdsong fan!
 
#5
Thanks guys. I have nothing but the highest respect and admiration for Scott and all the guys at Birdsong. They truly love their work, and it shows. I feel like I've been let into their little "family", and it's a very good feeling.

I'll be doing another visit prior to completion, and expect to do some more work on the bass. To say that this will be a very special instrument for me is obviously an understatement.

BTW, a little teaser for you- you probably know that Scott is very involved in re-issuing the 70's iconic S.D.Curlee bass guitars.
Just a few days before I was there they had the Randy Dritz (the "D" in S.D.Curlee, head designer of the original body), visit and personally cut four bodies for a very special edition of these guitars. Here they are:

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#6
From Scott's website:

Our partner company SD Curlee had its original run back in the '70s before I was even a kid looking at magazines with their ads in them and thinking "Those are COOL!" Now? We make them. Sometimes in the course of business credit is overlooked in the race towards the dream... it was the D in the name that designed that bass. Dritz. And this week a momentous thing happened... in our humble workshop full of battered (some would add "and fried") tools and callused hands, there stood Randy Dritz cutting out SD Curlee bodies for the first time in decades. I'll put a big update about it over on the SD Curlee site over the weekend, but let me tell you - this was a magic visit for the new SD Curlee company, Birdsong, JG Guitar Works, Muckelroy basses, and 3D Guitars... because it was magic for us and we all bring that to what we do. Thank you for coming by Randy!
Click to expand...

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#10
Nope bro, just mine. Give Scott a call, he'll gladly have you over. The whole experience has been nothing but positive for me. My first visit was a while back, I chose my wood, spent some time talking to all the guys, even had Brady play a C-bass to demonstrate what that baby could do (he's one gifted bassman!). Talking to Scott is a trip! His whole philosophy behind music and life in general is just awesome. Truly great guys up there, doing what they love most.
 
#11
Some F/U pics here, it's coming right along! :bassist: :

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I like the caption by Scott on this one: "Stays in without glue; that's the good fit we go for. Much carving to follow by this guy... "

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Very excited to see it coming along! I'm planning a repeat visit there in another couple of weeks, will keep y'all posted. :hyper:
 
#14
I've been drooling over that piece of Bocote since I saw it pop up in the client section on Scott's website...can't wait to see it when it's done. I love my Cortobass, it's almost like it's part of me by now, it's just so effortless to play and such a solid instrument. I hope to get a SkyRider build started at the end of this year, I almost pulled the trigger last year, but could come up with the coin.
 
#16
Ok brethren, get your bibs on, cause you'll need them. Just came back from visiting Scott's shop this weekend. I'll let the pics speak for themselves:

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Look at my 12th fret!:

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One very happy customer! :hyper::

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I saw some very interesting things that Scott and the guys are working on. I won't spoil the surprise, will let them be the first to tell on their website. Let me just say this: there's TONS of mojo being worked on there!
 
#19
"Mr", thanks. This bass will be a keeper, for sure. Glad you like it. Finish will be a light oil, I want the wood to be "raw", very natural. I think it will age well.

"Bassman", it does have a truss rod in there. Show some pics of the Curlee once you get it. Those are awesome axes.
 

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