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Birdsong Club Pt 2

#2,501
Hey all, Scott B. from Birdsong here. Wishing you all a safe and warm weekend in your circles. Now feels like time to emerge from the bubble and let you all (and Andrew) know how much we all appreciate you. I'm going to be a bit less buried and a bit more present, so if anybody has any questions please feel free. Thanks and in the words of the immortal, inimitable, irreplaceable Ben B., "HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!"
 
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#2,502
ScottB said:
Hey all, Scott B. from Birdsong here. Wishing you all a safe and warm weekend in your circles. Now feels like time to emerge from the bubble and let you all (and Andrew) know how much we all appreciate you. I'm going to be a bit less buried and a bit more present, so if anybody has any questions please feel free. Thanks and in the words of the immortal, inimitable, irreplaceable Ben B., "HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!"
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R.I.P. to Ben (the reason why I have a Birdsong family and just such an awesome contributor on this site for so many years) and welcome back from the bubble sir. Happy Easter and spring holiday season to you all.
 
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#2,503
"HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
benandsadhana.jpg
 
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#2,508
Greetings fellow Birdsong enthusiasts…
I'm pleased to say this Fusion-in-the-making is coming to me! I've ordered it in the following configuration:
  • Unlined fretless ebony board
  • No side dots
  • Black hardware
  • Rear rout
  • No volume or tone controls
  • No scratch plate
I wanted a "virtual acoustic" to use for jazz and I think this is going to do the job very nicely. So good to know that when I jump between this and my Cortobass the feeling/playability will be exactly the same.

IMG_8690.jpeg
 
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#2,512
Geepers said:
Question for you beatlebass64:

Been looking closely at that picture of your beautiful Fusion. Are the edges more rounded than on a Corto? Might be just the camera angle/light. It looks so ORGANIC.
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I just did my best to hold the fusion body up to the Cbass I have (which has the Corto body design) and the right sides of the basses (the side with the controls) line up almost perfectly.

The left side of the fusion (the side without the controls) has a little more of a curve inward compared to the Corto body and the fusion upper horn curves back in where the Corto is a little taller. I'd say the fusion is a slightly smaller body with a little more pronounced curves. It's not drastic but definitely noticable when holding one up to the other.
 
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#2,513
beatlebass64 said:
I just did my best to hold the fusion body up to the Cbass I have (which has the Corto body design) and the right sides of the basses (the side with the controls) line up almost perfectly.

The left side of the fusion (the side without the controls) has a little more of a curve inward compared to the Corto body and the fusion upper horn curves back in where the Corto is a little taller. I'd say the fusion is a slightly smaller body with a little more pronounced curves. It's not drastic but definitely noticable when holding one up to the other.
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Very useful comparison… thankyou! And the actual edges of the body themselves: would you say the Fusion's are a bit more rounded off and the Corto's just a tad "sharper"? Or do they look/feel the same to you?
 
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#2,514
Geepers said:
Very useful comparison… thankyou! And the actual edges of the body themselves: would you say the Fusion's are a bit more rounded off and the Corto's just a tad "sharper"? Or do they look/feel the same to you?
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I think the fusion has a little more trimming on the belly cut and is a slightly thinner body overall in comparison. The Corto is still rounded off plenty on the horns and the belly cut, and the fusion horn that curves back is probably a little sharper than the horn on the Corto design.

I wouldn't describe either as sharp but the fusion just feels and looks like a little more wood was carved away. The fusion is a bit of a slicker body design but both are still well rounded and smooth.

I hate to use the phrase "slab body" as it's not accurate but the Corto design to me is a little more of a solid body design that you would probably expect to see, where as the fusion in comparison is a bit more of a sleek design where you can tell a little extra carving was done. The Corto is still plenty comfy and curved though.
 
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#2,515
beatlebass64 said:
I think the fusion has a little more trimming on the belly cut and is a slightly thinner body overall in comparison. The Corto is still rounded off plenty on the horns and the belly cut, and the fusion horn that curves back is probably a little sharper than the horn on the Corto design.

I wouldn't describe either as sharp but the fusion just feels and looks like a little more wood was carved away. The fusion is a bit of a slicker body design but both are still well rounded and smooth.

I hate to use the phrase "slab body" as it's not accurate but the Corto design to me is a little more of a solid body design that you would probably expect to see, where as the fusion in comparison is a bit more of a sleek design where you can tell a little extra carving was done. The Corto is still plenty comfy and curved though.
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Great summary … thanks very much. I can see and feel that Fusion now and it's gonna be beautiful to look at, hold and play. Thankyou for taking the time to do that … appreciate it. I think I read/heard Scott say somewhere that the Fusion is going to make a bit of a comeback at Birdsong … yes!!
 
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#2,516
Interested in what hard cases people have found good for Birdsongs. My 2013 Corto came with a TKL rectangular but hard to get where I live so interested in maybe a more widely available clone(?) The internal dimensions of the TKL are perfect for a Birdsong but not easy to find in other brands it seems from my searching to date. Really don't want to put a Birdsong in a case with "Fender" or "Ibanez" emblazoned across it either ;)
 
#2,517
Geepers said:
Interested in what hard cases people have found good for Birdsongs. My 2013 Corto came with a TKL rectangular but hard to get where I live so interested in maybe a more widely available clone(?) The internal dimensions of the TKL are perfect for a Birdsong but not easy to find in other brands it seems from my searching to date. Really don't want to put a Birdsong in a case with "Fender" or "Ibanez" emblazoned across it either ;)
Click to expand...

I've been using a guitar size Mono gigbag for all of my Birdsongs, even the HY5s will fit.
 
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#2,518
Hello, friends! Just put a news page blog up on the site. And, checking in here, I saw a question on roundover and contours, things like that. This is something that has varied over the years, for many reasons, and is more consistent now in the hands of Luthier Jake than in mine. It could be something from conversing with a client - a request or a photo they sent as reference, or what the instrument on the shop bench looked like it would look best with, my taste and maybe being told to build to that, or part of weight reduction on a heavier body... these are some things that would determine depth and extent of contouring and size of overall edge roundover on any model being made. Also it can be a craftsperson's fingerprint - Jake leans toward deep carves with defined edge, for example. A body shape template is used to trace onto the blank - between that and the routing template, and the routing template and final assembly, it's all hand and hand-guided tool work. Different bits, different files, different angles, and different wood... So it does vary a bit. And honestly, in with any hand-based craft is the human factor. Like, if I had three bodies to contour and got to it late in the day and the hands were feeling it and the wood was fighting it and and sanding help was scheduled to come in for them the next day, those probably got slightly shallower contours. That's just a quick example off the top of my head of a scenario that could happen now and then. I did my best to keep my body working its best and stay consistent, or at least chose when to stop final shaping or how it ends up by CHOICE, but sometimes being human factors in more than others. :) Hope this helps! Thank you all so much, much love from all of us. ~Scott B.
 
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#2,519
Geepers said:
Greetings fellow Birdsong enthusiasts…
I'm pleased to say this Fusion-in-the-making is coming to me! I've ordered it in the following configuration:
  • Unlined fretless ebony board
  • No side dots
  • Black hardware
  • Rear rout
  • No volume or tone controls
  • No scratch plate
I wanted a "virtual acoustic" to use for jazz and I think this is going to do the job very nicely. So good to know that when I jump between this and my Cortobass the feeling/playability will be exactly the same.

View attachment 5417755
Click to expand...

I've been watching that Fusion Bass build with interest. Mainly because the lefty Fusion (#1103) they're building? That's mine. Pretty similar to yours, but it'll be lined (like the 3 fretless basses that I own already), and it will have a scratch plate that matches the ebony fingerboard. And with volume/tone controls, as well. I forget what strings I told them I wanted to put on it, though. But, the longer I wait, the more I'm thinking that it might be just the bass to put the Dogal "Helborg" Flats on. The ones that I bought on a whim (and a very expensive whim it was, too)... Might be fun to have a fretless just for Jazz; currently, the only bass I have that's set up for that, is my fretted '95 Alembic Epic with TIJF's. It does work very well, IMO - but a fretless would be very nice to have, as well...:cool:
 
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#2,520
An opportunity arose recently for me to travel to Germany and buy a new Marleaux Diva. I was sorely tempted. I mean, how often does THAT one come around?! I took some good while to think very carefully about what I wanted and decided in the end to go Birdsong (again). My wife was rather incredulous. Couldn't believe that I would turn down such an opportunity. Am I still happy with my decision today? Abso-friggin-lutely. I am DELIGHTED with my decision. These basses get in your soul.
 
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