Thank you Scott! I have a Dr. appoint set up for this week, with any luck they can figure out something to help.
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I’ve been talking to Scott and Jake lately about what I would like in a bass, so I stopped by Jake’s shop today and discussed a build in depth. Awesome dude ! I brought down some wood I’d been saving in my shop and we came up with a plan that I’m excited to play and he’s excited to build !
It’s going to be based on the C-Bass, but with a few tweaks for my playing…. 19mm spacing, a little larger body (like the C-5), Nordstrand Polyvox pickup. Super comfy, like a “expanded p bass”….. basically a Birdsong “C+ - Bass”
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As for wood choices and such, it won’t be a “coffee table” Bass, but I brought some beautiful and tasty woods down for the body, neck, fretboard, headstock, and the trim (cavity cover, truss cover, etc)…. I’m excited to see it all come together. May or may not get started for a bit as I’m in cancer treatment and funds are tough right now…. But it will give me something to look forward to. My cancers considered terminal, but I’m a hell of a fighter… I got past stage 4 in 2020 and went straight back to touring, so I plan on being back on the road again in a few months. Fight, and don’t take no for an answer !
Anyway, obligatory Birdsong shop photo ….
It’s going to be based on the C-Bass, but with a few tweaks for my playing…. 19mm spacing, a little larger body (like the C-5), Nordstrand Polyvox pickup. Super comfy, like a “expanded p bass”….. basically a Birdsong “C+ - Bass”
!As for wood choices and such, it won’t be a “coffee table” Bass, but I brought some beautiful and tasty woods down for the body, neck, fretboard, headstock, and the trim (cavity cover, truss cover, etc)…. I’m excited to see it all come together. May or may not get started for a bit as I’m in cancer treatment and funds are tough right now…. But it will give me something to look forward to. My cancers considered terminal, but I’m a hell of a fighter… I got past stage 4 in 2020 and went straight back to touring, so I plan on being back on the road again in a few months. Fight, and don’t take no for an answer !
Anyway, obligatory Birdsong shop photo ….
77stingray
Supporting Member
That sounds amazing! You are an inspiration. Wishing you all the best with your fight!!!
Sending loads of support, man! Keep up the fight!! My daughter’s step father has been dealing with every cancer imaginable for like twelve years now….they all would have taken out nearly anyone else…. One of the strongest people I’ve ever met. You’ve got this. Big hugI’ve been talking to Scott and Jake lately about what I would like in a bass, so I stopped by Jake’s shop today and discussed a build in depth. Awesome dude ! I brought down some wood I’d been saving in my shop and we came up with a plan that I’m excited to play and he’s excited to build !
It’s going to be based on the C-Bass, but with a few tweaks for my playing…. 19mm spacing, a little larger body (like the C-5), Nordstrand Polyvox pickup. Super comfy, like a “expanded p bass”….. basically a Birdsong “C+ - Bass”
As for wood choices and such, it won’t be a “coffee table” Bass, but I brought some beautiful and tasty woods down for the body, neck, fretboard, headstock, and the trim (cavity cover, truss cover, etc)…. I’m excited to see it all come together. May or may not get started for a bit as I’m in cancer treatment and funds are tough right now…. But it will give me something to look forward to. My cancers considered terminal, but I’m a hell of a fighter… I got past stage 4 in 2020 and went straight back to touring, so I plan on being back on the road again in a few months. Fight, and don’t take no for an answer !
Anyway, obligatory Birdsong shop photo ….
View attachment 6982664
Man, he sounds like a true fighter ! I hope he’s successful in getting past it!
And thank you … I’m gonna keep on keeping on, one day after another till I can put this thing in my rear view mirror !
The Scott man cometh.....bearing some amazing instruments. What a pair! The double neck is the absolute crown jewel of my collection, been wanting it since the minute I laid eyes on it.
Hey all you Vogelsangers-
Coupla questions:
Are the darker wood bodies like mahogany & walnut much heavier than the alder & poplar?
Does the front pickup being square up against the neck cause any playing issues, or is it just something you get used to?
I’m thinking of a 5 string corto2 and would love a darker violin type finish - hopefully well under 8lbs.
Thanks all - I’m enjoying going back through these threads and looking at all the build photos.
Coupla questions:
Are the darker wood bodies like mahogany & walnut much heavier than the alder & poplar?
Does the front pickup being square up against the neck cause any playing issues, or is it just something you get used to?
I’m thinking of a 5 string corto2 and would love a darker violin type finish - hopefully well under 8lbs.
Thanks all - I’m enjoying going back through these threads and looking at all the build photos.
I have multiple HY5s, including most of the woods you mentioned. Walnut is generally heavier, while Mahogany can be a bit of a wildcard....if you ask Scott he can probably find you a lighter piece. Ask him about Spanish Cedar, to me it's like mahogany without the weight...I really dig it. I'm not bothered by the position of the neck pickup, but I imagine if you're used to resting your thumb on the edge of the fingerboard in that area it might be an issue. This is Spanish Cedar:
I just got a walnut C5 that I'm currently bonding with, it weighs 7.9 lbs. Scott billed it as lightweight walnut - about perfect for me.
I've been mostly on the bridge pick-up, the neck pick-up is a touch far forward for me to use as a thumb rest.
Any Birdsong owners near Central PA? Especially interested in checking out a 5 string. I’ll bring beer!
77stingray
Supporting Member
@JayDA you got me Jonesing for a Hy 5 fretless. I do love a fretless with tapewounds. I wonder if there are any tape wound strings that work with the scale length strung thru the bridge? Maybe a medium scale set?
Here is a Pic of my new fretted which I am bonding with. Started with chromes and changed to nickelwound. I just love the growl that Hy 5’s get with round wound strings. It took awhile for the bass to settle in and for me to find the right amount of neck relief for my playing style. Now that I have it dialed in, I am reminded that Birdsong basses are so solid and I feel like they are one of the best deals around on a handmade bass. I am also loving some of the cool pickup mods earlier in the thread. I would be curious to have a Birdsong with a preamp!
Here is a Pic of my new fretted which I am bonding with. Started with chromes and changed to nickelwound. I just love the growl that Hy 5’s get with round wound strings. It took awhile for the bass to settle in and for me to find the right amount of neck relief for my playing style. Now that I have it dialed in, I am reminded that Birdsong basses are so solid and I feel like they are one of the best deals around on a handmade bass. I am also loving some of the cool pickup mods earlier in the thread. I would be curious to have a Birdsong with a preamp!
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Loving my Hy5 fretless
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77stingray
Supporting Member
I have a four string fretless Fusion on order (#1117 for those who like to see what is coming out of the workshop), and it will be strung with tapewounds. There is one set that Scott says work well.
77stingray
Supporting Member
I was going to have Scott put a set of tapewounds on my lefty Fusion lined fretless, but... I have a Canadian '93 Anthem Fury fretless bass that's string-thru-body only - and, because of the way it was built? Has to be strung with tapes -period. So, yes; because the strings aren't really grounded, it does have a little 60z hum. Not much - unless I crank the gain up a lot - but, some. So... I let him talk me into having the regular D'Addario ECB82 long scale Chromes installed. Even though I don't care for D'Addario strings - any of them - as a rule? Gotta say; they suit this bass very, very well. However...
The Hipshot "A" bridge that Birdsong uses, doesn't have to be strung thru-body. It can be very easily top-loaded as well. Which I should have remembered, since my '06 Carvin LB-20 also has that bridge on it - and has been top-loaded since I bought it. So... it you want tapes on your new bass? Short scale tapes - top loaded - can be used with no problem... Scott very graciously sent me the tapes we'd talked about putting on mine - short scale La Bella 760N's... Which I may use eventually - or I might not. Scott told me that they wind their pickups with the Chromes in mind; and honestly? From the way my Fusion sounds? It's hard to argue with him...
That's a killer combination, tape wounds definitely seem like the way to go. Of all the Birdsongs I've owned, I've never had a fusion....I think that needs to change!
I guess I can let the cat out of the bag….. I have a very special Birdsong being built for me. It started with me talking to Scott and Jake a while back. I LOVE the Birdsong aesthetic and quality, but there are a few things I prefer on a bass that the typical birdsongs didn’t have. Through some in person meetings with Jake , we were able to come of with a plan for a special bass, the “AC-1” !
Jake describes it as “kind of a "hybrid-custom" between the C-bass, a C5, and a Cortobass”.
It started as a C Bass, but tweaks like 19mm spacing, a slightly larger body, and a single Nordstrand Polyvox multicoil pickup differentiate it. I also raided my personal wood stash to use on the project…. A lightweight and beautiful piece of black korina for the body, an awesome piece of “mystery rosewood-ish wood” for the fretboard, some choice wenge for the laminate in the neck and the accents. All in all, a very special bass that meets my needs but sticks with the Birdsong aesthetic. I can’t wait to take this bass out on the road after I recover from my chemo !
As you guys already know, Scott and Jake are amazing to work with, and Jake’s craftsmanship level is fantastic. These guys have become “friends”, and I’m stoked to have them building this bass.
Here are some “in progress” photos…..
Jake describes it as “kind of a "hybrid-custom" between the C-bass, a C5, and a Cortobass”.
It started as a C Bass, but tweaks like 19mm spacing, a slightly larger body, and a single Nordstrand Polyvox multicoil pickup differentiate it. I also raided my personal wood stash to use on the project…. A lightweight and beautiful piece of black korina for the body, an awesome piece of “mystery rosewood-ish wood” for the fretboard, some choice wenge for the laminate in the neck and the accents. All in all, a very special bass that meets my needs but sticks with the Birdsong aesthetic. I can’t wait to take this bass out on the road after I recover from my chemo !
As you guys already know, Scott and Jake are amazing to work with, and Jake’s craftsmanship level is fantastic. These guys have become “friends”, and I’m stoked to have them building this bass.
Here are some “in progress” photos…..
That's a great looking piece of Korina you got there! I can't wait to see how this one comes together.
