ABOUT OUR DOUBLE STRING THROUGH STRINGING

Exclusive to Birdsong Guitars and Pat. Pending, our proprietary "double string through" is part of what gives our 5 the feel & voice of a longer-scale bass.

 
Click image to enlarge - string is loaded from the front and fed "through body" twice...



 This also allows you NOT to have to find a "short scale 5-string" set!



**** Licensing arrangements for this patent will be available for other builders and  manufacturers; please contact Scott for details.****


The hand made Ebony bridge? ... a definite unique, artistic, hand-made touch... I'll do them until I simply run out of time to be so artsy with it; or until I can find a way to get 15mm bridges out of Hipshot without ordering a billion of them... :) 5Ws with wider 17mm spacing have Hipshot Style A bridges.

Lots of work goes into hand making a bridge (or two)! It's some of the stuff I enjoy best, though at times it feels like I'm holding back a tidal wave to sip a cup of water. 


  
Standard wood is African Mahogany, available in Natural, Ultramaroon, or Blackwashed... all beautiful oil finishes hand rubbed with love while good music fills the air.


Here's a classy touch... if you're into it, we'll put on a matching, engraved "Custom built for" plaque with your name or perhaps in memory of someone who inspired you... 
here are the spots it can go on a 5, or
we can put it on the case... 


Birdsong basses are made made for anyone looking for a smaller, lighter, more comfortable bass guitar but who wishes to play something of pro quality, built by a small company in the USA. Dedicated students, women, bassists with small hands & guitar players should check it out too! 

"I couldn't believe how comfortable it was to play through even the awkward bits of the set. Man I love your basses."  
~Frazer, England (4-string owner)

See more Birdsong owner comments on our feedback page (sorely in need of updating - what can I say? We're really busy) & check out the reviews at Harmony Central.


ALSO available:
~ Strung "High C" (EADGC) for the unconventional bassist! 
~ A wider spaced (17mm) version!

Yes, a professional quality short scale 5-string bass!
Yes, it fits in a guitar case!
Please read the specifications & description of this instrument, 
and feel free to contact us @ the workshop: 512.847.6014
July '08 - not currently taking orders for the Hy5 so we can stay current on the builds in progress. 

    

"I've been spending at least half my playing time with the 5-string, and love it.  It feels lighter than the Cortobass, which I didn't expect, and has an echoing deepness, like when you thwack a ripe watermelon, really arresting." 

Why short scale?
The "industry standard" designs are not perfect fits for everybody. Due to stature, hand size, or the desire for a more compact and lightweight bass, many look to short scales. Short scales also have a unique warmth to the low end and midrange growl which records well and is more suitable for some styles and playing environments than the big "piano tone" of a 34" (or longer) scale bass. Due to its lower tension, a neck pickup in a short scale has an almost "upright bass" roundness to it. But short scales have traditionally 
had problems in the areas of balance, depth of tone, sustain, and overall quality... 
all of which have been addressed in the design of Birdsong basses before we 
made them beautiful. :)



Myth: "You can't get a good tone out of a short scale."
Reality: Read up on our 4s and check out what people who actually play them are saying. *** Please ask for our free demo CD ***
SOUND SAMPLE PAGE (5-string samples coming soon)
Birdsong owner comments: Feedback page and reviews at Harmony Central.

Why is the 5-string its own model - are there 5-string versions of your other basses?
No - the weight of a 5-string neck requires a slightly longer horn so the bass stays balanced. Visually, the size of a 5-string neck needs a slightly upsized body to look proportional. Remember, our basses are small and fit in guitar-sized cases! While slapping a 5 neck on a Sadhana body would mean instant sales, it would no longer be to the level of ergonomic function we hold our designs up to... so we don't do it, instead providing the Hy5 with its own body style, one that is still uniquely Birdsong. 



The string spacing is narrow - 15mm - and very comfortable. This
is a small bass, with 24 frets and two big pickups... players who 
slap extensively will want to opt for a single pickup for finger room.
It's not aimed at converting heavy slapping long-scale players, 
but at being "the answer" for those who find a standard 5-string 
prohibitively large & uncomfortable. For comparison, a standard
"full size" P bass has a string spacing of 19mm; a 5-string around
17 or 18; our 4-string basses are 17.5.



Here's Wyatt testing out the Hy5 prototype... he's about 5'10". 
Notice the bass is balanced even on a cheesy '70s thin strap 
with a slick vinyl back!

Myth: "You can't get a good sounding low B on a short scale." 
Reality: Yes you can. Is it the equal of an extended range bass in 35" scale under all circumstances? Of course not. But those players with a reasonable touch and technique will find comfort and ergonomics in the Hy5 bass that simply can't be matched in a longer, bulkier, heavier and imbalanced instrument... with a good sounding, useable low B! Or, if you like, we'll set it up for EADGC ("High C") tuning.

Factoid: Some of our instruments have different companies' pickups mixed together, because I really go all the way in search of optimum tone for the positions... I'm not so much concerned with which "name brand" or if they look exactly alike. Yes, it'll look good...
 *** but it's got to sound great first. ***

"Hy5-#005 arrived yesterday safe, sound, and beautiful. What a sound!" 

How did you do it?
Well, physics can't be defeated but it can be bent. String tension is the key, and our "double string through" (Pat. Pend.) approach helps tension the strings.. this combined with other things we've learned through the development of our 4s (short scales are what we do) result in a better sounding and feeling B string than you'd believe possible on a short scale instrument. The length of string at a given pitch affects the tension. This is part of why "string-through" feels tighter than "top-load"... and why our "double string through" works even better! 

Myth: 5 strings... who needs those 4 lower notes anyways?
Reality: Ruling out super aggressive moshpit bass players (which this bass is neither aimed towards nor suitable for), many types of music from country to praise & worship, jazz & fusion, funk and hip hop have modern sounds with some real bottom. Also there is the fact that on a 5-string you can cover a lot of sonic ground in the middle of the neck while keeping your hand in that one comfortable position, AND you have those low notes to play with as needed (see the picture of Wyatt above).

  
Yes, it really is that small...
Yes, it really does sound much bigger!
Yes, we wish we could make a whole bunch 
of them really quickly for all of you...
Are you a mid-size or larger company with the capacity
to do so? We're willing to license our design & patent... 
the only man with the whole recipe is ready to talk!