USA BENCH CRAFTED SHORT SCALE BASSES
From the central Texas Hill Country workshop!
Call (512) 395-5126
Email: birdsongbass@yahoo.com
The classic Birdsong basses that got us here will get you there. Smaller basses that handle more comfortably, balance better, and sound big and warm. 4 or 5-string (with a low B that really works) short scales done right! Responsive, ergonomic, crafted with skill and care in a small workshop since 2004. Check inventory or order yours from the workshop. More on our 20-plus year history: About us
SPECS AND OPTIONS
31” scale, 12” radius, 24 “guitar jumbo” frets
Maple neck, rosewood fretboard (other woods optional)
Zero fret for low action and consistent open string tone
Fretted, lined or unlined fretless available
Good sized dots on the side (where you see them while playing)
2-way truss rod, 3-piece neck construction - VERY stable
Hipshot USA bridge; Hipshot, Gotoh, or equivalent tuners
J-width nut, 17.5mm spacing at bridge (wider P nut spacing optional)
CTS pots, copper shielding, star grounding
Uses standard length strings
Standard body woods walnut, mahogany, poplar
Others including wild Texas pecan & mesquite optional
Stringers, laminates, top options available
Chrome (standard) black or gold (+$100) hardware
On front routed models, matte black or tort plates standard; wood (+100) or rear rout (+100) optional
Body matching wood headstock face (+100)
Lefties at no extra charge, always!
MODELS AND PRICING
***** Price includes quality padded bag or softcase and shipping in the continental USA.*****
The FUSION bass returns for 2025!
Scott’s favorite model and a wood lover’s dream in looks and tone. A classic Birdsong design now back on the menu for a while!
Warm & woody, rocks with soul AND blends so well into an acoustic-based band setting. All with the elegance of all wood trim and covers; such a custom look with such versatile tones! Proprietary pickup recipe, great as a fretted and the ultimate Birdsong fretless with just the right amount of almost-upright-bass voice somehow already in there. DEMO VIDEOS: 2014 (fretless) and 2015 (fretted and two-pickup).
$ 2950
Shown: Walnut front routed (standard) with black hardware, long thumbrest, and rosewood control plate & trimout; red cedar with standard carved pickup trim pieces, rear routed with chrome, bloodwood fretboard; Mark J. rocking a walnut rear routed with small carved pickguard.
The AC-1
The AC-1 is the model for those who want the legendary Birdsong short scale playability and balance but with a slightly wider body, neck, and string spacing.
“I think the tweaks we made are great for someone crossing over into the short scale world.” ~Award-winning Texas bassist Andrew Carrell (Ray Wylie Hubbard, Micky and the Motorcars, and many more)
Based on a custom bass we worked up that worked OUT really well! Recipe: The body of our C-5 model, wider P-width nut, full 19 mm string spacing at bridge (other Birdsongs are 17.5 mm), and the single pickup in a harmonically rich spot is a high output version of our favorite humbucking soapbar - full range, high fidelity, but spiced up with a kick. (Your pickup won’t have pole pieces showing like the prototype.) Extremely versatile just by vol. and tone adjustments, with a good solid tone.
$ 2300
A portion of each AC-1 sale is contributed to either Cancer Research Institute (a top charity with great ratings and transparency) or HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians), a fantastic fund for Austin professional musicians in times of health need.
Shown: AC-1 in black limba with rosewood plates, matching limba headstock, black hardware, contrasting center strip in neck.
The CORTOBASS
Our little classic now in its 20th year!
“Eleven years on it’s performing just as well as it did day one. A huge sounding bass with playability so good it feels like cheating.” ~Grayden P. (Australia)
The bass that launched the company, THE classic Birdsong – the bass most other Birdsongs were versions of! Comfy ergonomic body we also use in the Corto2 and Cbass, and our original pickup recipe that gives a huge variety of tones warm “upright bass” to snarly punch. Cortobass on stage for 80,000
$ 2300
Shown: Walnut with black hardware and rear rout option, mahogany and chrome, standard maple headstock, rear rout dark mahogany with two humbuckers and maple stringers, and Marciano of Los Enanitos Verdes!
The C-BASS
Imagine a smaller, lighter, easy playing Precision-voiced bass with comfy Birdsong curves and balance…
"It's been three or four weeks... I just wanted to let you know how psyched I am about this bass. I don't even think I'll ever look at another P BASS again." ~Miguel G.
$ 2300
“Tone patterned” after an exceptionally good vintage P-bass! The old demo video tells you everything, but here’s the gist: I did whatever it took to put BACK whatever wasn’t there in a short scale with a P pickup in it, to get THAT vintage tone. Different materials, pickup wind, coil orientation, you name it. Whatever put back some sonic piece I heard in the vintage Fender, however it did it. The Cbass was the result! Everything up, aggressive punchy rocking ‘70s P; volume backed a hair and tone to half, pure vintage Motown goodness. It’s unreal.
Purest Cbass recipe: Poplar body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, black pickup, vintage tort-look plates, chrome. Poplar is random looking as shown, greenish-yellowish tint once finished depending on the piece. Alder is nicer looking but plainer and very close. The other woods work great too. It sounds like a P-bass.
The CORTO 2
THE short scale bass for bigger, fuller versions of the “J-bass” tones.
“I've been 100% Birdsong since 2012 and don't really have a need for anything else, they do it all. For anyone on the fence... do it! These things will make you rethink what a short scale bass can do, simply amazing instruments.” ~Jay A.
The playability, balance, and soul of a Birdsong Cortobass but with twin soapbars and a clean, rear routed look. The one for your exotic top wood dreams. Powerful, hi-fidelity, fuller sounding pickup set with NO J-BASS HUM - and, with the volume & tone rolled back a little, that front pickup does a good “P” as well! Our most popular model. Corto2 tones
$ 2500
Shown: Texas pecan, light mahogany with black, walnut, Spanish cedar (back) and figured maple top.
The H5 and C5 5-strings
Short scale 5-strings that really work? We’ve been doing them since 2007.
“Can’t believe how well the B string works considering it’s a shorter scale. Killer 5 string without the back ache!” ~James R.
This shorter, lighter, better balanced and much easier playing 5 is the answer, with a strong, powerful low B that has to be heard to be believed – thanks in part to our special stringing of that low string, pioneered and patented by Birdsong. The “Hy5” demo from way back. 16.5mm string spacing at bridge. The “C5” is the modern, rounded, Cortobass inspired body shape; The “H5” the return of the original swoopy Hy5 body shape as a no-cost option.
$ 2600
We can do it as an EADGC 5-string with no B string rout, too.
In late 2023, the 25.5” scale SPORT BASS and all the super short scale “pocket bass” designs have moved to www.sbeckwith.com as “Scott Signature” builds. Please go check out his site (basses, guitars, music, books…) and contact Scott directly for one! 512.395.5126
FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT
OLD MODELS
We’re a small workshop and can only serve up so many at a time. Models have rotated out and back in throughout our 20 years; think of it as a band changing up the set list to keep it fresh. We can only play so many at a time. Model history will show recent and past models you may see. We are currently focusing on the classic Birdsong 31” short scale Cortobass, Corto2, and 5-strings. Some special orders for others can be accommodated - get in touch!
“SHORT SCALE”
Simply put - a shorter bass with less reach and the frets a little bit closer together. Great for anyone wanting a more comfortable, better balanced bass. What WE are known for with our shorter scale offerings is designing them so they keep the BIG bass tone, and hand building them in Texas! For size comparison, here are (left to right) - Fender P (34" FULL long scale) with our short scale bass; headstock and reach comparison, our 1st fret is about the reach to a full scale bass’ 3rd fret; our 25-1/2” scale Sport next to a standard “J Bass”; a short scale 5 string vs. a full size 5.
FINISHES, HARDWARE, PICKUPS and OTHER SHAPES
Though you may see some variations, we build primarily NATURAL oil finished instruments with PASSIVE electronics and only use the hardware we use. These are recipes, we’re not reinventing piles of different parts every time. We won’t use other makers’ shapes or headstocks. what makes a Birdsong sound like a Birdsong, which is why you came here, is the recipe. On pickups, if we don’t talk about the specifics it’s because things are being used differently than they were designed - so it doesn’t matter. It’s now just part of that Birdsong recipe.
A MUCH MORE COMPLETE FAQ IS HERE.