JULY 3, 2025

THE JOY IS STILL REAL.

It lives. Changes come, ways pass, life moves. But the joy is still real. Every day I open the door to a little workshop in the woods and see the tools and smell the process - the wood, the sawdust and chips, the finish oil - and it feels like a little springtime. Whatever else is going on, the joy of this creative process, of working with the wood, of talking with YOU and helping YOUR instrument to happen, of serving in some way YOUR inspiration and music YOU then share with others… that joy is REAL.

I walk into a different workshop these days, as far away again as those early Birdsong days 21 years ago were from where this path began. Younger, stronger hands come to carry on - it is the way of the craftsman in the autumn. It may be springtime inside, and inside the shop, but different chapters need different plans. Jake Goede continues to carve out the best Birdsongs EVER in a small workshop in the Texas “Hill Country” as part of his destiny, his path in this of many years (17? 18?) as well.

I work in smaller numbers with my own line of instruments way up in rural Mooers Forks, NY, while continuing to manage Birdsong and handle communications and sales. Birdsong’s co-founder and “co-pilot emeritus” Jamie Hornbuckle is doing well, still in Texas, and sends her love to you all. 21 years ago on the 4th of July, in a rented office and garage with borrowed tools and a dream, we launched the website and began a ride.

To see Birdsong celebrating its 21st anniversary… that joy is REAL. Sitting here at sunrise putting the finishing touches on the OFFICIAL ANNIVERSARY PAGE for the JULY 6th SALE DAY (you know, the one that pops up every year with specials and sales, then “self destructs” at midnight) I feel the same excitement. I look back and can’t believe the joys and blessings of the ride. Those can feel overwhelming, even in the run of a little ship like ours. So I spend more time looking forward than back.

Thank you SO much, from all of us, for your (collective) interest in what we do, and YOUR (you, individually) time with us whether it’s just beginning, a continuing conversation over the years, or maybe you’re looking back and checking in. To Marciano, Ben Bernales, Barnett Bursley, and all others now passed who made Birdsong a part of their lives and shared a little of theirs with us, I dedicate this and every anniversary, every step forward of survival and joy and springtime in ANY season, to them too.

AND to all the hands who have helped through the years! We hope your time with Birdsong helped you along in some good way as well. The circle circles, the wheels roll, and the wings of Birdsong fly. It’s an honor to know something we did brought - and brings - real joy to lives!

That’s what we build really, isn’t it? Joy and inspiration, just in the form of wood and wire, of a tool. But that tool is also part talisman and we never, ever, forget that.

Can we build you a bass with all of this in its soul? We’d be happy to! Please reach out/in anytime. birdsongbass@yahoo.com, 512-395-5126 (calls only). Happy 4th of July, my friends!

~ Scott B., Captain of the Ship.
(www.sbeckwith.com)




June 13th, 2025

Hello, your intrepid Captain here! Hoping the late spring is finding your world blossoming in some way. At the Texas workshop, there’s a sweet THREE PICKUP version of the Corto2 coming together. Why, you ask? Because the tonal combinations are amazing. Think “Strat”, only in BASS TONES. We’re making ONE… at least, I think we’re only making one, that could change… but as of right now it’s 1 of 1 as the “21st Anniversary bass!” Beautiful walnut with some VERY cool figuring around the upper horn.

Sunday JULY 6th is the day we’re celebrating this year, right here. There’ll be a special Anniversary page going live at 12:01 AM with some specials, deals, and offerings that will change through the day. If you’ve thought of jumping into the Birdsong family, THIS is the time! A 10% OFF sale for orders is active now as a run-up to the actual day, and that cool 21st Anniversary Corto3 is AVAILABLE now.

It’s been an amazing run, and that run continues. I can’t thank you enough, but we CAN build you a phenomenal short scale bass that gives up nothing to full scale in tone but weighs less, balances more, and is STILL being hand built in a small Texas workshop, like we set out to do it in 2004! You may have heard of us, you might not have… but SO many in the world of shorter scale basses know our name, and we have Birdsongs being played all over the world for decades now.

CAN WE PUT ONE IN YOUR HANDS? I mean, I know a guy… I can make things happen! And Head Luthier Jake is a legend, up to his keister in wood shavings, and making some of the best instruments in the world. Try us - satisfaction guaranteed! AND MUCH gratitude and our best to you, whether we’ve had the chance to talk, or work for you, or not… yet.

STAY TUNED… and TUNE IN July 6th! Follow Birdsong and Scott Beckwith and Jake’s GOEDE GUITARS on Facebook. Reach out. Reach in. Rock on.

~Scott B.



May 2, 2025

“One piece body.” Those are premium words in the electric guitar world, including electric bass guitars. Most high-end makers including us work in centerline-joined halves, whether it be 2-piece bodies or “bookmatched” 2-piece tops where the face of the instrument has mirror-image grain patterns joining in the centerline. Fancier still are special bodies crafted with multiple layers of complimenting and contrasting woods (known as “hippie sandwich” construction on our side of the bench) or with vertical strips that show as stripes, what we call “stringers.” Very striking, especially in rounded over or carved out areas.

But a single piece body, though simpler to make and to the eye, that’s its own kind of premium feature. The wood is difficult to find in widths that will let it happen and expensive when it is. Though there’s no discernable difference tonally between a 1 or 2-piece bodied instrument of the same wood, or structurally (joined correctly with fresh glue), it’s the rarity and purity of crafting from one piece that’s part of the magic. This is one cut from one tree and now it’s singing, the whole grain structure as it has been from seed.

Under paint on solid bodies are usually multiple pieces joined with little regard for the centerline, so they won’t be seen - 2, 3, even 4 or 5 pieces of the same wood put together to make a body. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just more of a “maximum yield” manufacturing approach than high-level craft vision. Necks, that’s different - a guitar neck can go one piece or multi-piece, but those single pieces must be chosen carefully for stability and grain orientation. And, on a longer neck like a bass neck, I like to see three-piece construction. It tends to be stiffer under that longer scale string tension. Sure, there’s an adjustable rod in there, but we like to have it for adjustment in an already strong and stable neck, not to be the only thing offsetting inherent weakness due to chintzy cheap wood or “care-less” construction.

It has been more difficult as we’ve gone over the past two decades plus to get nice, wide planks suitable for one-piece bodies. Above is a 13+” wide slab of black walnut Head Luthier Jake just scored on a wood trip, prime quality edge to edge. Wow - this with our oil finish coats hand rubbed in and on will be very colorful and beautiful, with nice figuring… and walnut always holds surprises of more of all of that until it comes back alive with that first coat. So, if you’ve been wanting that special Birdsong 4-string (it’s not wide enough to do a 5), we’ll be getting a couple of Cortobass, Corto2, Cbass or Fusion bodies out of this. Maybe the Sadhana which might be coming back for our Birdsong 21st Anniversary? (Did I just say that out loud?)

What is your Birdsong dream bass? One piece or 20 with wild stringers and layers, let’s get going on it. It’s springtime, and Jake keeps some builds showing on the “Birdsongs in Progress!!” page (big update on that within a few days) on his own Goede Guitars site. Hey, check out what he offers too - it’s great stuff and we’re happy to have you in the circle either way. Our legacy is built on being builders who love what we get to do, and Jake and Birdsong each and together have been in this long enough to have refined designs that really work and craftsman skills that get it right.

Hoping May finds you in good spirits and listening to music that inspires you. Get some sun on you and be where good things are sprouting from the earth, and get together with some good vibrations. That’s not just an old Beach Boys tune; it’s what all of this is made of. Reach out (in?) if we can share ours with you with a special bass, and, as always, thank you for being with us.

~Scott B., Captain of The Ship
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April 11, 2025

Some words from Birdsong Head Luthier Jake Goede about the process in the workshop. Some picture a factory; we’ve never been that. Always a workshop. Always a workshop somewhere in the “Hill Country” of south-central Texas, with skilled hands turning planks and parts into performing musical instruments… from our hands to yours! Here’s Jake:

Truly hand-crafted instruments! Here's a little story about how they are made.

Craftsman built by ONE set of hands from block of wood to completed instrument. In a world of automation, assembly lines, and technology, we still do things the "old school" way. Yes, there are power tools involved. Of course. But those tools are guided by a craftsman's hands.

From the actual drawing of the design, these instruments are laid out on paper, with pencils and rulers. Then a board is cut, and a basic shape is formed. All the holes are drilled and routed, using patterns created by the designer, in the same way the drawing is made. Then the carving is done; A LOT of love goes in this stage... This is where it starts to FEEL like a guitar!

Then the neck... This is where the science meets art! Carefully calculated fret positions are sawn into a fretboard blank. The fret board is then glued onto the neck blank, with truss rod precisely installed underneath. After all the final glue-up work is complete, the basic dimensions are drawn in place and the neck is "rough cut" into a basic shape.

Now the fun begins! We carve the neck, using an antique spokeshave, getting our basic shape. Then a leveling rasp comes out, and we get "close" to final dimension, then the final rasp and round files. These tools do the "fine-tuning" if you will… After this step, all file marks are sanded out, and we move on to installing the frets, once the fret board is properly leveled and radiused (also by hand; this can be tedious work, but so worth it! This is what makes or breaks a build!)

The neck is now complete! Now we go on to the finish process. Oil finish requires absolute patience, and attention to detail... As any missed scratch or imperfection shows itself on the 1st coat. The oil, a special blend, a recipe we hold dear, is applied by hand in several coats until it's just... right… then hand buffed to a durable lustrous satin glow finish.

After the finish is dry comes assembly/set up. This stage is where it all comes together! Parts are put in place, the neck firmly attached to body, bridge, tuners, (all high quality); the electronics are copper foil lined and soldered very neatly into place, and the nut is accurately hand cut and glued onto place. Then we string it up, and a meticulous and accurate setup is done... Frets are dressed and crowned, and shined to perfection. We test play it and make final adjustments...

And then....

I take it outside and take pictures in front of a natural setting. Because that is where this all started. This is how we do what we do. There are so many more steps involved, and if you read all this, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Because that means you care about this art as much as we do.

Thank you for your support!!!

-Jake

And thank you, Jake, for those words. And for your devotion of many years, and your workshop sweat and craftsmanship far beyond what I imagined when Birdsong was a dream of a workshop in the woods and a few guitars. This is a fascinating chapter of Birdsong for me, with Jake at the helm of the workshop and me more free to be and run the business. I see my designs getting their day of truly individual craftsmanship and, though that may grow a little in the future, it’s the chapter I always wished for them. I always had a team around and none of this would even exist without their help. Jake? In the workshop, Jake is his own team. A true American craftsman in an age when that’s not so celebrated or very easy to be.

So, we’re here for you. Birdsong has been here doing these short scale basses as our focus since 2004 and the launch of the Cortobass. STILL in the line, still the basic most pure Birdsong DNA. Right up to the recently offered Fusion2, and onward into what’s to come. If what we do is what you want, we’re grateful that our work and instruments can serve you and your music and what you share of all of that. Cheers, and here’s to the next 20!

~Scott B.



March 29, 2025

Out of the workshop in Texas and from the meaty hands of Head Luthier Jake come the Birdsongs, better than ever, as it all should be. From the rural Adirondacks far north, I’m Captain of the ship, Scott B. It’s springtime, and things are happening.

The newest model, the Fusion2, can be found here: Fusion2
With a demo video on the new 2025 and onward Official Birdsong & related YouTube channel (like & subscribe, please):
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Uzsf5gDmvr8

There are currently TWO fresh Birdsong basses available on the Reverb.com page - contact me for any further info, birdsongbass@yahoo.com “Inventory bass” or call (no texts) 512-395-5126. They will ship from the workshop in TEXAS, not from where my account shows up as (MOOERS, NY).

Keep up with my on-the-side goings on at www.sbeckwith.com.
Check out Jake’s own line at www.goedeguitars.com.
And of course the new Birdsong site right here, still being added to and worked on.

I like to work life from a space inside that understands every new day as a little springtime of its own. What’s new? What’s happening? What can be gathered and what good can be made of it? I design instruments like that, and to be a part of music moments coming together like that in your world. Just like they turn into jams and songs and parts of bigger times there, they do in life too.

We who spend time in workshops often feel it like a garden. It’s hard to be too down or whatever in an environment where things are constantly coming together and becoming, moving forward in various steps of creation, deep deep deep in the process of that. It’s what we do. In our way, it turns wood and components into tools of music. In others’, woodcraft or sculpture, art or a really great bowl of soup.

I want to wish you - YOU, RIGHT THERE - a happy spring! I encourage you to at least tune out some of the noise, turn on that part inside who remembers why you made your music and sing your song, and turn up. At jams, at open mics, at times it’s time to play, even if it’s your music room looking out at late season snow falling on a rural 2-lane highway while the soup is simmering. Feel the call, be pulled, and go play. OK?

OK. We’ll talk soon. As always, thanks so much for being with us! On behalf of all the hands at Birdsong, “Rock on.”

~Scott B.

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2-21-25
NEW Birdsong YouTube channel is up and being added to!
www.youtube.com/@BirdsongBasses is where you’ll see content from the Birdsong circle including Jake’s Goede Guitars builds and Scott’s signature instruments from his own workshop. Onward we roll! ~S.

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If you’re reading this, the new site has been launched! We’ve only done a few total redesigns in the 20 years since birdsongguitars dot com launched, usually due to programs going obsolete. This time it was to make the site useable on handheld devices… yeah, we know, “Welcome to 2010!” Thanks, smartalec. But here we are and here we go! I’ve plundered the archives for pics and it’s still getting tidied up a bit, so forgive any little glitches. We appreciate you, and I’ll be posting on here regularly! Rock on, ~Scott B.