It is such an honor to work with wood. There is so much beauty even in the plainest, unadorned piece; you think "this once had life and now it is dormant, but I will help it live again" and begin to shape and cut and carve and contour.

The woods we use come from a variety of sources and places, every piece hand selected for tonal characteristics, grain patterns, mojo and weight. Some of our favorites include Honduran Mahogany and local Texas Mesquite. To the left, the first cuts have been made in a batch of Mahogany. Most of this has become Cortobasses by now, off on their journeys of music.

Woods we have worked with include:
Honduran Mahogany, African Mahogany, Alder, Mesquite, Sitka Spruce, Red Cedar, Spanish Cedar, Walnut, Poplar, Rosewood, Maple, Pecan, Padouk, Zebrawood, Purpleheart, Cypress, Swamp Ash, Ebony, Texas Red Elm, White Oak, Red Oak, Birch, Ironwood, Hickory, Cherry...

People say wood is dead, but it's not; it's merely in transition. They also bat about buzzwords like "Tonewood"... different woods impart different tonal personalities into what you build, but beyond that and the structural considerations I'm not convinced after this many years that there's any such thing. It's a plank of wood. Build it right and it'll sound good. Now, whether that "good" is the voice someone else is looking for, that's another journey... maybe we should rename it "Same-old-tonewood." 

There are many steps involved - selecting the piece or pieces, fitting together the pieces into a blank if it's a multi-piece body, laying out how the character of the piece will fit with the body shape, cutting, routing, shaping, contouring, carving, drilling, and the sanding process. 

This is also where control plates & pickguards and all the small wood parts are cut, shaped & sanded. This is what ten pounds of activity in a five pound room looks like. I can't stand it when I go somewhere and it looks like nothing is happening but the cleaning up. Stuff is happening here. 

So yes, we do make them! These are hand built. Why, there's a variety of fresh sawdusts in my beard as I type this.

Stuff happening... you can see the little jointer, shelves and tool & clamp bins... and five of my favorite tools! From left to right is an old Miller's Falls plane, a really well engineered Grizzly plunge router, an ancient Stearns spokeshave, a red handled dry brush that has dusted off every guitar since around '97, and a fantastic little ruler that reads in millimeters. Man, I don't want to subdivide fractions... what is this, math homework? Give me a real number I can shoot for and hit. The last pic is of a particularly disorganized woodpile. Whoever can get really close to naming the 23 numbered woods will get a little piece of Birdsong guitars historical memorabilia sent to them. 

This is where our parts converge from their journeys. It is also where we eat lunch, or breakfast, or supper, or a midnight snack depending on what hours we're working. The drawers hold the hardware & electronic parts that go into a Birdsong guitar or bass, from companies like Hipshot, Schaller, Grover, CTS, DiMarzio, EMG, Switchcraft and Torres Engineering. The cubby holes hold assembled & wired control plates, varitones, etc. The clear plastic boxes are instruments in progress - when an order comes in, we start collecting parts into a clear bin with your info on it, noting what parts we're short or requested substitutions.

You can also see our proprietary CNC-made necks on their rack (related article here), and boxes of sundry. Sundry is a magic ingredient.

We use the best parts - I know best is a subjective and overused term, and people directly equate it to cost. While that is often true that premium parts cost more, in addition to quality the design and suitability for the purpose must also be taken into account. 

We also only work with companies that treat us right. Well, most of them treat us great and then we just get ignored elsewhere. Just wait until we have the means to knock off the one thing we get from that "elsewhere" ourselves... then we won't bother them anymore. :)

We know we're a tiny company, and the logos proudly displayed below represent folks that have treated us with respect and fairness since day one, that have worked with us and listened to us, and provide the parts we love to build with. Support them - they're good!

Here's a neck is being examined in the office. They're CNC-made so every one is like the prototype; the client doesn't have to wonder if they got a "good" neck, and all the basses play & feel VERY close. Though done for us off-site, this is a proprietary neck unlike anything you can buy. Definitely not a stock piece! Once here, we inspect, sand, dress & woodburn each one before finishing. Scott is giving that first fretless neck a once-over twice!

The wiring bench has been rebuilt from my late Uncle Pat's old home workshop bench all the way from Everett, MA. This is where the routed, sanded & finished bodies get the pickups & controls installed, control plate assemblies are pre-wired for a put-together on the assembly bench, or already assembled guitars & basses get their wiring tweaked. 

The wooden figure under the light is a robed, bearded guy in prayer... Under his watchful gaze, this is also where the woodburning happens...

The special oil blend is applied in several steps... and in several coats, over several days. After the hand rubbing, the pieces are hung to cure between final coats for a while. This is our reward for our labor & devotion to each instrument to this point. The oil transforms a beautiful piece of raw, sanded wood back to vivid life again. It's like the fourth of July to watch the grain, unseen flaming, and all the secrets of the wood pop out right before our eyes. 

This is the moment I, as a builder, sacrifice for my art and work in the oils with my bare hands. Something sacred and personal passes between me and the instrument at this point.

This is an exciting room - it's where bodies, necks, parts & sub-assemblies become complete tools of creation!



The designer & main builder sets up & test plays everything that leaves the Birdsong nest. Does it sing? Does it ripple the air? Is it alive? "Does it move me?" And then... does it sound great plugged in, too?

 They're tested out on the reference amps - a well-gigged Peavey, a Hartke, a JBL cab with a Celestion Vintage 30, a Tech 21 Trademark 60 and a tiny tube terror - a Bardon 803-C of unknown vintage. 

       



It's also in a corner of this room that we have our altar to offer our gratitude for the opportunity to have this shop and our purpose and to be of service, and to ask that the instruments and their new caretakers & listeners be blessed; that these manifestations of our purpose & devotion all leave here and begin their journey carrying our good wishes on their paths. 

It is a great privilege to be sentient and free, in a beautiful place, and to make a living doing what you feel your calling is. Don't think we ever take it for granted, not for a minute. The Creator has blessed us and we are very, very grateful! Amen, Ase, Blessed Be, Ho, Om, and Haribol! 


     
         

   
     And here's a Wimberley sunset... our blessing, now yours too. 

Old wise saying:

UPS bugger up bass one time, shame on them.
UPS bugger up bass two time, shame on us!

We take all precautions and pack it like it's going to the Gaza Strip even if it's only going to Lukenbach, Texas. You know, with Willie and Waylon and the boys.

More pics of THIS fascinating process coming soon, too!

The Birdsong nest and a truck named Joe. The simple nature of our instruments should come as no surprise once you find out Scott's daily driver is a base model '74 Dodge D100! 

There's a great fisheye shot of the front room that'll go right here as soon as I scan it in. Yep, sure will! Mmm - hmmm. Yesindeedy. Uh huh. 

Easily my favorite fixture in this room... in fact in the whole place... my wife Jamie. She can also be found in the woodshop sanding bodies, whipping up a meal in the break room, drawing vines to woodburn, or... lots of other stuff like trying to keep Scott focused and productive, organized and on the task at hand!

That could be the most difficult job in the whole place.