Birdsong Guitars Cortobass

My Cortobass was complete June, 2009. It is made out of cherry and mesquite. The workmanship is outstanding. The neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard. The neck is fast and the zero fret makes even the first fret easily playable. It is passive, but powerful. I had to turn down the controls on my amp. As with any passive, the treble is sweet and mellow, but lacking in pop. This works well for me as I play a lot of latin jazz. It has two Lace pickups. Fit and finish on this bass are gorgeous. Balance is outstanding and playability is better than either my Modulus or Carvin. It comes in a hard case.

I have tried playing through our entire songbook and it performed very well in all genres. I don't slap. I play fingerstyle only, no pick. I use either a Markbass combo or a Fender Bassman amp. The bass is dead silent. The sound is warm and round. It is woody, as it should be considering the construction. The varitone circuit is wild. Each detent makes a huge difference in sound, from midrange honk to booty-thwacking bottom. I can't compare stage or studio, but I have a feeling it will be excellent in both arenas. As of right now, there is nothing I don't like about the bass.

The set-up was perfect. No buzz, no problems. PU height was good and the sound across the four strings was extremely even. Fit and finish are outstanding.

This bass is a rock. It is made to professional specs, with the idea that it will be gigged hard. It has a five-year warranty. That should say it all. Although I don't have the time or experience with it, my judgement would be that I would very safe on a gig without a backup.

The warranty is five-years, but I get the feeling it is for life. These are custom built basses and one is dealing directly with the luthier. Scott, the owner, makes me feel like whatever or whenever, he will be there to take care of the instrument. Their customer service is beyond peer.

I have been playing for almost 20 years. I have a Carvin five string and a 2001 Modulus Flea. I went with the Cortobass after seeing an ad. in Bass Player. I have a bad back and shoulder. I liked the idea of lighter weight (8 pounds), better balance, and short scale. It is very comfortable and fast. If it were stolen, I would be heartbroken. I would want to replace it immediately. I love the wood. It is so beautiful to look at and sounds so rich and mellow. It is like fine caramel.

This Cortobass was built in 2008 #149. As with all Birdsongs it has a 31" scale and mine has a solid mahogany body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard. The pickups are a single Lace at the neck and dual Lace pick-ups at the bridge. It is finished natural and looks great. The controls are vol., vol., and tone. The electronics are passive. I like the simple layout and the variation of tones is great. I'm sure some would mark it down because it lacks active circuitry, sweepable mids, and all those other controls I never use but I won't.

The bass sounds great! I have been playing for about 40 years and am pretty old school when it comes to vibe. The sound is very deep and rich and has that passive tone that I really dig. Anymore I play mostly at my regular church gig. We do a lot of different styles and can go from a southern rock vibe to a modern ballad groove in one song. I have no trouble getting the sound I need. The bass is very quiet with my solid state amps with just a little noise on my Mesa with a tube pre. It doesn't seem to have noise on other amps even with tube pres so my guess is that it is the Mesa. The sound is so big and deep that at times I actually have to dial back the bass eq.

In these three categories the bass is absolutely superlative. You will not find a better built bass at any price. I have owned several high end basses such as Roscoe, Warwick, Ken Smith, Dingwall, F Bass, Elrick (another great bass) but none have been better made than this little Birdsong.

The bass is built to be played and to last a long time. I've owned it for about a month and have played it at several gigs and in my home studio. The only negative I have is that I didn't like the strap buttons so I changed them. No biggie but it will cause me to give it a 9.

Scott is really great to work with. I asked a ton of questions and he answered them all and then answered questions I didn't ask. When I told him I needed knobs with position indicators he made them and shipped them to me. Wow, that's real service.

This is a great bass. It fits me so well and I fully intend to have Scott build me another. If it were stolen I would hunt them down and ... oh well you get the idea.

This is Cortobass number 52, a 31" scale length fretted bass handmade in Texas. Electronics are passive. I bought it in September 2006 & have waited a year before writing this review so that I can be as critical as possible, after gigging and recording with it during that time. I asked Scott and Jamie (the luthiers) to give me a guitar with maximum sustain, & they built this one with a very solid mahogany body. The neck is beautifully narrow - prizing it out of the hands of guitarists can be a problem; even the promise of free beer only sometimes works. The bass came packed in a very solid hard case. Controls are one for the neck pickup (a lace single coil) & one for the bridge pickup (a double coiled affair). A switchable tone control ("varitone") completes the controls. hardware is gold, with a tortoise-shell control plate. I fancied painting the control plate edges in gold to match the hardware, so Scott & Jamie sent me the plate in the post (along with some spares to practice on); I then painted the edges & posted it back to them to put onto the bass. Some basses have more control knobs on them, but I'll give this a "10" rating as it has all the features that I need. The cost included carriage from the USA to the UK and import duty tax etc.

Th sound is very impressive. Many guitarists / bass players who have had a play with this have said it's the best they've played. I have to agree. The bass was originally fitted with Birdsong's own roundwounds. I took them off & tried GHS Brite Flats (actually, they're groundwounds) and finally tried a set of DR Black Beauties. The DR strings sounded absolutely amazing on this bass. Highly recommended, but with the proviso that I found the black coating came off after a few months of playing. I've now restrung it with the original Birdsong strings as thes offer the best contrast with my fretless (another Birdsong). The frets are quite low profile when compared with some bases; this means that accurate fretting is important. However, the benefit with these frets is that slides are very smooth. At a recent gig a bass player who had been in the audience came up to me and asked me if I had been playing a fretless. The varitone takes some getting used to. Generally, I keep it to one setting (slightly bassy). I have found that volume changes noticably as I change settings. This could be annoying, but I've learned to use it to my advantage when gigging, as it can be used as a handy rapid volume switch. Depending on the venue I either play through a Markbass 250W head + one or two GK 12" cabs, or a Markbass "Micromark" 40W practice combo - in both cases always feeding into the mixing desk.

Action was "medium/low". The truss rod needed some adjusting, but to be fair that could be because of the change in environment between nice dry Texas and soggy South Wales.
Finish is excellent. A luthier who recently looked at this bass made the comment that the people who made this had access to some pretty good woodworking tools - and knew how to use them.

For the last 14 months I've probably averaged about 1.5 - 2 hours per day practicing, gigging and recording.
Some of the gold plating on the top of the neck pickup base plate has worn away, but I quite like that - it makes the bass look loved. I guess some people might be upset that their instrument doesn't look pristine, even after it's been played as much as mine has.

I'd like to give these guys an "11" for customer support. They are friendly, supportive and really know their instruments. They also appear to be madly enthusiastic about music - which helps. Customer support started with my first tentative enquiry (they wanted to know what sort of sound I wanted from the bass so that they could fit the bass to my needs), went on through the building process & has continued since. I know that if I have any query regarding this bass I will get a thorough response within a day or two.

I have been playing bass guitar for 2 years (my first was a used Fender, my next was this Birdsong). I also play flute & celtic harp & have played sax & mandola in the past.
The solid mahogany body does it's job beautifully, but this does mean that the bass weighs almost 8lbs. (Light compared with most 34" basses, but a tad heavy for little old me.) If you specifically want a light weight bass, do let Scott and Jamie know and they can build it out of a light weight wood and maybe sculpt the body a bit to reduce the weight further. Currently, this one is with a local luthier who's sculpting the body to lighten it for me. Scott and Jamie have offered to assist him as much as they are able. (Typical Birdsong customer support there.)

I received my Cortobass this past June of 2007. The body is bookmatched walnut with a hand rubbed oil/poly blend finish. The bolt on neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The bass has a Lace Sensor Gold pickup in the neck position and a Birdsong Punchbucker at the bridge, both are passive. The controls are a volume for each pickup plus a varitone rotary switch. The knobs are made of ebony, a nice touch. The bridge is a Hipshot string through. The nut is made of ebony. The tuning pegs are Hipshot Ultralites. The 31' neck is very thin. The bass came with a nice hardshell case.

I have back troubles so I started considering a short or medium scale instrument. As all bass players know short and medium scale instruments don't have the best reputation for sound. I find the Birdsong to be an exception to the rule. It is under eight pounds but balances perfectly. The neck is super fast. The intonation is fine. I wasn't sure if I would like the varitone switch but I have found that by using it in conjunction with the two volume controls and different right hand techniques the bass can yield a wide variety of sounds. It can be dark and "thuddy" or very bright. My band plays a mix of old school electric and acoustic blues with some rock so having a number of sounds to work with is great. I have had sound men comment on how quiet it is. I have not done much recording with it except with Garage Band. The low E string doesn't have quite the same low end that a 34' scale instrument has but it still sounds great. I'm willing to make the trade off for the sake of my back and hands. The discrepancy in low end seems to disappear around the G# or A on the low E stirng. I play through an Eden Traverler with a 2x12 cab and I haven't had any complaints from anyone regarding lack of low end.

The craftsmanship and set up were superb. I like relatively low action so for me it was immediately playable. I didn't have to adjust anything.

This has been my main bass all summer including entire runs at two county fairs. I have'nt had any problems. I do have to tighten the Gripper-T strap buttons every once in awhile. My thumb has worn away part of this finish where I anchor it. This is common for me on other oil finish instruments I own. I have not had to do any adjusting after five months. I do have a fairly light touch though. I never do any gig without a backup but I have never had to use one for this bass. Due to the light weight and small size the bass does "seem" fragile but it is solidly built.

Scott and his wife Jamie are an absolute pleasure to deal with. This guy is truly excited and happy to build you and a bass. Jamie actually called me to tell me when my bass was finished and what day it was being shipped out! The warranty of five years covers malfunctions due to faulty materials or workmanship. I haven't had to use the warranty.

I"ve been playing for about 30 years. I own some nice instruments including a Dingwall Afterburner 5 string and a custom Novax Fan Fret. I also have two Warmoths, a custom Novax fretless and a G&L L1000. I play all my basses but the Birdsong has become my main one since I got it. I would like to get another model. I love how light and easy to play it is. Chords are a cinch and sound clear and bright due to the short scale.
There are two things I would change about it. One is the ebony nut. Sometimes my bandleader likes to hold out the last note of a song a long time. The Cortobass sometimes doesn't sustain long enough for this. Granted sometimes it is a long time. I think if the nut were bone or teflon it might solve this. I'm sure I could haven't gotten this if I had asked for it. The other thing I'm not sure about are the Hip Shot tuners. I'm not sure how to describe this but they don't have any taper to them. I tune the bass a bit more often than other basses I have. I don't mean to imply that the bass goes noticably out of tune while performing or that this is due to a design flaw. My opinion is that due the tuner's lack of a "taper" they don't cinch the string on the peg tight enough and therefore slip a bit. I don't do a lot of slapping and popping but when I do I notice that the neck pickup hinders the pop. This is because there is no space between the end of the neck and the pickup. So if you slap and pop a lot I would recommend the one pickup model. If you are tired of having back and hand pain you should consider the Birdsong. Don't be put off by the short scale.

2007 "Cortobasic" model. Hand built, 4 string, 24 fret, 31" short scale. Light as a feather (less than 7 pounds). In fact sometimes I can't help but chuckle when I pick it up after playing a few of my other basses because it's so light. Seems to be one of the few short scale 24 fret basses on the market. Has a long upper horn so it balances perfectly when standing or sitting (no need to hold the neck up with your fretting hand). Single passive EMG Select humbucker bridge pickup. Has only a volume control. Body is solid African Mahogany with an oil finish. Neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard. Tuners are hipshot ultralights on a 2x2 headstock. Neck has a unique profile kindof like a rounded-out V. It's extremely easy to play due to the short scale and relatively narrow string spacing (about 17mm). My hands are on the small side so that makes an even bigger difference for me. Has a classic style hipshot bridge. Ships with nickel roundwound strings. Comes with a universal case (i believe it's a guitar case, the bass is small enough to fit in one). This is intentionally a "no-frills" model of Cortobass, thus no 10 for features...

Love the sound, warm but clear on the low end, smooth midrange and highs. The tone has a different character than my other basses which is a good thing if you don't want to sound like everyone else! Birdsong has sound samples on their website, probably a good idea to check those out to really get an idea. Has a fully copper shielded, star grounded control cavity which results in little to no audible interference.. I can hold the bass up to a fluorescent lamp and hardly notice. No tone control on the bass, but you can use your hands to coax different tones by playing near the bridge or near the thumbrest near the neck. (Though it has enough space in the control cavity, I may add a varitone similar to what Birdsong uses on their other equipped basses.)

The bass came professionally set up. I actually raised the action very slightly because i tend to dig in kindof hard, so I wanted a little less buzzing. Everything is fitted together perfectly, the neck is fitted into its pocket tighter than the stones on the great pyramid (can't slip a piece of paper between the two). This is the nicest bass I've owned quality-wise, there really are no flaws or "weak spots" to speak of here.

The hardware, neck, and body are all quality parts. The body has an oil finish- no hard "plastic" coating- so it will show wear over time as you rub it against things- Birdsong isn't into "laminating" their instruments and want them to look "well loved" over time. I have to agree with them that it "feels" better holding something that feels like wood vs. something that feels like plastic. I would have no problem depending on this bass through anything I would ever use it for.

Birdsong has always answered my email questions promptly and thoroughly. They also state that they will always find time to talk to their customers which is a great thing, especially when you realize they are a small group of 4 or 5 people... Makes me wonder when they have time to actually build basses :) They also seem like genuinely nice people, which never hurts. The warranty is 5 years, but frankly I can't see myself ever needing it.

If this bass were stolen or lost, I would sob uncontrollably as I asked, in a voice barely intelligible through my tears, for Birdsong to build me another one ;) It's a beautiful, ridiculously light weight bass that sounds great and unique, and it's actually comfortable to play. What more could I want? I feel like I need to become a much better player to be worthy of it. I seriously doubt this will be the last Birdsong bass I will own.

I bought 2 of these over the last 3 years. Both are 4 string 31" scale basses. One has the lace pickup in front and the EMG at the bridge position, the other just the EMG at the bridge. Both are strung through the body with passive electronics. Both have the varitone control, that seems to be a feature I don't want to be without.

Not sure that would constitute tons of features but it's got all the feature I care to own.

I like a lot of low end which is probably why I like the varitone, it allows me to roll off a lot of highs and leave a nice smooth sounding low end.

They care about what their sending out down there, anything that doesn't satisfy the customer will be taken care of. I can honestly say that I don't think they are happy till you are.

The necks seem really stable and the quality in general is great.

As I said, I don't think they are happy till you are. These are extreamely nice people who are building a high quality product. They also seem to value your input during the build which is nice.

I've been playing off and on for the last 30 years. I started on a Gibson Les Paul recording bass and moved on the MM stingrays.

I love the Cortobass. They are really comfortable to play and sound great. I played out quite a bit when I was younger. I really wish these had been availble then.

Another thing I like is the idea that I'm buying from a company I feel good about giving my business.

I like these basses so much that I may order another and I have no reason to own three of these... but I may anyway.

This is a gorgeous solid mahogany short-scale bass, hand-built by Birdsong Guitars in Wimberley, Texas. The neck is maple with a thick rosewood 24-fretboard, tuners are Hipshot Ultralights, neck pickup is Lace and the bridge pickup is an EMG Select humbucker model SEHB. It came with a plush-lined wood case in May 2006, and I immediately fell embarrassinly in love with it. After almost a year that love has become deep and abiding, and look forward to our growing old together.

I love the sound that comes out of this bass. I've run it through little amps, big amps, old tube amps, new digital amps, and auditorium PA systems. The sound is invariably full, deep, and rich. There is no noise, probably due to the star-grounding and shielding, and you can easily change the tone with the Vol-Vol-6-position Varitone controls. I've only been playing a couple of years, but have lifelong bass player friends who are equally blown away by how good this instrument sounds--they practically drool when they see and hear it. I play pretty much any kind of blues, finger-style, and can't imagine anything else sounding better.

Playing the Cortobass is like driving in a dream--wherever you want to go, you get there effortlessly. Whatever is in your mind and fingers is what will come out of this bass. It was perfect out of the box and plays like silk, I can play for hours with minimal fatigue. This is really a miracle for me, because I'm short, with short arms and small hands, and need a short-scale bass to play at all comfortably. I started with a Samick CR-13, and wanted to move up to something better. I found quickly that there just aren't that many short-scales out there. I tried out everything I could find, and all of them had one or more serious drawbacks--they did neck-dives, wouldn't hold a tune, played only one tone, etc. They all cost more than what I already had and just didn't seem worth the money. When I found the Birdsong website I knew I had found kindred spirits: They described every problem I had run into and said they had worked all of them out--and they have!

I'm an amateur and a relative newbie, but have never had been disappointed in this guitar. Everything is clean, tight, smooth, and reliable. It easily holds its tuning as long as you want to play. The finish is hand-rubbed oil, and the wood just gleams. I opted for Dunlop strap locks when it was built, and have never had any problems. I've had this almost a year, and the neck is still exactly where it should be, so I don't know yet how often it will need adjusting.

The folks at Birdsong are the best. They treated me like gold from my first inquiry, through ordering, design, building, delivery, and since. They say their customers are part of the Birdsong family, and that's exactly how it feels. I haven't needed any repairs, but there's a 5-year warranty--try to find that anywhere else!

This is what I emailed Scott and Jamie when the bass first arrived: It arrived last night, and it's hard to find the right words for how beautiful it is. It brings tears to my eyes; I feel like a new mother. As wonderful as it looked in the earlier pictures, it is much more so in person--the finish gleams, the wood glows, and the color shimmers like burnt sugar going to caramel. And as good as it looks, it feels and sounds even better. It sits exactly right, the fingerboard spacing is perfect, everything about it is smooth as silk. And the sound is amazing. I can hardly believe how good it makes a newbie like me sound; the music just pours out of it. Even on a little rumble amp the sound is so deep and rich you'd think it was on a much bigger system. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

As I've said above, my love and respect for this bass and for Birdsong have only grown. These are special instruments built by special people.

My Cortobass, #0027, was made in Wimberly, TX in January, 2006. It's a fretted four-string maple neck with a traditional headstock bolted to a uniquely shaped one-piece Alder body with a hand rubbed oil finish and two passive Lace pickups,H bridge and Sensor neck. There are 2 volume controls and a varitone switch instead of a tone knob. The bridge is a brass Hipshot string-through. The tuners are Hipshot Ultralights. The neck is a 31" scale that has a symmetrical round shape and a rosewood 24-fret fretboard. A hard case was included.

I love the sound, but I'm pretty basic. I play it with a praise band on Sunday mornings in worship. I'm into light weight equipment that suits my taste and I've finally found it. This bass weighs 6 1/2 lb! My cab is a Shroeder Mini 12 Light (22 lb) and the head is a G-B Neo-Pak 3.5 (8 1/2 lb). There is absolutely no noise unless you make some, which I would describe as warm with the Gold flatwounds I'm using now. The varitone has 6 distinct settings, but I can't tell a lot of difference in the sounds. Who cares? The Boss pedal I have makes 80 sounds. I use # 1 and the tuner. I've never had it in a studio so I don't know how it would be there.

Amazing! I've never adjusted anything.
the action is low and the fit and finish is what I expect of a hand made bass, and more. I've had several basses that were very well made but none compares to the Cortobass. The body fits my body, the neck is just right for my small hands, and the bass is weighted to keep the neck up better than any bass I've owned.

I've had the bass for just over a year and have had only one minor issue. I replaced the original "T" strap pins with Shaller strap locks soon after my strap came off the back pin while I was playing. The strap pins are the only flaw I've found. I don't like the placement of the front strap pin on the back of the body, especially after adding the strap locks, but that's just personal taste. Scott is very up front about the finish. It's his own oil recipe that enhances sound. He says the finish will wear over time. Mine has shown no signs of wear and I play it almost every day. I don't think twice about playing without a backup.

Scott and Jaime were wonderful to work with through the whole order and build process. Their basses come with a 5-year materials and workmanship warranty but I don't expect to use it. I have called or emailed just to check in and keep in touch. A real, live human being answers the phone or personally and promptly answers my email. Customer support couldn't get any better.

I've been plunking for about 12 years. As soon as I played this bass I decided to sell my other one. I looked long and hard for a short scale high quality bass and this is it. If something happed to this bass I'd immediately order their new model, the Sadhana - it's essentially the same bass with a gorgeous, curvy body! I love the light weight, heavy sound, and especially the angle of the neck when the bass is resting on the strap. My only nit-pick is the strap pins and placement of the front pin. I chose this bass because I felt Scott's passion and believed what he said about it. The Cortobass is all he said it is and then some.

6C-057 custom made in Wimberley Texas by Birdsong Hand Built Guitar Company.

Uniquely shaped neck design 24 Fret 31" shortscale made from maple with a rosewood fretboard. The heart of this instrument in my opinion, is the neck.

Standard 4 string E, A, D, G arrangement.

Body made of stunningly beautiful rock solid Birdseye Maple symmetrically positioned wings laid around center Rosewood Stringer.
The volume knobs, Pick Guard and truss rod cover are all Rosewood to match with the center stringer. The nut is Ironwood. The overall visual is simply stunning.

Neck position Lace, bridge position EMG, passive with Varitone.

Unique blend of oils and poly compounds used for a refreshingly clean and beautiful natural finish. A month and a half of hard playing and the bass still smells like it just came out of the wood shop. A very wonderful smell in case you never been in a wood shop.

Standard Corto shape with a custom dressed lower heel for absolutely clear access to the 24th fret.

Bridge and Tuners are chromed Hipshot with the Gripper T strap buttons.

I had a custom design "woodburned" onto the headstock centered between the four tuners, just above the truss rod cover and the classic Birdsong feather logo, of an Aztec Sun...beautifully done. Plus I had a memorial plaque added on the back side just above the string holes. A highly sentimental tribute to my dad.

Thanks to the folks at Birdsong for making this bass happen.

I absolutely love the sounds that this bass makes, Im still finding new sounds every time I plug it in.

I play classic rock, progressive rock, blues, country and some techno.

I use a Beringher 300 watt head through a 4x10 cabinet, with a Korg bass effects pedal board.

The bass is dead quiet when I want it that way.

Very rich and full, I sometimes find the mids to be overpowering but it is easy enough to manage that on the head. The lows are almost pulverizing. I think I can move walls with this thing.

This bass is so ergonomic and versatile that it should be master of both Studio and Stage (I haven't yet gone into the studio but It sure feels like it will fare very well in the controlled studio setting).

This bass is like a sonic tornado for me. I almost have to hold it
back like a pit bull because it is so powerful. I could easily dominate the band but I am learning how to keep it reigned in (discipline my boy, discipline).

The bass was well set up at the factory and played clean and in tune right out of the box. My style has always involved string bending for vibrato expression and the reduced string tension of the short scale neck really allows for some serious free style bending. As a result I found that the G string occasionally slipped off the edge of the fret, so I adjusted the G string inwards towards the D string about 1.5 millimeters and this resulted in the need to bump the D string in about .75 millimeters. The end result was pure and sensational for me. Also, The Neck pickup was just a fraction high as the G string would just barely hit it when floored on the 24th fret so I dropped that down maybe a millimeter and that took care of that. As a result the bass is truly set up just for my taste and has remained perfect. Every instrument I have ever purchased new required a trip to the luthiar but this corto bass let me tweak her ever so slightly and has simply stayed rock solid.

The finish is superb.

I am a perfectionist and have gone over this bass with a magnifying glass. Considering the nature of its construction, being truly hand built, and the gorgeous ergonomic and straight forward design of this bass, I feel that it has achieved a rating of about 99.7 percent manufacturing perfection. There is nothing about the construction of this bass, from the wood -to the hardware -to the electronics, that is in any way faulty as far as I can tell. I did notice that one of the neck seating screws appears to be off seat by a barely perceptible fraction when compared to the perfect seating of the other screws but I can find no reason for concern here. The neck is practically grown onto the body, the fit is so tight.

Its still a baby bass to me. I've only had it for about a month and a half but in that time I have played six pro gigs and spent about 40 hours on bass off stage and from what I can tell so far, this bass will be around many many years after I am gone. It is small, compact, well balanced, with a body made from very solid birdseye maple. It is a finely crafted yet very sturdy hand built instrument.

I would easily gig without a backup but since I have yet to purchase a spare set if strings for the Corto I drag one along just in case I pop a string.

If you have studied Birdsong Guitars you know about the people that own and operate the business. Its all true, they are wonderful people to interact with and you can trust these folks to do you right. This is a small and unique company to work with and well worth experiencing. Every bassist should have one of these Birdsong basses in their collection.

Nothing to repair yet, I fully expect that the Birdsong folks will live up to their reputation should the need ever arise, but I dont believe the need to fix anything will likely come up. This bass is pure hand built and top quality.

5 year warrenty.

Been playing since about the age of 12 so thats 30 years....jeepers :P
I own a custom Hamer B12M (12 string medium scale), and a Rickenbacker 4001CS Chris Squire Limited Edition Signature Series, Plus a Hofner 500/1 Viola bass, a Fender 62 Jaguar and a couple of one off copies for the cats to play on.

Nope, cant think of anything.......

Yes, I would replace this bass if I needed to.

I love everything about this bass. My favourite feature is the neck.

I plan on eventually purchasing a CortoFusion fretless.

Finally: Playing this bass free's up something in me that no other bass has ever done, I feel like I have finally achieved access to my full potential. This bass plays me....the neck is like silken heaven, it plays me...there just is no other way to describe it.

I just wanted to amend my review below by noting that a hardshell case WAS included only it wasn't a TKL. I purchased my bass when it was still the Corto Classic, so perhaps this is the standard case offered for that model. It's nice but not a TKL. Check with Scott. Anyways it's a super swell bass.

Corto 6C-53. Chrome with two piece figured walnut body center joined with a single EMG humbucker in the bridge. I chose to have one made with NO VARITONE OR TONE. Just a volume control. This is basically a jazzed up Corto Classic, a disontinued model which has been absorbed by the Cortobass - read the reviews. The other reviews mentioned a sturdy TKL case coming with the CortoBass but this wasn??t the case with mine.

Hands down the nicest sounding amplified instrument I have ever played. Plugged straight into a basic Ampeg B3 115 will send you straight into midrange nirvana, but this beauty also has full range. You will not believe that such a BIG and FULL tone can come from such a small axe. Mine is made from walnut which gives it rich lows and tons of sustain. There is no noise whatsoever.

The bass is a stunning work of art and Scott should win the noble prize for designing the neck, which is nice and thick with a slight V shape. Very expressive. My hands just love it! Keep in mind that short scale basses have a lower string tension. This might be a problem for someone, but I just love bending them bridge cables. There were a few minor problems such as a few buzzing strings and a jack that cut out, but Scott got back to my e-mail in a flash and they were easily fixed.

See the other reviews. I can only say that holding this instrument will make you feel like you can take on the world.

Scott and Jamie are the best. I questioned them for months over the available options and Scott had the patience of Job. In the end I just handed the whole thing over to him and he came up the perfect instrument for me. You can trust these folks. Good people making the world a better place.

I have only been playing bass for 2 years, but I have been playing fretted instruments for over 20. Comming from an acoustic background I like to rely on my fingers for tone and dynamics so the simple one pick up/no tone is perfect. This Bass represents a new chapter in my musical life. Two years ago I realized that Bass was THE right instrument for me ( actually it was my first instrument, but my fingers never got any bigger so I switched to guitar after a few months). In the last few years I have tried Rick, P-bass and Spector budget models but was unable to match the sound in my head. Birdsong did. There is some seriosly good Mojo in this fiddle.

Cortobass ???Supremo??? #039, made in 2006. Hand-made body of Swamp Ash & Cherry. 3-piece CNC-milled Maple neck with 12??? radius, 1/4??? thick Rosewood fretboard and oversized side-dot markers for visibility in the dark. Woodburned art on headstock. Neck has a pronounced vee-shaped profile at the headstock and blends to a more oval shape at the heel. Roundwound strings (0.045??? to 0.105???). Cherry-topped Ebony control knobs. Sturdy wood hardshell case looks just like a TKL without the label. Only problem with the case is that the unstitched overlapped seams of the vinyl covering started coming unglued. Not a big deal ??? I just glued them back together.

I play mostly blues, country, folk & rock. Mostly just use the humbucker up full and the varitone in bypass. NO hum, even when using the Lace Gold single coil in a garage studio full of fluorescent lights. For gigs, I play through a Hartke HA4000 head & 2200 2x12 cabinet, with DI signal to the PA. For practice or small jams, I use a little combo amp (Fender 1x10 or Behringer 1x12). I don???t use any effects or processing. The compact body is very comfortable, although the very attenuated lower ???horn??? is not quite as secure-feeling on the knee as I???m used to. The Varitone gives an interesting variety of tones. Sustain is amazing for such a little chunk of hardwood.

Builder Scott Beckwith is also a musician, and he tests each instrument to make sure that his adjustments work before shipping. I measured E-string height at about 0.082??? and the G at about 0.062??? at the 12th fret, and this feels just fine for me. The pickups give a balanced signal for all of the strings. Fret ends are smoothed and blended to the slightly rounded edge of the thick Rosewood fretboard. Neck width is about 1.5??? at the nut and 2??? at 12th fret. It feels similar to a well setup J-bass only with a shorter scale length and lighter body. I noticed a slight sticky feeling from the finish on the back of the neck whenever my hands weren???t perfectly clean & dry. Scott suggested that I just give it a little buffing with some 0000 steel wool. This helped, although I still prefer the feel of the harder satin polyurethane(?) finish on the neck of my Mexican Telecaster.

Very ruggedly built, with hefty hardware, high-quality electronic components, and nylon tee-shaped strap buttons. I???m sure it will live longer than I will! At 7.5 pounds, it does not seem especially light to me, as I have been playing compact & lightweight basses for years. But all of the weight that it does have is in just the right place. It balances just about perfectly with no neck dive. I???ve had it over 4 months now, and haven???t had to adjust the truss rod once, even though the bass came from the humid Hill Country of Texas to Western Nevada???s high & dry Great Basin Desert. This neck design seems pretty stable.

???Mom & Pop??? artiste/entrepreneurs Scott & Jamie were extremely helpful and responsive, from my first request for their free Sound Samples CD through brainstorming and creating a wishlist of options for my instrument. They provide an unusually-long 5 year warranty.

If I had to replace it, I???d want another Birdsong. In fact, I???m already planning to buy a second one within the next few years. Scott is always experimenting, and I???m looking forward to seeing what new ideas he comes up with in the future.

Hard to choose a favorite feature, but it might be the optional oversized side-dot markers. These REALLY help when you???re playing in the dark and need to put your hand in the right place on the fretboard. There???s nothing that I hate, but I???d prefer for the body fit the knee a bit more securely for long seated sessions. Also, I???d really like a Maple fretboard, although Scott only uses Rosewood.

My first bass was a new short-scale 1979 Fender Musicmaster. The 30??? scale was pleasant, but the sound was dead at certain spots on the neck. Went through a series of standard-scale instruments over the next ~25 years (Fender, Peavey, St. Louis Music, Washburn, etc.) and decided to give a chance to a more modern short scale instrument. Sure am glad I did!

This is 6C-050 cortobass #2 of 2 anniversary bass built in Wimberly,Texas and completed on 7/31/06. it is a fretless,short scale bass. Weighs 7 lbs15oz.the boby is loval texaspecan made fronm the same tree as 6C-49.the neck is maple,fretboard is ebony fretless,truss rod cover is ebony as is the nut. tuning machines are Hipshot Ultralight,strap buttons are Gripper T,bridge is Hipshot style A brass,strings are Fender 9120M .058-.110 tapewound,pickups are Lace and the wiring is Vol-Vol-Varitone,knobs are ebony and comes with a plush lined hardshell case.

this is my 4th birdsong bass and i am getting the same quality sounds as my others.....you can read about my styles and amps on previous reviews(cortobass #49 and Sadhana #2 and #4)

As usual a beautifull natural finish and no adjustments needed on this well built instrument.

This bass is as reliable and dependable as my other birdsong basses which shows why I am a repeat customer and have more in the works with birdsong !!!!!!!!!

This is another reason why I am a repeat customer !!!! I wish I could give a higher rating than a 10,I would give a 20. Just call Scott and Jamie (owners) and find out why!!!!! Customer support is #1 with them BEFORE ,DURING AND AFTER, all interactions with their CUSTOMERS !!!!!

I LOVE BIRDSONG BASSES! IM A REPEAT CUSTOMER(3TIMES WITH MORE IN THE WORKS) AND SATISFIED! check out their website www.birdsongguitars.com and find out the best kept secret on short scale basses and see why more and more experienced players are finding happiness !!!!!

this is 6C-049, # 1 of 2 anniversaty basses..this was hand built in wimberly,texas and completed 7/31/06..weight is 7lbs.7oz the body is local wild texas pecan,neck is maple,fretboard is rosewood,nut-ebony,tuning machines are Hipshot Ultralight,strap buttons-Gripper T,Bridge is Hipshot Style A brass,Lace pickups and wiring is Vol.-Vol.-Varitone,knobs are rosewood,strings are DR Extra"Black beauties" BKB-45 .045-.105, this is a short scale bass . the finish is rosewood,hardware is black on gold.comes with a plush lined hardshell case

this is my 3rd birdsong bass so you know i love them..i play jazz and blues primarily for my own entertainment nowadays(i started playing in 72).I play thru an assortment of acoustic amps (models 370/371,122,136 and 220).you can get a full range of sounds especially with the varitone..with just a click you can get a different sound...these birdsong basses have become my primary basses and have my other basses jealous which include 2 carl thompsons,2 fenders, alembic,warick,warrior, 2spectors,2 spellbinders,punisher,rick and others.i can get all the sounds of my other basses on my birdsong bass....Nuff said !!

Fron the case to my hands...no adjustment needed...action great! solid-well made! the finish is hand rubbed oil blend on local texas becan....the natural beauty is a sight to behold and admire...this instrument is solid and a work of natural art that will be appreciated for many years...!

Like I said earlier, this bass is solid,the gripper Ts are great nad i have come to depend on birdsong since this number 3 for me . BIRDSONG = RELIABILITY/DURABILITY..!!!!!!!

I wish i could give a higher rating in this category ,because not only because of their great quality of their instruments,their CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS SECOND TO NONE!! THEY ARE THE #1 REASON I AM A REPEAT CUSTOMER WITH FUTURE PLANS FOR MORE!! Just speak with them(Scott and Jamie) and immediately you will know you will get a special instument...Visit them like i did and you will experience an even better appreciation of the instrument they will create for you !!!! You can find no better communication here! BEFORE,DURING AND AFTER your bass is delivered to you !!!!

Ive been playing since 72,and have over 21 basses ....if it was lost ..after crying ..i wouuld be on the phone and have Scott and Jamie(the owners of birdsong) built me another ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!

My recent purchase of a Cortobass was the best musical decision I have made in quite some time. Though I am new to the bass (after 30 years a a jazz pianist), I can easily see spending many happy hours practicing and playing this bass.

My model was featured at Birdsong as an oddity, as it has a knothole all the way through the body! But it's way cool looking, and sounds better than my other four basses ever will.

The sound is great with the double pick up system- quite a bit of variation in tone and color. I am using a Hartke Kickbass set-up, and it is voluminous.

The instrument is a work of art- set up beautifully, all natural wood, with great attention to detail. Scott and Birdsong love to build basses, and it shows!

Seems a sturdy little fellow, and I look forward to using it with my Beatles cover band. It should work great for Classic Rock.

Possibly the best, most communicative customer service I have ever received from a music company. Highly recommended from start to finish. so jump in and order a bass!

What more can be said about Birdsong and Scott Beckwith! Great axe, great company, and their success is guaranteed with such a top-flight product. My next bass purchase will be a custom Sadhana model they offer, also short scale. Visit their site and drool!!!

Hand built in Wimberley, TX U.S.A in 2005 as a First Anniversary build, is a short-scale one piece Texas Mesquite body, maple neck and a rosewood fretboard, with chrome hardware and a rosewood control plate. Engraved aluminum truss rod cover, commemorating the first anniversary. Also, hipshot ultra lite tuning machines, a hipshot style "A" bridge, EMG SEHB bridge pickup and a Lace Sensor Gold neck pickup. Wired with two volume pots and a Varitone control. Ebony knobs and of course Birdsong nickel wound stings and a hardshell velvet lined case with shipping included. For more information on the CortoBass Standard features please visit http://birdsongguitars.com

A seven course meal! Scott had written next to a photo of 5C-018 ?I will match the sound against any other short-scale bass in the world?. WELL, he was right,, AWESOME. Sussssstaaaaiiiinnnnn, punch, highs, lows, the whole bouquet. Every color, every flavor. I (BluesJamJim) will match it against ANY BASS in the world, with the exception of another Birdsong Bass. Oh, and this thing is quiet! (My 305 was, still is noisy even after shielding the electronics cavity.) S/N ratio on Mesqorto can not be measured at the line input of my recording devices. Zero, zilch, none. I am sure if I hooked it up to my O?scope I could find some. But I don?t hear any. Oh, and who needs any effects pedals with that Varitone control. You can dial in just about any sound you need for any style. I am not kidding. Just make sure you mute your amp before toggling through. It is a make before break circuit, resulting in a pop as you change capacitance. Did I mention sssussstainnnnn?

Let me put it this way. Take my Ibanez SR 305 DX and it?s a 63 VolksWagon Beetle (nothing wrong with the bug). It got the job done and got you there, but 40 hp was nothing to get excited about, and the Cortobass 5C-018 is a Viper SRT on U232. The ride is unparalleled. My old, stiff fingers could actually pull off some pretty kewl licks. The SR 305?s neck feels like a 2x4 after playing ?Mesqorto?. The action was setup perfect, and it is not headstock heavy. You can let go of the neck without the head searching for a landing zone. Mesquite being one of the heavier body woods used at Birdsong Guitars, weighs in at a back saving 8 lbs. 12 oz.

I?ll let you know in another 10 years,, I am hard on equipment. This fine instrument is built like an M1-A1, and should be issued a mil-spec rating. I am sure this beautiful piece of art will age just fine.

Birdsong Hand Built Guitar Co. of Wimberley, Texas U.S.A. is all about personal service. You are NOT just another sale, and this is not just another guitar. Scott and Jamie are the friendliest people I have never met. The instrument was packed to survive a nuclear strike, even UPS could not destroy it. My only complaint would be, is that I did not pick up Mesqorto person. I am saving up for a Sadhana. (These things are addicting) I don?t think two will be enough either, maybe a bakers dozen.

I was searching the web for a kids bass, something small as a novelty, but playable. After a week, it was looking like a Daisy Rock or that J Reynolds bass. Then I clicked on a link that was no joke! There on the home page of BirdsongGuitars.Com was Cortobass Standard 5C-018, a one piece Texas Mesquite beauty. This ?Mesqorto? bit me and I immediately emailed Scott and Jamie (Birdsong Proprietors) about this fine instrument. It was a real toss up between it and a Super Sweet Walnut Sadhana (6S-002). You might have seen a picture of it in ?Bass Player? magazine. However, the Rustic Texas Mesquite won my heart.
When the art, I mean, instrument arrived, it was like that scene out of Pulp Fiction when, whoever would open the brief case, the whole room filled with light... only this was an aura of love for music. Then this feeling comes over you... kinda like... well, let?s put it this way. Take the ten most happing, most exciting, most pleasurable experiences in your life until now, multiply that times a million and that best describes it.
Whether you are a seasoned pro, (with an extensive collection, know every playing style and have 30 platinum albums hang'n on your wall).,, or you are 6 years old and reading this... Order One! It is truly a unique playing experience. The instrument comes with a seven day approval from the time you receive the tool. Trust me, you won?t be shipping it back! I am an audio engineer first and a bass player last. Meaning that, I am a crappy bass player. However, I do know a fine instrument when I play one and taste it?s flavor.

Hand-built in the USA in 2006, 4-string, top half of the body is a stunning piece of purpleheart while the back half of the body is an equally gorgeous piece of mahogany, 24 frets with zero fret, Lace Sensor neck pick up and EMG Select bridge pickup with separate volume controls plus tone control. Neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard and has a substantial feel (but avoids feeling too thick). Neck width is similar to the slimmer Fender necks (J-bass) and adds to the ease of playability of the neck (as does the natural oil finish of the neck... think "butter!"). Hipshot A-style bridge and strings through the body help ensure sustain, as does the solidness of the overall build. Beautiful natural oil finish -- I believe my bass may be somewhat unique with the entire top half being purpleheart as this is a difficult wood to work with; did I mention it's stunning?. Hard case included.

Scale length is 31", making it shorter than a typical bass, which is one of its selling points for those with compact hands. Build and tone quality is not sacrificed with this short scale instrument. Attention to detail abounds on this bass: custom wood burned logos, wood control knobs, Scott (the builder) even made the truss rod cover out of matching purpleheart... but he didn't stop there! The truss rod cover is also "chipped" at the edges to look like an old arrowhead. Wow.

I'm just beginning to explore the tonal characteristics of this bass but I am thoroughly thrilled with what I'm hearing right out of the box. I mainly play rock and blues and this bass has a very good growl. It punches through the mix well and exhibits no hum or other noise.

Can't say it enough: the bass was perfect right out of the box. The results speak for themselves but I had no doubt that I would receive anything but the best. Just spend a few minutes talking to the owners (Scott and Jamie): the owners obviously love what they are doing, and that love of music is reflected not only in the delivery of the final product but with ongoing communication with the customer all the way through the build process.

The bass seems rock solid. I have no doubts that it will withstand years of gigging with little other than normal maintenance. The oil finish may need to be renewed semi-regularly but that's the way you take care of real wood.

I can't imagine finding a pair of people that are more helpful in the process of a custom built bass than the fine folks at Birdsong. Very helpful at every step of the way. Each bass comes with a 7-day approval guarantee. The bass is warranteed for five years.

Anecdotal example of the customer service received: Post-delivery, I had a conversation with the builder and was remarking how great everything looked. When asked for criticisms I really had none, but offered an unsubstantial comment that the builder might consider notching the wood control knobs (which themselves are gorgeous) to afford a point of reference for the players' settings. In a follow-up e-mail I learned that I was being sent replacement knobs that are marked for this purpose. This is the length that Scott and Jamie go to to ensure that the build process is successful for the customer.

Do you need a quality short scale bass that: a) sounds great, b) plays wonderfully, and c) exhibits top notch fit and finish? Wouldn't it be nice to find that, and have a customer experience that cannot be beat? Look no further than Birdsong.

Cortobass No. 21 hand made in Wimberley, Texas, U.S.A.
24 Frets - 31" shortscale neck. Passive pickups - Lace pickup in neck position and EMG humbucker at the bridge.
Mahogany body oil finish. Woodburned Kingfisher motifs. Dunlop straplocks. Black hardware.
Rosewood fretboard with side dots only. Tilt-back headstock helps maintain string tension.
Though shortscale, it comes fitted with strung-through nickel roundwound standard scale length strings. (Hipshot bridge allows strings to be top-loaded or strung-through.)
Comes complete with a well-built, sturdy case.
6-position varitone for tone control.

The sound is amazing.
I've played many basses over the years and this is the best by far.
Cuts through the mix no problems at all. Can give a wide variety of sounds.
Through my Ampeg setup, I prefer the first two positions of the varitone and tend to favour the EMG humbucker. That said, I have a small Roland Cube practice amp and prefer the blended sound of both pickups with this. Probably a case of adjusting to your own amp setup and personal tastes.
The other guys in the band can't get over how good it sounds.

Looks and feels great. It's a dream to play.
Only a couple of very minor points (see below) that were very easily corrected.
I play with a pick and the action on the bass as it arrived was a bit low for me and there was some fret buzz (though not noticeable when playing live). Couple of tweaks to raise the strings and it was fine. In fact, Scott Beckwith, Birdsong Guitars, recommends a higher string setting for pick players.
When playing live, top G string tended to be overshadowed by the others and sometimes got a bit lost. However, again a couple of tweaks with the cant of the pickups brought this back into line.

Solid and well-built.
Oil finish may need some top-up over time but it really shows off the wood.
Very lightweight. Complete absence of neck-dive!
Only had this for a few months, so can't really tell how well it will fair over the years but no reason to believe that it won't stand the pace.

Dealing with the company was a breeze.
It was a bit of a step in the dark commissioning a custom bass (and a shortscale one at that) from a company on the other side of the world. (I live in the UK.)
However, Birdsong sent regular updates with pictures of progress.

Only reason I gave this a 9 (as opposed to a 10) was that I've now seen their new Shanti bass and it looks a real stunner. Check it out at their website www.birdsongguitars.com.

Oh, and if you're importing to the UK, don't forget to budget for the import tax - cost me #251. But, hey, the guitar is worth it. There ain't many of these basses about, so you'll stand out from the crowd and sound better than most.

Cortobass Number 17 - two pick-up. Hand-built in Wimberly, Texas in summer 2005. See other reviews for features in common. Hardware is black. It's made from a beautiful piece of walnut with purpleheart. It came with a quality case. The 31" scale makes it very easy to play with no apparent compromise on sounds. I have had it since September and I still get "the glow" each time I pick it up. For more detail visit Birdsong's website.

A wide range of sounds from round and fruity to grunt. The Varitone gives step changes offering real choices. I prefer the first 3/4 of the volume range.
No noise.

I play finger-style and don't often "dig in" so Scott suggested setting the action quite low. This works. The Varitone can give a clunk when first used. They say it's part of the way it's built. This is overcome by cycling throught the settings before playing. Apart from that detail, just about everything in this section is as good as it gets. They have very high standards.

This is the only thing I'm confident I'll have to leave to someone in my Will! This bass will go on forever.
The finish is oiled so may need some maintenance. On the other hand, it'll be nice to see it ageing with me.
All hardware is of excellent quality.

These are great people. They love what they do. They do what they say, when they say they will - and then a bit. Customer support during the build was excellent. There's a 5-year warranty . It was an act of faith to order an instrument from "across the pond" - you just feel that Birdsong will do the business. Given the excellent contacts to date, I can't imagine it ever falling short. As a bonus they even managed to find a better deal on shipping. If you're worried about mishandling in transit -and I was - this bass comes with some serious packing. See elsewhere for Birdsong's support if the instrument does get knocked about.

I found nothing in the market to rival this. It's not a make-do shortscale but a fresh approach thought through from start to finish. There is nothing I dislike.It is the most comfortable instrument I have ever owned - that includes acoustic and electric guitars, from Harmony to Gibson. Buying a hand-built bass is a one-off. For anyone who stole it, I'd campaign to bring back exile to wherever they sent Papillon.
I chose it because it was what I was looking for, I was convinced they'd do the business and they have!

Brand new, semi-custom built 4 string bass, with a mildly flamed poplar body (gorgeous!), totally passive electronics and all top quality hardware.
The main topic of conversation, however, is the tiny size/short scale neck. Its hard to believe, until you try one, just how light and, well, small this bass is. Having the short scale not only allows you to fit the bass in a guitar case (a superb hard case is supplied), but your fingers just whizz around the fingerboard. Short scale basses are supposed to be heaven for people with small hands, but my friend has fingers like pork sausages and he finds it just as easy to play as I do (and I am not vertically challenged either).
The pickups are a combination of makes, which Scott, by trial and error, has found work brilliantly together. The neck pickup is a Lace and the bridge an EMG. The tone control is also unusual, being a 6 position Varitone by Torres, rather than bass and treble. I am getting my head round this at present, but it seems very good, and simple. In fact, simple seems to be the by word with this bass, as the finish is simply oiled, and its so simple to play!
One other thing, I asked for larger side dots so I could see them on dark stages. Scott has fitted huge pearl dots with wood burnt outer rings, which are superb!

I am no expert on short scale basses, but I know that the ones I have heard in the past tended to be one trick ponies, somewhat lacking in deep tones and a bit thuddy.
Think again! This bass is nothing like that, although Scott has admitted the very lowest sounds are perhaps compromised by the short scale length. If so, I cannot hear the difference! Perhaps my ear drums have started to deteriorate over time, but I can't detect any loss of bottom. The sound is very varied between the 2 pickups, and the Varitone gives a number of variations on a theme. The bypass position is also quite superb. I am not saying that its a jack of all trades, I would doubt that it would be a slappers first choice, but for me, its spot on. Rock & Roll!

As delivered, I could not find any fault with this bass.
I have had a number of custom made basses, all of which cost many times as much as my Tiny, including several by Hugh Manson, one of the U.K's top luthiers, Pedulla and Overwater, and none were any better than the Cortobass. Flashier, more complex electronics, shiny paint jobs and expensive woods, but not better made.
Even the delivery from America to the U.K. took only ONE DAY (I thought Concorde had been taken out of service!), although UK Customs held on to it for a week trying to find out new ways of charging as much tax as possible.
I am sure that as the woods settle down, a few tweaks will be needed, but thats no problem. The birdsong team are to be congratulated on the obvious care they put into their product.As a work of art, I asked them to sign the bass, which they did!

I can't see any reason why the Cortobass should not stand the test of time. Sure, the oiled finish will dull and wear, it will pick up dings, and every so often, I might need to perhaps even clean it, but its that kind of instrument. Although its hand made to my spec., its not too expensive so I dont intend treating it like a museum piece (unlike my other custom basses which ended up being for home use only as they were so expensive and precious).
I will probably replace the strap bittons with straplocks, although the supplied buttons are semi-locking and seem fine.

Its been a blast dealing with Birdsong! They send you photos as the build progresses, and lots of e mails, and I couldn't imagine a more pleasant buying experience. I hope nothing goes wrong (I very much doubt it will), as Texas is a long way from England, but I am sure that I would receive the same courteous and friendly service if it did.
Their website must be the most informative out there as well. Its worth a read even if you dont know a bass guitar from a bicycle!

I have been playing 5 years, and own 4 Pedullas, an Overwater 5 string, Status Kingbass, Lakland Darryl Jones, 2 Lightwaves, Stingray, Nathan Shepperd Bass (UK Luthier), and a few others. I really do feel like cutting back, though, as the Cortobass is so easy to play it makes the rest seem difficult by comparison.
In the UK, we have small breweries where one man has a vision about how beer should taste, so he sets up on his own to brew the ideal pint. We call them "Micro Breweries". Perhaps Scott and Jamie have set up a "Micro Luthiery" in Texas, in their search for the perfect bass. It may seem a bit on the small size until you try it, but clear out your preconceptions of short scale basses. The Cortobass may be the new standard!

Cortobass S/N 5C1-011, built by hand on 3/30/05 in Texas with the intention of being an ultra light-weight for an old aching back out of a solid Poplar plank, rubbed oil natural finish. The neck is maple, frets and knobs are made of rosewood. The bridge is machined aluminum. Being a short-scale base, it comes in a hard case guitar-sized.

Unique sounding, different than most others. The pickups are cortobass standard (there's a twist). They put a humbucker bridge end, and single coil pickup neck position. This makes the guitar far from dark sounding. The single coil pickup rich and full sounding, and the HB bridge unit is not bright, but rather punchy. Blended they can growl.

Another twist is a 6-position Varitone. Takes some getting used to. Kind of heavy handed variations, kind of like step-switching a wah wah. But, a couple-three positions are nice, and depending on the venue and or equipment used (or even the key playing in)even out the sound.

The deliverd guitar was setup nearly perfectly. The neck was straight and two-octave intonation right on. The neck pickup id cocked front to back though. Not sure if on purpose or not. I have left it alone, sinde I love the sound.

Nice woodburning detailing (logo, S/N, etc.)

After three months the neck has a developed very slight bow. I suppose that that is natural/normal. Nothing overt.

Other than the jack nut loosening up once and a while, very solid. The finish still looks brand new.

All the customer support I have used was prior to receiving the guitar. We has many conversations about materials, construction details, and the electronics. All were friendly and knowledgable. There is a 5-year limited warranty.

Love the smell as well (wood, oil, and I am told sage). Still smells great agter 3 months.

The Cortobass was hand built in the USA By Birdsong Guitars May 2005
in honduras Mahogany with mapple neck, rosewood fretboard, the hardware is gold plated, it's a 4-string, two pickups, a Lace Sensor neck and EMG bridge and a varitone.
The short scale is truly pleasant for my shoulders and my shorts hands.
The Cortobass comes in france in its hardcase and via UPS

I "love" the palette of tones with the two pickups and the varitone with passive electronic. The others guys of my band, we play blues-rock, said it sound better through the mix that my active Music Man Sterling, that is what I think too.I plug it in Eden traveler 550 head with two Aguilar 112 cabs and its wonderful

It's exactly what I was expected, the lightweight, the smooth feeling of the neck with great playability, the woodwork and blackwash finish

The Cortobass seems very well built with strong materials and good hardware, the company did outstanding work

It was a real pleasure to deal with the Company. Scott and Jamie are very kind. The communications during the ordering were easy, they have sended me some pictures during the progress in the Cortobass. It was their first ordering for Europe, we were both very excited. We keep in touch.

I am a French bassist, that can explain my poor locution, and a new Cortobass owner since only two weeks, But I can maintain that the Cortobass is really a great bass. Birdsong has built a masterpiece, it is really a personnal instrument, and now it's MY BASS.
I am proud to be a Cortobass owner.

Hand-built in the USA in 2004, 4-string, solid Honduran mahogany body, 24 frets with zero fret, Lace Sensor neck pick up and EMG Select bridge pickup with separate and blendable volume controls plus a 6-position Vartione with true bypass plus 5 particular voicings (rather than a tone bleed knob). Neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard and has a substantial yet not chunky feel. Hipshot (r) Ultralite tuners and brass milled bridge that can be strung through-body or not. Beautiful natural finish. Nice TKL hard case included.

Scale length is 31", making it shorter than a typical bass, which is one of its selling points. Compact size makes it lighter and shorter scale means less tension on the strings, making bends and faster runs easier to do.

With the two very different pickups and the Varitone control, many sounds are possible. I play in a rock band as well as some blues jams and I also backup an acoustic artist. I have no trouble finding settings and sounds to fit all the situations I've come across. Tends to a rich sound with lots of sustain. The control cavity is mega-shielded and the components are star grounded for a very quiet instrument, perhaps the quietest bass I've owned. The Lace pickup really growls when using a pick. Being a short-scale, there is a little loss of extreme low-end, but I have full EQ in my stage rack and can cover that easily. The increased playability is worth the little tweak.

The bass is hand-built by craftspeople who also play themselves. Everything about the action, fit, and finish was as perfect as it could be. It's as if the person building it had built it from himself.

It's a slightly more expensive, hand-built instrument and no expense was spared in the materials or hardware. It feels rock solid and I expect to have it and play it the rest of my life and pass it on to someone who will play it after that. I've been playing it regularly as my main instrument for over 6 months at this writing. While I've never felt the need for a backup, it is just silly not to have one. The Cortobass comes with a 5 year warranty just in case.

I can't imagine a better customer service experience. They were very helpful and communicative during the ordering process (aspects of the bass are customized) and kept me aprised of its progress. It got very rough handling by UPS on the initial shipment and they demanded that I send it back so they could inspect it and make sure everything was fine with it. After their inspection, it arrived again, perfectly this time in a new case. As I've had questions and comments, they have continued to treat me like a customer. I am in the process of ordering my second Cortobass.

I have written a more extensive review with pictures and sound clips that is available at http://theellingsworths.net/millard/cortobass.

I've been playing off-and-on for over 20 years and have been playing regularly with a couple different bands over the last several. The Cortobass has been my wish come true for a compact scale instrument that wouldn't weigh me down while delivery pro-quality sound, looks, and features. I've owned an Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat and a Fender Mustang and Ampeg and Yamaha basses and have used Fender Precision basses for recording. I've already ordered my second Birdsong.

Bass was made in the USA in 2004. It has 24 frets, plus a zero fret, and four strings. The bass body is made of solid mahogany, and has a natural finish. There are two volume controls and a Varitone 6-position tone selector. The neck pickup is a Lace Sensor pickup, and the bridge pickup is an EMG select pickup. The bass has passive electronics. You can either string through the body, or on top. The neck scale is 32", and the bass came neatly packed in its own hard case.

It sounds a lot better than a Fender active or passive that I have owned. It sounds better than my Yamaha, or my 1960s EBO. The only bass that comes close to the sound is my Martin B-1 bass, which, of course, is only acoustic.

I didn't like the jack on the back of the bass. It's a standard Fender Stratocaster jack reversed, so it sticks out. I did find that using a right-angle jack is the best solution.

As I've only owned this bass for a month and a half, I don't yet know about long-term durability. I have noticed that I don't have to tune the bass nearly as often as any other bass I've owned. It also generally seems well-built.

Dealing with the company was a breeze! The company owners managed to get it to me before Christmas, when I knew I was ordering it during the busiest time of the year. The owners even gave me their cell phone number so that I could call them to let them know that the bass had arrived!

When I received the Birdsong, I gave away my Fender to a friend who is just learning to play. The Cortobass 4C1-003 is as well-crafted as my Martin B-1 bass, and looks like an electric version of it. I like the Varitone, which has six real options of bass sounds. It's much better than active electronics. Remember when you were a child and opened your favorite toy and the battery had leaked acid inside and ruined it? That's why I don't like a battery in my bass. The tone of the Cortobass makes me want to play without my effects pedals!