Birdsong Fusion - hand made short scale bass - 2010 - 4 string

This is a Birdsong Fusion bass.  Birdsongs are lovingly crafted by Scott Beckwith in his workshop in the woods in Wimberly, Texas.  This one was made in 2010 - Scott provides build photos as the instrument comes together, and some of those are shown here.  

It's short scale, 31".  The neck is incredibly comfortable to play - kind of a very soft V down by the 1st fret, that smoothes out as you move up the neck.  The neck is 24 frets, and the design of the neck/body joint makes sure everything's accessible up to that 24th fret.  All Birdsong instruments are specially balanced, so there's no neck dive, ever.  And they're all incredibly light.  I think this one is around 7 lbs.

One humbucking pickup at the neck (but keep in mind it's 24 frets, so it's almost more of a P bass pickup position), with Scott's "special sauce" electronics to get a great full sound.

This particular Fusion was special ordered with a hand-carved thumb rest rail, so it's just as comfortable to play over the pickup as it is down by the bridge.  The only real wear on the instrument is just above the thumb rest, as shown in the photos.  When I got the bass, I thought I'd try to refresh the stain/finish a bit, so I consulted the Birdsong website.  He does give instructions on how best to do it in the FAQ, if you're so inclined, but also see the reference to "grandpa's old hammer" on the website

A standard Fusion runs about $3000 new, and Scott's not taking any orders right now, so he can catch up on his exiting orders.  So this may be the only chance for a good while to get one of these, or any Birdsong, really.

I obviously love this bass, and I'm only letting it go to help pay for the new Birdsong I have on the way.  Feel free to message with any questions.  If you're in the area, you're welcome to come test it out.  I'm also willing to drive a couple hours within the Chicagoland area to meet up instead of shipping.  Thank you!

Here's the spiel from the Birdsong website:
"Scott's favorite Birdsong, the Fusion was designed as a classy jazzy blues bass with an almost upright tone. It can rock too - Tommy from My Morning Jacket toured with one - and is great for backing up acoustic players. Body lines are swoopy but elegant, and it’s a wood lover’s dream with no plastic - all hand crafted and carved wood trim, standard body matching headstock, rear routed controls, and your choice of hardware color (chrome, black, or gold).

Elegance, warmth and articulation... it sounds just like it looks. And it’s at home in denim at the bar, in your Sunday best, or in a tux at the wedding gig. Walnut is the standard wood, with lots of rosewood. This model makes a fantastic fretless instrument and, like all Birdsongs, sits in a mix very nicely."