One of Bird's primary instruments is a violin which he acquired when he was 16. His "first serious violin," it was custom made by a Polish luthier in Chicago, and Bird had to audition to prove he was worthy of playing it. In 2017, following the release of "Are You Serious", he commissioned Peter Seman to build a 5-string violin. The custom instrument features a lower C string (giving it the range of a viola), a unique scroll which bends backwards, and has no corners.