Happy Hemi day from Sarge the Road Runner. He doesn’t have a 426 Hemi but even crusty old machines have dreams.
Was just thinking the other evening about the perception of acoustic instruments being more organic. They’re simpler in a functional sense, more direct between your touch and the note that comes, with a greater influence coming directly from the wood. So I can see that… and I can feel it in a way, but that’s not how I’d describe it you know? Dig this… it’s vibrations and air. Of the vibrations we perceive as solid, it’s wood and metal. A little plastic, but in mostly benign positions. Water factors in, in the growth and then the processing of the wood; as does fire and air in the drying. Fire, water, air, earth – all in this one machine for affecting vibration. People may see an electric as less natural, but it merely uses more elements from the earth and its different energies like magnetism and current flow. Ponder that. I know I do, this is the sort of thing I drift off or wake up thinking about.
Onto a few recent raves. Almazan Kitchen, The Kiss Guy, and the latest hippie soap that turned up in the shower. Almazan Kitchen is one of my favorite YouTube channels. Jamie and I relax watching cooking shows – not that competition crap, the stuff that celebrates the art of preparation and quality and cultures of food. Well, the skills and photography of AK are phenomenal - these guys are a whole ‘nother level. (Heeere ya go. May it be the start of a journey for you.) OK – what can one say about Austin’s “Kiss Guy” that made it onto the Foo Fighters’ stage and absolutely TOOK IT like you’re supposed to do when that chance moment comes your way? Nothing. Here. This is how you own the moment when the light finds you, wherever, however. (Note: language advisory).
Soap. Soap is good. To some anything more than discount copy Dial is an extravagance, but they’re probably not the folks reading this on the Birdsong Guitars site; they’re probably off on a wine board calling them idiots because wine is wine, right? Ummm… no. No it’s not. One might like cheap wine, it may merely be a tool for them – but that doesn’t negate the craft and devotion in anything crafted merely because they don’t “get it.” Here at Birdsong, your money gets you a finely crafted instrument and, since it sure as heck isn’t going to paint jobs on my cars, and Jamie works hard too, we have no problem justifying good food and hand crafted soap. We live small so we can live large, and like to spread the love sideways to other folks making good things whenever we can in a world that judges by what’s the cheapest. And, well, let’s just say some rather odd soaps from some fairly interesting characters have lathered the grit off over the years. I don’t know exactly where this block came from or how much it was... but if it makes my ass smell like a giant piece of French toast, I’m in!
Did I mention I have books for sale? One on life’s paths, departures, and change – and another on being called to a craftsman’s path? Pick them up here, and thanks for being a part of the ride. Have a great weekend!
Listening to: The Cult on House Of Strombo; Black sabbath Seventh Star; Blues. Delta blues. Ooooh I feel it bubbling up inside as I have since I was kid discovering the old John Lee Hooker record in the basement. Soon as I’m a leeeetle bit more caught up, I think it’s time to let it out and make the album.