State Of The Birdsong Address
July 4, 2024
My brethren Birdsongians,
It is my absolute honor to welcome you here to celebrate Independence Day AND Birdsong’s anniversary. From a tiny rented former motorcycle chop shop bay and office, on July 4th 2004, Jamie Hornbuckle and I launched this website and turned what had been the “pre-company” years of mine into the official real company of ours. A dream. Over the 20 years since, through changes in shop and size and hands, and market perspectives on short scale basses, five things have remained…
OUR MISSION to design and build smaller, easier playing basses that are pro-level and sound huge.
OUR INTEGRITY to connect with and serve our clients’ music – and thus lives - honestly with what we do.
OUR GRATITUDE for the chance to serve and the support of the extended Birdsong family… behind the scenes, the help of good friends of Birdsong – you know who you are, and you are loved.
OUR BASSES BEING THE BEST AT WHAT THEY DO… and even better now, as one would expect!
AND… ME. This guy you know as Scott. How’s it going? Good to see ya! We made it! It has been said about road adventures and psychedelics, “You don’t get the trip you want, you get the trip you NEED.” I’d apply that to many kinds of journeys, the big mountain climb of what one pursues as a life included. Decades later I know I’ve been very blessed to have gotten both the one I wanted and the one I needed. Of course, one only guesses at the walls and window dressing of what anything will be like 20 or 30 years from a start line or a day one, and the “20th Anniversary of Birdsong” is human too. We are people, we are lives, we are spirits in the material world. As Captain of this amazing little ship, I thank you on behalf of all who have come in and out of Birdsong’s strange time warping orbit over the years, as I thank them. The recent years have been full of change for most people I know at least, with the ‘VID shaking loose bits off of lives, bringing the kinds of challenges that in some cases make us look forward a little differently and do necessary changes. In this, given time, the difficult times can be blessings. We have the time we have. We have the materials at hand. What can be made of this?
Well, TODAY for one thing! Welcome to TODAY. Even aside from the holiday and this anniversary, it’s an important day. And, since it IS 20 years to the day since that distant “day one”, there’s an entire special 20th Anniversary page with pictures from the archives, and a gallery of some of YOU with “Birdsongs in flight” shots! And hey, while I have your attention – please be sure your email for us is birdsongbass@yahoo.com. This isn’t a change, that’s where the scott@ and info@ Birdsong have been directed since we started. But the host’s email forwarding service is going away and we’re simplifying things. One thing nobody tells you is that if you make it 20 years, you’ll outlast all the tech you built it on and even companies and people’s working years that knew how to do that stuff. (Thank you for the decades, Tina P.!) I don’t really understand how any of it works, and yet here I am flying it all now as if I do. Oy vey! Hey, you know? I do know I can keep it in the air for a while and when it’s time to land, one way or the other we land, right? So enjoy the flight! And hey, keep your trays down and seats back, I don’t care. I’m putting on some Miles Davis, make yourself comfy and smile at each other. 😊 Anybody up for a barrel roll? Let’s see what she’ll do, eh?
Birdsong is layers of firsts – first use of the name as a model prototype for “Scott’s Guitars” in 1999, then the first thought of it as a “brand name” and then THE first Birdsong instrument (a guitar named “Rainmaker”) in 2001. And then, after others and with a bigger dream, some borrowed tools, and the launch of the short-scale Cortobass model, the launch of the COMPANY 20 years ago today. What also has remained is TEXAS, where Birdsong has its nest. It’s had five actually, over the years; all by trees, all in woods, all where birds sing. It has always been a workshop, not a factory. It’s happiest that way. Birdsongs COULD be made in a factory and absolutely tear through the market with these designs, with incredible performing comfy little basses at all price points that REALLY WORK. But that’s not been this chapter of decades of small-batch crafting, and Head Luthier Jake Goede is a true believer in the small shop hand making of guitars and basses. He’s been that way since jumping onto the odd bus of Birdsong in about 2007, when right out of luthier school he was handed a Cortobass body and told “It’d be a miracle to have another just like it that I didn’t have to do.” He brought back another one just like it and I couldn’t tell which. So our indie status is safe for another round of rides around the sun.
Jake is focusing on our heritage (I think we can call it that at 20 years!) with the Cortobass, Corto2, 5-strings and TODAY’S “Official” bring-back of the C-BASS onto the menu! All our proprietary 31” scale, and all models that made us as we crafted them. What else will come back and where will we move forward? Stay tuned! For now, though, enjoy the specials and DO take advantage of them – we’d love to work for you – and dig those BEAUTIFUL 20th Anniversary scroll basses! Personally, I am still Captain, and I’ll be serving you today with answers and banter and customer service. Locationally, though Birdsong is in Texas and I’m still based there, at this time in my life I’m freed up a bit to wander and see where’s next for me. During this sale I’m actually in small-town Florida; thus explaineth the “Eastern Time” on the times this time. Over the past year, some of you’ve called to ask questions or place an order and I’ve been other places, too! WHEREVER I AM, I AM HERE FOR YOU. 512-395-5126 has never been a “shop number” – it’s MY number. That’s important to me because YOU are important to me. Also this time, I am sleeping a bit and night time internet isn’t constant for me where I am. I’m not sleeping on the couch in the office. I don’t even have an office, I have a satchel. It’s kinda nice! But I do have a new laptop, the old PC set up in a sunny little half of a workshop with great internet (so if you want old build pics of your basses, email me a serial number and I’ll send what I have), and as always, my trusty flip phone! So LET ‘ER RIP.
You’ll notice the inclusion of some “family” instruments in with this Birdsong sale – guitars and basses luthier Jake also makes, as well as the pocket basses I build. Jake’s stuff has a very Birdsong family natural vibe and he’s also THE MAN if you like what Birdsong does but we don’t offer some options you want. Jake can custom build you something Birdsong-like but full scale or with different pickups or set-neck or whatever. I’ll even take the order – and there’s no competition, so don’t feel weird talking to me about a quasi-Birdsong kinda on the side build by Jake. It’s family and I’m fine with it. I want this circle to build your instrument! More on the incredible side work of his big, meaty hands at www.goedeguitars.com. As for my little basses, this is where Birdsong’s super-short guitar scale basses went; that’s my little side garden now at www.sbeckwith.com. Deals can be made on ALL, and any combo plates you may want. Guitar and a bass perhaps? How about a Birdsong bass, a Goede guitar, and a Scott mini bass? The family pack! Treat yourself and someone special, still in total half the price of a single big-name custom from the coasts, and I might even hand deliver ‘em to you. How do you like that? Any good pizza places nearby? Indian food? Driveway for a night?
Co-founder Jamie is still in the Austin, TX area and selling real estate; she sends her love and gratitude to all of you – and I’ll send mine to her a few times during this all, as well as yours. This is big for her too. Birdsong as you know it – and even Scott as you know me – would never have happened as they did without her. Maggie the dog is getting up there in years and not seeing very well, but Jamie is taking great care of her, with plenty of gentle beeps on the nose, walks with good sniffins, and tickles of toe bean fluff. I also want to dedicate this anniversary sale to the remembrance of Birdsong circle absolute legend Ben Bernales, who like many, began as client and ended as friend. In the “Starts at MIDNIGHT!!!” days of these things, he’d call at like midnight and fifteen seconds, always greeting me with HAPPY EASTER (“Heaaaapy EEEsteh!”) and to be really candid with you, I just can’t imagine a Birdsong anniversary without a call from him. He jumped on at the 2nd! That… is an empty place at the table this year. But here we are, and it’s a beautiful day. YOU are there, I am here, JAKE is likely bouncing between the grill and the workshop (I salute you buddy, a cold glass of orange juice in your direction), BIRDSONG is doing great at 20 YEARS TODAY and counting, there will be pizza, there is SO much to look back on and smile, there is SO much to look forward to and envision, SO much of the Birdsong circle is tuning in and checking in, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and there are basses to be made and songs to be played. These are the ripples of time, friends. Take hold of the moments you are given and make them mean something. If it means love deeper, love deeper. If it means change, change. If it means it’s time to order a Birdsong, order a Birdsong.
Thank you so much for the first 20! From all of us, much love and a safe & happy 4th and weekend.
Your Captain, the Woodgnome,
