Prepare as one may, are we ever really ready?
The circle of Birdsong Guitars extends its deepest gratitude and love to Ben Bernales, and our condolences to his family and friends. Incredibly optimistic, extremely generous, and indescribably eccentric – noted bass collector and Birdsong enthusiast Ben Bernales is gone. My collection of people over the decades resembles a closet of curiosities, but even in the circle there were none like Ben. His first buys were the 2nd Anniversary basses, a pair, which he drove out from Georgia to Texas to pick up. In those early years following, he had an angel’s sense of exactly when to call and order a bass. I’d have some fee or charge or parts bill I wasn’t going to be able to shuffle… there with it in my hand… the phone would ring. “Happy Eastaaah! I think I need another bass.”
Over the years he was the first caller for every Anniversary sale. Every. Single. Time. I start them at midnight, and on the dot, the phone rang. “Heeappy Eeeeestah!!!” or “Hello is this where I order Chinese?” or “I’ll give you three guesses as to who this is…” or, right in… “I’m having trouble deciding…” It was always HAPPY EASTER, in messages it would be with a dozen exclamation points. The fact he would pass at this time is just… otherworldly. But really, so was he. His love for bass guitars and the culture of bass, his generosity with his treasures, his relentless positivity that only waned in moments in recent times after many years of health issues – these I will remember. His bizarre sense of humor, the unusual phone calls… including, in better days for him, more than one call asking “Is there anyone struggling to pay for their bass? I’d like to make a payment for them… don’t tell anyone…” You NEVER paid for dinner with Ben. To suggest it would be the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.
The stories are endless. There was an entire series of basses made for him representing all the women he’d married, in chronological order. Real custom stuff for us that early on that really pushed us. His imagination was endless and completely untethered by practicality. His posts and pictures of his bass collection at its peak is the stuff of legends on forums – but never to brag, just to share. It was staggering. Like all that gathers, it dispersed given time. I helped sell off a lot of what was left of his collection last year and the rest is where it needs to be – if anything changes, I’ll let you all know here. Daughter Erin told me “He had everyone in his thoughts during his final days.” I hope he knew he was in ours, I tried my best with every contact. What a colorful part of this whole experience from in here he was, an amazing conversation started one night on the phone when he called at some weird hour because he never slept either… but now that conversation is over. Days ago I had sent a PM. I had a feeling. I hate those feelings. I’m a seeker, I have no answers, only paths I follow. I’d be lying if I said I knew for sure where a man like Ben goes… but I know wherever it is, I want to go there. Because I know there’s music, and love, and whatever form of the Divine handles the oddball file. And people who eat dessert first, against doctors’ orders. Those are my people. Those are my spirits.
I’m back in TX for a while, working on this Bliss and cleaning up behind it in workshop #4. I mean like benches, shelves, burn barrel kind of cleaning up. Small workshop in the Texas Hill Country woods number FIVE is rocking, what’s coming out of there is SPRINGTIME my friends. There comes a passing of the torch, times has its way with you, there is no getting around it. But to really find springtime again, to feel it in you, to see it around you… that is the gift. It is a gift not everybody gets, and of those who do, far too many do not accept for the blessing it is. Embrace it, change is messy and life throws curves. Ride them. It’s what you’re here to do. As part of the times, I’ll be posting unusual things for sale on Facebook and in my Reverb.com shop. Please remember, this is voluntary, good change – Birdsong is fine and flying in its new springtime and I’m still Captain, while Birdsong hand crafts the best Cortobasses, Corto2s, 5-strings, and a few surprises IN YEARS. Right now. Off to the side a bit, I’m just a guy adjusting for seasons, those outlived (what a blessing to be here to occasionally have to adjust for that), and to come.
NEW ORDERS are 10% OFF to celebrate springtime. Wait times are still low because Jake is ON IT like a force of nature; we have our 20th official company anniversary coming up around July 4th and some fun things, and maybe even another 20 years to look forward to! It’s all coming together, some dis-assembly required. Hey – speaking of Birdsong’s 20th Anniversary, here are a couple of fretboards, and that’s all I’m going to say for the moment. Stay tuned!
I’ll be back next Friday right here with more pics of the happenings and what’s coming together. For now, gather together and hug harder and jam a good riff out for Ben and for ALL we have lost on the way in this continuing great adventure of life. I leave you with this, from one of my books – part of a piece called “Some Climb Mountains“ from Old Vans & New Plans:
A boat’s designed to sail and a bird is given wings to fly. We are no safer tied to the dock or tucked in at the base camp – the run is merely longer. The mountain claims us all, and we go dancing with it or left lusting inside by chances we never took.
“HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Listening to on the road: Chris Knight Pretty Good Guy (I’d trade a hundred of my songs to have written Down The River and If I Were You); Gillian Welch Time The Revelator; Stephen Stills; Miles Davis Complete Bitches Brew Sessions; Orchestra Baobab Pirate’s Choice (Fantastic world music from Senegal with big Cuban influence).