What can I say.....

I'm sittin here at the shop by myself thinkin about everything that has happened in my llife since January when Tim Wallis convinced me to take a one-string bass to winter NAMM in California. To call it a whirlwind would be a huge understatement...more like a tornado.

First off, before going any further, I would like to say thank you to Tim & Carla Wallis for making this all possible. Tim looks at things from a different perspective than most people. He saw something in my washtub bass that nobody else (including myself) ever did.

The opportunity to design a one-string bass to manufacture and sell worldwide. Complete Insanity! So we went to work turning a washtub bass into something that was easy to play, sounded amazing, was cool to look at, and was shippable worldwide. Simple enough...

After several ideas (mostly bad) and several paddles (mostly destroyed) and several cigarettes (right and left handed) we came up with our prototype with a sharpie drawn logo the night before we flew to California. That was also the night I posted the very first picture of the Stumpy SJ-28. Sneak preview....and for a lot of my friends, it was the start of their journey with me. I didn't understand at the time how many people were following along at that point.

After getting home and deciding to go into production, the support we have received has been overwhelming to say the least. Everywhere I go, people tell me how much they enjoy watching this thing grow and how happy they are seeing me live my dream. I can't explain how much that means to me. I can feel all the positive energy everyone is sending me. And i just have to say Thank You.

Thank You to everybody who has bought a Stumpy bass. It's too big of a list to put here, but I have every name written in my little paddle ledger. I will be hosting a customer appreciation party on our one year anniversary. I need input from you guys to help me plan it.

Thanks Dusty Cawley for building the website and Julie Robison for taking all the photos. Thank you to my ole pal Dave Scott for dragging me into the modern age kicking and screaming, forcing me to use email and usernames and passwords and such. I still have a ways to go there...thanks for being patient Davey.

Thank you Scott Sarver at Broadleaf Video for making our commercial and Erik Nelson for letting us commandeer his studio to shoot it. Thank you Scott Boyd with Effitt Tees for being My Tshirt Guy. Thanks to ole Biker Bob Becraft for his help with the Old Skool 5#B work shirts...that shirt makin thingy is finally paying off.

Thank you Jim Ashby from Dynagraphics in Decatur for printing all the brochures and banners. Thank you to Casey Wethington who donated alot of time and labor to help get the first 100 made. I would still be sanding... Thanks to my old buddy Jason Plummer for letting me borrow my 1934 delivery truck. he still doesn't know he is selling it to me.

Special thanks to Craig and Janel Gerdes for their kind words the night before i flew to California at the exact moment when I had so much self-doubt, I almost cancelled my flight. It was only four words. "I believe in you" It was all I needed to hear. I'm so grateful for that.

Thanks to all the fellas in all ther bands in the last 35 years....Holy shit thats a long list. And lastly, thanks to everyone that shows up and listens and laughs and smiles and giggles and snorts and talks shit with us and generally has a good time loosely based around some mediocre music and friends.

I don't know where this will eventually lead, but I am ready to enjoy the ride and take you all with me. As i write this, I just received our first order off our website and its from the CEO of a little known guitar company called Martin....Hot Damn! So....who's comin with me?.......Much Love, Stumpy Joe 7/25/2019