Blackbird
Blackbird
Also known as: Blackbird Guitars
UnclaimedBlackbird Guitars is a San Francisco-based builder of acoustic guitars and ukuleles made from composite materials rather than wood. Founded in 2005 by Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolf, the company pioneered an all-hollow unibody construction technique that allows a one-piece composite shell to act as the instrument's resonating body, a design approach uncommon in traditional lutherie.
The brand's fir...
Blackbird Guitars is a San Francisco-based builder of acoustic guitars and ukuleles made from composite materials rather than wood. Founded in 2005 by Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolf, the company pioneered an all-hollow unibody construction technique that allows a one-piece composite shell to act as the instrument's resonating body, a design approach uncommon in traditional lutherie.
The brand's first release was the Rider, a carbon fiber steel-string travel guitar introduced in 2007, later followed by a nylon-string version. Subsequent models include the Super Om, the OO-sized Lucky 13, the jumbo-bodied El Capitan, and the Savoy parlor guitar, along with a line of ukuleles that includes the Tenor Ukulele and the Clara. The Clara, released in 2013, was the first musical instrument built with Ekoa, a flax-linen composite in a bio-epoxy matrix developed as a plant-based alternative to carbon fiber.
Blackbird's instruments are aimed primarily at traveling and touring musicians who need gear that tolerates temperature and humidity swings without the structural issues wood can develop. Jake Shimabukuro has performed on the Blackbird Tenor Ukulele in the company's own session videos, and the Clara ukulele has received design recognition from CAMX, JEC Americas, and the Industrial Designers Society of America.
Blackbird has 4 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Pedalboards. Their gear is featured by 1 artist, with the strongest followings in Electronic, Rock, and Pop. Notable users include Justin Vernon.
Are you on the Blackbird team?
- Be the first to know when an artist is spotted using Blackbird gear
- Curate the Blackbird catalog, images, and product details
- Respond to community photos and reviews of Blackbird gear
- See how Blackbird gear is trending on Equipboard