Blackbird Guitars
 | |
| Industry | Musical instrument |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 in San Francisco |
| Founder | Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolf |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Acoustic guitars, ukuleles |
| Website | blackbirdguitar.com |
Blackbird Guitars is a musical instrument company that manufactures acoustic guitars and ukuleles from composite materials, including carbon fiber and ekoa, a flax linen reinforcement fabric in a bio-epoxy matrix. The company has made contributions to both the field of luthiery and the field of composite design, notably with the composite all-hollow unibody instrument design used on all Blackbird models,[1] as well as the development and use of Ekoa in the construction of fretted instruments.[2]
Blackbird is located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Northern California, and as of 2015, produces about 400 instruments per year[3]
History
[edit]The company was founded in 2005 by Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolf in San Francisco with the intent of producing travel guitars with composite materials, which are more durable than wooden guitars. In 2007, Blackbird released its first model, a carbon fiber steel string travel guitar called the Rider, which was the first all-hollow unibody instrument made of composite materials. The innovation produces increased volume.[4] In 2008, the company released a nylon version of the Rider, also made of carbon fiber.[5] In 2009, the company released a carbon fiber OM-sized steel string guitar called the Super Om.
In 2010, the company released a carbon fiber ukulele, a tenor size model. In 2011, the company released a carbon fiber OO-sized guitar called the Lucky 13.[6] In 2013, the company released a concert size ukulele called The Clara, which was the first musical instrument built with Ekoa.[7] Blackbird has received innovation awards in the composite design field for the Clara, having received recognition at The Composites And Advanced Material Expo (CAMX),[8] JEC Americas,[9] and Industrial Designers Society of America.[10]
In 2014, the company announced a jumbo-sized steel string guitar made of eKoa called El Capitan, which was the first guitar built with Ekoa.[11]
Patents Held
[edit]- "US Patent 7,763,784". USPTO.gov. United States Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved 8 July 2015..
- "US Patent 7,795,513". USPTO.gov. United States Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved 8 July 2015..
References
[edit]- ^ "Taking Guitars Where Guitars Have Never Been Before". Acoustic Guitar. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Bio-prepreg guitar: The look, feel and acoustic quality of wood". Composites World. Gardner Business Media. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Folsom St. Company Builds Carbon Fiber Guitars". Mission Local. Mission Local. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Taking Guitars Where Guitars Have Never Been Before". Acoustic Guitar. String Letter Publishing. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ "Carbon Fiber Guitar Resembles Mediaeval Stealth Lute". Wired Magazine. Wired Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Blackbird Lucky 13". Acoustic Guitar. String Letter Publishing. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Blackbird launches plant fiber-based composite musical instrument". Composites World. Gardner Business Media. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Check Out the Competition: Visit the Awards Pavilion at The Composites And Advanced Material Expo (CAMX)". Composites World. Gardner Business Media. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "Highlights from JEC Americas". Composites World. Gardner Business Media. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ "2014 IDSA IDEA Award - Bronze - Entertainment - Blackbird Clara Ukulele". Industrial Designers Society of America. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "And Now, the Linen Guitar". Oakland Magazine. Telegraph Media. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
