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Blackbird Rider – Carbon Fiber Guitar Friday, December 07, 2007 - Noa Rotkop Home >> Picture Of The Day >> Innovation   
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| The Blackbird Rider is an acoustic guitar with full-bodied sound in a highly portable package - 30% smaller than a traditional acoustic guitar. This was achieved thanks to the material chosen to construct this unique guitar - carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is an incredibly strong material, which is the reason it is used in many advanced planes, bikes and race cars. Carbon fiber uni-body construction makes this acoustic guitar not only small but also highly durable, which means there's no way to smash up this baby at the end of the concert. | ||||||||||
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Carbon fiber comes in a variety of different styles and configurations. The Blackbird Rider Acoustic Guitar utilizes a blend of uni-directional (super stiff in one direction), 90 degree (strong and stiff in two directions) and twill (wraps well in three dimensions) materials, along with core materials, to add to the guitar's strength and reduce its weight even further. The process of creating a Blackbird Rider Guitar starts with a foam prototype that is hand sculpted and re-sculpted for scale, aesthetics and ergonomics. Then, a CAD (Computer-aided design) model of the guitar is created. Next, the virtual model is cast into a new foam model, using the dimensions of the CAD model. The model is then tested and the process is repeated if necessary. Finally, negative molds are created from the positive foam model and carbon fiber is hand layered into the mold. The Blackbird Rider Guitar is composed of an all-hollow uni-body shell, meaning that its body, neck, and head are cast in one-piece, while the other components (such as tuners) are added on afterwards. This way, the weak and sound-absorbing joints associated with standard guitars are eliminated. This unique construction is made possible thanks to the incredibly strong and stiff properties of carbon fiber. The main advantage of the hollow uni-body design is that the entire guitar becomes the sound box, magnifying its loud and full-bodied tone. Furthermore, this design makes the guitar light, so it can be carried easily. Blackbird Guitars, the company that developed the guitar, states: "You can play in a tropical rain storm and Rider will be fine. It can withstand a fall on a concrete floor without breaking (not recommended of course). The finish is much more durable and scratch resistant than a standard guitar". The price tag on a Blackbird Rider Acoustic Guitar is $1,599. More information on the Blackbird Rider Guitar is available on the company's website. |
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Rainsong has been making 100% carbon fiber guitars for years, not sure why blackbird has been getting all of the attention lately. I played a Rainsong recently at GC and the fit, finish, and playability was nicer than most of the Taylors I played which were far more expensive. Worth checking out... |
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Unlike the Rainsong, Blackbird seems to be using carbon fiber as a means rather than an end. The stiffness-to-weight of carbon fiber allows them to make the whole instrument (hollow neck and head) a resonance chamber for increased sound response in a compact form. |
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As the previous owner and founder of Guitar Gallerie, the largest dealer of hand-made acoustic instruments in the world, I swore I would never own any of the composite acoustic instruments that began to appear in the '70s. Never say never! Over the past few years, I've been playing a Rainsong OM carbon fiber instrument. It is not only a fine sounding acoustic instrument, but also the most durable instrument in my collection. It is impervious to climactic changes--going from subzero to tropical temperatures and remaining in tune without exhibiting the frailities of a wooden guitar. Without a doubt, the finest tool in my collection! I have not yet had an opportunity to play the Blackbird, but the Rainsong product is exceptional and still retains the tradional look and feel of an acoustic instrument. |
