We are always interested in people who are doing things never-before-done and pushing the boundaries of sustainability and innovation. Blackbird Guitars, a small San-Francisco based maker, has been creating high performance, light weight instruments built for the road out of carbon fiber since 2005 and while we love the modern design of these sleek black beauties it's the release of Clara, the world's first natural-fiber ukulele, that has us really excited. Everyone loves the rich full sound of classic wood instruments but they are subject humidity and water warping. Founder Joe Luttwak and Director of Operations Paul Janowski at Blackbird are making history with a bio-composite concert ukulele that stands up against some of the best wood instruments and will also stand the tests of time and the elements
Dwell was invited to attend Clara's release party for a demonstration of the making process and live performances by local Bay Area musicians Madeline Tasquin, Maria Marshall and Roem Baur.
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The Clara is made from Ekoa, a name paying homage to Acacia koa which is a nearly endangered native Hawaiian wood traditionally used to make ukuleles. Ekoa is a proprietary, first-of-its-kind, renewable, plant-based material that provides the warm sound and feel of vintage old-growth wood with the toughness of carbon fiber. Founder Joe Luttwak explains "Blackbird takes a holistic approach to maximize sound out of a box." The Clara was designed with sound first and sharp looks second.
Photos by Jeremy Ota.
