Who is Blackbird Guitars?
Blackbird Guitars was founded by Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolfe and now includes fellow designer Troy Stevens. After years searching for a compact guitar worth bringing along for the ride, all they could find was thin sounding and fragile. Eventually they realized that none of the established companies would tackle this problem so they decided to do it themselves. It started innocently enough with the typical design process: produce as many ideas as possible and prototype them. It helped having all the latest tools such as three-dimensional CAD (computer-aided design), computer controlled laser cutters and routers as well as advanced materials such as carbon-fiber, and structural foams. Also being based in the San Francisco Bay Area meant access to many of world's great steel-string luthiers who consulted and encouraged the project along so development continued. It quickly became clear that their non-traditional backgrounds were resulting in radically new directions. The result was part mountain dulcimer and part F1 race car that harmoniously balanced technology with traditional craftsmanship.