stevepetergal
Well-known member
I was fortunate to have the traveling Blackbird Clara Concert ukulele for a week.
I was even more fortunate to get the Clara for another week after Blackbird restrung it with their preferred strings and did whatever set-up ajustments they felt necessary. (I thought the set up was great as it was) Upon re-review, I've made changes to this review. You will find them here: http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...-re-review-Now-I-get-it&p=1580163#post1580163
Features – 7
Carbon fiber/”Ekoa” materials, pineapple shape concert body, offset soundhole, 12 frets to the body, 17 total frets, matte finish, tie bridge, Gotoh tuning machines. All very nice. I would need a few weeks to get used to the smooth round back. It slips and slides around as you play. But, that’s a small thing, in fact nothing at all if one uses a strap. I give the features a 7.
Action - 10
Let’s start here, because this is where the Clara ukulele really shines. I have a Koaloha, have owned a Mya Moe (#290), have owned three Kanile’as, played two Moore Bettuhs, played three Ko’Olaus, several Boat Paddles, and dozens of Kamakas, all superb instruments in their own rights. The very best fret work I have ever seen is on the Blackbird Clara. The neck is absolutely perfect, perhaps because these materials make precision easier than wood might. The neck is C shaped, not too thin, and not at all thick. Weight is great. The fret board is smooth as glass (of course).
The frets are beautifully level, with a perfect amount of relief. The frets are as smooth as silk, fret ends are almost unbelievable. Each end is a perfect mirror image of the others. Never seen anything like it. (Photo) I like very much that, even with a standard 1 3/8" nut, there's about 1/8" between the outside string and the edge of the fretboard. And still the strings are not too close together. Just right for me.
Action is not the lowest I’ve played but is low and very nice. This instrument plays as well as or better than any ukulele in my experience. One thing I didn’t like (and the folks at Blackbird might want to address) is the headstock. They’ve made it a bit small, which doesn’t bother me. But the G and A tuners are at least a half an inch closer to the nut than on any of my concert ukuleles. This was a problem for me. I had the instrument for six days, played it for about three hours a day (practicing for a Bach festival), and never stopped running into the A tuner with my knuckle, (and I play only concerts). This may be just me, so in light of the magnificent workmanship on the neck and frets, Clara still gets a 10 for Action. (I don’t believe in perfect scores, but it’s that good)
Fit and Finish – 5
I separated this from action because the action was so good. Fit is very good. Edges are nice and smooth. How could you go wrong with plastic in a mold? I like the look of the “Ekoa”. The lines in the material look like machine-made flame grain. Like a mix of high-tech and high-end old-school. But the finish (although there is no finish) is odd. Although the rounded back is smooth and beautiful, the top looks like a wood top that has been left in the sun for a month or two. It feels dried out and rough, like 300 grit sandpaper. How can this be with no wood or finish? It even appears to have light lines going with the grain that mirror nitrocellulose lacquer finish failure!(?) I give it a 5 for fit and finish. Post script - I originally gave it a 3.5, but after further reflection, decided to raise it 1.5 points because the top imperfections might be deterioration due to age or exposure. This is after all, a loner, not a brand new instrument. (But, deterioration of a carbon fiber type material? Shouldn't be.)
Reliability/Durability - 9
Again how can you go wrong? The materials are light, solid, and almost as durable as steel. The tuners are excellent. 9, if indeed carbon fiber is as durable and stable as we’re told.
Customer Support
I cannot comment with authority, except to say the company is American and is building the instruments at their home facility. I assume they must be available and responsive to their customers.
Sound – 3.5
Preface: The traveling Clara came with enough sets of strings for each player to restring the instrument, which I did as soon as it arrived. (I didn’t like the Pro Arte J92 strings that came with it. Tension too high for my taste, but will not hold that against the ukulele)
I have read much about the Clara having very long sustain, but that’s not at all what I experienced. Each note has a loud, full, initial sound that stops almost immediately. I describe this sound as almost a “thump” on the instrument combined with a banjo-like “boing”. Once this initial sound has decayed, the remaining sound is like a very small ukulele sound and does continue for some amount of time. But, it decays completely as quickly as a typical ukulele, not as well as any of my concerts. Then add to this the A string being exaggerated in these regards. It sounded like a banjo string (and yes, I had a set of the same D'Addario strings and replaced it to no avail or benefit). The ukulele sounds like a plastic ukulele. No two ways about it. Here’s where I cannot use facts but must give my opinion. I found the sound most disappointing. The intonation is (as the action) as good as any I have ever played, i.e.: the relationships between the notes of the scale are consistently excellent, and up the neck octaves line up perfectly. It’s amazing. So, it sounds like a very good plastic instrument. I listened to the video clip on Blackbird’s site to verify what I was hearing. Yes, it’s the same. “Boing”, very quick initial decay, followed by not much sound, and fair sustain at best. The Clara gets a 3.5 for sound. Please, keep in mind this is my opinion. Be advised also that in my opinion, the further from a banjo-like sound the better. Sorry you banjo players, not my thing.
Overall Rating - Complicated
I like the Clara very much. In my opinion, it is among the best made ukuleles available. It is very clear to me the Blackbird people know what they’re doing and do it as well as anyone. Under the very closest scrutiny, the instrument is nearly perfect. But, I have to give it two overall ratings. The main one is a 7.25. The other is what I’ll call a “Value” rating. The Blackbird Clara lists for $1,150 on their web site. This is a price I have happily paid for ukuleles. But, those are performance instruments. You could say the Clara is as good as any of them, but I would not want to play one in performance. The sound is not performance quality. We have available to us other ukuleles made of alternate materials that are great for strumming, general playing, and the love of ukulele music. But for $1,150, I want an instrument that can play a nice legato line and one that I can use to accompany another musician beautifully. The Clara doesn't give me that. I can’t figure out the Clara’s niche. It’s too expensive to be simply a practice instrument. And it’s surely far too fine an instrument to be relegated to practice only. And although it would hold up to extensive travel and use/abuse, it does not fit my expectations for performance. Value rating for me is no better than a 1. So, each must decide. If it fills your personal needs, the Blackbird Clara’s a 7.25, if not, it’s surely much lower. If you like the sound, maybe it’s a 9. In fact, if you must have a very high quality instrument for practice only, it may be a "must-have" for you. I recommend playing one before you buy.
I was even more fortunate to get the Clara for another week after Blackbird restrung it with their preferred strings and did whatever set-up ajustments they felt necessary. (I thought the set up was great as it was) Upon re-review, I've made changes to this review. You will find them here: http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...-re-review-Now-I-get-it&p=1580163#post1580163
Features – 7
Carbon fiber/”Ekoa” materials, pineapple shape concert body, offset soundhole, 12 frets to the body, 17 total frets, matte finish, tie bridge, Gotoh tuning machines. All very nice. I would need a few weeks to get used to the smooth round back. It slips and slides around as you play. But, that’s a small thing, in fact nothing at all if one uses a strap. I give the features a 7.
Action - 10
Let’s start here, because this is where the Clara ukulele really shines. I have a Koaloha, have owned a Mya Moe (#290), have owned three Kanile’as, played two Moore Bettuhs, played three Ko’Olaus, several Boat Paddles, and dozens of Kamakas, all superb instruments in their own rights. The very best fret work I have ever seen is on the Blackbird Clara. The neck is absolutely perfect, perhaps because these materials make precision easier than wood might. The neck is C shaped, not too thin, and not at all thick. Weight is great. The fret board is smooth as glass (of course).
The frets are beautifully level, with a perfect amount of relief. The frets are as smooth as silk, fret ends are almost unbelievable. Each end is a perfect mirror image of the others. Never seen anything like it. (Photo) I like very much that, even with a standard 1 3/8" nut, there's about 1/8" between the outside string and the edge of the fretboard. And still the strings are not too close together. Just right for me.
Action is not the lowest I’ve played but is low and very nice. This instrument plays as well as or better than any ukulele in my experience. One thing I didn’t like (and the folks at Blackbird might want to address) is the headstock. They’ve made it a bit small, which doesn’t bother me. But the G and A tuners are at least a half an inch closer to the nut than on any of my concert ukuleles. This was a problem for me. I had the instrument for six days, played it for about three hours a day (practicing for a Bach festival), and never stopped running into the A tuner with my knuckle, (and I play only concerts). This may be just me, so in light of the magnificent workmanship on the neck and frets, Clara still gets a 10 for Action. (I don’t believe in perfect scores, but it’s that good)
Fit and Finish – 5
I separated this from action because the action was so good. Fit is very good. Edges are nice and smooth. How could you go wrong with plastic in a mold? I like the look of the “Ekoa”. The lines in the material look like machine-made flame grain. Like a mix of high-tech and high-end old-school. But the finish (although there is no finish) is odd. Although the rounded back is smooth and beautiful, the top looks like a wood top that has been left in the sun for a month or two. It feels dried out and rough, like 300 grit sandpaper. How can this be with no wood or finish? It even appears to have light lines going with the grain that mirror nitrocellulose lacquer finish failure!(?) I give it a 5 for fit and finish. Post script - I originally gave it a 3.5, but after further reflection, decided to raise it 1.5 points because the top imperfections might be deterioration due to age or exposure. This is after all, a loner, not a brand new instrument. (But, deterioration of a carbon fiber type material? Shouldn't be.)
Reliability/Durability - 9
Again how can you go wrong? The materials are light, solid, and almost as durable as steel. The tuners are excellent. 9, if indeed carbon fiber is as durable and stable as we’re told.
Customer Support
I cannot comment with authority, except to say the company is American and is building the instruments at their home facility. I assume they must be available and responsive to their customers.
Sound – 3.5
Preface: The traveling Clara came with enough sets of strings for each player to restring the instrument, which I did as soon as it arrived. (I didn’t like the Pro Arte J92 strings that came with it. Tension too high for my taste, but will not hold that against the ukulele)
I have read much about the Clara having very long sustain, but that’s not at all what I experienced. Each note has a loud, full, initial sound that stops almost immediately. I describe this sound as almost a “thump” on the instrument combined with a banjo-like “boing”. Once this initial sound has decayed, the remaining sound is like a very small ukulele sound and does continue for some amount of time. But, it decays completely as quickly as a typical ukulele, not as well as any of my concerts. Then add to this the A string being exaggerated in these regards. It sounded like a banjo string (and yes, I had a set of the same D'Addario strings and replaced it to no avail or benefit). The ukulele sounds like a plastic ukulele. No two ways about it. Here’s where I cannot use facts but must give my opinion. I found the sound most disappointing. The intonation is (as the action) as good as any I have ever played, i.e.: the relationships between the notes of the scale are consistently excellent, and up the neck octaves line up perfectly. It’s amazing. So, it sounds like a very good plastic instrument. I listened to the video clip on Blackbird’s site to verify what I was hearing. Yes, it’s the same. “Boing”, very quick initial decay, followed by not much sound, and fair sustain at best. The Clara gets a 3.5 for sound. Please, keep in mind this is my opinion. Be advised also that in my opinion, the further from a banjo-like sound the better. Sorry you banjo players, not my thing.
Overall Rating - Complicated
I like the Clara very much. In my opinion, it is among the best made ukuleles available. It is very clear to me the Blackbird people know what they’re doing and do it as well as anyone. Under the very closest scrutiny, the instrument is nearly perfect. But, I have to give it two overall ratings. The main one is a 7.25. The other is what I’ll call a “Value” rating. The Blackbird Clara lists for $1,150 on their web site. This is a price I have happily paid for ukuleles. But, those are performance instruments. You could say the Clara is as good as any of them, but I would not want to play one in performance. The sound is not performance quality. We have available to us other ukuleles made of alternate materials that are great for strumming, general playing, and the love of ukulele music. But for $1,150, I want an instrument that can play a nice legato line and one that I can use to accompany another musician beautifully. The Clara doesn't give me that. I can’t figure out the Clara’s niche. It’s too expensive to be simply a practice instrument. And it’s surely far too fine an instrument to be relegated to practice only. And although it would hold up to extensive travel and use/abuse, it does not fit my expectations for performance. Value rating for me is no better than a 1. So, each must decide. If it fills your personal needs, the Blackbird Clara’s a 7.25, if not, it’s surely much lower. If you like the sound, maybe it’s a 9. In fact, if you must have a very high quality instrument for practice only, it may be a "must-have" for you. I recommend playing one before you buy.
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