NUD - Blackbird Farallon Tenor

Well I gave in to my GAS (UAS?) and ordered a Blackbird Farallon Tenor from Gryphon Stringed Instruments a week ago. Unfortunately they called the next day to say that they had found a gouge in the top of the unit they had in stock while packing it for shipment so they couldn't send it. But they arranged with Blackbird to send me out a new replacement in just a couple of days if I could wait (which of course I could). It just arrived today! Darn impressive service by both Gryphon and Blackbird, especially since I thought I might have to wait 12 weeks for a new one.



There isn't much to say about these that hasn't already been mentioned. Mine is low G (which may take some getting used to after learning on a high G concert), and without electronics. It's every bit as lovely as everyone says it is. I have a couple of carbon fiber guitars, and the Ekoa material the Farallon is made with is really special, with a much warmer sound. And when my wife saw it she thought for sure it was made of wood, not composite. The setup was excellent, with perfect height at the nut, and 6/64" at the 12th fret for action.

About the only thing that disappoints is the Reunion Blues RBX gig bag. It's a nice bag to be sure, but something this dear really belongs in a hard case. Has anyone with a Farallon found a hard case of some type that fits it well? I was thinking perhaps the Crossrock ABS case? Or maybe the zippered version? Suggestions?

Congrats on your great new Uke.

Congratulations Besley.

Congratulations Besley. Welcome to the Farallon owners club. I love mine too. Sorry I can't answer your question about the hard case.

I own one. My suggestion is stick with the provided Reunion bag. In other words, I suggest you consider whether a hard case is required. Farallon's really don't need the protection provided by more expensive, or other, alternatives.

This looks just like a all solid wood uke. How does it sound ? It looks very nice and it is zero maintenance. According to Corey Fujimoto , it sounds just like a wood instrument.

good_uke_boy said:

I own one. My suggestion is stick with the provided Reunion bag. In other words, I suggest you consider whether a hard case is required. Farallon's really don't need the protection provided by more expensive, or other, alternatives.

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Thanks - I'll certainly start out that way, and I'm sure the Reunion bag will be all I need traveling to my local jams. Still.....Blackbird says on their website that: "The Ekoa double top soundboard can be broken via a major impact and you will want your instrument in its gig bag when bush-whacking as it is not scratch-proof." So I would worry about something falling on the instrument, even in the bag.

SoloRule said:

This looks just like a all solid wood uke. How does it sound ? It looks very nice and it is zero maintenance. According to Corey Fujimoto , it sounds just like a wood instrument.

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I'm not sure I would go so far as to say it sounds just like a fine all solid wood instrument, but it does sound remarkably warm, and much better than you might expect if you've ever heard a carbon fiber guitar (which while great, don't usually sound like wood).

Congratulations! Love both the Clara and Farallon.

I've always wondered how their BTU Carbon Fiber tenor sounds but there's not a lot of info on them. How would you compare EKoa to the Carbon Fiber? If EKoa is warmer, is Carbon Fiber harsher/ more metallic? Like a resonator?

besley said:

I'm not sure I would go so far as to say it sounds just like a fine all solid wood instrument, but it does sound remarkably warm, and much better than you might expect if you've ever heard a carbon fiber guitar (which while great, don't usually sound like wood).

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Congratulations!

As for cases, I'm a big fan of the Crossrock Hybrid cases; they are hard cases made out of (plastic-covered) aluminium.
Very lightweight, well-made, and at least as sturdy as a regular hard case.

igorthebarbarian said:

I've always wondered how their BTU Carbon Fiber tenor sounds but there's not a lot of info on them. How would you compare EKoa to the Carbon Fiber? If EKoa is warmer, is Carbon Fiber harsher/ more metallic? Like a resonator?

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I've played both. To my ears, the BTU has amazing note clarity, incredible sustain and can be great fingerstyle. I don't like them strummed. eKoa sounds good both fingerstyle or strummed and does has a more natural, wood-like tone.

very nice, congratulations! Is the nut and saddle ebony or black tusq?

I prefer the Crossrock case and carbon fiber tenor. Both are amazing to me

igorthebarbarian said:

I've always wondered how their BTU Carbon Fiber tenor sounds but there's not a lot of info on them. How would you compare EKoa to the Carbon Fiber? If EKoa is warmer, is Carbon Fiber harsher/ more metallic? Like a resonator?

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Carbon fiber isn't harsh, but it doesn't normally sound as full or as complex in overtones as wood, usually more bright too.

FinnP said:

very nice, congratulations! Is the nut and saddle ebony or black tusq?

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The bridge, fretboard, and saddle are made of Richlite, a paper based composite, while the nut is Graphtech. If you look inside you can see bracing that is made of carbon fiber, not Ekoa.

In another thread someone asked about the mounting of the upper strap pin, and whether it was reinforced. Well I had been looking at a Farallon in stock locally at Willie's American Guitars, but decided against it since I didn't want electronics. That particular instrument lacked an upper strap pin, and the guitar tech there recommended mounting a reinforcing block inside if I wanted them to add the extra pin. I was curious whether this was necessary, so I called Blackbird Guitars and spoke with Joe (the owner) who answered the phone. He surprisingly said that all they did was use a wood screw. Apparently Ekoa behaves more like wood, and is not brittle like carbon fiber or fiberglass composites that don't work well with screws.

Here is a photo showing what your Farallon will look like in a Crossrock ABS case:



It fits very well.

Congrats on your new baby! I hear nothing but good things about them. Uncle Elvis is particularly fond of his Blackbird Clara. And the "wood" is sustainable. I just don't know what kind of tree it comes from.






I'm kidding....

Nickie said:

Congrats on your new baby! I hear nothing but good things about them. Uncle Elvis is particularly fond of his Blackbird Clara. And the "wood" is sustainable. I just don't know what kind of tree it comes from.






I'm kidding....

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For a second you had me wondering as well. Lol.

Congratulations. I think their tone is fabulous.

Congratulations! They sound amazing.