Does anybody have a Blackbird Carbon tenor uke?

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LoMa

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Anybody have a carbon fiber Blackbird tenor uke?

Whadja think of it? Setup and palaybility? Sustain?

How "natural" does it sound?

I have a Carbon Acoustics Cargo steel string travel guitar which I LOVE! Great for traveling and I don't have to worry much if it's in the car for 20 minutes or some such. I really love the tone and balance of thisshort-scale guitar. I'm hoping for something similar with the Blackbird uke...
 
only a very few have actually been made for sale The first run didn't materialize due to a parts shortage problem I was supposed have twqo in may but now the first real production run will occur in August
 
LoMa said:
Anybody have a carbon fiber Blackbird tenor uke?

Whadja think of it? Setup and palaybility? Sustain?

How "natural" does it sound?

I have a Carbon Acoustics Cargo steel string travel guitar which I LOVE! Great for traveling and I don't have to worry much if it's in the car for 20 minutes or some such. I really love the tone and balance of thisshort-scale guitar. I'm hoping for something similar with the Blackbird uke...
Click to expand...

there was only going to be about 12 made. I know that JoeUke made a deposit on one a while back and mike (ukerepublic) told me they were delayed in production.
 
MGM said:
only a very few have actually been made for sale The first run didn't materialize due to a parts shortage problem I was supposed have twqo in may but now the first real production run will occur in August
Click to expand...

and this is why I should read a thread before posting. Thanks for the quick response Mike.
 
The JumpingFlea here played one, you can msg him to ask him how it was..
 
I still worry when I leave my Rainsong OM1000 in the car for relatively long periods of time since I know that the top is held on by glue. IDK if that is the case for Carbon Acoustics though. But I would love to own a CF uke one day. But I too would like to see a video clip comparison against a Kamaka or another well known brand first to compare tone and sound.
 
I've got one, and I'm really pleased with it.

First off, it looks cool. That's always a plus in my book. The placement of the sound holes may seem odd, but I got familiar with the appearance real quickly. There's a logic to it.

It feels good to hold. I was worried when I ordered it that it would have a bowl-shaped back like an Ovation or a round back mandolin, but instead it's nicely ergonomically shaped. The instrument is easy to keep a hold on, well balanced.

It's a pleasure to play. The fingerboard feels Just Right, in the way only a few instruments have for me; my fingers glide very comfortably up and down and across. The action is fast and snappy. Intonation is excellent.

The sound is quite pleasing. I've already performed with it at a sidewalk show, next to a banjo; it held its own, even when we were both doing rolls on the same notes. (I love surprising banjo players with that.) It doesn't sound like plastic in any way. It doesn't have exactly the same sort of resonance as a wooden instrument, but it's a good sound.

Because I sometimes gig amplified, I got the Fishman electronics, making the instrument less attractive as a boat paddle or a personal flotation device. Played through a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI, it sounds like a ukulele, which I guess is the whole idea. And the setup is devoid of what my own personal demon when amplifying a uke: there's no ridiculously loud C string. I've not had a chance to try it in amplified performance, though I expect it will pass with flying colors.
 
Thanks for the good info!!! If you're inclined to make a video or sound clip. bring it on!

jpgordon said:
I've got one, and I'm really pleased with it.

First off, it looks cool. That's always a plus in my book. The placement of the sound holes may seem odd, but I got familiar with the appearance real quickly. There's a logic to it.

It feels good to hold. I was worried when I ordered it that it would have a bowl-shaped back like an Ovation or a round back mandolin, but instead it's nicely ergonomically shaped. The instrument is easy to keep a hold on, well balanced.

It's a pleasure to play. The fingerboard feels Just Right, in the way only a few instruments have for me; my fingers glide very comfortably up and down and across. The action is fast and snappy. Intonation is excellent.

The sound is quite pleasing. I've already performed with it at a sidewalk show, next to a banjo; it held its own, even when we were both doing rolls on the same notes. (I love surprising banjo players with that.) It doesn't sound like plastic in any way. It doesn't have exactly the same sort of resonance as a wooden instrument, but it's a good sound.

Because I sometimes gig amplified, I got the Fishman electronics, making the instrument less attractive as a boat paddle or a personal flotation device. Played through a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI, it sounds like a ukulele, which I guess is the whole idea. And the setup is devoid of what my own personal demon when amplifying a uke: there's no ridiculously loud C string. I've not had a chance to try it in amplified performance, though I expect it will pass with flying colors.
Click to expand...
 
No, I do not have one but I am using the picture of it to make one out of wood! I am one of these guys with plenty of time and no money, so experimenting with such a project interests me.
I decided to to do this when i had the opportunity to play their CF guitar and i was mightily impressed with it. Good sound, nice driving voice, I though i would give it a go. I think the frets and machine heads are the most expensive. The rest is 3 ply and DIY timbers (oh, I did sneak in a rosewood fingerboard! left overs.....)
The body is almost finished so fretting tomorrow all being well.
 
Uke Republic said:
Oriolo will also be making a composite(I think graphite?) concert and soprano scheduled for late fall/early winter.
Click to expand...

Oriolo?

Never heard of them... I'm gonna look them up!

I've played carbon guitars before and honestly only liked one of them - the Carbon Acoustics Cargo travel guitar. I also like their OX - very sad that they've gone out of business.
I really don;t like Rainsong guitars - they have a very different sort of sonic sginature that really doesn;t appeal - just doesn;t sound like a guitar.
I've never played a Blackbird but hope it's more on the Carbon Acoustics' track of a more natural sounding signature...

Never played a graphite insturment before though so don;t know what that would be like.

Thank you for the new name to investigate.
 
Today's progress! Fretted the board. Painted the bottom and sides. I am making it as I really think it should be a loud tenor. I stuck in some fan like bracing, all pointing to the sound hole.... very scientific. !!!!

Oh dear, I know why i have not put this on the luthiers post as fret number 15 gave me terrible trouble! I ended up using a different fret and gluing it in with instant glue! They would throw me out of their list for sure!. I figured that i would not be playing the 15th fret very often if at all. The body looks OK in black and i will spray the top tomorrow all being well ( Fiddly bits spray cans) --- shopping with my wife takes time out of important things! Also while I have the fret kit out I will fret up an Appalachian Dulcimer i made last year!

Now to the Australian blackwood. I actually have some and will turn a knob thingy from it to hold the tail piece which will anchor the strings.

Here is the link to Photobucket. ( I have not really worked out how to post pics on the thread. :( ) http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/Brido2/CF Uke wooden copy/
 
LoMa said:
Oriolo?

Never heard of them... I'm gonna look them up!

I've played carbon guitars before and honestly only liked one of them - the Carbon Acoustics Cargo travel guitar. I also like their OX - very sad that they've gone out of business.
I really don;t like Rainsong guitars - they have a very different sort of sonic sginature that really doesn;t appeal - just doesn;t sound like a guitar.
I've never played a Blackbird but hope it's more on the Carbon Acoustics' track of a more natural sounding signature...

Never played a graphite insturment before though so don;t know what that would be like.

Thank you for the new name to investigate.
Click to expand...

I'll be selling a green cargo and a blue cargo both with electronics in a few weeks. I like em, but I only play uke now-a-days.

Great guitars, I kept going smaller and smaller until I switched to uke. They were a great transition.
 
The CA Cargo's are great travel size guitars with a scale length that's about the same as a baritone uke. Mind you though, these have a 1-3/4" nut and a wide string spread at the saddle, so can be a bit tough for a full barre chord as you go up the fretboard if you're used to a uke.

Seriously, I got ride of my full size and parlour size steel string guitars when I got the Cargo. The Cargo blew my Larrivee palror guitar out of the water, for example.

I'd also be interested in getting a formica Little Martin LXM or LX-1 - it's got a shorter nut and a much smaller string spread at the saddle. There are some things I'd play on it rather than the Cargo I think. The sound signature is quite different too between the carbon Cargo and the formica Martin... the Little Martin's can be a bit muddy and have a tight bass response, but I still kinda like them - they're mellow in a cool way. The Cargo's are very articulate and are not at all muddy, yet they have a very satisfying deep bass.

That's my take on steel string travel guitars.

iDavid said:
I'll be selling a green cargo and a blue cargo both with electronics in a few weeks. I like em, but I only play uke now-a-days.

Great guitars, I kept going smaller and smaller until I switched to uke. They were a great transition.
Click to expand...
 
Well, i have finished the wooden copy of the Carbon Fiber Uke. If you recall I wanted a uke that sounded like a uke but had more volume and beat in the strum. IMHO this design works. It is certainly louder, the sustain is good but fades quickly. I can get a good jazz beat to the chords and the attack is great. It does not have the sweet sound of other tenor ukes I have played, but it is business like. I am a chord player so I have not commented on the solo string sound, which is OK by me.
For those of you who want to hear it... pop around... as I am a poor player and dare not make a video for fear of being "shunned" ! :)

It was good fun. I love experimenting. I am thinking that next i will go the complete opposite and create a Vihuela type ukulele. ( I really want to try and create a vellum rose!)

Here is the photo-bucket link for the pictures./ http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/Brido2/CF Uke wooden copy/
 
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