Part 2
Now, with all that out of the way, let’s talk about the guitar.
The guitar comes in what is seemingly a pretty nice and sturdy 4 buckle, lockable, hardshell case, with a crushed blue velvet like material on the inside. Contents of the case compartment included: MiSi pickup charging cable, Blackbird pick, Blackbird product line brochure, keys for the case, Blackbird sticker, and the Certificate of Authenticity. There is a brief blurb I think on the back of the COA on “Care for your new Blackbird El Capitan” in which they suggest using a polishing cloth to keep your instrument looking sharp. I let Joe know I think there is a marketing opportunity to include a Blackbird branded polishing cloth in the compartment. Indeed, there was a recent thread about items which could or should be included with every new guitar. I think manufacturers could strike up some deals with folks who make some of these common products and include them with their premium instruments. Things like a branded polishing cloth, a Snapz pin puller, etc. I’m sure if purchased via bulk agreements, the cost would not be that great, but there are a lot of questions that go along with this whole concept which when considered, doesn’t make this a slam-dunk. Those are best discussed in another thread. Additionally, something I just noticed as I was preparing this NGD was that although the charger for the MiSi pickup was included, there were no instructions. This can be easily remedied (I haven’t checked yet) by obtaining instructions from the web I assume; however, I do think they probably should be included. Although I have no real plans to play amplified, since I knew this guitar would be a “lifer”, I opted to have the MiSi pickup installed at the shop, rather than at some time in the future if I ever did need it. I will get that charged up and plug into my Fender Bassbreaker amp and update this post when I can. Lastly, the case will really only be used for taking the instrument to another location because my whole purpose in purchasing this instrument was to leave it out year round in my poorly humidity controlled home. Interestingly enough, just today we hit 26 degrees F here in Chicago. Just for grins, I’m going to go to the hardware store today and pick up a Hygrometer. Typically, in our home, it’s very humid in the summer and very dry in the winter. We must use portable humidifiers and dehumidifiers based on the season. Actually, we still have our dehumidifiers out (haven’t swapped them out yet for the humidifiers), so I just turned one on and it’s showing 30% RH. But it may be even lower than that, because when I turned the other one on in a different room it also said 30%, which is suspicious to me as there was always a difference between rooms. I think that may be as low as the dehumidifier goes. Good thing I have an El Capitan!
When I saw the guitar for the first time, the thing that immediately stood out were the Abalone fret markers. They simply look friggin’ unbelievable. The composite fingerboard that Blackbird uses for the El Capitan is a very polished jet black with stainless steel frets, and the Abalone inlay work is impeccable. Joe told me that because of the way they finish the fretboard, I believe the fret markers also end up getting polished. I will also say that I’ve been to one of the largest shops in Chicago recently and had a chance to look at a few guitars that Abalone fret markers (I think 2, one was a Gibson), and NONE looked like this. I’m not sure where Joe sent this out to or where they got their Abalone from, but in my mind this is AAA. The rich blackness of the highly polished frets makes the Abalone stand out even more for a truly stunning look. I know I’m gushing about this probably more than I should, but when I walk into the office/guitar room in my home which is dimly lit and the light catches those Abalone markers and they glow a soft iridescent blue, it simply beckons “Come play me!”. It’s true! And sometimes when I’m playing, depending on the lighting, a soft blue-green glow is reflecting on my fingers. Coolest thing ever. As a matter of fact, I think it’s so cool that it actually improves the tone……ROTFLMAO. The funny thing is that I kept pressing Joe about using the Abalone which initially was a no-go; eventually it paid off when he said they could do it. Wow…so glad that worked out, as this is IMHO one of the stand out aesthetic features of the instrument. UPDATE FROM JOE: Joe did provide this info regarding the inlay process:
“Regarding the inlay, its actually complicated of course and would probably be considered in-house production with some outsourcing. I created the CAD for the inlay for the fretboard and inlay pieces. Paul programs and machined the fretboard inlay cavities and glued in the abalone we received from the automated inlay facility- Gurian. They are a super high quality shop and that shows in the beautiful abalone selected as well as their precision work. BTW that name holds for the next couple months after which founder and 'golden age' lutherie god-father Michael Gurian will retire and section off the company to his employees under their individual names/companies.”
Other aesthetic features on my El Capitan included their deluxe rosette, which is a herringbone pattern, and the gold Gotoh side address tuners. Additionally, Joe contacted me as the build was almost complete and asked if I wanted to have the pickguard put on. One of the options is for a double pickguard, which I did not opt for. Joe had asked if I wanted a pickguard at all. My first impression was to have him put the pickguard on, but after a few conversations with Joe, he said he could ship the pickguard with the guitar and I could always put it on later if I wanted it. I’ve not put it on yet, and don’t think I will unless I see that perhaps the finish is getting mucked up.
This is another factor to consider for this guitar. I happen to think it looks really cool. But, this is not a wood guitar. You will not have the crazy beautiful patterns present in real wood that we see on some of the stunning examples I see on this forum every day. I do think there is a certain manufactured beauty in this guitar, and certainly the soundboard is very cool looking. If you look closely, you can see the Ekoa fibers in the material. In these photos, I think if you haven’t seen the video link I posted above yet, you probably should to better understand the patterns that are observed on the body of this guitar. In my eyes, she is beautiful in her own way.
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