First Reactions: NGD Blackbird El Capitan

From what I've seen and heard, every maker has some headaches. Some of those can be migraines. Fortunately, so far, it appears every maker has done a good job of taking care of problems.

[Dbone]

There’s always a risk buying used. This story, and numerous other nightmare stories I’ve read on AGF, reminds me why I buy new only.

I like the theories a few people had in this thread that it may be a fake, or that extreme conditions may have been presented to the guitar prior to his receiving it 2nd hand...

I don’t know anything about this E-Koa stuff, but what is the point of this product if it is not absolutely stable/impervious like CF?!?! Why would someone just not buy a high quality wood guitar for the price they charge for these E-Koa guitars? I must be missing something here. CF I get, but these things strike me weird...

[Strumalot]

If you would like some real world data on eKoa...

I bought a Savoy in 2017.

Since then it's been hanging in an area that is essentially outside. Temps (F) have ranged from low single digits to about 115. Humidity has ranged from dessert dry to uncomfortably high ~ last year was especially "drippy" ~ and changes in temp/humidity can be rapid.

The guitar is fine, I play it frequently, and it's my favorite of all the nylons I've had (X10N, NP12, and various wooden ones).

Maybe the larger sized El Capitan makes a difference in durability, but I suspect if it did, they would no longer be in production.

Strumalot;

The Savoy is not made as nylon string guitar and my various experiments of using nylon on steel string instruments has not been encouraging. Your experiment seems to be working. I've seen/heard your play and you give me second thoughts.

Are you happy with the narrower nut width?

Have you compared the Savoy with a Ramirez or similar high quality nylon string guitar?

I like that the Savoy is working for you and appreciate that you've had two years to make your judgment.

[jluttwak]

Joe Luttwak here, founder of Blackbird. I usually am focused on Ekoa research, development and manufacturing, but I thought it would be good to clarify our policies.

A bit of El Capitan guitar history
We first shipped, El Capitan a little less than five years ago. It was the first guitar ever made of natural fiber composites, with no added finish, uni-body, hollow neck and a familiar woody sound. It was stable enough for conventional guitar users, but not folks who wanted more durability that composites promise. So over the last few years, we learned a great deal how to make Ekoa guitars for more extreme environments. El Capitan, which remains a limited production, as well as Savoy, have revised designs for the bracing, finishes and soundboard construction as of 2018.

El Capitan support
We offer the changes and upgrades we’ve to these guitars to our clients under warranty and extend to used instruments at cost (or close). It is necessary to charge for service given our overhead, no less because we’re making instruments in the US. Incidentally all our Ekoa instruments including ukuleles are mature in their design now and we feel very pleased with tone as well as adventure readiness.

Ekoa Outlook
Lately I've been consumed with scaling up Ekoa, our 'wood without trees', for consumer applications like musical instruments as well as architecture and design applications. It takes time to launch a new idea like this—instruments made of high performance, rapidly renewable plants. Thanks for the support all these years!

[Tøf]

Thanks Joe! Always good to get info from the founder himself

[jdinco]

So, if I read that right, there were problems before 2018....

[Strumalot]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Are you happy with the narrower nut width?

Have you compared the Savoy with a Ramirez or similar high quality nylon string guitar?

I have not compared the Savoy directly to a high end classical, but tonally, it is more in that direction that the other CFs.

The X10N in comparison has greater clarity, and perhaps a more modern digital sound, while the Savoy is more warm and fuzzy... like the good old analog tape saturation recording days (almost like a light distortion if you play it hard).

My primary guitars are a Strat and a narrow neck GX which match up perfectly as an electric/acoustic set. Although I would prefer the neck on the Savoy to be a little thinner, it fits in well with that mix.

Strumalot;

Thanks for the response. I like the terminology "electric/acoustic set." That's sort of what I'm shooting for in one instrument. I'm finding that my electric/acoustic thin bodied X7 covers both bases surprisingly well, well enough to have ordered a 10 slim. The Strat/GX is a pretty sweet combo.