A WOOD GUITAR can be a fickle thing. Oh sure, the best of them sing with tone to die for. But let it get too hot or too cold, or too humid or too dry, and that beautiful voice can change. Alternative materials like carbon fiber skirt these issues, but lack the traditional aesthetic of a hardwood guitar.
El Capitan, the new six-string from Blackbird Guitars, provides the look, sound, and beauty of a hardwood instrument without the fuss or ecological concerns. It’s made of Ekoa, a proprietary composite of flax linen and bio-resin made from industrial waste. The company claims the material is lighter than carbon fiber and stiffer than Sitka spruce, the preferred material for the best soundboards. “We like to say it’s old-growth wood without the worry,” says founder Joe Luttwak.
