Granted, the Blackbird Rider doesn’t look anything like your usual rock n’ roll axe. Designed to let you keep an instrument close by during travel, however, its convenient size and weight makes no compromises in the quality of sound you can coax out of its sleek black body.
Weak sound has always been a longstanding problem for travel guitars, making them a less than palatable option for those who are a bit more serious about their music. This acoustic six-stringer solves that dilemma by extending the shoulder to the 10th fret (to increase the volume of the sound box), carving an asymmetrical hole in the corner (which boosts the effective size of the sound board), leaving the neck hollow and using continuous sheets for the body (as opposed to separate pieces of wood which absorbs sound vibrations, killing volume).
The Blackbird Rider is a 2/3-sized axe that weighs a light 2.75 lbs., making it an ideal instrument for taking along during trips. Made out of unibody carbon fiber, it’s as indestructible as a guitar could be, lending itself well to rugged outdoor settings where a guitar could save everyone from certain boredom.
Despite the size, you get a full 24.5-inch scale and 18 frets. It comes with a high-gloss polyurethane finish, with optional Fishman Matrix Infinity electronics and an included ballistic nylon carrying bag.
Big sound, small size and an indestructible body are impressive qualities for a travel guitar. Of course, impressive is usually synonymous with expensive, too. The Blackbird Rider is available now, priced at $1,600.