[2] Blackbird is located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Northern California, and as of 2015, produces about 400 instruments per year[3] The company was founded in 2005 by Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolf in San Francisco with the intent of producing travel guitars with composite materials, which are more durable than wooden guitars.

In 2007, Blackbird released its first model, a carbon fiber steel string travel guitar called the Rider, which was the first all-hollow unibody instrument made of composite materials.

[5] In 2009, the company released a carbon fiber OM-sized steel string guitar called the Super Om.

[6] In 2013, the company released a concert size ukulele called The Clara, which was the first musical instrument built with Ekoa.

[7] Blackbird has received innovation awards in the composite design field for the Clara, having received recognition at The Composites And Advanced Material Expo (CAMX),[8] JEC Americas,[9] and Industrial Designers Society of America.