Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi Folks!

For your viewing pleasure, I have just published a profile on Cocobolo as part of my ongoing tonewood database. As always, improvements, corrections and additional information/ your own experiences are much appreciated- I'll update the profile citing you and linking back to you! This may be a little contentious and but no means complete.

I can't link pics directly to here so do pop by to http://guitarbench.com/index.php/2008/10/21/cocobolo-tonewood-database-draft/
for the full Visual presentation. As always, I present the text portion of the interview for your consideration- although I do highly recommend popping by to see the pics!

Warmest regards,
Terence
http://www.guitarbench.com

Dalbergia Retusa| Tonewood Profile | ”Cocobolo”

Tonewoods Database

Quick Facts
Scientific name: Dalbergia retusa
Trade names: Cocobolo
Janka: 1136
Uses: Backs, veneer
RIYL: Rosewoods
Bling factor: Can have some figure
Availability: Steady
CITES status: Not listed. No restrictions

Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like
Bling factor rated out of a maximum of 10, based on the most highly figured sets we have seen.

Natural History

Dalbergia retusa is the most common rosewood sold as Cocobolo. It ranges in the drier elevations of Central America, from Panama to southwestern Mexico. It is a small to medium tree with heights of 45 to 60 feet (13 to 18 m) and trunk diameters of 20 to 24 inches (50 to 60 cm).

Status

Populations of Cocobolo have been reduced through logging although populations are protected in reserves and parks.

Physical properties

Cocobolo has variable heartwood coloration from bright orange to dark brown and purple. Oxidation darkens the lighter colors and merges them with the darker which can produce a deep red with irregular markings of purple or black..

The heartwood is straight grained, occasionally interlocked and very fine, oily texture. It has a Janka of 1136 lbf and a specific gravity of 1.0.

As a tonewood…

Cocobolo is a common option in most luthier’s lists, with it’s own beauty and tone. The density and it’s ability to take a fine finish.

Chris Bozung is a big fan ans writes:”Cocobolo is probably closer in tone, color and figure to the finest-grade Brazilian Rosewood used on the classic guitars of yesteryear than any tone wood available today, and for far less money than the inferior-quality Brazilian currently available. Cocobolo offers everything Brazilian Rosewood offers, and more: increased power, increased sustain, increased volume, along with beauty of color and figure not available in Brazilian Rosewood for years. “

Subjective tone…

Cocobolo back and sides characteristically have an abundace of low overtones resulting in a complex bottom end and strong upper register. The overall effect is also a bell like tone with clear, slow decaying harmonics.

Availability

Steady. Several sources apparently managed sustainably.


Links/ References:
Wikipedia
Woodworker’s Source
Chris Bozung
John Kinnaird
Goodacoustics

©2008 Terence Tan.

Pictures copyright individual holders.

Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly.

You should add that it can be difficult to glue, and the sanding dust can be nasty. Surface preparation seems to be the key to successful gluing, dust exposure may cause severe allergy reactions . On the availability issue, there has been talk that it might become more difficult to obtain in the not-too-distant future.

_________________
Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Those who keep claiming that good Brazilian is no longer available have a bad case of sour grape syndrome. What they should say is that THEY don't have any good Brazilian.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

A lot of opinion and generalization there.... and it's really only valid to the person who makes the claims. Cocobolo better than Brazilian? Personally, I don't think so, but it depends on the indivual piece. It's great wood, but let's not elevate to that stature yet. It's also not very easy to find it in perfectly straight grain, like one once could readily get Brazilian RW.

And this Cocobolo, where is it from? Mexico? Panama? Nicargua? It's different based on where it comes from. But then we can say the same about Brazilian RW.
The Mexican stuff tends to be more dark red/brown than the stuff from Nicaragua and Panama, which lean more heavily toward the orange & yellow spectrums.

You really should make serious mention that it is a sensitizer too...and talk about how it works with hand tools, how it sands, etc.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Good points all,

I'm just trying to get hold a few papers on the sensitising nature of cocobolo- there was quite a big study a little while ago.

"Those who keep claiming that good Brazilian is no longer available have a bad case of sour grape syndrome. What they should say is that THEY don't have any good Brazilian."

That's the truth Howard. There is good Brazilian out there, but ya gotta pay up for it and most of us who have it generally tend to keep hold of what we have anyway.

Certainly regional differences do play a major factor- my inclination is this is more due to climatic and soil conditions- does anyone know.

Terence
www.guitarbench.com