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Cocobolo


Owen
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I think cocobolo is lush. I see it on basses around here. It seems to be used as a facing a lot. I really like solid wood and being able to follow grain around a shape. That is one of my "things". Is it silly heavy or could a body be made of a soild piece of it? If it is heavy the body could be really thin. Which would also be nice :)

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I really love cocobolo too - the variation is extraordinary and the grain patterns can be stunning (there's incredible depth to it too when it's properly finished). One big disadvantage is weight - cocobolo is extremely heavy. Another is cost (as Crazykiwi suggests) - a really good, highly figured piece is going to be very expensive. If you're serious about a solid cocobolo body, I'd go for a very small body shape with extensive chambering (also think about balance and the dimensions of the top horn). A conversation with some of the UK's many superb luthiers is probably a good idea (and please post pictures if you decide to go for a build!)

(edited for spelling)

Edited by lozbass
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Of course there is alway snakewood:

It's the world's most expensive timber, if you have to ask how much , you can't afford it.
IMO the most beautiful timber is our native blackthorn,the heart wood is all the colours of the rainbow, gnarly and gorgeous. It's not comercialy available and comes from tiny little trees (you'd have to make a bass boby with at about 4 or 5 sections)

Edited by Dom in Somerset
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you might want to go check out the alembic forum, as all the guys seem to have a ridiculous amount of knowledge about the properties of different woods. they use cocobolo in quite alot of their basses it seems, although I think it's all wood they've had for 20 or so years. In fact they've even made an EUB with a cocobolo front.

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[quote name='Dom in Somerset' post='532319' date='Jul 4 2009, 10:00 AM']IMO the most beautiful timber is our native blackthorn,the heart wood is all the colours of the rainbow, gnarly and gorgeous.[/quote]

Sounds cool. Is it somewhere near the Rainbow Diamondwood fingerboard of this fretless Roscoe?





Until last week I had never seen anything like it. It was posted on leftybassist.com by a guy who owns this and a fretted Roscoe LG3005 in trans white.

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If you really want to use it, I'd suggest a sandwhich, with something lighter and more " resonant" like alder or cherry in the middle, with thin faces on the front and back.

Bubinga is heavy enough..no need to go any heavier

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[quote name='wombatboter' post='532351' date='Jul 4 2009, 11:41 AM']Sounds cool. Is it somewhere near the Rainbow Diamondwood fingerboard of this fretless Roscoe?





Until last week I had never seen anything like it. It was posted on leftybassist.com by a guy who owns this and a fretted Roscoe LG3005 in trans white.[/quote]
Noi , nothing like that! I am exagerating, it's much smaller scale, the more you stare at it the more colours you find, mostly reds yellow, purples.
If I get the chance I'll post a pic in a few days.

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Hmmm............. food for thought. Thanks

Chambering - then I would lose the run of solid wood.

Sandwhich - then I would lose the run of solid wood.

I suppose I could do a sort of Status Streamline vibe.

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[quote name='owen' post='532403' date='Jul 4 2009, 01:54 PM']Chambering - then I would lose the run of solid wood.
Sandwhich - then I would lose the run of solid wood.[/quote]

Not necessarily, when both layers of cocobolo are of the same piece of wood or, in the case of the chambering, if the piece of cocobolo was cut in half, then hollowed out, and joined together again :)

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[quote name='LeftyJ' post='532450' date='Jul 4 2009, 02:24 PM']Not necessarily, when both layers of cocobolo are of the same piece of wood or, in the case of the chambering, if the piece of cocobolo was cut in half, then hollowed out, and joined together again :)[/quote]

Devious stuff!

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When I'm at Overwater I usually try a few of the basses out - as you do. Without fail the the ones with cocobolo tops sound great. If I was getting a bass made I'd definitely have that as the top. I tried this one - and whilst it was a bit bling for me it sounded and played brilliantly.

[url="http://www.overwaterbasses.com/pro00004.htm"]http://www.overwaterbasses.com/pro00004.htm[/url]

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[quote name='bythesea' post='532533' date='Jul 4 2009, 05:18 PM']And [url="http://www.overwaterbasses.com/per00013.htm"]this[/url] is mine - it was the look that first caught my eye, but it does sound wonderful as well.[/quote]

I had to not look at that thread until it was gone. I was sorely tempted. You know where to come when you want to shift it!

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[quote name='owen' post='532505' date='Jul 4 2009, 04:32 PM']Devious stuff![/quote]

The Warwick Infinity SNs are made this way. It gives them a barely discernable join that only the player can see if they look down whilst playing.

Edit- For Infinites being Zebrano rather than Cocobolo. Zebrano sounds and looks good, though;

Edited by Lfalex v1.1
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[quote name='molan' post='532677' date='Jul 4 2009, 10:34 PM']I used to own the fretted one of this pair (as well as the Overwater above)

One of those I really should have hung on to![/quote]

You are the cocobolo king!

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