Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - Just curious....did anyone here buy this????

I really have a problem with the tonal qualities of Coco too. Not sure what the problem is, but seems like it either takes a very, very long time to break in, or doesn't work all that well with red spruce.

Laurent, how is the tap tone of coco in general? Glassy Brazilian-style or dull? You seem to be implying that the density alone can push the tone towards metallic or aggressive, not just the low damping. It is interesting because I heard other people saying Maccasar can give a "bright" treble, even if the stuff is clearly cardboard in tone.

That's not Cocobolo, it's Crackobolo.

Too much bling beyond this sort of back and side stock and a guitar can end up looking like, as my mother used to say, a circus elephant.

Ok, I'll be a contrarion, but by golly, I love the look of ALL that stuff, and would happily work with it.
Sets 944 and 811 would make me a happy man.

Someone--else--had to say it!

Steve

Author:	fingerstyle1978 [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:40 am ]
Post subject:	Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Stunning cocobolo

Author:	Heath Blair [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:59 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
dude, youre obsessed with hibdons figure so fine section! you need a twelve step program!

Author:	Kim [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:05 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
I know that coco is quite stable....but good luck to who ever is game enough to take that one on. Seems like we are starting to loose sight of exactly what the term 'figure' means when we are talking wood. I never really considered 'flatsawn' to qualify. Cheers Kim

Author:	DennisK [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:58 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Yeah, that one looked like too much flatsawn to me. I was really tempted by this one for $125 in the sale, but alas, there wasn't enough else to make it worth the shipping price. No idea why it didn't get snapped up, the chunk out of the corner on the sides would just get trimmed off anyway. So far my favorites of the figure so fine section were this one from the first batch, which I regret passing up for $250. Those sides are incredible, as well as the back. Still some flatsawn, but not too bad And I really like the Honduran rosewood up there right now, but it's way more expensive than I'd pay for it, so I'll just have to settle for looking at the picture And of course the mega-cloud set

Author:	Alexandru Marian [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:20 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
395$, ouch. Just to show how taste varies, I would not even want to take it for free Set 942, now that is something I'd grab in a heartbeat, if I wasn't afraid of using coco

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Author:	Haans [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 6:23 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Agree with Alexandru...wouldn't touch this stuff, and 942 either...don't like sapwood. I have one set of "beeswing" Coco left and just don't care to use it. Too toxic for me.

Author:	Haans [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 9:11 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Well...after seeing that photo Alexandru, maybe I'll use mine sometime. I really have a problem with the tonal qualities of Coco too. Not sure what the problem is, but seems like it either takes a very, very long time to break in, or doesn't work all that well with red spruce. To me it sounds good, but slightly "sterile" or just tight. I'm thinking it might be because it's so oily. Week long bath in acetone? I don't know, maybe it just needs German spruce...

Author:	Laurent Brondel [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Haans wrote: I really have a problem with the tonal qualities of Coco too. Not sure what the problem is, but seems like it either takes a very, very long time to break in, or doesn't work all that well with red spruce. IMO cocobolo can be very edgy tonally, and pairing it with a very stiff and hard red spruce top may add a bit too much to a good thing, borderline aggressive and lacking warmth and depth, but not bass. I generally go for a softer red spruce top, or Carpathian or German. I also thin cocobolo beyond what most builders would consider sane. As for figure, give me straight grain any day as well. But that swirly flat sawn stuff is unattractive both visually and structurally. IMHO, of course.

Author:	David LaPlante [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:39 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
I think much of the wood above would impose too much of it's own aesthetic on any guitar made from it. Structural concerns aside (especially bending this stuff and not ending up with warpy sides) it's better I think to have the builder create the aesthetic and not have it be dictated by the materials. If one does use flashy wood, I think the prudent thing is to keep the trim to an absolute minimum. Too much bling beyond this sort of back and side stock and a guitar can end up looking like, as my mother used to say, a circus elephant. I understand why there's attraction to this stuff and where there may be an individual luthier market that appreciates it but certainly in my own work I prefer straight well quartered stock. For smaller steel strings very dense back and sides coupled with very stiff spruce can certainly result in too bright or brittle response. I always preferred a Brazilian and Sitka combination for these and it didn't hurt if the Sitka was poorly quartered to boot. Classicals however benefit from this as it's pretty difficult to build a classical that is indeed "too" bright.

Author:	woody b [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:16 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
That's not Cocobolo, it's Crackobolo.

Author:	Tone Hunter [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Hello to all. My name is Jeff Bernstein. I'm very fortunate to be a student of Todd Stock. I wanted to participate in this thread because I LOVE cocobolo and have recently bought a couple of nice sets from Hibdon. I'm a fingerstyle player. I have a Beneteau coco/engleman 000-12. The guitar is well balanced with a punchy bass and fat trebles. I like it so well I thought I'd try to create a little different flavor of 000-12. The guitar I'm building with Todd is coco/redwood. The redwood top is very stiff and perfectly quartered. Lots of ray fleck. I only hope I get the voicing right. I've been doing a lot of reading and there seems to be many schools of though on how to voice and what to listen for. I also have a small dream guitar wood stash. I picked up a couple of masters LS Redwood tops from Hank Mauel four years ago. I had Marc Beneteau build me this baritone with one set http://www.beneteauguitars.com/guitr_pi ... ari_1.html. I'll likely pair the other to the figured coco set I bought last week from Hibdon, which hopefully I've sucessfully attached. Attachment: Coc-911.jpg

Author:	Mike Baker [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 3:57 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
woody b wrote: That's not Cocobolo, it's Crackobolo. Now that there's funny, i don't care who you are! LOL Whether or not you like the wood, you gotta admit...ZZZiiiinng!

Author:	Haans [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
David LaPlante wrote: Too much bling beyond this sort of back and side stock and a guitar can end up looking like, as my mother used to say, a circus elephant. That first set does make me think of clowns... The Coco that I have has kind of a "thuddy" ring to it. The guitars seem to have the characteristics that Laurent describes. There is plenty of bass, and the mids and trebles are there, but sterile is the best word I can think of. It's solid sounding, fat, but may be lacking that warmth of BRW or Indian. I have a 6 string with Engelmann, and while it does sound good also, there is the same feeling. Doesn't seem to have the liveliness of the 70 year old BRW that I have, or the Hormigo (now there is a wood that rings like a bell when tapped) that I have. Unfortunately, the Hormigo won't make an old time guitar unless I dye it. My white oak has a real cardboardy thud to it, but when combined with red spruce it is just alive. I have a feeling that Laurent is right. It has to be quite thin. Red spruce is just too fundamental. I am tempted to dump the beeswing set in a vat of acetone though...

Author:	fingerstyle1978 [ Sat Dec 04, 2010 9:02 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
I admit, I am hooked on the Hibdon figure so fine section. I don't really have any flatsawn sets, at least none that flatsawn. I was hoping that someone here bought it who had experience working with coco that is so flatsawn and had gotten good results. I looked at that set a couple times and although I find it incredible to look at, I couldn't drop the money on it because of the amount of how flatsawn it is. I was really hoping to track that build though so that I could get some good answers and solutions to working with that type of wood. Like Mr. Stock's new student, I am also crazy for coco for a couple reasons. #1 its appearance #2 as Flippo mentioned I have also read that it can get very glassy, almost on par with BRW, which is not exactly common! In any event I have always figured that the price on coco is heavily dictated by the hazards related to working with the material, and the subsequent willingness of luthiers to work with the material. Having said that, for sets like my avatar, taking proper precautions and the hindrance it creates is worth the result, or at least I hope. I only have 2 sets of coco, both are quite stunning. One from Uncle Bob and one from Hibdon. Neither are terribly faltsawn, and the one I got from Bob is curly. As much as I like the look of the set I posted initially, I too am hesitant to work with it. thanks for the replies, Joey

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Author:	RaymundH [ Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:24 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
I also bought this set during Jerry's November sale...For the price and figure I could not say no. The back looks like the edges are on fire! Hey, I'm weak. http://www.hibdonhardwood.com/Images/Coc-961.jpg If you fear figure check out Daniel Turners works here. Just wild. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_i1ehG2TUAbw/S ... uitar4.jpg

Author:	Steve Kinnaird [ Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:56 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Ok, I'll be a contrarion, but by golly, I love the look of ALL that stuff, and would happily work with it. Sets 944 and 811 would make me a happy man. Someone--else--had to say it! Steve

Author:	Bobc [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:13 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Just curious....did anyone here buy this????
Steve Kinnaird wrote: Ok, I'll be a contrarion, but by golly, I love the look of ALL that stuff, and would happily work with it. Sets 944 and 811 would make me a happy man. Someone--else--had to say it! Steve I'm with Steve on this one. I'd build with that set in a heartbeat. When properly dried cocobolo is quite stable.