Cocobolo (CITES)

Hardness, strength, feeling and beauty are important in a fingerboard, that’s why the cocobolo wood is a desirable option for the it. Cocobolo wood tolerates well heavy wear. As it is oily it is recommended to use it in minimum thicknesses for the fingerboards. Tonally it is a brighter sounding wood that other Rosewood species with less-lower end.

In Maderas Barber we have gorgeous Cocobolo fingerboards for Archtop guitar in different qualities.

BOTANIC NAME: Dalbergia retusa.

COMMON NAMES: Cocobolo, Granadilla, Cocobola.

ORIGIN: Nicaragua.

DESCRIPTION: Density 990-1250 Kg/m3. Cocobolo can have different colours, ranging from yellow, orange, red, and shades of brown with streaks of black or purple. Sapwood is typically a very pale yellow. Colours are lighter when freshly sanded/cut, and darken with age. Grain is straight to interlocked, with a fine even texture. Good natural luster.

Notoriously allergenic.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Due to the high oil content found in this wood, it can occasionally cause problems with gluing. Also, the wood’s colour can bleed into surrounding wood when applying a finish, so care must be taken on the initial seal coats not to smear the wood’s colour/oils into surrounding areas. Tear out can occur during planning if interlocked grain is present; the wood also has a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges/tools due to its high density. Cocobolo has excellent turning properties.

DRYING: Slow drying wood. Risk of deformation or cracks.

USES: Guitar backs and sides, fingerboards, bridges, headplates. Wind instruments.