Cocobolo sapwood

zenkitty

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Hi all, new to the forum...I have been taking uke lessons for about 8 months and have one of the earlier Islander concert ukes. Great fun with a low G. Recently I decided to get a tenor and found a Cocobolo sapwood uke. The best I can describe playing it is like a buttery feel to the instrument and the resonance. I don't have a musical background, but that's the feel of it to me. The dang thing vibrates my body too.

Does anyone know much about sapwood in general? Wasn't it discarded for a long time in guitar-making, considering it junk?
 
I'd try different strings until you find something you like or bring it to a guitar shop and have them look at the setup.
Sometimes a couple of little tweeks will change the way you feel about an instrument and Cocobolo is a beautiful wood.
 
oh, I am very happy with it, for sure. I do want to change strings eventually, just to try a different sound. I wasn't sure how different sapwood was compared to the actual wood used for the other ukes.
 
There are many custom builders that use numerous different species of tonewoods with some sapwood. Usually it is a middle strip on a back piece of koa, cocobolo, rosewood, walnut. But even Moore Bettah ukes (read world class) uses koa tops with sap wood and they sound great.

I know Cocobolo Ukes use it for tops and well as back and sides and there can be a great deal of sapwood in their pieces. Most of their ukes sound good so they seem to know what they are doing.
 
Congrats on your Cocobolo! Wehave one with a lot of sapwood in the top, and it sounds great. It's noteven broken in yet....
 
Thanks! I am loving it. I love how the fretboard feels in my hand. I can smell the wood as I play. I have had it only 2 days now and it is already part of the family. This uke is all sapwood. I just had never heard of sapwood and did some research on it. Funny how you have an idea of what you want and then when you pick up a random uke, it just sings.... :eek:
 
Thanks! I am loving it. I love how the fretboard feels in my hand. I can smell the wood as I play. I have had it only 2 days now and it is already part of the family. This uke is all sapwood. I just had never heard of sapwood and did some research on it. Funny how you have an idea of what you want and then when you pick up a random uke, it just sings.... :eek:

We need to see pictures..........or it didn't happen ;)

We always love pictures of new ukes. There is a term used on this forum.... NUD.....stands for New Uke Day. Lots of pictures and gushing lovingly about it is encouraged
 
DSCN2127.jpgDSCN2128.jpg
One of my faves of all time. Kanile'a Koa Concert. I've had this baby since 2010. Knock-you-out sapwood!
 
Oh pish posh!! Actually, I would LOVE their K1 tenor. Some day....*sigh*
:music:
 
Top Bottom