Another lovely back of Cocobolo is in the works. It will have just a small "skunk stripe" at the top. This stuff is a not the easiest wood to work with but wow the results have been fantastic in the two Coco ukes I have built. I am becoming a big fan of this Mexican wood.
I tap-toned through my cedar supply and selected this beautiful piece. I have had this wood for 50 years. It came from a huge half log found in Bellingham's lake Whatcom, a floating walkway of an old lumber mill's log boom. Split in half, 40 feet long, the flat top scored by the calked boots of the boom men. I calculate that it was 1400 years old when felled about 100 years ago. Incredibly tight grained magnificent Western Red Cedar.
And here are the Cocobolo sides. Beautiful wood. I will cut away the yellow sap wood and bind the instruments with figured Australian Blackwood. The tenor will have a Honduran Mahogany neck. It ought to be a beauty, sure hope it sounds like #95.
