Need some help

cloren

Newbie
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21
I'm new here so please forgive me if the following problem has already been addressed:

I would really love to have a replacement jazz bass neck with cocobolo fingerboard and maple neck. The only problem is warmoth doesn't work with cocobolo! (difficult to work with/contains allergens). I've looked into buying a cocobolo fingerboard myself and gluing it onto a warmoth neck, but then I would need to fret the neck as well. I'm no qualified luthier nor do I have the guts to pay an additional $400 to get the neck fretted properly by an expert. Any suggestions?
Would it be more prudent for me to simply substitute cocobolo for Brazilian Rosewood? and if thats the case, set up would be as simple as bolting the neck onto the body and then intonating the strings, correct?

-Chris
 
i would go with brazilian rswd, or king wood.  even though its not the wood you're looking for, its worth it, and its a far better quality neck.
 
Unless your heart is really set on the cocobolo you could just substitute it like you mentioned. You could keep your eye on the showcase because sometimes very rarely warmoth does little experiments and one offs you wouldn't expect to see.
 
I would talk to a Warmoth rep first about what are the chances of getting cocobolo for your fingerboard. They state on the site "we choose not to work with this wood" but they might still have some available and if you don't ask you'll never know. If they say no, well go to plan B.  Good luck :icon_thumright:
 
cocobolo does make for a fabulous fingerboard ... but there are many other woods that work just as well, especially when you consider the wide variety of colorations that cocobolo comes in. a couple of the rosewood varieties can come close with the right pieces. goncalo alves has a similar feel to it.

I have a neck I made with a Thai rosewood fretboard that you'd be hard pressed to discern from another neck I made with a cocobolo fretboard. I catch the difference immediately, but most people comment on them both being the same wood (which to my eyes they clearly are not)

all the best,

R
 
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