Author Topic: Coco bolo custom essence on ebay (Read 162 times)

juggernaught · « **on:** June 03, 2007, 10:24:20 AM »

It's a beauty. Cocobolo top, Q switch, and purple heart and ebony laminates.

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2007, 08:27:43 PM »

That's a very nice Essence! With that combination of woods, I would love to hear it.

bsee · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2007, 09:09:23 PM »

Not so sure about the swamp ash with an ebony stringer, but I bet it's a real sweet player.

jack · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2007, 08:22:09 AM »

Interesting comment Bsee, what do you mean by that? I love this thing, although the headstock doesn't really suit my taste for that body shape, but too bad it ain't a fiver. It's a little beyond my $ range anyway....

adriaan · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2007, 08:41:39 AM »

Indeed it's the 3+1 version of the Orion 3+2 peghead.

If you ask me, the Orion 3+2 looks better than the cone 3+2, and the 3+1 looks a bit weird.

bsee · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2007, 11:37:57 AM »

Well, when I think of a swamp ash body on a bass, I think of something like a Jazz or Stingray with a midrange growl and not as much in the way of deep bass response. An ebony stringer in the neck boosts that deep bass fundamental. I guess I wouldn't think of that as a tonal wood combination to try. Would they add to make something sweet or cancel each other out?

I suspect that the natural tone of the swamp ash is suppressed both by being built into a neck-through instrument and by adding the ebony neck stringer. I'm sure it's a great playing and sounding instrument, but I wouldn't count on it sounding like swamp ash. It might, but I'd have to hear it to believe it. If I wanted to hear the ash, I'd probably go with an all maple neck, or maybe mix in a small amount of vermillion or mahogany.

By the way, I have a Zon Sonus with a swamp ash body and love the tone. It sounds very much like a '71 Jazz with maple board that I once owned.

flaxattack · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2007, 03:12:27 PM »

hey bob...
which end is speaking?
i have the same build on wolf....
i love the growl and mica did too....
i get fat bottom great midrange and highs
ask billy p- he has heard it
this is a fine wood combo- nice coco top bmop
think it might be a tad high- but its a combo you dont see often and that justifies the price
but as far as sounding like a jazz bass?
no way jose

bsee · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2007, 07:46:38 PM »

Very unfair, Flax. Maybe a little reading comprehension is in order?

I wouldn't expect it to sound like a Jazz at all and that's not what I said. If the neck were 100% maple, it might move in that direction, more so if it were a set neck rather than through.

What I said was that a swamp ash bass body made me think of those Fender-style basses that are often built from it. Swamp ash is known for that midrange growl. I never said I thought that this bass would sound like a Jazz.

Hollow out a piece of swamp ash, sandwich it between two 1/4 slabs of cocbolo and attach it to a neck that's almost half ebony and purpleheart. I don't think that piece of swamp ash is going to have as big an impact on tone as it does when you just bolt a slab of maple to it.

I think your experience says that the answer to my original question is that the tones are additive rather than canceling each other out. Bet it would make an awesome wood recipe for a fretless.