Coco Bolo Testimonials, please!!!

[the_8_string_king]

Okay, I'm suffering over the long weekend, as I wait the (hopefully) final days out before my new custom 6-String bass arrives on (hopefully) this Wednesday... soon... I'll KNOW what Coco Bolo sounds like from actual personal experience.
 
In the meantime, I'm curious to hear what other people think about it.  Now I recently spoke with Mica, and she said I'll hear the neck woods the most... the official line... that neck woods are the biggest factor affecting/determining the sound in neck-through Alembic basses.
 
Yet they refer to Coco Bolo as the crown jewel of tone woods and also refer to the Coco Bolo/Mahogany (body combo) as their house recipe.  So they obviously hold it in high regard, and obviously it is a significant tonal factor in the sound of the basses -not withstanding the woods in the neck are the biggest factor principal.
 
So whadaya all think about Coco Bolo?  I'd like to hear from people familier with the sound of Coco Bolo on Alembics... ideally from those who've played/owned several/many different Alembics, and who have that frame of reference for their perspective.  How great does it sound, on a 1-10 scale?  Just how great is it?
 
Of course, it's difficult to describe stuff like this.  I KNOW how great Ebony neck laminates sound; but ultimately, while I could give a good description, you've got to hear it for yourself.
 
That said, I'd like to hear any testimonials... I'd like to hear what Coco Bolo Alembic owners think about it.  Who is a Coco Bolo fan here?  How do you describe the sound?  How does it compare to the sound of Maple -which I'm very familar with?
 
Thanks for your thoughts, in advance, gang.  I'll share my impressions with y'all when I get this bass.  I'm really looking forward to it.  I've been playing the heck out of my custom 8-String recently, and marveling at how awesome it is... it's hard to imagine how anything could sound as good at it does, yet along better.  But Mica tells me that it should actually have a more versatile sound than my Maple bodied/Ebony-neck-fortified custom Europa... that it should sound just as good, yet have a distinctly different sound.  I can't wait to experience it for myself!!!

[pierreyves]

Hey Mark ... you wrote 791 post from 09.2005 ... if all your post are like this one (23 lines and I saw many bigger from you ;o)), I have just a question, but a really little question: are you alone in the dark, alone in the life, you have no friends, no pets, just ALEMBIC CLUB
Ok, I can receive you when you come to Switzerland, we will speak about this...
smile = ;o)
For example, now I'm working at night, it's 2.30 am, I work in a hospital and all the people are sleeping, I have time to spend... But never I will write 23 lines (I need one hour for this) at day!!!
For anwer in 4 lines at your question: I have 2 cocobolo, but the body is made with mahogany and neck with maple, purpleheart laminate. The little quantity of plated cocobolo on the body seems to be insignifiant to modify sound ? I don't know.
I know that ebony on the neck change the sound, I now that my MK5 34 have greater sound (more strong, precise, metallic, brillant, crital...) than my 301/4 SC. I suppose is the scale length ?
When your bass come at your home, go to a specialist with or take a plane to the land of nowhere !!!
Smile !!

[the_8_string_king]

My girlfriend and I have 3 cats and a chinchilla, and it doesn't take much time to type 23 lines if one is a good typist!

[ajdover]

Mark,
 
   All of my Alembics have a maple neck, and all are neck through.  My SC Standard has a coco bolo top, as does my Dragon's Wing.  My other Alembics have either Bird's Eye, Flame, or Quilted Maple tops.
 
   I don't notice too much of a difference in the high end all of them produce (my Spyder is especially trebly, though - maple neck and flame maple top does that I guess, in addition to the Anniversary electronics).  I do notice more mids in my SC and my Essences (all have maple necks; the SC has walnut pinstripes); think more Jaco-esque tones.  The DW is warmer, the Essence is quite bright, and the Spyder is downright crispy if you will.
 
    My take is if it has a maple-purpleheart neck, the tone will be bright, but no overly so.  If it's all maple, it will be bright with a bunch of mids.  I can't speak to ebony lams as I don't have a bass with that wood in the neck.
 
    Regardless, you're getting a beautiful bass - hope the wait doesn't kill you, and enjoy!
 
Alan

[pierreyves]

;o)) I have a lot of lizzards, geckoes, dragons, frogs and toads and chameleons, but nobody is good typist!!
;o)
I think the densitiy from wood make the difference.

[jazzyvee]

I
have
an
SCDLX
with
a
Coco
Bola
top
and
back
and
i
love
it's
sound.
 
There was an rare spotting of an SC in a local music shop for sale on commission so i took the opportunity to try it out. The difference in tone was very dramatic. This bass had a walnut top and walnut pinstripes in the neck. However the difference in tone between that and my SC was very dramatic. Mine seemed to have a livelier sound, heavier bass and crisper punch to the tone.
 
I have to admit that hearing the difference made me really appreciate how much difference the wood makes to the sound. Before that I was kind of skeptical lol. Now I'm sold and would take some good advice before choosing wood If I was having a custom bass.
 
Jazzyvee
Ps:  
I
Think
That
Is  
a
bit
more
than
twenty
three
lines.
 
LOL

[jacko]

Ha! Nice one Jazzy ;-)  
 
Of my Alembics. the coco-bolo rogue is fretless and the mkdx is fretted with an ebony neck stringer and they have different electronics packages so they're like night and day. They do however share a certain 'warmth' that the set neck BTC maple Epic lacks (for want of a better word).
 
Graeme
p.s. off topic for Jazzy...will you be heading to London 5th/6th November to see Marcus?

[pierreyves]

mega LOL jazzyvee ... !!!!!!
I don't know that was so big difference with wood ... thank's to learn me.

[malthumb]

I have  
a Series I (walnut / mahogany / walnut)  
 
and  
 
a Series II (coco / maple / mahogany /maple / coco).  
 
Both have maple neck and purple heart lams.
 
The walnut Series I has a very clear, very tight, very defined piano like tone to it.  Nice lows, very clear highs.  Mids are mids.
 
The coco bolo Series II has a very fat tone to it.  The lows are massive and even sound like they're chorused.  The highs are tight, but not as clear as the Series I and seem to also drive a little bit of a chorus type effect, though not as noticeable as with the lows.  Mids are mids.
 
The Series I has a pretty sound.  The Series II has a powerful presence sound.
 
Peace,
 
James

[the_8_string_king]

Thanks for the feedback, all!

[eligilam]

My cocobolo SC deluxe with sig electronics has a very complex tone.  If it were a red wine, I would describe it as bold and peppery with a bit of bite on the mid-tongue.  Even with wide-spanning tone control tweaks (from all-bridge pickup with torqued Q filter to all-neck pickup with fully untorqued Q), the underlying boldness of the cocobolo can be perceived.
 
Cheers!

[the_8_string_king]

Thanks, Will, that's the kind of description/attempt I was looking for!  Well, barring a problem, I'll know for myself in just a few days... till then, I'm dying of curiosity!

[pierreyves]

tomorrow is THE (independance!!) day ??
Alien Alembic wiil come from the clouds and destroy his futur owner ??
It will be your nightmare for this night ??
;o))

[dannobasso]

Not as bold as my koa 6 but less bright than my Maples. Vermillion is very close to the coco in appearance but a bit darker in tone.

[mele_aloha]

Good on Mark. Thanks for asking that question as that is what I am dying to here from also. I'll keep this short so maybe more will come in. I just hope I don't regret getting the Maple body for asthetics instead of the Vermillion or Mahogany. Most of all I hope I get the tones that James described as massive lows and clear tight highs.
 
Good luck on delivery this week.
 
Paul