Choosing between cocobolo and grenadilla wood can seem like a daunting task, but we believe it presents an exciting opportunity for the modern clarinetist to find their true voice.
This article will help you understand the tonal characteristics, durability, and projection between the two exotic hardwoods. You'll learn which one will be best suited to your musical needs, and why you might want to consider owning both for ultimate flexibility.
Playability and Tonal Characteristics
Grenadilla (African Blackwood)
- Very dense wood with a fine grain, which leads to tonal stability
- Light brown to almost black in colour, which remains stable over time
- Produces a focused, rich tone with more resistance and excellent projection.
- Has a strong fundamental frequency with prominent harmonics, giving the sound more "ping"
- Ideal for orchestral, wind, and jazz music
Cocobolo
- Slightly less dense, with more prominent grain, but still hard enough for tonal stability
- Orange to deep burgundy in colour, which tends to darken over time as the wood ages and oxidizes
- Has a warm, more resonant tone with less resistance and reduced projection
- Has more tapered harmonics, giving the sound a more vocal characteristic
- Ideal for use in the studio, solo, and chamber music settings
Maintenance and Durability
- Grenadilla has a very stable structure, making it more resistant to warping and cracking, which is why it's the industry standard for professional clarinets and oboes.
- Cocobolo, being oilier and slightly softer, may feel more responsive and lively to some players, but it requires more maintenance to prevent cracking.
- Note: Both woods require proper care and regular maintenance. We suggest humidification with a Boveda pack, thorough swabbing after every use, and oiling the bore as needed. You can purchase these items in the Backun Wood Care Kit.
Which one should I choose?
Choose grenadilla if you want:
- Focused, powerful, and stable tone with excellent projection
- Classic appearance, with time-tested performance, sound, and durability
Choose cocobolo if you want:
- Warm, more resonant sound with tonal complexity
- Something new with a more unique sound, striking appearance, or if weight is a concern
Why not both?
Many of our artists choose both grenadilla and cocobolo, which gives them the opportunity to select the best wood for the occasion. Discover your true voice, and expand your musical palette with Backun Barrel Case.
No Matter Which You Choose
All of our aged, exotic hardwoods are unstained, which puts the natural beauty of the wood on full display. Because of this, each piece is a completely unique work of art.
