Explore our export-ready acoustic guitar lineup. Built with high-velocity soundboards, hand-voiced bracing, and humidity-stabilized tonewoods tailored to thrive in Southern California's unique micro-climates.
Designed for educational institutions and beginner retail lines in LA. Features a resonant spruce top, mahogany back/sides, and lightweight bracing for immediate acoustic response.
Boutique ergonomics meet high-volume factory precision. Features a bevel armrest that relieves forearm tension during long studio sessions and stage performances.
Engineered for studio reliability with balanced midrange projection. Supplied with luxury hardware, bone nut, and custom soundhole rosette options.
Classic acoustic architectural layout optimized for fingerstyle and flatpicking. High dynamic range top pairing with rich resonant frequency response.
Orchestra Model body depth offering tight mid-bass clarity and shimmering trebles. A favorite body shape for West Coast studio recording artists.
Pro-grade tonewood pairing featuring high-density rosewood bridge and fretboard, maximizing string vibration transfer into the soundboard.
Traditional Spanish fan-bracing internal geometry tailored for soft nylon tension, producing warm fundamental notes and rich classical acoustics.
A bold acoustic cannon built for unplugged volume, resonant bass projection, and crystalline high-frequency overtones. Finished in brilliant mirror gloss.
Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa) density exceeding Indian Rosewood by +21%
Engineered specifically for Southern California dry & coastal air cycles
Fully documented legal chain of custody for frictionless US Customs entry
Laser-guided top thicknessing and computerized frequency tap-tuning
For high-end guitar luthiers, boutique instrument brands, and acoustic distributors across Greater Los Angeles—from the music hubs of Hollywood and Burbank to retail showrooms in Santa Monica—the choice of back and side tonewood defines an instrument's sonic identity. Among true rosewoods (genus Dalbergia), Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa) represents the pinnacle of physical density, resonant damping properties, and visual extravagance.
Native to Central America, Cocobolo possesses a specific gravity ranging between 1.05 and 1.12 g/cm³, allowing it to sink in water when unseasoned. On the Janka hardness scale, Cocobolo measures an extraordinary 2,960 lbf (13,170 N), significantly outperforming East Indian Rosewood (2,440 lbf) and approaching the glass-like hardness of African Blackwood. This extreme density directly dictates its acoustic behavior: when tapped, seasoned solid Cocobolo produces a bell-like metallic ring with near-zero internal damping energy loss.
From an engineering perspective, Cocobolo’s high natural resin and oil content contributes to a unique harmonic signature. The wood exhibits brilliant high-frequency overtones ("glassy trebles"), an articulate, punchy midrange, and a deep, fast-responding low end. However, these natural oils present specific challenges during factory assembly. Our manufacturing facility utilizes proprietary resin-stripping surface treatments paired with specialized dual-component structural adhesives, guaranteeing wood-to-wood joint integrity that withstands decades of string tension and climate shifts.
Data-driven physical metrics comparing Cocobolo against traditional back and side woods used in premium acoustic luthiery.
| Tonewood Species | Janka Hardness | Specific Gravity | Velocity of Sound (m/s) | Primary Acoustic Characteristic | LA Studio Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa) | 2,960 lbf | 1.10 g/cm³ | 4,350 m/s | Bell-like sustain, deep bass, glassy highs | Master Grade (Lead Mic) |
| Brazilian Rosewood (D. nigra) | 2,790 lbf | 1.02 g/cm³ | 4,200 m/s | Lush dark overtones, legendary reverb | Ultra-Boutique / Collectors |
| East Indian Rosewood | 2,440 lbf | 0.83 g/cm³ | 3,950 m/s | Warm, broad frequency spectrum | Industry Benchmark Standard |
| Honduran Mahogany | 900 lbf | 0.59 g/cm³ | 4,700 m/s | Dry fundamental, fast transient attack | Folk / Rhythm Rhythm Tracks |
| Pacific Koa (Acacia koa) | 1,170 lbf | 0.68 g/cm³ | 4,100 m/s | Focused midrange, bright compression | Acoustic Soloist / Stage |
How our OEM production facility delivers stable, studio-ready Cocobolo and solid-wood acoustic guitars to Southern California importers and retailers.
Los Angeles presents a challenging atmospheric climate, swinging from humid coastal marine layers in Santa Monica to arid 15% RH conditions during Santa Ana winds in the San Fernando Valley. Our factory subjects all tonewood blanks to a 6-stage computerized kiln-seasoning schedule, locking target moisture content at 6.5% - 7.5% EMC to eliminate seam splitting and neck movement post-delivery.
Because Cocobolo is denser than standard rosewood, standard top-plate thicknessing results in an overly stiff, treble-heavy instrument. Our master luthiers use laser interferometer scan technology to tap-tune and thickness soundboards individually, thinning Cocobolo backplates down to 2.2mm–2.4mm while scalloping soundboard bracing for maximum air volume movement.
All species within the Dalbergia genus require strict compliance under CITES Appendix II regulations. We maintain direct partnerships with accredited sustainable forestry operations. Every shipment bound for the Port of Los Angeles or LAX Air Freight arrives with official CITES export permits, USDA APHIS clearance certificates, and detailed Lacey Act paperwork for complete legal protection.
The Greater Los Angeles metropolitan region represents the world’s highest density of professional recording studios, touring session musicians, independent luthiers, and premier music retail establishments. Our factory direct supply chain is optimized to serve every niche within this vibrant ecosystem:
1. Hollywood & Burbank Recording Stages: In studio scoring environments, sound engineers often struggle with acoustic guitars that exhibit excessive low-end "boominess" around 120Hz-200Hz. Cocobolo’s physical stiffness creates a tight, highly compressed low-end response coupled with crisp transient attack, allowing acoustic tracks to cut through complex orchestral or rock mixes without heavy EQ filtering.
2. Santa Monica & Westside Boutique Showrooms: High-end retail buyers in coastal LA demand visual elegance alongside sonic excellence. Cocobolo features incredible figure variance, displaying sapwood contrasts ranging from fiery orange and deep crimson to violet and obsidian striping. Finished in our UV-cured high-gloss mirror coating, these instruments serve as centerpiece display models for luxury instrument galleries.
3. Private Label Brands & Local Luthiers: We act as an OEM powerhouse for established SoCal guitar brands seeking to launch premium wood series without investing millions in CNC machinery, spray booths, or international timber procurement. We offer white-label manufacturing with custom neck profiles (e.g., Slim C, Vintage V), custom nut widths (43mm, 44.5mm), and custom laser-inlaid headstock logos.
In accordance with modern ecological standards demanded by environmentally conscious California musicians, our enterprise adheres to a strict Seed-to-Song timber chain-of-custody model. We believe extraordinary musical instruments must never come at the expense of old-growth tropical rainforest destruction.
Our Cocobolo logs are selectively harvested exclusively from certified plantation concessions in Central America and managed natural regrowth areas. Through certified forestry programs, every tree harvested is logged with geospatial tracking, ensuring zero contribution to illegal deforestation. Furthermore, our spruce soundboards are sourced from FSC-certified sustainable stands in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. When Los Angeles dealers partner with us, they offer their retail customers instruments backed by complete ecological transparency, verified documentation, and ethical craft lineage.
Everything you need to know about custom ordering, shipping logistics to SoCal, climate acclimatization, and OEM options.
We handle all CITES documentation at the origin. Prior to export, our legal team obtains government-issued CITES export permits listing the exact timber volume, species scientific name (Dalbergia retusa), and chain-of-custody tracking. Shipments arriving at the Port of Long Beach / Port of Los Angeles clear US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and USDA inspectors smoothly without customs quarantine delays.
Southern California experiences extreme relative humidity fluctuations. Air conditioned studio environments or winter Santa Ana wind conditions can drop indoor RH below 20%, causing poorly dried guitars to shrink, sprout fret ends, or crack backplates. By drying our tonewoods to a strict 6.5%-7.5% EMC in computerized kilns and assembling instruments in climate-controlled 45% RH clean rooms, our guitars remain structurally stable across SoCal's micro-climates.
Yes. We specialize in full OEM/ODM custom manufacturing. We can implement proprietary soundboard bracing profiles, custom fingerboard radii (12", 16"), genuine mother-of-pearl or abalone headstock inlays, ergonomic armrest bevels, and active pickup/preamp integration (Fishman, LR Baggs, or custom OEM electronics).
For standard production runs of catalog models, factory lead time is typically 30 to 45 days. Ocean freight from our factory port to the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach takes approximately 14 to 18 days. Air freight delivery directly to LAX for priority batch orders can be accomplished in 5 to 7 days.
We accommodate both boutique batch production and high-volume distributor runs. For standard OEM branding on existing models, our minimum order quantity starts as low as 20 to 50 units. For fully custom body shapes, unique bracing designs, or non-standard scale lengths, MOQs are negotiated based on tooling requirements.
Cocobolo actually improves acoustically faster than softer woods. Due to its dense crystalline resin structure, once the initial playing vibration breaks in the top plate, Cocobolo maintains its signature clarity and ringing sustain for decades without tone degradation, making it an heir-loom quality investment wood.