According to Bob Taylor, tonally, Madagascar rosewood is closer to Brazilian rosewood than any other wood he has come across. Until recently it was hard to harvest Madagascar rosewood because of insufficient industry infrastructure where they grow.
As far as tone is concerned, my preference would be for Madagascar rosewood, then cocobolo. Of all the koa guitars I've played, I can only remember one that sounded good enough for me to consider buying it. It was a limited edition of what was then Taylor's cheapest guitar. A guitar teacher was helping a student and his parents decide on a guitar. After he had played it, I picked it up and tried it. I told the shop owner that if the student's parents didn't buy it I would. They did and I left without it. Koa is very attractive wood but I find that with that one exception, I prefer rosewood, maple, mahogany and walnut to koa. Of course this is only one man's opinion.
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