Choices, choices ... now you're in trouble!

These are 18 of my favorite hardwoods.  I use them in both my Hammer Dulcimers (for laminated rails) and for tops on my

2 Octave (and in some cases my 2 1/2 Octave) Bowed Psalteries.   I hope seeing them might help you choose a special one

to help you personalize your Song of the Wood instrument.

These photos are of wood samples of comparable size and medium sanded, but unfinished, wood. 

Once these woods are finish sanded, lacquered and rubbed out they tend to darken slightly and any contrast in color becomes a little more vivid.

   (1)  Black Walnut                                                                                                                        

   (3)  Honduras Rosewood

    (4)  Bocote

   (5)  Coco Bolo (Flat Cut)

   (6)  Purpleheart         

   (7)  Kingwood

   (8)  Goncalva Alves         

    (10)  African Bubinga (figured)

   (11)  African Bubinga (straight grain)

   (12)  East Indian Rosewood

   (13)  Chakta Cot

    (14)  African Wenge

   (15)  Coco Bolo ("straight grain")

   (16)  Curly Maple

   (17)  Macassar Ebony

   (18)  Che Chen