Here is a picture of the back of a psaltery I am working on for Tim.

What is seen is a curly maple back, with a rear soundhole and an inlaid ring of Cocobolo around the rim. Since it is freshly sanded the Cocobolo looks light brown with streaks of yellowish orange, but it will soon become much darker. A combination of oxidation and simply applying a finish make this wood look much darker and more elegant.

Cocobolo is very hard, and it’s one of those woods that you feel sorry for your blades when you are cutting it, because it has such a blunting effect on the cutters.