At first I went with the black weave and then tried the ruby red weave--liked them both. Also have a Rainsong in hard blue--like it also. What brought me to the veneer is the realization that we will most likely never see solid wood in the patterns and colors featured with the veneers. As solid wood faces the veneer woods most often would not be structurally supporting or sound transferring. But as veneers melded with the carbon fiber they give us some beautiful wooden topography. As a long time wood worker I find the veneers to be ravishing.