I've gotten a hold of a nice assortment of woods to play around with. Almost certainly I'll make scales with them of some kind but at this point essentially have no plan.
Attachment 298792
From left to right: curly maple, bocote, cocobolo, leopardwood, blue mahoe, koa, black limba, padauk -- all approximately 3/4" x 6" x 1/8", in pairs except the bocote and cocobolo, of which there are 4 pieces -- and the large one right on the end is desert ironwood.