I used black and golden brown on the bamboo backing. I put black on the nodes and used golden brown as kind of a wash and tried to feather the black into the brown. My first try was basically a mess, but I resanded it, and with some fine sanding and wiping with alcohol I was happy with the results. Also used golden brown on the hickory backing and liked the deep, dark color you get after a few coats. I've got honey amber but haven't tried it yet. Working on a heartwood hickory backed osage board bow right now that I'm eager to try that color on.