I am working on a commission for a bluegrass player who wants something with a darker sound than her Chinese instrument gives her. I am considering three options:
1. Thicker back
2. Raise the ribs by a couple of mm and use fuller cross arching
or
3. Use an alternative wood for the back (I have a nice piece of birch, for example, and some willow)
Would you use one of these strategies? Something else entirely?