RE: Longbow - wood type?
Oh, pick me ! pick me !!
I LOVE bocote wood - hard, heavy and beautiful. Cocobolo is very popular, as is shedua. Ebony would look great (dark though).
For limb laminates, OL sold me on the tonkin cane. I got mine under clear glass - I think the honey color is great. Only way I could get more performance would be to get a layer of carbon on the back - something I might very well do in the future.
I'd like an all american bow too - walnut and maple riser, yew or walnut limbs - something like that ... that'd be cool