Thanks for the kind words John -
Actually, what seems to work best in my experience is a light weight wood, strong and porous to be able to accept glue and sizing.
Redwood is a surprisingly strong, light wood and would also work well.
Maple and ash and beech are harder woods, much more dense and they can warp easily in smaller strips accept when glued.
Redwood, cypress, or inland red cedar make excellent material for this kind of work.
But sometimes these woods are not readily available, so a viable alternative is poplar. Plus you can usually get it at Lowes or Home Depot. I would shy away from oak or walnut or cherry.
-Mark