The selected and well-seasoned, air dried woods I use for my instruments are :

top:	alpine spruce, western red cedar
back and sides:	indian rosewood, flamed maple
neck:	cedro, mahogany
fingerboard:	ebony

 
The soundhole rosettes are designed and made from wood veneers by myself.

As finish I use shellac, applied by hand in the traditional french polish technique, which allows a very thin and therefore not damping coating.