Are the different woods all the same and it's just a matter of color preference? Or is there some benefit of one over the other?
What's the difference/advantages/disadvantages of each?

Yeah....I know.....everyone's gonna have their favorites, but is there any reason I should chose one over the other?
I will, eventually, be using my bow for hunting, and, I expect, it will be subjected to a variety of temperatures and conditions.
Any points to ponder?  

Not limited to the woods I listed. Any others that are used also-same questions apply.   :confused:

If you are speaking of lams under glas in a multilam bow the lams are super thin and make no performance contribution.
If you are referring to the core lams, bamboo, maple, and action wood are very popular.

Bjorn,
yes, talking about them being the core. Yes.....they might be popular, but I would like to know why they are popular. What does one offer over another, what drawbacks does one have over another. Never had a "woodie" (OK....stop yer snickerin' & and hold the wisecrack - ya knows what I mean!   :rolleyes:   ) not familiar with the different factors.

Thanks

Certain woods do not make good core woods. Bamboo is an excellent core wood as is red elm. yew being a soft wood is not as good for the core unless it is a thicker core like on a longbow. A couple of overlooked core woods are walnut and wenge. both are strong and have better qualities than red elm or bamboo which are longtime favorites for the core in a lam bow. I know, blasphmy,LOL. My prefered core is wenge in my Brackenbury Quests. Bill is the only bowyer I know that uses wenge in the core and let me tell you it is plenty fast and strong. Course he is also the only bowyer I know who does custom cores.

Danny

Not the prettiest but probably the best would be plain old rock hard maple.

I've talked to several bowyers over the years that made bows for me and all said the core wood really does not make a noticable difference if sandwiched between glass.  What is more important is the design of the limbs and riser and how they work together.

Pick what will make you happy when you look at the bow.

I prefer putting boo in the core of all the longbows I build.  I use action boo simmply because the different strips cancel out ony weak spots in the lam.  Bamboo does have a slight sound to it.  No noisey or annoying or anything but just a bit different than other core woods.  Don't usually have much room for boo in the recurves but use a bit.  Otherwise for veneers I think it means nada.  As long as they are not split or rotten you can put just about any decent wood into a veneer.   Bob

Thanks for all your inputs. Giving me a better understanding of what to look for/expect.
I'm planning on getting the Great Plains T/D longbow and am trying to decide on which wood to get it in.

Thanks guys, keep it going.

QuoteOtherwise for veneers I think it means nada.

If this is true, and I have no doubt it is, will veneers decrease performance and is it better just to leave them off?  If they serve no function why have them on there except for looks?

You said it J-KID, looks. I have to look at my bow for sometimes 5 to 6 hours at a pop while sitting in a stand. I'd hate to look at an ugly bow. This is my opinion of course.

Mike

My bow has - "Tonkin Cane Bamboo for speed, Actionwood Maple for power and stability, and Yew for beauty and a Sweet Shooting experience plus a carbon core, which enhances all these attributes."

Is it only the Actionwood Maple that really matters?

"Is it only the Actionwood Maple that really matters?"

From what I have been told by more than one builder for all intent and purposes it's the fiberglass that does most of the work, that and the limb design.  Also my understanding is carbon only really is beneficial and worth the extra cost if it is used on the outside in place of fiberglass to get it's full benefits, as a core it's not worth the extra cost for what you get in performance.

Life is to short to hunt with an ugly bow.