Diamondwood for a riser, it will help you see the uniformity of your sanding and cuts better than solid hardwoods, for a first time builder this will help you get everything nice and symetric. See KennyM for you lams, you'd be hard pressed to find faster shipping, and a better product. I order my glass, lams, wedge material, and riser material for my bows. He also sells glues and other building supplies.