Typical woods for sides are Maple, Rosewood (Indian or Brazilian), Mahogany, Sapele, To a lesser Extant, Koa types (Australian, Hawaiian, part of Acacia species) All works with different sound results. THere are others people use, but those are the most commonly used. How wood is cut from the log will also determine how easy it will be to bend. You can research that on the net there are millions of posts and tutorials on this.
Harder woods tend to start our a bit brighter but mellow out with more playing.
hope that helps answer your question.