I got a customer today wanting me to make her a bow and wants it as white as I can get it.  I got the glass and the string covered, but what is the whitest wood you guys can think of?

Hickory or Bamboo and I guess maybe Ash,    

Tracy

Mike, is go with hickory or ash as well. Also miniwax makes a whitish stain that I used on a gunstock that looked good too.

Holly would be the whitest North american wood.

Also there is a white leather dye that works on wood. Used it on arrows and is comparable with poly urethane.

Rainman hit it.

stiks

You could also try liming the wood.

There is a finish called pickling stain that you could use to stain the chosen wood white. It is a stain so you'll still be able to see the wood grain beneath the white coloring.
Obviously, try it on some scrap before you commit it to your lams.

Guy

If you use Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach on hickory you'll be pleased.
Wood grain may be raised as a result of application of this product. Ensure all bleach residue is gone & then sand wood & finish.

The lightest colored wood I have used up here was white ash. Hackberry is a close second.

Thanks for the input guys, I was figuring on holly.

Holly was my first thought or another is Vine Maple.  It is pretty white.

Another voter for holly, its naturally white, no need for chemicals.

Vine Maple is very white and great bow wood.

does holly make a good self bow??

Holly is the purest white.

Wayne, I read a post on here a while back that mentioned holly as a good bow wood.  I'd love to try it, but haven't found a tree I felt I could get a decent stave out of.