Captainlyon,
Welcome to the Alembic Club!
First, you might have some person, goes by the name Mica, respond and say something to the effect that with Alembics, the type of wood has less to do with the instrument's sound than a whole bunch of other factors. Believe her. She knows what she's talking about. Mica Wickersham is the President of Alembic and the daughter of the founders. One exception to the top wood doesn't matter much theory is cocobolo. I have a walnut Series I and a cocobolo Series II that sound significantly different from each other. The cocobolo bass has a very complex tone. It sounds as if it's being played through a chorus effect, even when it isn't.
Second, if you accept that for the most part, your top wood ain't gonna impact your tone a whole heckuva lot, spend a lot of time in the Factory To Customer section to get some ideas of what's possible wrt wood selections, lamination patterns, other options and customizations.
While in the FTC section, pay particular attention to the comments around ebony neck laminates as opposed to purpleheart or walnut and how that impacts tone and sustain.
Third, HAVE FUN!
Peace,
James
