Restating my question differently: What wood looks good and enhances the grain with clear shellac?
What started this was yesterday I dipped some ornaments in clear shellac. I had a few pieces made from what I think is spruce. It looks like spruce and smells like spruce. The change in the spruce ornament was dramatic.
I don't care about other finishes. I have been down that road and used some of everything at one time or another. I use a wax and mineral oil blend I make, shellac, and occasionally old-school polyurethane.
I use all sorts of wood, mostly domestic hardwoods, but occasionally, some odd ones pop up. I got some IPE decking boards recently. I savage hardwoods from discarded furniture. I don't always know what the wood is.