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Figured tops


Zeppeholic

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As far as I am aware...flamed is just flamed... :blink:

 

Whereas figured can include flamed as well as other special woods like birdseye...

 

V

 

:-({|=

Correct. Figured can mean any graining with a certain uniformity like flame, tiger, quilt, or birdseye. The more consistent the graining appears over a certain surface, the more As will result evaluating it. On the contrary, timbers with no obvious or an inconsistent graining are called plain.

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With pics . . . . In general when discussing figuring, "grain" usually refers to the growth rings of the tree the wood was cut from, and "figuring" refers to the visual properties of the wood that can be seen and sometimes enhanced by the cut of the wood. In a plain top only the grain can be seen (1st pic below), there is no figuring. In a top figured with flame (curly maple), both the grain and figuring can be seen (2nd pic below), although sometimes the figuring can be so strong that it obscures the grain (3rd pic below). In the pic (2nd below), you can see the flame figuring is more or less perpendicular in relation to the grain. As previously commented there are other types of figuring - quilt, birdseye, burl, etc.

 

PLAIN TOP only the grain visible, no figuring . (plain tops have no figuring grade)

DSC02549.jpg

 

FIGURED FLAME TOP with both the grain and figuring visible . (Grade: AAA)

100576-2.jpg

 

FIGURED FLAME TOP with such strong figuring that the grain is obscured . (Gibson grade: AAAAA)

$T2eC16NHJGoE9nuQeSy9BQ71NvYB9!~~60_57.JPG

 

FIGURED BIRDSEYE TOP with both the grain and figuring visible . (Gibson grade: AAA)

1600-LPSABHYCH-13_body.jpg

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With pics . . . . In general when discussing figuring, "grain" usually refers to the growth rings of the tree the wood was cut from, and "figuring" refers to the visual properties of the wood that can be seen and sometimes enhanced by the cut of the wood. In a plain top only the grain can be seen (just below), there is no figuring. In a top figured with flame (curly maple), both the grain and figuring can be seen (in the pic 2nd below), although sometimes the figuring can be so strong that it obscures the grain (3rd pic below). In the pic (2nd below, you can see the flame figuring is more or less perpendicular in relation to the grain. As previously commented there are other types of figuring - quilt, birdseye, burl, etc.

 

DSC02549.jpg

 

100576-2.jpg

 

$T2eC16NHJGoE9nuQeSy9BQ71NvYB9!~~60_57.JPG

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for the help!

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Just remember that there is no Flame Top Bureau somewhere, chainsmoking and rating guitar tops. Any maker can call any top anything they want, so they do. What is two As to one is 6 As to another, Paul Reed calls them 10 Tops, and that too means absolutely nothing but whatever he wants it to mean.

 

rct

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