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What exactly is a flame top?
- Thread starter Skel
- Start date
When I first began getting into guitar materials, I thought Flame Maple was just alot of lines on the instrument. It wasn't until later that I found out where the "flame" part comes in.
In a flame maple top, the lines shimmer and move in an almost 3-D hologram sort of way. This reminded people of a dancing "flame". Lines move to overlap one another, and on the best pieces the whole bass will shimmer like you would never believe a natural wood could.
I believe I read from a few luthiers that the grading isn't really standardized. One manufacturer's 5A could be the high end's 3A. Usually its to be able to charge more for a piece of wood. Warwick rates my bass at "AAAA", but because there is no wood dies to accentuate the lines, you have to be pretty close to see how deep and beautiful it is.
On a side note, I'd like to ask a question. Fiddleback and Tigerstripe, what's the difference?
I assumed Fiddleback was the very thin lines that were pretty much parallel, while Tigerstripe was the wider overlapping lines.
In a flame maple top, the lines shimmer and move in an almost 3-D hologram sort of way. This reminded people of a dancing "flame". Lines move to overlap one another, and on the best pieces the whole bass will shimmer like you would never believe a natural wood could.
I believe I read from a few luthiers that the grading isn't really standardized. One manufacturer's 5A could be the high end's 3A. Usually its to be able to charge more for a piece of wood. Warwick rates my bass at "AAAA", but because there is no wood dies to accentuate the lines, you have to be pretty close to see how deep and beautiful it is.
On a side note, I'd like to ask a question. Fiddleback and Tigerstripe, what's the difference?
I assumed Fiddleback was the very thin lines that were pretty much parallel, while Tigerstripe was the wider overlapping lines.
Man, you guys crack me up. You guys were just waiting for somebody to ask that question! Beautiful woods, though.
Skel
Skel
mark beem
Wait, how does this song start again??
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
