Figured Maple and Quilted Maple Tops! - What is the differen - Page 2

**jemsite** · #16 04-11-2001, 02:59 AM

worse, many guitar manufacturers are overgrading. The maple top was used for something called tone. along the way it turned into a status symbol :lame: ...glen

Project Guitar · #17 04-11-2001, 04:08 AM

Current ratings of wood tops in the industry:

A- Figured coverage approximatly 10-25 % of area on surface with flaws

AA- Figured coverage approximatly 20-45 % of area on surface with flaws

AAA- Figured coverage approximatly 40-65 % of area on surface with flaws

AAAA- Figured coverage approximatly 60-85 % of area on surface with flaws

AAAAA- Figured coverage approximatly 80-100 % of area on surface with flaws

A "10 Top" is figured wood with a rating over AAAA and showing no sign's of flaws anywhere. This type of wood is extremely hard to come by and also extremely costly.

Flaws are considered any broken area's to the surface which are seen by the naked eye, knot's and or cracks and ridges which flow through the figure. Ridges are commonly known as the edge of darkness you would visualize as a ring from growth of the wood which is very common in any figured wood (the lines that pass from one end to the other against the figure usually with the grin of the wood).

Quilted is figured wood in which the figure itself opens and closes tight or loose usually in round to oval patterns but can stretch out.

Flamed is figured wood in which the pattern is stretched into a more unilateral line across the grain of the wood and is generally tight and very long in nature.

To say "Figured wood" you are using a generalized term since it covers many different varities and patterns...

Hope this clears things up a bit........

Oh and adding hardwood tops such as maple does increase the resonance through-out guitar bodys but the benifits vary depending on the thickness.............

Kevan · #18 04-11-2001, 05:55 AM

Brian- thanks. *That post should help some people from getting yanked on a "20 top".

Dirk- I like your wood supplier already! *:-) *Gotta let us know when your guitars are coming out. *Prototypes yet? *I'm close by...LOL

I think Glen needs lasic surgery...at the very least an eye exam. *I compared the flame top on my CST to Godfrey Townshend's (guitarist for the John Entwhistle band) totally custom PRS...with a "10 top".

Why the CST isn't a $3000 guitar is a shock. *Why the PRS is a $3000 guitar is a shock. *
Note: *the sustain on the CST passed his PRS by a landslide. *Who loves mahogany with a flamey maple top? *I sure do.

Maybe Glen's just pissed that the J-Customs have nicer tops than the USA Customs? *That's my guess.

**jemsite** · #19 04-11-2001, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Maybe Glen's just pissed that the J-Customs have nicer tops than the USA Customs? *That's my guess.

Um.... no, or i'd have bought one before you did. LOL.

Classic case of people seeing what they want to see. I'd be curious if the CST had a fender headstock what the commentary would be around here... glen

PS - lets not argue sustain again. Where's Jay anyways :biggrin:

jay ratkowski · #20 04-11-2001, 12:07 PM

[quote]Quote: from jemsite on 8:18 am on April 11, 2001

Quote:

PS - lets not argue sustain again. Where's Jay anyways :biggrin:

My J-Custom has sparkly white paint... no top. *:biggrin:

Sustain? *From an Ibanez? *Hahahahahhahahaha. *Sorry, I felt like I had to do it. *Put some Blaze Customs in a PRS and some Dragon II's in a CST, then we'll talk sustain. *Haha.

I've gotta agree though, I can get down with a mahogany body and a maple top... just put a quality stop tailpiece... and a NON-LOCKING nut... and you're in business. *Oh whoops, Gibson beat me to it... nevermind. *:lame:

**jemsite** · #21 04-11-2001, 12:12 PM

:rotf:

speaking of, the only J-cusom i owned was the JEM90, also void of a 'figured' top. So you know, i won't buy another without 2-1-2 pickups so you guys can horde the CSTs, etc. all to yourselves

David Ho · #22 04-11-2001, 07:13 PM

On a solid body guitar, the top is more for the appearence than for sonic quality IMHO. *I would say that can be a bit different if you talk about arch top / semi-acoustic guitars.
Recently, I tried 2 Ibanez arch tops - a GB10 and a beautiful flame top GB2K. * The GB2K has very very nice flame all over, while the GB10 was still very nice but came nowhere close to the GB2K when it comes to the wood. *Comparing the 2 guitars, the GB2K gives a rich, thick and well-rounded tone compare to the GB10.

So, is it the wood or is it not? *I still don't know

Jay has a very good point about sustain. *None of my ibanez can out sustain my Les Paul. *It's really a matter of physics than anything else.

Coolstu · #23 04-13-2001, 08:13 PM

Its all down to personal choice at the end of the day. Some people are willing to pay the extra money to get a nice maple top, some are not. This is the whole reason there is a choice in the first place.

A nice grained piece of maple can really make a guitar look great

diek · #24 04-14-2001, 01:02 AM

Kev - the prototypes are coming along. I'm trying to put in as much time as possible, but lately I've been very busy with my band. In May, I'll have some good time off, so I'm going to try to finish the bulk of most of them by then and have the finished prototypes by June/July. You'll be the FIRST to know!!

Kevan · #25 04-14-2001, 01:15 AM

SWEET! *I'll bring the dig. camera! *Hopefully I'll win that Ebay auction for "guitar playing skills" and be able to bring that too. *I'm sure I'll need it for such fine instruments.

Also, you need to let me know the next band gig in Manhattan! *I keep getting Deridian notices, but don't see you on the list...ever...actually. *Please tell me you didn't have a falling out with Tristan (wicked vocals)!

Be sure to post your gigs here...or at least email me. :-)