Flame Maple Porn Thread

WezV

Bennyboy-UK said:

The point about the varieties of maple is really interesting - several of my guitars have solid figured Maple bodies, with bolt on necks - something people often think  they will sound very toppy - and it’s just not the case.

IIRC the figured bodies Hamer made were typically eastern big leaf maple, which is definitely on the softer side - and on paper - much more similar to the physical properties of mahogany than the hard maple used for necks in most maple necked guitars. 

Agreed.  Sycamore/European maple often works nicely for solid bodies too.

I remember an anecdotal story about the reason  flamed woods first got used in violins.  The maple was often used for oars, the flamed oars broke a lot easier than straight grained ones, so it was subsequently available cheaply.   Sometimes for free as drift wood

Bennyboy-UK

WezV said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

The point about the varieties of maple is really interesting - several of my guitars have solid figured Maple bodies, with bolt on necks - something people often think  they will sound very toppy - and it’s just not the case.

IIRC the figured bodies Hamer made were typically eastern big leaf maple, which is definitely on the softer side - and on paper - much more similar to the physical properties of mahogany than the hard maple used for necks in most maple necked guitars. 

Agreed.  Sycamore/European maple often works nicely for solid bodies too.

I remember an anecdotal story about the reason  flamed woods first got used in violins.  The maple was often used for oars, the flamed oars broke a lot easier than straight grained ones, so it was subsequently available cheaply.   Sometimes for free as drift wood

Hey, just for completeness, Mike came back to me on this the other day - regarding strength of plain/flamed/quilted maple - he said, it depends what you mean - if they were sticks - plain (rock) maple is the hardiest and quilted easiest to break.

So thats covering both; difference species of maple, and figuring of wood as separate subjects.

He then said pretty conclusively, "If you are thinking quilt for the neck, absolutely not! Grain is all over in it".

- thankfully I'm not for the guitar he's building for me.


So check it out, we all live and learn - including very publicly, me!

AK99

Philly_Q said

I've read the same, but they're used by the likes of PRS, Nik Huber and Patrick Eggle, all guys who - I think - wouldn't use something just for looks if it ended up making an unstable guitar.  

Did somebody say Eggle ??  This one went down like a bag of sand in the Rate My Guitar thread ( philistinians..) but I like it

WezV

Bennyboy-UK said:

WezV said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

The point about the varieties of maple is really interesting - several of my guitars have solid figured Maple bodies, with bolt on necks - something people often think  they will sound very toppy - and it’s just not the case.

IIRC the figured bodies Hamer made were typically eastern big leaf maple, which is definitely on the softer side - and on paper - much more similar to the physical properties of mahogany than the hard maple used for necks in most maple necked guitars. 

Agreed.  Sycamore/European maple often works nicely for solid bodies too.

I remember an anecdotal story about the reason  flamed woods first got used in violins.  The maple was often used for oars, the flamed oars broke a lot easier than straight grained ones, so it was subsequently available cheaply.   Sometimes for free as drift wood

Hey, just for completeness, Mike came back to me on this the other day - regarding strength of plain/flamed/quilted maple - he said, it depends what you mean - if they were sticks - plain (rock) maple is the hardiest and quilted easiest to break.

So thats covering both; difference species of maple, and figuring of wood as separate subjects.

He then said pretty conclusively, "If you are thinking quilt for the neck, absolutely not! Grain is all over in it".

- thankfully I'm not for the guitar he's building for me.


So check it out, we all live and learn - including very publicly, me!

I'm glad he agrees.

I do see some people trying it sometimes... It can make for a great Instagram pic, but not a reliable guitar neck.

Flamed is okay normally, but it pays to judge the bit you have. 

Bennyboy-UK

Schnozz said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

Couple of solid flamed maple body Hamers



Hamer Cali



Hamer Custom Order Centaura  

Gimme!!

The Cali body is for sale...

monoamine

Keeping it classy with my understated 1980 Tokai Love Rock:

Logie

I like wild, non uniform flame myself. Something that draws the eye. Lovely

https://i.imgur.com/boJCsPR.jpg

Bennyboy-UK

Bennyboy-UK said:

Schnozz said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

Couple of solid flamed maple body Hamers



Hamer Cali



Hamer Custom Order Centaura  

Gimme!!

The Cali body is for sale...

Now sold - on its way to some chap in San Francisco.

Bennyboy-UK

Logie said:

I like wild, non uniform flame myself. Something that draws the eye.

https://i.imgur.com/boJCsPR.jpg

I do like that too, some of the mismatched tops you see occasionally, I think are nearly interesting to look at.