-Maple is a hard and dense wood, and a maple cap adds durability and wear resistance to the face of guitars made out of softer would like basswood and others. This is one of the main reasons guitars have maple tops. -Maple adds a selling point of bright tone.
In this way, does a maple top affect tone?
On an acoustic, yes.
People also ask, how do you get flamed maple? Popularization. Flame maple is especially popular in guitars, and has been for decades. Generally, the process includes cutting the maple to shape, forming it if necessary through mold-warping and applying a clear coat or lacquer to protect the finish, and ensure the wood holds its shape.
Accordingly, how thick is the maple top on a Gibson Les Paul?
Is flamed maple rare?
Flame maple is found only in a small percentage of maple trees and the really eye-popping examples come from less than one percent. Most people do not realize that the flame is not the actual grain pattern of the wood.
Is maple a good tonewood?
In addition to its stunning visual appeal, maple is also a highly regarded tonewood. The tone and sound maple instruments produce are unique because the tonewood has amazing strength and is quite dense. The unique curls or strips in the bigleaf maple wood make it visually appealing and desired by instrument builders.
Is maple good for guitar bodies?
Maple tonewood also provides excellent separation allowing each individual note in a chord to sound clear without blurring together. Because it is such a strong wood, hard maple can be used for solid bodies, laminate tops, necks and fingerboards.
What does maple cap mean?
Many models of guitars (Most Gibsons) have a maple top/cap on the top of the guitar’s body. This is often made of two matched pieces of wood that meet down the middle of the guitar. … This layer of maple is often said to improve the guitar’s resonance and “tone” and give a slightly snappier sound.
What is flame maple top?
Flamed maple was the first top wood ever used on an electric guitar. It can all be traced back to the iconic Gibson Les Paul. Thereafter, almost every major guitar brand has offered a flamed maple top on their guitars. The effect is created by cutting maple to shape, forming it if required through mold-warping.