Flame maple

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Guitar with flamed maple

Flame maple, also known as flamed maple, curly maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". This effect is often mistakenly said to be part of the grain of the wood; it is more accurately called "figure", as the distortion is perpendicular to the grain direction. Prized for its beautiful appearance, it is used frequently in the manufacturing of musical instruments, such as violins, and fine furniture. Another well-known use of the material is its use in guitars, especially the venerated Gibson Les Paul and the Gibson J-200. The Gibson Les Paul "Standard", initially manufactured from 1958 to 1960, sported a flame maple top finished in a cherry-red sunburst on a mahogany body. Today, these instruments are some of the most prized on the vintage guitar market, and as such are unaffordable to most musicians.^[1]

During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on Kentucky rifles.

See also

• Quilt maple
• Birdseye maple

Notes

1. ^ The Ultimate Guitar Book, Tony Bacon, 1991 pp 82-83

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