Flame maple (tiger maple), also known as ''flamed maple'', ''curly maple'', ''ripple maple'', ''fiddleback'' or ''tiger stripe'', is a feature of

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since h ...

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 A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit ( caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

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 fine furniture and

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...

s, such as violins, guitars, and bassoons. During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

, curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on

Kentucky rifle The long rifle, also known as the longrifle, Kentucky rifle, Pennsylvania rifle, or American longrifle, a muzzle-loading firearm used for hunting and warfare, was one of the first commonly-used rifles. The American rifle was characterized by a ...

Usage in guitars

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.

Controversy

Among guitar communities, one debate always present is that of tonality. This is the debate on how much or how little the instrument's material affects its sound. While this is a massive debate in itself, flame maple is a hardwood which is generally regarded to produce a bright, shimmering sound, due to its rigidity and reflection against sound waves. This effect is generally noticeable in acoustic flame-maple guitars, but arguably insignificant in electric guitars. Additionally, the effects of clear-coating or applying nitro to a flame maple finish are also up for debate.

Variations

Figures on (1958-1960)

According to the ''Beauty Of The Burst'' by Yasuhiko Watanabe, the figures seen on the sunburst

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...

are categorized into 8 types: 6 types of flame maple (''Curly'', ''Ribbon curly'', ''Flame'', ''Tiger stripe'', ''Fiddleback'', ''Pin stripe''), and 2 other types (''Blister'' and '' Bird's eye''). "" (For details, see excerpted images o

Note that usually the last two types are not considered as the flame maple variations, along with the quilt maple.

Figures on

;6 types of flame maple wood File:Peavey EVH Wolfgang guitar (body) at Hard Rock Cafe San Antonio, Texas.jpg, Curly File:PRS Custom (1988) Santana guitar (body), MIM PHX.jpg, Ribbon curl File:Gibson Custom 50th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard (body) edited.jpg, Flame File:2012 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus body (by ravas51) vertical.jpg, Tiger stripe File:Ephiphone Slash Signature Les Paul (clip), Juliens Auctions Preview 2011-03-08.jpg, Fiddleback File:D'Angelico EX-SD body.jpg, Pin stripe ;Other types of figure maple wood (for comparison) File:Agile AD-3000 body front.jpg, Blister File:Epiphone Les Paul Classic Birdseye (1994-1998) body.jpg, Bird's eye File:BACCHUS.jpg, Quilt maple

Notes

Maple Wood {{material-stub