Plain Top vs Flame Top (Page 1 of 2)

The best way to judge the "wood" on a guitar is to play it acoustically.  Everything else is just theory, and, even if generally true, there are/will be many exceptions.

There are no hard and fast rules.

I love plain top les pauls dunno if there'd be a huge notable dif. I would of thought instrument makers like all fine carpenters would of picked flamed pieces on the looks as well as tonals. Let's be honest gibson makes something to sell the majority will go for looks the minority will pick based on tone, but that dif in tone can happen to a piece cut from the same tree. It looks more to me like justification of costs.

Personally I believe properly cured wood will sound the best, Yairi guitars have good tone with good wood stocks. I think that is key to older instruments like the stradivarius violins etc

My penny worth

Jtb

I think who ever came up with that statment might have heard the sounds with their eyes and not their ears.  Even if it was true that a flame top was less dense then a plain top (which I don't believe) it wouldn't be that big of a difference.  They get maple from the same place tree's.  There is nothing more magical then the other, but the more dried out it is makes a big difference.  How do they get flame tops and quilt tops?  Part of it is luck of the draw, but the biggest thing is they cut it in a special way that gets that look.  Plain tops get the most planks out of the tree, while flame tops require a special cut that waists much more of the tree.  In other words a plain top is cut straight up and down the tree like a 90 degree angle, Figured tops are cut at more of a 45 degree cut which gives you less planks of wood to work with but produce those figures that cost so much more.  So really the reason they cost more is because you waist more to get it.  Also Maple necks that are quarter sawn necks they waist more wood as well, but they are the strongest necks you'll ever find, and even though I dont think they make a difference in tone I do think they make a difference in performance over a period of time.  They don't warp as easy and need less adjustment over time.  Great topic!

I heard flame tops came about because it was cast away wood from the furniture industry. The grains were to individualistic, and it the furniture looked like the wood didn't match.

way too many factors go into if wood sounds good. I don't know where to start. But if you got it? you got it!

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping.

I have never heard the furniture theory ever and am interested to find out more.  I will report back with more info hopefully.  I think the first comment sums it all up guys.  You must play the guitar acoustically and figure out if you dig the sound.  Some will sound low and bassy and others will sound thin and trebly.  Great sound is heard by an individual and not produced by a guitar.  There are people out there with a taste for all sorts of different tones.  R8s and R9s are both killer guitars.  As far as looks go it is up to you.  If a flame top speaks to you visually to the point that it improves your confidence while playing then being heard on a plain top that does not particularly inspire you could be mistaken as a lack of tone.  Warren Haynes often plays a plaintop and it inarguably sound unbelievable.  Also make sure you have great electronics and pups.  IMO a Gibson LP standard with a pair of Sheptone Tributes, 50's wiring, sprague paper in oil caps, and super nice 500K pots will beat an R9 9 times out of 10with....I hope I didn't start s*#t with that last comment.

for shure no bad choice...     ...if you like it stick with it... 

one should not forget that in most cases where a figured top (R9 & R0) is used also very light weight Mahagony is the used for the body... which might have more effect on the tone of an instrument than the flames and figures... it just happened to occure that tonal differencies is credited to the flamed Maple but rather is due to the Mahagony...?  Just my theory... I don't know  whether this is right...

I have a darkburst R6 and a darkburst flamed R9... the R9 has more treble than the R9 while the R9 is more "honky" than the R6... don't know how to descrube this better... hope you get what I mean... 

Greetings
PIT... 

I love my R8 plain top.  I've played R9's and R0's... They are all very consistant to my ear. I really dont think you can go wrong. 

That said I like flame tops but I couldn't afford 2000 extra dollars. So go with what you like.  If the looks of the guitar speak to you that is important also.

If your heart is set on the flame top you will not be happy with a plain top no matter how good the tone is.

Gold Top= Problem Solved