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Thread: Show Us Your Curly Maple

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Show Us Your Curly Maple

    I might have posted this in another section already, but I figure it would get more attention here in The Whammy Bar, so apologies if you've already seen/ignored this.

    I'm asking folks to show photos of their curly maple guitars. As many of you know, I'm having a guitar built for me, and I've been asked what kind of curly maple I favor. I have some idea, but without examples to narrow it down, I'm kind of flying blind. Part of the problem I'm having is because there are so many variations: flamed, quilted, wide and thin, tiger stripe, etc.

    Here is an example (made by the luthier himself). I'm not crazy about the gloss finish, but I don't have to have that now, do I?


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  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    How dare you, sir! I only show my curly maple after the third date.
    Nah, I'm easy:

    2012 Gibby LP Trad.

    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  3. #3
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    ok, what's your budget for bandwidth this month?

    gimme a few minutes, I've got 20 something guitars to look through to find the best representation of their tops. Then I got to put most of them on imgur, etc etc so it'll be a while. Gives me something to do while I wait for an auction to end in about 3 hours.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  4. #4
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Not sure what ‘curly’ maple is.

    Used to own this:



    Now this is the only maple I own, but I’m guessing it ain’t curly


  5. #5
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    oh, man. looking at my pictures, I am stricken with nostalgia. I had some pretty guitars back in the day.

    Miss Vicky, and I hate naming my guitars but the V shape just called out for it. 2003 R0. Great example of 'travel' of the flame depending on how you look at it







    one of the many casualties of my getting laid off that year
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  6. #6
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    I had this one for a good while, thought it was going to stay with me forever. Then I played the black one. That is how good the black one was, because this was no slouch in the tone and playing department. 2006 R0



    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  7. #7
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Rossington #104. boy did it sound good. It was a little on the heavy side if I recall correctly, probably why it didn't stay long.



    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  8. #8
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    I hope I'm not getting boring yet

    this 2003 R9 had a top that was a good example of what I call 'crumpled silk under glass' and it had crazy 'travel'. I think some people also call this 'flip'. I just wish I was a better photographer at the time.





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  9. #9
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    oh, man. This one hurts. I should never have let it go. Another 2003 R9, it was my last purchase before I got laid off, and probably the first to go. If I knew then what I know now, I would have held onto it. When the black R0 showed up, it was the first guitar since this one that sounded that incredible, bone stock. It was gone with minutes of hitting the website, flying to the land of the rising sun.

    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  10. #10
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    one of my '99 40th anniversary guitars. Probably the most beautiful, active tops I've ever beheld. Haven't seen anything like it since. Pictures are so inadequate to describe it. Holding it and moving it around was mesmerizing. If only it could have sounded as good as it looked. I tried more different pickups in it than any other I've had, just couldn't get it to sound right. Maybe if you played all the time with a ton of distortion and effects, it would be serviceable but I don't play that way. This guitar has been around, I see it pop up time and again, pump and dump, lol.

    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  11. #11
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    hmm, one I forgot about. LOL, hope that doesn't speak poorly of it. Actually, it was during a time of sadness in my family so it doesn't surprise me. R9

    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  12. #12
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    We're almost done with my parade of flames down memory lane. This one, I don't know, it must have been the 2003 R9 darkburst above that pushed this one out. That guitar, this guitar and my black R0 are the three best sounding guitars, bone stock, that I've ever played. But this was was a '99 40th anniversary. I saw it for sale about 10 years later, at more than double what I paid/sold it for. Sure wouldn't mind this one back.

    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  13. #13
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Some very pretty guitars there, folks. Keep 'em coming!

    Not to quash anyone's enthusiasm, I'm probably not going with a burst or a quilted look.
    Striving to be ordinary

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  14. #14
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    last, but not least, one I still have. 60th anniversary (holy crap, how long have I been doing this?) R9. I actually went in with my black R0, looking to get a 2019 R0 that was in the shop. Mark let me try it. Then he said, "Can I show you something?" He brought me this one. I played it. Holy smokes, Batman. Another freaking great one. But would it kick the black R0 to the curb? No, it did not. It is costing me a pretty penny but I figure it will probably be the last Les Paul I buy, unless one or two of my past holdings were to come around.



    the pickguard was never installed and I probably won't cover up that sweet flame either.

    Well, that killed about 2 hours only an hour to go on that auction I'm watching
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  15. #15
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Nice, Dan. Thank you!
    Striving to be ordinary

    Proud to be a TFF Dumbass!

  16. #16
    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Not curly, but quilted.


  17. #17
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Quote Originally Posted by Laker View Post
    Not curly, but quilted.

    |And don't forget the birdseye on the neck!!
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
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  18. #18
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    How does the cigar box play?
    Striving to be ordinary

    Proud to be a TFF Dumbass!

  19. #19
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Here's another example of quilted maple. It's one of my favorite guitars to play.



    The quilt on my Guild is much more subtle. It's another awesome guitar- a super lucky find.



    This guitar had pretty wild flame, but the maker dyed the wood to enhance the flame and this ruined the natural chatoyancy (how the figure in the wood appears to move under light)- the best part of figured wood, in my opinion.







    The red Gibson had nice flame that was partially obscured by the finish. The blond Heritage has uneven subtle blistering that almost disappears at certain viewing angles.


  20. #20
    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    How does the cigar box play?
    It’s actually a pretty cool little thing to play but I have to get some better strings on it. The strings that are on it require constant tuning.

  21. #21
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Show Us Your Curly Maple

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    ... the maker dyed the wood to enhance the flame and this ruined the natural chatoyancy (how the figure in the wood appears to move under light) ...
    Chatoyancy, now I know what that is called. Thanks, Don
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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