Who is responsible for the proliferation of flame/quilt/burl tops/veneers?

[Top-L]

In the 80s, I believe the only mainstream guitars with flame maple tops were Gibson USA. I think strats could be had in tobacco and cherry burst. All the super strats and metal guitars afair, were solid, pearl, or graphic finishes.

Somewhere along the way, other companies started putting decorative tops on super strats and other shapes. I know some of my 90s Ibbys had flame and burl tops, but they deleted the body binding, and I believe they weren't real tops, just veneers.

About a decade ago, even cheap chinese guitars had decorative tops. And in response, companies like Fender/Charvel began flooding the market with solid retro-inspired super strats. Which honestly I like.

I feel that because decorative tops are used on cheaps imports, the whole concept has been cheapened. It used to be associated with higher end guitars. I do like the "unique" aspect of it. Burl top guitars especially have very unique identity, like a fingerprint.

Now I think we are in a "post veneer" period where probably other people have gotten sick of them and instead want tried and true solid finishes.

Would anyone care to speculate about the evolution of guitar finishes over the past 40 years? Was it being driven by a boutique builder like Suhr, and the big factories were just making cheap copies? Or is Ibanez responsible for this?

 

[uOpt]

Nah, look at a 1983 Ibanez catalog. Full of figured maple, e.g.

And PRS did the flame thing from the beginning.

 

[El Dunco]

It’s a conspiracy by a tightly concealed cabal to tempt us into sin. The flamed tops represent hell, where we’re going for playing such instruments.

Strat has 2 horns and 3 pickups with 6, 6 and 6 pole pieces.

COINCIDENCE?

 

[Artie]

The only thing I care about, is how it looks. I don't really care how they got there. "Paint", after all, is not a natural finish. About a decade or so ago, I learned what a "photo-top" is. I think it's a fairly clever finish technique. I have one that you couldn't tell from real wood.

On the other hand, I wouldn't want to pay a premium price for a "fake" finish.

 

[ICTGoober]

In the 80s, I believe the only mainstream guitars with flame maple tops were Gibson USA.

You'd be wrong. Ask someone who was around in the 60's and 70's. Or do some studying on guitars built before you were born.

When you get right down to it, veneers and faux finishes have been used in instrument making and furniture making for over a hundred years. So what are you complaining about? You feel cheated, or something? The market determines demand, the makers provide as long as a source is available. That's all.

 

[Demanic]

I'd much rather a figured top than just a solid color. Especially the horrid "hair metal" neons.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[weepingminotaur]

Why would I go back to solid colors when figured tops are so much prettier, on average? It's a good time to be buying guitars.

 

[solspirit]

Photo finish. Been around since the 90's

 

[chadd]

I definitely fall into the group of people that are "over" highly figured tops. They really don't do anything for me

 

[Top-L]

I definitely fall into the group of people that are "over" highly figured tops. They really don't do anything for me

Exactly. You get it. The details are not anything that can be appreciated beyond five feet anyway. And figured tops generally don't pop as much as solid colors or graphics. If they were rare and exclusive, maybe, but all the Harley be tons have then now. Its like a signal its an Asian import.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

In the 70s, the only commonly seen flametops were jazz boxes and a scant handful among the old Les Pauls.
Everyone dreamed of having a guitar with a nice curly maple top.
I remember being over the moon when I got my first with nice flame; it was a '74 L5-S.
It had a flame maple neck too, something even the the legendary bursts didn't have.

Now that there's flame everywhere, I agree that its cachet has completely evaporated.
Today it's found on many low budget guitars too, so it isn't a sign of quality anymore.

However even without the snob appeal, IMO it's an aesthetically pleasing look.
And some of the tops out there are just insane, especially on PRSi and premium Gibsons.
Much nicer than any of the old bursts, which were made when the standards for flame were not very high.

 

[beaubrummels]

As a side anecdote, I now have my grandfather's RCA radio from the 1940's that is this beautiful free-standing wood cabinet with multiple burled and flame woods in a violin burst everywhere. When I went to pick it up, I was expecting this heavy monster that required 2 people to move, but I could pick it up by myself and almost accidentally threw it. Turns out, when I looked behind it, the thing is actually just a simple plywood box and all the fancy woods are very thin veneers. (My family wasn't rich and this was just a cheap radio back in the day, but just looked nice for the time.). So the idea of veneers to make anything wood seem fancier has been going on for a long long time.

In the 80's into the 90's I recall the 'famous' or 'classic' bursts weren't as popular and so harder to find, but they were around. I recall seeing weirder variants like pink and bubble gum blue flame bursts. Whether they were a solid top, veneer, or photo top is a matter of price point, so you have to do your homework to make sure the price point matches what it is. (Taking the pickups out and looking at the cross-section of the top is one of the ways I know to check.)

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, we started to see different ways companies could offer figured tops (photos, very thin slices of wood) in mass produced guitars in the 90s. Things like that used to be a custom order from most companies. Now almost every company offers some sort of figuring somewhere in their line. I like most of them, unless they look like diseases under a microscope, or if it is all way too busy.

 

[Ascension]

Both Carvin and Hamer back in the 80's were building guitars with solid figured bodies. Not Figured tops but solid figured bodies and necks. Had a Hamer Vintage S that was solid quilt maple as an example. Some of the highly figured Carvins in both flame and quilt maple plus highly figured KOA were absolutely stunning many with equally highly figured necks. My early to mid 90's Washburn USA guitars with quilt drop tops are absolutely jaw dropping in the flesh and no photo does them justice. Had a late 70's flame Green Burst X shaped Aria U 60 Deluxe that was also a real looker and one of the best guitars I ever owned. Gibson was the first I remember seeing seeing but a lot of others had figured top and bodies in the late 70's.

 

[Ascension]

Yeah, we started to see different ways companies could offer figured tops (photos, very thin slices of wood) in mass produced guitars in the 90s. Things like that used to be a custom order from most companies. Now almost every company offers some sort of figuring somewhere in their line. I like most of them, unless they look like diseases under a microscope, or if it is all way too busy.

Agree with this as love a nice tasteful figured top. However now days many companies are building with woods and colors that look like an alien puked all over the top. Kiesel is one of the worst at this and charges absolutely crazy prices for their alien puke tops . Like this one and I am NOT a fan LOL! https://reverb.com/item/58421791-kiesel-hk7x-headless-k-series-vintage-yellow-burst

 

[LLL]

I would blame Paul Reed Smith in the 90's and 2Ks for really kicking the fad into overdrive... and to a lesser extent, Carvin.

Gibson etc always had the flametop Les Pauls, but when PRS was coming up, they were really pumping out the super flame / curly maple tops.

Carvin always had the super flame / curly maple top options in the 80's.

Once upon a time, having a flame top or curly map on your guitar was a big deal; not anymore with the over-saturation.

I personally never cared for them.

 

[El Dunco]

Basically none of my guitars besides my Am-strat (not a lot of choices being a lefty and all, it’s the standard tobacco sunburst) Washburn (tiger maple) and Schecter (quilted maple) are anything other than one solid colour. Whoever said the detail is lost on stage gets it. At least the tiger maple is orange on red for more contrast. The Schecter maybe gets a second of “oh, nice” factor from the burgundy-on-black but no-one would say it looks bad without the quilted maple.

Even my Ibanez Les Paul has a thick maple cap and keep it solid black which to me seems like it’s more about utility than aesthetic (I know, I can’t prove it makes a difference, what am I gonna do, saw it off?) Some figured tops I’ve seen that aren’t painted on looks like it’s a millimeter thick, like they’re being really stingy to save money and you can’t tell wher it begins and ends.

 

[Mr. 80's]

Never been a fan of figured top guitars, especially highly figured tops. I'll take solid colors and graphics any day. I've only ever gotten one figured top guitar because the price was really good and it plays, sounds fantastic. I would love to get it repainted solid someday and maybe a cool graphic or something.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

If it's a nice piece of wood great. Either the complete "plank" or a decent thickness (like 3/16ths or so and up) top. If it's faked or paper thin veneer over sh#twood no thanks.

 

[uOpt]

I like veneers as long as it is real (although thin) wood. Carved tops can be over the top.