Eastern Maple-Mineral Streaks Question

[Guitardon]

A friend of mine is looking for a LP Historic and wants one with Eastern Maple, so he asked me what I know. I told him that a lot of eastern maple has mineral streaks. He is nearly blind and I want to help him but I am just telling him what I think I read here on the forum. I want to confirm

Question 1 - Is it only eastern that has mineral streaks or is it just that mineral streaks are more common in eastern maple.

Secondly I sent him this picture of my 2013 R0. So question 2 is, is this likely to be eastern maple? It has long mineral streaks.

Thank you forum experts!

 

[MIKE20]

looks like it...

I've 4 '13 R0's and they has Eastern...

 

[TM1]

Eastern Maple is the stock wood used for all tops on guitars made in the Custom/Historic Div..

 

[Uncle Gary]

Looks like a nice piece of Eastern Maple to me.

 

[Guitardon]

Eastern Maple is the stock wood used for all tops on guitars made in the Custom/Historic Div..

I didn't know that, are you sure? Was I correct in telling my friend that eastern maple is the one with streaks or does all maple often have streaks? I think he was looking for a definitive answer in that if it has streaks it is eastern or not true.

 

[delawaregold]

Just my opinion here. I think you would actually get the correct answer
if you referred to the Maple you want by the Species Name. There are
a number of Species of Eastern Maple. Gibson refers to any one of them
as Eastern Maple. Are your questions regarding Acer saccharum?

 

[Guitardon]

Just my opinion here. I think you would actually get the correct answer
if you referred to the Maple you want by the Species Name. There are
a number of Species of Eastern Maple. Gibson refers to any one of them
as Eastern Maple. Are your questions regarding Acer saccharum?

I don't know much about the types of maple except what I read and hear. I know often I hear that this one or that one with mineral states is eastern maple. Therefore I quoted to someone that if it has streaks it is eastern maple. I decided to try to make sure I am correct. I searched and can't find anything that states that steaks = eastern, so I though I would ask. Based on the minimum responses I assume no one knows or wants to chime in and help. So in answer to your question I don't know what Acer saccharum means so my question was more generic than specific species.

 

[GeetarGoul]

Not all "eastern" maple has streaks and or flecks.

 

[GeetarGoul]

There's red maple, sugar maple, silver maple and probably many more. Your guitar looks to be "eastern." An easy way to identify Eastern maple is that it tends to be more uptight than Western maple.

 

[Guitardon]

Not all "eastern" maple has streaks and or flecks.

Thanks GeetarGoul but that is the opposite of what I am asking. I am asking if steaks are found only in eastern maple. I know every piece or wood won't have streaks but. I just wanted to know if steaks were associated with eastern maple or do other parts of the country have maple trees with streaks.

 

[markguitar]

I've never seen mineral streaks or flecks in big leaf western maple.

 

[GeetarGoul]

In general, Western will not have mineral streaks and or flecks. Western figure also tends to have very boring and pronounced medullary grain (straight like a bbq grill vs. topographic). Eastern flame/figure seems to move around (dance) more than Western. Of course the way a tree is cut affects the appearance (flatsawn, riftsawn and quartersawn). The back of the Beauty of the Burst book explains this well. The web if full of information on this.

Since your friend is nearly blind, he should buy based solely on tone and playability verses getting hung up on aesthetics like the rest of us. Or he should buy from an expert like Mark (markguitar) at Mark's Guitar Loft.

 

[Guitardon]

In general, Western will not have mineral streaks and or flecks. Western figure also tends to have very boring and pronounced medullary grain (straight like a bbq grill vs. topographic). Eastern flame/figure seems to move around (dance) more than Western. Of course the way a tree is cut affects the appearance (flatsawn, riftsawn and quartersawn). The back of the Beauty of the Burst book explains this well. The web if full of information on this.

Since your friend is nearly blind, he should buy based solely on tone and playability verses getting hung up on aesthetics like the rest of us. Or he should buy from an expert like Mark (markguitar) at Mark's Guitar Loft.

Thanks for the reply. My friend is not totally blind and once owned a real burst. He can see the streaks in mine, I sent the picture to him. I like that look and so does he, he just can't see it from 6 feet away. He also has a very good ear for sound, much better then mine so sound will be important to him. But he wants the same as me to have something he feels looks stylish even if he can't see as clearly as me. I just wanted to make sure I quoted the right thing and from some of the reply's it sounds like I did. He is looking at several at Mark's, I told him that was a great place to shop and he knows I buy form Mark from time to time.

 

[Guitardon]

I've never seen mineral streaks or flecks in big leaf western maple.

Thanks Mark that is what I thought I had heard here on the forum, I just couldn't find it when I searched.

 

[GreenBurst]

I've never seen mineral streaks or flecks in big leaf western maple.

If it's not too much trouble could someone please post a clear pic of flecks.

Minerals streaks seem to be mentioned and discussed a lot. Flecks only ever seem to be referred to. Would be good to get a comparative pic that shows the two so people can learn how to discern them.

Thanks.

 

[Hardrockmapletop]

This is what I call "flecks'.
JB's "Principal Skinner".
A sure sign of Sugar Maple I believe.

 

[RUFFCUT]

?...

 

[Hardrockmapletop]

That's some bottom shelf maple right there.
Why Gibson even uses that crap I'll never know.
Probably because of all the "post bigleaf", post 2001 hype about mineral streaks.
Show me one original Burst that had maple like that?

 

[Guitardon]

This is what I call "flecks'.
JB's "Principal Skinner".
A sure sign of Sugar Maple I believe.

Based on your photo it looks like mine has both streaks and flecks. The streaks are longer and run with the grain the flecks are more random and shorter not following the grain, I think.

 

[Big Al]

That's some bottom shelf maple right there.
Why Gibson even uses that crap I'll never know.
Probably because of all the "post bigleaf", post 2001 hype about mineral streaks.
Show me one original Burst that had maple like that?

I tend to agree. Premium Maple, Eastern lacks mineral streaks, (which do occur in Big Leaf), and minimum flecking. I've seen the term Clear Maple used to describe this high grade.

Someone read in a book that Sugar Maple sometimes appear with flecks. Next thing you know the interwebs are flooded with posts about flecks and mineral streaks and how it means their top is cooler, and the flecks prove it. Next you have all the pics posted and lame ass chest thumping by numbskulls bragging about how much more flecked and streaked their guitar is.

"OOooo I just love me some flecks" OOoooo check out the cool flecks in this top"

All this bullshit and it's evolution can be found on this forum. No one desired them, certainly not held in esteem. Some small flecks were tolerated, hopefully covered by the burst.

Now Gibson ain't dumb. That top would have been under a Gold metallic finish if the uninformed hadn't created such a buzz for defects. Now they know they have a willing market.

Some people go gaa gaa for this, Fine not me. I buy clear Maple. I'm glad some like it, but premium it is not.