View source for Flame maple

{{Short description|Distortion of wood fibers in maple wood}}
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 {{more citations needed|date=June 2008}}
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[[File:Italian Violin by Ansaldo Poggi, Bologna, Stradivari Model, Back.jpg|thumb|Backside view of a violin]]

'''Flame maple''' ('''tiger maple'''), also known as ''flamed maple'', ''curly maple'', ''ripple maple'', ''fiddleback'' or ''tiger stripe'', is a feature of [[maple]] in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating [[Chatoyancy|chatoyant]] pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". This effect is often mistakenly said to be part of the [[Wood grain|grain]] of the wood; it is more accurately called "[[figure (wood)|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]]s, such as violins, guitars, and bassoons.

During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the [[Appalachian Mountains]], curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on [[long rifle|Kentucky rifle]]s.

== About the Wood ==
[[File:Split maple log with tiger grain.jpg|thumb|Split tiger maple log shows the physical waviness.]]
When wood from a tree with undulating grain is split, the wood splits along the undulations, so that the split log shows, and one can feel, the physical waviness.

[[File:Stained tiger maple.jpg|thumb|Tiger maple sawn flat and stained. The stain accentuates the alternating flat and end grain of the wood.]]
When the wood is sawn flat, effectively cutting off the "tops" of the "waves", the result is an alternating pattern of end grain and flat grain. As end grain naturally absorbs more stain than flat grain, staining the sawn wood accentuates the striped pattern.

== Usage in guitars ==

===Figures on {{vanchor|Gibson Les Paul Standard}} (1958-1960)===
[[Image:Gibson Les Paul (Deutsches Museum).jpg|thumb|1958 Gibson Les Paul <br />with light flame pattern]]
{{Main|Gibson Les Paul Standard}}

According to the ''Beauty Of The Burst'' by Yasuhiko Watanabe, the figures seen on the sunburst [[Gibson Les Paul|Les Paul]] 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 figure|Bird's eye]]'').<ref name="Iwanabe1996">
{{cite book |last=Iwanabe |first=Yasuhiko |url=http://www.rittor-music.co.jp/books/12211001.html |title=The Beauty Of The 'Burst: Gibson Sunburst Les Pauls from '58 to '60 |date=2012 |work=Rittor Music Mook |publisher=[[:ja:リットーミュージック|Rittor Music]] / Hal Leonard Corp. |isbn=978-4-84560222-3 |page=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140808080327/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/5c/d8/j/o0480064010806033142.jpg 182] |id=(Japanese paperback ed.) / {{ISBN|978-0-7935-7374-5}} (English ed.) |quote= |orig-year=1996/1997, 1998/1999}} "{{smaller|''STORY OF FIGURE - The Types of Figures Seen on the Sunburst Les Pauls: [https://web.archive.org/web/20140808083433/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/86/ca/j/o0800106710806033143.jpg Flame], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502141256/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/e0/0a/j/o0800106710806033144.jpg Tiger stripe], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502142220/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/31/34/j/o0800106710806033706.jpg Tiger stripe], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502142224/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/bf/d7/j/o0800106710806033707.jpg Curly], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502140452/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/7e/70/j/o0800106710806033709.jpg Fiddleback], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502141227/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/9e/7c/j/o0800106710806034182.jpg Pin stripe], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502142222/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/7f/df/j/o0800106710806034183.jpg Ribbon curl], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502211227/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/a2/b1/j/o0800106710806034184.jpg Blister], [https://web.archive.org/web/20180502141140/http://stat001.ameba.jp/user_images/20101017/13/yoshifumi70201/20/73/j/o0800106710806034633.jpg Bird's eye].''}}" &nbsp; (For details, see excerpted images on [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100903/http://ameblo.jp/yoshifumi70201/entry-10679452632.html], [http://www.digimart.net/spcl/sunburst_lespaul/])
</ref> Note that usually the last two types are not considered as the flame maple variations, along with the [[quilt maple]].

{{clear right}}

===Figures on {{vanchor|modern maple top electric guitars}}===
;6 types of flame maple wood
<gallery widths="90">
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
</gallery>
;Other types of figure maple wood <span style="font-weight:normal;">(for comparison)</span>
<gallery widths="90">
File:Agile AD-3000 body front.jpg|Blister
File:Epiphone Les Paul Classic Birdseye (1994-1998) body.jpg|[[Bird's eye figure|Bird's eye]]
<!-- File:Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II body.jpg|Quilt -->
File:BACCHUS.jpg|[[Quilt maple]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Commons category}}
* [[Quilt maple]]
* [[Birdseye maple]]

==Notes==
<references />
<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/flame-maple/|title=Flame Maple - inSync|date=2007-04-11|work=inSync|access-date=2018-11-27|language=en-US}}</ref>

{{Woodworking}}

[[Category:Maple]]
[[Category:Wood]]
[[Category:Wood-related terminology]]