What creates this effect on the top of a guitar?

Antney

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txbumper57

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Which effect are you referring to Antney? Being able to feel and see the grain raised through the finish or the silking effect of the spruce top itself?


TX
 
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Antney

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I'm sorry I should have been clearer...the waves moving horizontally across the grain (it's more apparent in the bottom of the photograph)
 

txbumper57

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That is what I refer to as "Silking". It is a Characteristic of some High grade Spruce tops and can be quite beautiful in the right light. It has to do with the quality of the wood and the way it was cut as well. Silking is common on more than a few species of spruce that are used for Guitar tops. I have it on Sitka tops, Englemann tops, and I even have an Adirondack top with quite a bit of it in there too. I am sure someone else will be along shortly with more technical and scientific terms for the effect. Personally I consider it a plus and for some it is more desirable than a top without it.

Bearclaw is when you have isolated areas of this effect that are more predominantly reflective across the top. It is referred to as Bearclaw because it looks like a Bear scuffed the top of the guitar with his claws in certain places.

TX
 
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adorshki

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adorshki

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Excellent read!
Tnx
M

Thx!
When I started doing the look-ups there was only TX's first reply, LOL!.
And I'm actually going to clarify TX's explanation of "Bearclaw", it's actual distortion of the rays thought to be caused by twisting and/or compression off the wood during growth and showing as clear distortions in the linearity of the grain/medullary rays.
The term derives from the myth that it was caused by bears clawing the growing tree. (Bears do do this to sharpen their claws and/or mark territory)
This pic shows why it was easy to think that:

Fd92731.jpg


It used to be considered a cosmetic flaw but now is thought to be an indicator of denser wood (from the compression), and aesthetic sensibilities have changed in the meantime as well.
I like it, and there's a tiny bit of it visible on the lower bout of my D25 in just the right light.
 

steve488

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I cannot speak for specific spruce trees, but the pines and firs that I have seen clawed by bears do not really compare with the "bearclaw" titled guitar tops. The actual marked trees lose a lot of wood in that process and any compressed material would be minimal and in somewhat parallel patterns. I suspect that title started as just a visual comment and nothing more. It does make for some pretty wood attributes.
 

txbumper57

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Thx!
When I started doing the look-ups there was only TX's first reply, LOL!.
And I'm actually going to clarify TX's explanation of "Bearclaw", it's actual distortion of the rays thought to be caused by twisting and/or compression off the wood during growth and showing as clear distortions in the linearity of the grain/medullary rays.
The term derives from the myth that it was caused by bears clawing the growing tree. (Bears do do this to sharpen their claws and/or mark territory)
This pic shows why it was easy to think that:

Fd92731.jpg


It used to be considered a cosmetic flaw but now is thought to be an indicator of denser wood (from the compression), and aesthetic sensibilities have changed in the meantime as well.
I like it, and there's a tiny bit of it visible on the lower bout of my D25 in just the right light.

You can believe all this scientific mumbo jumbo about bearclaw spruce if you want to but I still think my theory is the most accurate. My explanation for it was that Winnie the Pooh used the tree to hide his head while playing Hide and Seek with Tigger and Eeyore. During this time he was scratching the tree with his claws while counting to ten. Does a Bear Poop in the woods? Winnie did and that is how we got Bearclaw Spruce!:triumphant:

Just kidding, LOL! Thanks to Al for the Scientific information/links to silking and thanks to Ralf for the visuals of Bearclaw Sitka!

TX
 

adorshki

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I cannot speak for specific spruce trees, but the pines and firs that I have seen clawed by bears do not really compare with the "bearclaw" titled guitar tops. The actual marked trees lose a lot of wood in that process and any compressed material would be minimal and in somewhat parallel patterns. I suspect that title started as just a visual comment and nothing more. It does make for some pretty wood attributes.
Right about the actual clawed tree being pretty thrashed, but the term goes way back, before they understood what the probable real cause was, and the myth that it was caused by bears which were known to claw on trees was created in the absence of any other known causes.
It was supposed to be wood that had "healed" over time.
See post number 2 in this thread:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4136

On the other hand I may be the victim of a myth about how a different myth was created.
:glee:
 
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adorshki

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And this technique is employed by many, many performing musicians to this very day to make their own mark(s) on their guitars (and anyone else's guitar they borrow)
And thh distinction should be made that those guitars themselves (as opposed to the topwood) are known as "Willy"s or "Trigger"s :

WillieNelsonPlays.jpg



There were also known examples of Guild D40 "Richie"s
If you look real close you can see he's just gettin' started on this one:

Richie-Havens-1.jpg


I'm not even close to that on mine, hard as I try.
But then I also made the mistake of addin' that second 'guard for purely cosmetic reasons.
It's another reason I don't try out guitars in music stores that I don't actually intend to buy.
 
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