Flame Bigleaf Maple Torrefied Laminated Top – 046 – StewMac

Flame Bigleaf Maple Torrefied Laminated Top – 046

Torrefied wood is becoming very popular with guitar builders, because of its stability, tone and its vintage golden color. When Flamed Bigleaf Maple is torrefied, the figuring becomes even more intense.

Minimum Dimensions: 19″ x 6-1/2″ x 0.190″ (483mm x 165mm x 4.8mm)

Torrefied Bigleaf Flamed Maple, Acer macrophyllum
Perhaps the most popular electric guitar top wood of all time, Bigleaf Flamed Maple is sought out for its beauty, symmetry and intense curl that has a nearly 3-dimensional visual effect under finish.

Our sets range from mild flame, similar to the classic LP’s, to more modern “10” tops you find on guitars from high end production and boutique shops.

Used for both lam tops and carved tops Bigleaf Maple is an excellent wood both for its workability and tonal properties. It works well with hand tools or power tools and is an excellent choice for builders who use traditional shop methods or more modern CNC tools. Care must be taken on highly figured pieces to limit chip out, but razor-sharp cutters and light passes usually prevent these issues.

And when it comes to finishing Bigleaf Maple is extremely versatile, and often only limited by your imagination. From classic stained sunbursts, to “tiger” striping, to recent vertical shading the beauty of Bigleaf Maple is often enhanced by color and finishing.

Torrefaction: the advantages of vintage wood
One of the great things about a really old instrument is the way the wood has aged over decades. It becomes a little drier and denser, and much more dimensionally stable. And aging darkens the color beautifully. 

The qualities of these rare aged woods are successfully recreated by heating wood in a low-oxygen environment using a kiln—called Torrefaction. The wood changes at the microscopic level, and behaves more like well-aged wood.

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All WOODSTAX items come with our 100% satisfaction promise and no-hassle returns. If you are unhappy with the wood once you get it, simply return it in its original, unworked condition for a full refund or exchange.