Bonefish Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Why doesn't Heritage bookmatch their guitars? It can add so much to the finish of the guitar, but it doesn't seem to be much of a priority to heritage. I'm especially thinking of their guitars with the maple caps, it seems the caps would be pretty straightforward to bookmatch in a production environment (not easy, but considering these are handcrafted by expert luthiers it strikes me as odd that they don't do this).
eljay Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 in my opinion, yes. don't believe book matching would be the deciding factor, yea or nay, for a geetar i'd be interested in.
Guest HRB853370 Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 I have seen plenty of Heritage booked matched tops John. I wouldnt say they all are but look at some of the examples that appear on this forum. Brent just acquired an early 150 from somebody that had a gorgeous book matched flamed top.
DetroitBlues Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Why should they book match when they can do this?
Trouble Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 The top on my 150 is bookmatched, but for some reason th flame isn't real semmetrical, everything in the center matches but the outside of the upper bout has a little burl that the lower bout doesn't have. Nice matched flame in the center though.
FredZepp Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 The top on my 150 is bookmatched, but for some reason th flame isn't real semmetrical, everything in the center matches but the outside of the upper bout has a little burl that the lower bout doesn't have. Nice matched flame in the center though. You'll find much of the archtop woods are bookmatched. But when you go into the thick solidbody tops, they show the nature of Eastern maples. The sources of the eastern maples that Heritage uses are as they were in the old Gibson days. It tends to have mineral streaks and a more irregular flame. As you work the top contours , it tends to change appearance as you go farther into the wood. ... The Bursts in "Beauty of the Burst" illustrate that they were the same way. Western maples are often used by other brands in making flame tops ... as they are a very uniform flame with little mineral streaking. Also, it's a bit softer than the eastern maple ..so it's easier to work with.
JeffB Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Everything to do with guitar is over rated. Book matching isnt a tone enhancement it just visual candy. It matters to some and doesnt seem over rated but desirable. Six strings stretched over a really nice feeling neck and fret board and a certain "thunk" at one end and a particular "chime" at the other end pretty much sells me the guitar.
Bonefish Posted July 16, 2012 Author Posted July 16, 2012 Western maples are often used by other brands in making flame tops ... as they are a very uniform flame with little mineral streaking. Also, it's a bit softer than the eastern maple ..so it's easier to work with. First, this question is 100% about look and has nothing to do with tone or playability. However, as many of you have stated a bookmatched flame can be a beautiful thing, and the craftsman at Heritage clearly care about look and feel, so it's odd to me that they don't do more bookmatching (as most of us agree there are some beautiful heritage bookmatched guitars out there). Fred, I'm a little confused by your explanation. My understanding is that bookmatching involves a long slice through the wood, and one inner side represents the top and one the bottom. If this is the case, the variance and irregularities wouldn't matter much as they would still match on the top and bottom. I think I'm oversimplifying or maybe don't quite understand the process. (what made me think to ask the question is that I absolutely love the H-157 I recently purchase and love the wood on top half of the front, but the wood on bottom doesn't match up at all. I'm totally over it and love the guitar and still feel that's it's absolutely beautiful. But, it would be MORE beautiful if the top was bookmatched)
Steiner Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Pictures? The top of the solid body 15Xs are shaped. the Flame, curl, figure in wood changes with the shape. The wood I've seen in Kazoo is a rather large ~3" slab that gets resawed on a bandsaw. The bandsaw isn't a very accurate tool so the bookmatched surface has to be sanded smooth. As you sand into the surface, the figure changes creating a dissimilar pattern between the two halves. While they remain close and aesthetically pleasing, the two halves are never perfect mirrored images. Blues - That's a gorgeous guitar! Small blocks on a ebony board and a 1 piece top! Simply perfect.
FredZepp Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 First, this question is 100% about look and has nothing to do with tone or playability. However, as many of you have stated a bookmatched flame can be a beautiful thing, and the craftsman at Heritage clearly care about look and feel, so it's odd to me that they don't do more bookmatching (as most of us agree there are some beautiful heritage bookmatched guitars out there). Fred, I'm a little confused by your explanation. My understanding is that bookmatching involves a long slice through the wood, and one inner side represents the top and one the bottom. If this is the case, the variance and irregularities wouldn't matter much as they would still match on the top and bottom. I think I'm oversimplifying or maybe don't quite understand the process. (what made me think to ask the question is that I absolutely love the H-157 I recently purchase and love the wood on top half of the front, but the wood on bottom doesn't match up at all. I'm totally over it and love the guitar and still feel that's it's absolutely beautiful. But, it would be MORE beautiful if the top was bookmatched) You're right ... they do a good bit of Flitch matching ( as they have always done ) , where a piece of wood may have a flaw and they use a piece from the same billet but have to rotate it or do something that may not make the center seam a perfect bookmatch. The point about the different maples is that some boards have enough variance that even when you bookmatch it may not look like a perfect mirror of the other side. On a western maple the flame is so uniform that it is easier, where on eastern you'll get more variance as you cut into it. The more that the top is contoured , the greater the chance for surprises.
FredZepp Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 I can't find the pic that I wanted... the 150/157 bodies glued before the binding rout is done.... Maybe I'll find it tomorrow.
DetroitBlues Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Pictures? The top of the solid body 15Xs are shaped. the Flame, curl, figure in wood changes with the shape. The wood I've seen in Kazoo is a rather large ~3" slab that gets resawed on a bandsaw. The bandsaw isn't a very accurate tool so the bookmatched surface has to be sanded smooth. As you sand into the surface, the figure changes creating a dissimilar pattern between the two halves. While they remain close and aesthetically pleasing, the two halves are never perfect mirrored images. Blues - That's a gorgeous guitar! Small blocks on a ebony board and a 1 piece top! Simply perfect. I'd imagine the owner that that guitar knows just how incredibly special that instrument is and probably appreciates it much more than I did.
Steiner Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 I'd imagine the owner that that guitar knows just how incredibly special that instrument is and probably appreciates it much more than I did. I bet he plays it most every day...
DetroitBlues Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 I bet he plays it most every day... I sure hope he does. I think its the best rehabilitation program there is...
fretless Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Why should they book match when they can do this? oh my :love
DetroitBlues Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 and just think... that goodness was covered up with a clownburst...
Bonefish Posted July 16, 2012 Author Posted July 16, 2012 Fred and Steiner - thanks for the explanation, that makes a ton of sense. One of my points of reference is a Music Man video showing how they build and bookmatch their guitars. Their guitars do not have carved tops and so their process and Heritages process are totally different. And, in light of the carved tops, the wood explanation makes sense now too. Thanks for explaining! Here's my guitar.
kidsmoke Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 good gawd Fred. Way to reply to the thread ! gawgeous
JackBaruth Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Not to drag this discussion TOTALLY off course, but to me the enduring, defining aspect of the Les Paul is that violin top carve, which Ted McCarty said was originally done just because they had the machine to do it and Fender didn't. It makes the flame tops interesting. You can get any number of flat-top Stratelewhatevers with a book-matched maple top, and there's something not quite right about them. You can get the laminated guitars with perfect tops, and we all understand that it's a very thin slice of wood there, almost "photo flame". Only a Les Paul has the authentic thick maple cap with the violin top. It makes the guitar individual; no two are ever the same, even in the age of CNC everything. And it directly links the instrument with the archtop aesthetic. Godin and PRS, among others, have unique designs with flamed or quilted carved tops, but the original idea belongs to Ted McCarty and I, personally, will never really look at a solid-body guitar as being truly premium unless there's some dimensionality to the top. End of rant.
FredZepp Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 It is an interesting topic..... to observe the figuring and the grain on different Heritages...
DetroitBlues Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Fred and Steiner - thanks for the explanation, that makes a ton of sense. One of my points of reference is a Music Man video showing how they build and bookmatch their guitars. Their guitars do not have carved tops and so their process and Heritages process are totally different. And, in light of the carved tops, the wood explanation makes sense now too. Thanks for explaining! Here's my guitar. Not completely different from one to the other, but the part near the pickguard does look off. Best part about a guitar like that, just like others have stated, its rather unique. No other guitar will ever look the same as yours...
FredZepp Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Fred and Steiner - thanks for the explanation, that makes a ton of sense. One of my points of reference is a Music Man video showing how they build and bookmatch their guitars. Their guitars do not have carved tops and so their process and Heritages process are totally different. And, in light of the carved tops, the wood explanation makes sense now too. Thanks for explaining! Here's my guitar.
Millennium Maestro Posted July 16, 2012 Posted July 16, 2012 Yeah... I hate when Heritage doesnt bookmatch!
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