Figured wood

Timber whose grain is not straight, producing visible patterns such as flame, quilt, birdseye or spalt when it is cut and finished.

The figure comes from irregular growth in the tree: compressed cells, wavy grain or fungal staining create the ripples that catch light differently as the board turns. It is chosen purely for appearance on a top, since figure contributes little or nothing to how the instrument sounds, and it is often sliced thin and glued onto a plain body to keep the cost and weight down. Highly figured boards are harder to work and can be more prone to splitting along the grain.

Example: a thin flame maple cap over a mahogany body gives the classic striped top of a high-end single-cut without the weight of a solid figured slab.

Figured wood

See also