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This is a 575. Im sayin the top is spruce, Heritage says its maple. What say you?
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08-20-2024 08:47 PM
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The area around and just behind the bass side of the bridge looks like maple to me, but I'm certainly no expert. I wouldn't bet either way from just one photo. One would think the company which built the guitar would know what wood species was used.
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Looks like spruce to me.
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I say spruce. Heritage made some spruce topped 575's, and the maple they use is usually highly flamed. This is my maple 575
A spruce topped 575 would be a very cool guitar.
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Also, it looks quartersawn which wouldn’t be typical for maple. As far as I can tell it looks like spruce.
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As funny as it sounds, I've learned to not necessarily trust what Heritage has to say about their own instruments. I have a unique custom Heritage that I bought used. I emailed them a couple of years ago and asked them what info they had on it. They (and by "they" I mean a well known and respected individual at the company who I don't want to publicly bash) responded back with some specs that were wildly off.
It's funny, my situation was the opposite of yours. They said it was a spruce top when it was very clearly maple.
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I have seen maple that looks like the OP's guitar top, but not on a guitar. In furniture and cabinets - yes.
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Maple, don't let the vertical grain lines fool you.
I've worked w countless board feet in my time.
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It looks so much like spruce that it would take lots of evidence to prove otherwise, imo.
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As I said, if you ignore the vertical lines which at first glance give the appearance of spruce and examine the grain and medullary rays it screams maple.
Buy ymmv and probably does.
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Quarter sawn maple. I've seen lots of spruce and maple. Beautiful piece of cross silk quarter sawn maple without any doubt. You can tell be the width of the grain.
It's true you don't see quartered maple but that's because it's usually on the back and the public's preference for flame or figure even on slab of flat cut grain outweighs the physical strength advantage of a quartered back. Look at high end backs for the early Norlin period, they got several billets of quartered maple with very subtle or no figure, it looks like this. I have a Johnny Smith with wood like this, great strength to weight ratio.
It makes sense that they'd use quartered maple, it's a force bearing plate and this is where you'd want quartered maple if you went maple.
I've built with maple, I always look for wood like this. Beautiful wood.
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100 percent maple.
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It could be centre board straight grain, instead of QS. You can see some curve to the grain as you move away from the centre seam and only a small amount of dead straight flecking closer to the centre?
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In the UK what you call medullary rays, is meant to describe the figuring in QS or straight grained oak. As shown below.
Originally Posted by wintermoon
And this is called 'flecks' and likely other terms.
I think medullary rays seems fair given that both are cased by the same grain orientation but there is quite a difference in the look.
I got into trouble once when referring to 'flecks' as medullary rays. I also think it depends on where in the country you are.
Every timbre yard and saw mill I go to, they call by different names. Gets annoying when trying to describe what you want.
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Knock on wood. Or, rather, use a pointed dentist's probe to check the hardness of the (assumably solid) top from the inside via an f-hole. It helps if you have another guitar as a reference. Spruce is so much softer that if you accidentally drop the guitar cable's plug on it, a dent is likely. Not with maple.
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I’ll defer to the people experienced with woodworking and lumber for sure. How does the grain width help? I’ve definitely seen spruce with grain that wide.
As far as the appearance of the grain curving, I assumed that was barrel distortion in the photo, but could be wrong. Maybe the OP can confirm one way or the other.
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Heres the whole story, I saw this guitar which is for sale on reverb now and questioned the seller about the top since he never mentioned spruce. He had contacted Heritage who told him it was maple. I was a cabinetmaker for over 50yrs and never saw maple like that but to be fair very little if any spruce. I looked at my my spruce top archtops in particular a spruce top 575 and it looks identical however Im inclined to go with the posters who have long experience with instruments and have seen lots of spruce tops. Im looking at my 575 right now and even with a well trained cabinet maker eye they look the same. I might add that Im old, blind and senile so its possible Im wrong (1st time in over 70yrs!) Im going to post a good pic of my 575 (as soon as I find my phone...and glasses). The guitar in question is for sale on reverb right now and is a smokin deal spruce or not. Upgraded bindings, HRW pickup etc. check it out. Come back and look at my picture when I get it posted, its a real headscratcher. There are a lot of good pics here: 2004 Heritage USA H575 Electric Jazz Guitar Almond Sunburst Great Condition W/OHSC
Used – Very Good
Price$2,699.95 I have no connection with the seller
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Thats funny, I was waiting for you to weigh in figuring youve seen as many spruce tops as anybody. I ran this past a few other old fart cabinetmakers and they all said spruce without hesitation. I think instrument makers would have a better idea than cabinetmakers. My work never had to sing Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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I just pulled up the listing and I will link it below. After getting a better look at more photos, I think the maple guys are probably right. Originally Posted by Rickco
Just a moment...
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DNA testing?
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Def maple. Looked at the listing. With the wider shot you can see the slight figure on the outer edge of the board
Well done to Jimmy, Wintermoon and ol’fret
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This is top of 575 spruce for sure also notice 5 ply bindind on body which Ive only seen Heritage do on spruce tops
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Now that I look at it I see that it is definitely maple. Quartersawn maple can look like this and up close the grain does not quite go down in the same fashion as spruce. That is actually a good quality and stable slab of maple and used on Norlin era L5' and Super 400's. It does have the dramatic look of curly but actually is a very quality piece of maple from a functional standpoint.
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What do you qualify as QS? Originally Posted by deacon Mark
I'd call that centre board stock (although could well be wrong and or being a bit fussy).
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Maple.
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