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#1
09-12-2020, 12:48 PM
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Is this silking or bear claw?
Hi!
Based on the photos below, how would you classify the wood feature seen on the top near the edge above the bridge (from the player's perspective)? Is this silking, bear claw, or something else? Cosmetically, is this distracting to you? Is this area likely to darken equally with the rest of the sitka spruce top as the guitar ages, or will it remain lighter? Thanks in advance for your votes and comments!  IMG_1244 by Peter Johnson, on Flickr IMG_1242 by Peter Johnson, on Flickr IMG_1243 by Peter Johnson, on Flickr
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----- PeteyPower16 Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003 Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003 Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015 Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015 Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019 Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020 Taylor 414ce 2020 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005 Previous Guitars: Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.) Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.) Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020 Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013 
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#3
09-12-2020, 12:51 PM
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Looks great. Good evidence of cleanly quartersawn wood.
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Respectfully, Mike  Taylor 415 --- Epiphone Texan --- Collings D1A --- Martin 5-15 --- etc Take a sad song and make it better.
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#5
09-12-2020, 12:57 PM
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I have an old yari with some bear claw on the top..
which to me, really looks like it was "clawed" but it's in the grain under the finish. Look at the top to the left of the low E, between the string and the waist. south + left of the bottom edge of sound hole. it looks like a pick scrape or a scratched out area in this photo but it is not. That is under the finish,, been there since day one.  I'm pretty sure that is an example Bear Claw... I don't see anything like that in your photos.
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#7
09-12-2020, 01:12 PM
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Since knots, like medullary rays, run along the radius of the tree a small knot will run along the cut surface of a well quartered piece. In this case the knot was in another piece near (probably 'below') that one, and you're seeing the 'ripple' in the grain that went around it: a knot shadow.
Bear claw is much different; seldom straight, usually somewhat random, and extended in all directions rather than the simple crosswise 'wave' of that knot shadow. In the past some manufacturers counted 'claw' as a defect. It's still a bit of a problem if there's only one mark, since that can look like a dent was made in the wood during manufacture. Otherwise it's a matter of preference; some folks like it and some don't. There is a lot of ray pattern in that top, too. 
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#8
09-12-2020, 01:25 PM
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Very nice silking which I love!
Bear Claw in general is not attractive to me, However, I have seen some Bear Claw that has a symmetrical quality that is absolutely gorgeous and that I would welcome into my collection. That said I will add that I think Bear Claw looks best on dreads and jumbos while the delicate nature of silking looks best on OM and smaller bodies. Blues
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#9
09-12-2020, 01:43 PM
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I said 'silking' but what it definitely is is gorgeous!!
David
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David My Woodworking YouTube channel - David Falkner Woodworking -------------------------------------------- Martin, Gallagher, Guild, Takamine, Falkner
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#13
09-12-2020, 02:20 PM
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Nice Sitka
Very nice piece of Sitka. I tend to look for the silk on the guitars I purchase.
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#15
09-12-2020, 02:49 PM
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Yes, it’s silk (medullary rays) rather than bearclaw. That’s a exceptionally good looking top, in my opinion.
Wade Hampton Miller
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| Tags |
| bear claw, silking, spruce |
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