How long before the flame is gone?

[Lair22]

I was just perusing the Gibson USA web site and looked at the Les Paul Standard page. Holy Cow!, I thought, they've gone back to plain tops on the Standards.

I read the spec and it still says AA maple caps. I looked back at the photo and saw the tiniest touch of flame in one area. I'd be really upset if someone sold that to me as a flame top Standard.

A long intro to the question of: How long before we have to go to Premium Plus or Custom to get a flame top LP? (and how can there be a Premium Plus anyway, if there's no Plus? Or no Premium? One of those things that keeps me up at night )

 

[needlespauls]

It's funny, the store that I bought my US Standard at had a chambered 07' in what might have been a Desert burst. Well, it was not a Plus top and the thing seemed like an AAAAA+++++ grade. UNREAL! Anyway, the back and neck were black, and I totally love a trans finish back and neck. So, I compromised on the top to get a visually clear beautiful neck and 1 piece back, my favorite finish of Honeyburst, and what at some angles looks like a plaintop with a bit of character-to a wild flame the second you turn the guitar at any angle!!! Amazing! Oh yeah, and playability, feel, resonance, set-up, and fit and finish were hands down way better than the other one with the high figure.

 

[BigC]

I don't think you should judge a flame by a photo, quite often it won't come out well.

My 07 Std has a great flame, but from certain angles and in some photos you can barely see it.

 

[LoKi]

It's because Gibson buys their wood at Home Depot.

 

[Lair22]

My thought was that Gibson is setting expectations in its advertising and usually you want to set those expectations high. Gibson can get as nice a flame as they want in a photo, but they chose to lowball it (seems to me). So they create a Premium Plus at higher price that gets the good wood, and because they set expectations low, they can put as bad a cap on the Standards as they want and still get the same price (that has already been adjusted up based on past good wood). It's the Conspiracy Theory applied to guitars ; ) [actually, I've got a business background and this is just my take on what I see].

 

[LoKi]

No, Gibson maintains that 'flame maple' is rare and therefore more expensive.

They also claim they can't find sources for lightweight, high grade tonewood mahogany, which is why they have to chamber guitars, even though chambering was done as an 'improvement' in secret.... Blah blah blah.

Just expect a better top to cost even more than it has in past years. We all know wood is going extinct, but plenty of other mass produced guitars have highly figured tops and lightweight bodies... with lower price tags. Go figure.

 

[dwagar]

yeah, but don't forget that ad from PRS: the Art of Veneering

since day 1 Gibson has paid more to numerous small suppliers for flame maple, to ensure their supply.

but, why would they stop using it? I don't think all the maple trees are gone yet.

 

[LoKi]

Plenty of maple left in North America. They just want people to think its an exclusive and therefore $$$ should be involved in buying it.

Not many people understand where maple flame comes from.

 

[Schtang]

?????? maybe when PRS stops using it.

 

[Lair22]

I see PRSs in stores now that I don't think that they would have released as seconds ten years ago. Big bald spots in the flame top. I think the premium wood is going to start going to even more "premium" models soon. IMHO.

 

[Schtang]

I see PRSs in stores now that I don't think that they would have released as seconds ten years ago. Big bald spots in the flame top. I think the premium wood is going to start going to even more "premium" models soon. IMHO.

I think your right there. As resources become more limited in this state of Climatic change that the world is going through, we may find cheaper wood being used (not that flame is any better than non-flamed maple).