Fiddle Back Maple (Western Big Leaf)

As in the quilted and exotic grains, growth compression creates a big part of the beautiful ripple which distinguishes Fiddle Back or Flame Maple.

This wood can be cut both "flat" and "quarter cut" to the tree. (See photos.) Fiddle Back (Quarter) cuts appear as dark symmetrical lines of varying widths, alternating with lighter colored spacings of between 1/8th to 3/8ths inch.  Modern guitar builders and luthiers prefer this look.

Flat cut wood is milled in cross-cut slices that create round blocks when sliced from logs. This creates a puddled appearance on the surface of the building block. (See photos.)  Ripples appear as three dimensional lines which are at a 90 degree angle to the growth rings, with darker color changes between every other ripple. The ripple light/dark difference is usually caused by differences in wood hardness. While the Quilted wood reveals more of a lined puddle look, the Fiddle Back is more washboard looking with symmetrically straight lines. (Photos) Exotic maple wood runs the gauntlet in attractive and individual design patterns, which is what makes it so intriguing. You will never see, especially in Quilt, the same look again. Every Quilt has its own distinctive fingerprint.