The Curly Maple Man.

fjminor · Dec 28, 2006

I was reading these articles and to me they were interesting.

The Maple Man

Wood Mizer Ad with Mike Hill

The fact that one individual (Mike Hill) supplied Gibson with 99% of the Re-issue maple tops between 1994-1996 and in combination with the consensus from some LPF members that believe the best Re-Issue flametops were from this time period makes me wonder. Did he happen on a mother load of great Maple at that time period and eventually the supply dried up?? And I wonder if he currently supplies Gibson with tops, what would be different from his original load of Maple to what he is currently supplying. Just thinking aloud...

Another fact that I did not know was the percentage of Curly Maple that makes the cut for a Curly Maple Top - Here is Mike Hill's quote - "In fact, some scientists estimate this prized grain, which is actually a deformity, occurs in only about one-half of 1 percent of all maple trees. Each curly maple board is unique, with no two exactly alike."
That is alot of maple for a few tops......:wah

:dude: :yah :hank :headbange

labeau · Jan 4, 2007

Birdseye is the same, its caused by a fungal or virus infection (they dont really know) in the maple wood, also very rare. A good percentage of the birdseye has come from these parts of the woods (Upper Peninsula MI) as well, I know a local mill that had been supplying birdseye maple to fender for years.

Humbuck · Jan 4, 2007

labeau said:
...its caused by a fungal or virus infection (they dont really know) in the maple wood...

Fungal or virus infection? Never heard that. It is some sort of growth phenomenon or "deformity" for lack of a better term...but "infection?" Don't sound right to me.:hmm

labeau · Jan 10, 2007

Well, normal healthy tree cells do not have fungal cells or a virus living within them. If you want to get specific we could say the fungus or virus has a parasitic or commensual relationship with the tree, depending on if the tree is helped, harmed or neither by being a host to the fungus or virus. In biology we use the word "infect" to describe the fact that the cells have been invaded by a parasite or pathogen.

If you had fungal cells growing within you, it would be termed a systemic fungal infection (bad news). If you had a fungus growing on the surface cells of your skin, it would be called a topical fungal infection.

Theoretically if a maple tree was infected by a specific fungus or virus, it may have caused the tree cells to function abnormally and form the birdseye "whorls" within the wood, instead of the normal structure. You could call the resulting whorls deformities or phenomena, but the action of the fungus or virus could still be termed an "infection".

However, as I mentioned before, scientists haven't proved what causes the birdseye to form.

Humbuck · Jan 11, 2007

labeau said:
Well, normal healthy tree cells do not have fungal cells or a virus living within them.

Neither does normal healthy curly maple.

Tonefiend · Jan 11, 2007

Anyone know how to get ahold of this guy?

Feel free to send an email.

singlecut · Jan 11, 2007

i heat my home with only wood.6-7 cord a year,thats a big pile.
over the years i have had some fantastic pieces of flame maple chunked into my wood stove,of course by the time it gets to me it's in 18" pieces.
it's funny because my eye picks it out of the pile everytime.many times i've held up a piece and marveled at the grain and wondered what it would have looked like on a les paul

Patrick Ginnaty · Jan 11, 2007

singlecut said:
i heat my home with only wood.6-7 cord a year,thats a big pile.
over the years i have had some fantastic pieces of flame maple chunked into my wood stove,of course by the time it gets to me it's in 18" pieces.
it's funny because my eye picks it out of the pile everytime.many times i've held up a piece and marveled at the grain and wondered what it would have looked like on a les paul

Me too! Sad to burn the real pretty pieces. but by the time it's cut + split...

Humbuck · Jan 12, 2007

I do the same thing at my hunting cabin. I have to look at it for a while...before it goes in the stove.

strat1127 · Jan 12, 2007

singlecut said:
i heat my home with only wood.6-7 cord a year,thats a big pile.
over the years i have had some fantastic pieces of flame maple chunked into my wood stove,of course by the time it gets to me it's in 18" pieces.
it's funny because my eye picks it out of the pile everytime.many times i've held up a piece and marveled at the grain and wondered what it would have looked like on a les paul

Yep, same here. I seem to always get quite a bit of it every year.

fjminor · Jan 12, 2007

For all of you gents out there burning the wood, keep in mind that Mike is on the constant hunt for good maple.

The pair has traveled Virginia and surrounding states on a curly quest, talking to landowners and loggers, stopping at wood yards to examine logs, putting out the word they pay good money for curly maple.

If you come upon a pile of really great looking maple, you may want to try to track its origin to see if more exists, and give Mike call...it may just payoff...:2cool :dude:

TooTone · Jan 25, 2007

Hi,

I am fascinated by curly maple... its exactly like looking "into" a 3D hologram... but this is a piece of wood... no lasers, mirrors and gizmos.

Is there a wood guru out there who can explain exactly what it is we are seeing when we "look into the flame"... and perhaps how it is formed?

And why does one tree produce a curl, yet the one right next to it doesn't?

Mapleking · Oct 26, 2019

I’m very late getting to this thread but I’m actually the grandson of the “Mapleman” this makes the 30th year my papaw Mike has been chasing this “curly dream” we call it we’re one of Gibson’s largest curly maple vendors in the country. We’re a family run business out of SWVA and travel all over the country to find this wood and keep it all running smoothly, If any of you have any questions feel free to email me! @ Mapleman1016@gmail.com

jrgtr42 · Oct 26, 2019

Mapleking said:
I’m very late getting to this thread but I’m actually the grandson of the “Mapleman” this makes the 30th year my papaw Mike has been chasing this “curly dream” we call it we’re one of Gibson’s largest curly maple vendors in the country. We’re a family run business out of SWVA and travel all over the country to find this wood and keep it all running smoothly, If any of you have any questions feel free to email me! @ Mapleman1016@gmail.com

Thanks for chiming in, though interesting how you found a 12+ year old thread about this.

As others mentioned, I have found a few good pieces in my woodpile for the fireplace.
I keep those pieces separate, and try not to toss them in the fireplace. It's too small to make a whole guitar out of.
However, I did take a chuck from one of them to make handles for a kayak I have - the original cord loop broke, so I wanted something easier to carry it by, and if you're going to do it, why not do it with style.
I have some loose plans to do some other things with those pieces, maybe shape a pickguard, or small parts for boats or something. I also have a couple slabs of cherry wood from a tree cut from my wife's childhood home I've done a couple things with, and hope to do more in the future.

Finbar · Oct 31, 2019

Me thinks we need a sticky MapleMan thread. I have a farm in N. Michigan with lots of trees. How do you ID that 1 in 10,000 tree with a cool curl, flame, etc...? Are you the man to call if one has some old maple on the ground?

Mapleking · Nov 1, 2019

Finbar said:
Me thinks we need a sticky MapleMan thread. I have a farm in N. Michigan with lots of trees. How do you ID that 1 in 10,000 tree with a cool curl, flame, etc...? Are you the man to call if one has some old maple on the ground?

I sure am! We have many many different ways of identifying curl in a log some of the best ways are if it’s already fell looking at the “hinge cut” on the butt end of the log or anywhere that sap wood has broke off the log when it was fell or, stripping the bark off and looking and feeling for the ripples On the trunk but sometimes the curl can fool you a log that’s are up in curl on the outside may have light curl when you cut into it or vice versa a log the shows little to none may be ate up when you cut into it!

Finbar · Nov 3, 2019

Mapleking said:
I sure am! We have many many different ways of identifying curl in a log some of the best ways are if it’s already fell looking at the “hinge cut” on the butt end of the log or anywhere that sap wood has broke off the log when it was fell or, stripping the bark off and looking and feeling for the ripples On the trunk but sometimes the curl can fool you a log that’s are up in curl on the outside may have light curl when you cut into it or vice versa a log the shows little to none may be ate up when you cut into it!

Thanks for the advice. We have occasionally slabbed some fallen timber so we have barn boards when we need them. We had one really nice curl, but the portable miller guy cut them pretty thin, which was a waste. If we were to slap a nice piece of curl for guitar wood, what would be the appropriate thickness? 10 quarter or more? Thanks.

I have about dozen mature black walnut trees that we are saving for select harvest. Also have 100s of sugar and rock maples that are close to "thinning". The timber buyers in N. Michigan mainly supply the veneer market. I've always wanted to source the guitar industry. I'll call you when it's ready.

The Curly Maple Man.

fjminor

Active member

labeau

New member

Humbuck

New member

labeau

New member

Humbuck

New member

Tonefiend

Fiendish One

singlecut

New member

Patrick Ginnaty

Well-known member

Humbuck

New member

strat1127

New member

fjminor

Active member

TooTone

New member

Mapleking

New member

jrgtr42

Well-known member

Finbar

Member

Mapleking

New member

Finbar

Member