Tops: Quilted or Flamed?

[TSJMajesty]

Preference?

 

[la szum]

Flame is the Hand of God at work. Quilt is the Debul's doing.

 

[Texsunburst59]

When you like both, then it only makes sense to rock both.

 

[FuzzyAce]

When you like both, then it only makes sense to rock both.

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Good answer.

 

[Los-D]

Preference?

Yes, please

 

[hemmelight]

I chose flamed because it's more consistently good when compared to quilted maple.
Quilted can be awesome, but the quality varies so much that I would never buy a quilted-top sight unseen. Flame is a safer bet generally.

When a quilted top looks like a silk cloth that's been folded with the light catching it just right? Fabulous. Love it.
The bulbous pillowy "quilt" you see on tons of guitars? Gross. Would never choose it deliberately.

Good example on left and a bad one on the right. I guess maybe the one on the left counts as flame still but whatever

 

[FuzzyAce]

I chose flamed because it's more consistently good when compared to quilted maple.
Quilted can be awesome, but the quality varies so much that I would never buy a quilted-top sight unseen. Flame is a safer bet generally.

When a quilted top looks like a silk cloth that's been folded with the light catching it just right? Fabulous. Love it.
The bulbous pillowy "quilt" you see on tons of guitars? Gross. Would never choose it deliberately.

Good example on left and a bad one on the right. I guess maybe the one on the left counts as flame still but whatever

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Bad never looked so good.

 

[Achilles]

Flame. Almost as much for the perpendicular grain lines than the flames themselves.

 

[unix-guy]

Both!

 

[HotRats]

Voted flamed but I actually prefer plain tops or lightly flamed ones.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Where's the "solid, opaque laquer" option?

 

[megametal7]

Flame = hot Badass

 

[Eagle]

I have never found a really amazing top on a guitar that I really liked the sound of enough to pay the premium for the look. My PRS which I only bought for the exceptional acoustic properties is a 2 top . Same has been true with the dozen or so Les Pauls I have owned over the years. The amazing looking but also amazing sounding ones have always had amazing price tags. Oh and I would rather have paint than a veneer top. In fact I would rather have paint usually. My favourite LP finish is gold top.

 

[Warmart]

I like both, but it's hard to top a perfect quilt, as they are so rare.

Take a look at this puppy I saw on Reverb yesterday:

 

[Rock Chalk]

Yes, please

This

 

[mbenigni]

Quilt is the Debul's doing.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

[the-trooper]

Composite materials, Aristides FTW, keep your wood in 16th century you cavemen.

 

[mbenigni]

Composite materials, Aristides FTW, keep your wood in 16th century you cavemen.

Will you accept composite materials from 20th century cavemen?

 

[laxu]

Depends. I don't like the super tight flame tops all that much. A looser pattern that is a better description for the name "flame" is great.

The finest flame top I own is this Heatley Tradition. Also note flamed maple binding on body and neck...

Quilt is a bit more hit and miss. I like the swimming pool on my Kiesel AM7:

 

[the-trooper]

Will you accept composite materials from 20th century cavemen?

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