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We call them "Bear's CLAWS" where I'm from. They are just variations in the wood: small areas of irregular grain. they aren't really good OR bad, IMO. Unless you don't like the look of them, in which case they are bad. But sometimes they can make the wood harder to work than wood with a uniform grain.
Jb
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¡Si esto no está en compas, esto no es el Flamenco!
Hi JB, see what you mean. Mine is not so extreme, 2 or 3marks above and below the sound hole. I have been told that these marks are desirable and that in some way add to the character of the guitar, therefore increasing the guitars value??
I have been told that these marks are desirable and that in some way add to the character of the guitar, therefore increasing the guitars value??
LOL, well you COULD look at it like that, I guess. its a bit like "flamed maple" and other figuring... some people say they add character and value and others dislike them- its personal preference. But I don't think they will affect the tone very much (if anything), and you probably won't even notice them after a while...
Jb
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¡Si esto no está en compas, esto no es el Flamenco!
i'm no luthier, but several of the luthiers i've spoken to say that bear claw can be an indication of stiffness across the grain, so that bear claw tops can be stiffer than regular straight grain tops. stiffness without weight is the holy grail of guitar tops, so theoretically a top that has bear claw may be stiffer than those without. for this reason, bear claw spruce is often considered desirable for a guitar top.
yes, most think bear claw makes no difference, and in fact, most traditionalists really don't like the way it looks. but, some will swear it's stiffer and sounds different (at least, i know two experienced luthiers who do...)
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