Bear claw in Sitka tops on Taylors

[Harpo]

I'm fine with others not liking bear claw, it leaves more for me! LOL My 618 is the first guitar I've bought with a bear claw top and I love the look of it. In fact, being a mostly electric player for many years, I had never heard of bear claw and had to look up what it was when I got her home! I love that there probably isn't another guitar out there with a top identical to mine and I love the visual effect that bear claw provides. I guess it's safe to say I'm a fan...

[Edward]

I'm fine with others not liking bear claw, it leaves more for me! LOL My 618 is the first guitar I've bought with a bear claw top and I love the look of it. In fact, being a mostly electric player for many years, I had never heard of bear claw and had to look up what it was when I got her home! I love that there probably isn't another guitar out there with a top identical to mine and I love the visual effect that bear claw provides. I guess it's safe to say I'm a fan...

That bearclaw looks so even and symmetrical it almost qualifies as flame ...nice!

Wood sometimes has character ...or it doesn't.  To each his own.  Granted it is all about the tone, but who isn't going to love a guitar that much more when it looks "better" than it's peers; and the corollary is who isn't going to be a bit bummed by a guitar whose aesthetic quality doesn't quite  please.  It's all about one's own comfort level.

Edward
Edited: sorry, meant "flame" not "quilt"

[Cindy]

I'm fine with others not liking bear claw, it leaves more for me! LOL My 618 is the first guitar I've bought with a bear claw top and I love the look of it. In fact, being a mostly electric player for many years, I had never heard of bear claw and had to look up what it was when I got her home! I love that there probably isn't another guitar out there with a top identical to mine and I love the visual effect that bear claw provides. I guess it's safe to say I'm a fan...

That bearclaw looks so even and symmetrical it almost qualifies as quilt ...nice!

Wood sometimes has character ...or it doesn't.  To each his own.  Granted it is all about the tone, but who isn't going to love a guitar that much more when it looks "better" than it's peers; and the corollary is who isn't going to be a bit bummed by a guitar whose aesthetic quality doesn't quite  please.  It's all about one's own comfort level.

Edward

I agree with Edward! What a beautiful top!

[TaylorGirl]

That is a really nice looking top.....I think the nicest one I've seen with bear claw.

[jivauk]

Harpo - that is a beautiful top... I'd be delighted to have that on a guitar.

Jimmy

[Strumming Fool]

Nothing like a big guitar with a bear claw top; all that real estate needs some topography! That's a beauty, Harpo!

[Harpo]

Thanks for the kind words everybody! Yeah, I'll probably keep this one for a while...LOL.


I understand why some don't like bear claw, but to me it's mother nature's own custom shop at work.

[jjrpilot-admin]

Harpo great pics!  I personally, LOVE, LOVE "bear claw" tops.  I wish my GS8 had it, but alas it does not.

This is why guitars/any wooden instrument is unique.  I played the trumpet for years.  Each brass instrument/horn comes off the factory line, JUST like the others....none are unique looking etc.  However with guitars...NO guitar looks exactly the same. Gosh...I love trees! 

[ctkarslake]

Far as "out of the norm" tops are concerned, I mentioned my birdseye sitka top.  Not bearclaw in nature but similar, and I love the unique look of this baby.  1997 412:

[Strumming Fool]

Far as "out of the norm" tops are concerned, I mentioned my birdseye sitka top.  Not bearclaw in nature but similar, and I love the unique look of this baby.  1997 412:

Love that top! I can see why you call that bear claw figure birdseye...it does resemble its maple counterpart. Thanks for sharing!

[BigSkyTaylorPlayer]

Sorry to revive this old thread but I’m starting a build soon and picked a heavily bearclaw top, I love the look!

B&S are black walnut, cocobolo fretboard and bridge, and rosewood headplate.

I’ll post some pics when I can, thanks for sharing photos here...sigh...I have been smitten with mando the last several years but I can feel the GAS building in 2018... :

[TaylorGirl]

Sorry to revive this old thread but I’m starting a build soon and picked a heavily bearclaw top, I love the look!

B&S are black walnut, cocobolo fretboard and bridge, and rosewood headplate.

I’ll post some pics when I can, thanks for sharing photos here...sigh...I have been smitten with mando the last several years but I can feel the GAS building in 2018... :

Cool. Just a suggestion, at some point can you start a new thread that we can follow? Thanks!

[beachbum205]

...after talking at length with Andy Powers about bear claw I've come to learn that spruce with bear claw in it is almost as rigid vertically as it is horizontally.  That allows the sound waves to travel across the top at the same rate of speed giving guitars an incredible sound.  I'd pick it for a BTO any day.

I have always thought that guitars with bear claw sounded better- but figured I was sort of just imagining it. Glad to know I'm just mostly crazy, not completely crazy. 

[donlyn]

Not a big fan of bearclaw, but I wouldn't not buy a great sounding guitar if it had it. My current go-to, a 412e-R, has a spot of bearclaw on it, and for a small spot, it is very noticeable. Probably because it's such a plain looking guitar to begin with. And I can see why a lot of bearclaw catches the eye and won't let go.

On the other hand, I do like flame on a guitar. Lots of it. Especially on a cherry sunburst Les Paul standard. 

Taylor has introduced streaked ebony on fretboards. While initially not liking it, I did get an 818e with such a fretboard and now I wouldn't have it (that guitar) any other way.

So as the poet wrote a long long time ago, it's all in the eye (and ear) of the beholder.

[timfitz63]

I generally find figured woods to be more interesting and visually appealing, including bear claw Sitka Spruce tops.  I have two Taylors with bear claw Sitka on them:  my 414ce and my Custom 516e, the latter guitar's being quite a bit more prominent.  Personally, I think they both look great, but you can be the judge.