Birdseye Maple

Birdseye Maple is a favorite of the Italian Designers for Staterooms on luxury yachts, boardrooms and $300,000.00 offices for rich tycoons. Because of this,  the price has been driven up rather high.

Several years ago before it was Chic it appeared on BC Rich guitars and some of the higher quality bolt on guitars for the neck wood.  Today you don't see it too often.

Birdseye Maple is one of the harder stronger Maple varieties. It is easy to spot because it has lots of little freckles (Birdseye's) all over it.

 


 

 Birdseye Spalted Maple Bodies


 

This is an example of a JET Earlewood in Birdseye Maple
Source: Woodwriteltd.com, November 1998

Birdseye Maple

Birdseye Maple is a softer wood [than Cocobolo and Goncalvo] but highly figured.

This is eastern hard maple, available as a book-matched top only. We also do many necks in birdseye. [As body material.]

This is the same hard maple but with a rare eye-like figure. There is a great deal of variation in figure shape and density. There is no difference in tone or stability from plain hard maple.   However necks tend to warp easier when birdseye maple is used.

From the United States and Canada.
The sapwood is white with a reddish tinge. The heartwood color is uniformly light reddish brown. Grain is straight but occasionally curly or wavy. Bird's-eye figure is present. Flecks caused by insects may also be present in the wood. The wood is very fine and even textured.
Common uses include bowling pins, decorative veneer, flooring, lumber, handles, windows, baskets, casks, drum sticks, figured veneer, fine furniture, cabinets, organ pipes, pianos , sounding boards, sporting goods, xylophones.
Specific Gravity is .64 (dense). Carbide cutter recommended. 


Several Examples of Birdseye Maple Necks

Click to Enlarge

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