Bear claw not as new as we think

[Guitarsan]

Most of us think of bear claw markings in spruce as a new phenomena. Thinking goes for sustainability it started to be marketed as "acceptable" or desired only recently.

I thought that too. Then I spied this 1978 810 for sale.

Interesting, no? 

[Strumming Fool]

Nice specimen! Years ago I helped to refinish an old (circa 1950s) Favilla dreadnought with a friend. We went from a checked gloss to a natural satin finish. The Bearclaw figure on that spruce was an amazing study in symmetry!

[Christhee68]

I've heard that wood with bearclaw means it has different properties that make it sound better than "regular' spruce. It's not the bearclaw that makes it sound better--that's just a side effect from whatever phenomenon that made the wood different.

Now if any of that is true or not I couldn't really say. I saw it on the internet so I figure it must be true.

[Strumming Fool]

From what I've read, bear claw figure is an indication of greater density or stiffness, which yields a tone (in theory) somewhat closer to Adirondack. As always, tone is subjective, and there are too many other influencing factors to diffuse the theoretical tonal effect. FWIW....

[michaelw]

personally, i don't think of bear claw as being 'new', per se -
here's one luthier's perspective
http://bourgeoisguitars.net/tonewoods-htm/

'Before leaving the spruces, I should mention Bearclaw figure, or hazelficte-
a delightful pattern in the grain occasionally occurring in all species of spruce.
Bearclaw, like the curl in curly maple, is a rippling of the longitudinal fibers,
which divides the surface of the wood into shimmering patterns.
Unlike the even waves that usually occur in maple, bearclaw
usually appears on asymmetrical or randomly broken patterns.
This phenomenon almost always occurs in older trees that
have dense, stiff grain structure and high sound velocity.
Thus bearclaw is usually a reliable indicator of the better
examples of tonewoods within any given species of spruce.'

Taylor has done a limited run with bear claw
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Taylor/Custom-516e-Bearclaw-Sitka-Spruce-Top-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-Natural-1399909217424.gc

as did (does?) takamine
http://www.takamine.com/wood
http://www.takamine.com/TNV360SC
https://reverb.com/item/2742661-takamine-tle-m1-2000s-natural?_aid=pla&pla=1&gclid=CNuYquGkxc8CFQ-ZfgodxRAC3g
https://reverb.com/item/75120-takamine-tle-m1-limited-edition-solid-bear-claw-sitka-spruce-top-acoustic-electric-guitar
https://reverb.com/item/618336-takamine-takamine-eg340dlx-ac-el-dreadnought-guitar-solid-bear-claw-spruce-top-w-abalone-purfling
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/takamine-om-etn70bc-acoustic-electric-guitar

i had a 2006 410eFLTD walnut with a bearclaw top &
i recently saw a 214ceDLX at a GC with some
extreme 'claw across the bottom of the lower bout -
nuthin' 'new' here, imho

[burns]

my 2013 516e fall limited has a little bit of bear claw on the pristine European spruce top.

[flaggerphil]

I had some beautiful bear claw on my first Taylor...a 1999 310.

[Minnesotaman]

I've heard that wood with bearclaw means it has different properties that make it sound better than "regular' spruce. It's not the bearclaw that makes it sound better--that's just a side effect from whatever phenomenon that made the wood different.

Now if any of that is true or not I couldn't really say. I saw it on the internet so I figure it must be true.

"Not everything you see on the internet is true"- Abraham Lincoln