In a tap tone I look for a musical tone with sustain. Some builders swear by it others don’t consider it at all. Tap tone is the subject of much debate.I avoid using very light tops as they tend to have a punchy sound in my opinion. Density is another factor to consider.We are talking relative comparison from top to top. It will be much less stiff across the grain that it is along the grain. This should be checked both with the grain and across the grain. The wood used for a top should be stiff.I have not noticed any differences as long as the other criteria were met. I have used wood with many grain lines per inch as well as wood with not so many. Width of the grain lines is not as important as people think.If the knot is small and without voids I may allow it on the top because the wood around a knot is always stiffer than it is anywhere else on the board. If these flaws are present in your top check that they fall outside the boundaries of the top. Avoid flaws such as bark inclusions and knots.Yes, they are visually striking but its about sound isn’t it? I will only use a top if it has just a hint of bear claw, nothing more. It has been my experience that tops with tons of bear claw just don’t sound good. S tay away from tops covered with bear claw.Ideally you are looking for little to no run-out. Look for quarter sawn wood with silk as described above.Besides, the wood will eventually darken to an even color as the guitar ages.
I would never let a few color streaks stop me from using a perfectly quarter sawn top like that one. Some builders might not have used this top because of the color streaks. These characteristics are typically present in AAAA or master grade tops. Additionally, having little or no run-out ( read about run-out) along the length of the top would make the piece ideal for a soundboard. This means the end grain is 90 degrees to the face. These rays are an indication that the top is perfectly quarter-sawn. They appear as ripples and are known as silk (pictured on the spruce top on the right). A true quarter-sawn cut of wood will have rays which are intricate little cross stripes running perpendicular to the vertical grain lines on the face.
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