Plain vs Flame. Less is More ?

[dju]

I like both plain top and flame top. however when I was a kid in the late 70's early 80's you could only get plain tops.
And being a huge Jimmy Page fan I really wanted a flame top at the time. So when they started regularly making flame tops they all looked good. Now it has flipped and it seems most new LP's are flame tops. Now I am just more picky about which guitars of both types I like. There was once a honey burst or some other light colored sunburst color at my local GC a year or 2 ago that had a really great looking plain top on it, It had dark spots in the wood that made it look different, and really nice looking. Maybe Birdseye maple??

dj

 

[01GT Eibach]

2010 LP Standard Traditional Pro ... aka, "plain top"
(they dropped the word "Standard" from the Trad Pro name in 2012)

 

[Wise Guy]

2010 LP Standard Traditional Pro ... aka, "plain top"
(they dropped the word "Standard" from the Trad Pro name in 2012)

Very nice sir! For me these plain tops are the quintessential Les Paul.

 

[Duane_the_tub]

Definitely a flametop fan. There is a reason why the most desirable Bursts - the ones that have commanded the highest sums on the market - look like this:

9 0850

9 0291

9 1228

 

[Mockbel]

2012 R8

 

[RobV]

 

[Wblynch]

To me fancy flames and quilts look like an old saloon gal with way too much makeup. I like the plains.

 

[Slater529]

 

[Snakum]

Here’s my 2017 Tribute HP in honey burst. I like the term Plain Flame used earlier, seems fitting. The back also has some personality. View attachment 511021 View attachment 511022

Nice!

Love the neck joint on the HPs? I always wondered about doing that to my Tributes.

 

[Nintari]

I just can’t relate to the highly flamed tops. I find them boring. I like just a small amount of flame and some other things going on like mineral streaks. It’s like all the flames assault my eyes.

To me, vibrant flame-tops remind me of hair metal for some reason. It's probably the number one reason I dislike PRS guitars (number two would be those silly birds inlays).

 

[jc2000]

I Love a sweet plain top.....

 

[Jb3]

Mine is plain or flamed depending on the angle you look at it.

 

[afireinside]

I dig both. But my new flame is hot!

 

[moreles]

You can get an Epi with a paper-thin veneer that has insane flame... at this point, I've got to admit that I don't care for this stuff much anymore. There are millions of decent flametop bursts out there -- it's now totally commonplace. The only top I don't see anymore is the one I have always liked most -- the fat, ribbon curls. As for pencil-thin, bookmatched, high-contrast flames, well, they're everywhere. Ditto, quilt. And Collings is the only company spraying really gorgeous burst colors these days, now thart PRS is simply into stunt-style variety, trying way too hard and offering variation rather than excellence.

 

[Wise Guy]

You can get an Epi with a paper-thin veneer that has insane flame... at this point, I've got to admit that I don't care for this stuff much anymore. There are millions of decent flametop bursts out there -- it's now totally commonplace. The only top I don't see anymore is the one I have always liked most -- the fat, ribbon curls. As for pencil-thin, bookmatched, high-contrast flames, well, they're everywhere. Ditto, quilt. And Collings is the only company spraying really gorgeous burst colors these days, now thart PRS is simply into stunt-style variety, trying way too hard and offering variation rather than excellence.

Well you narrowed it..way down to what you like! Good for you man!

 

[RocketKing]

I dig both. But my new flame is hot!

View attachment 517252 View attachment 517253 View attachment 517254

Nice! Heritage?

 

[Robmosis]

Nice!

Love the neck joint on the HPs? I always wondered about doing that to my Tributes.

Absolutely love it. It helps tremendously when you’re trying to play upper frets, like blues in A.
That was one of my pet peeves about my other LP.
I also love the titanium zero fret, wish all my guitars had one.
Now, I need a Gold Top HP.
I don’t think I’d buy another LP unless it’s an HP.

 

[Snakum]

Absolutely love it. It helps tremendously when you’re trying to play upper frets, like blues in A.
That was one of my pet peeves about my other LP.
I also love the titanium zero fret, wish all my guitars had one.
Now, I need a Gold Top HP.
I don’t think I’d buy another LP unless it’s an HP.

Makes me wanna break out a file and belt sander a la Ace Frehley. Lol

 

[coolidge]

I like flame and rotted wormy grain.

 

[lpfan1980]

Saving up for a plaintop myself although some flame is nice as long as its not too gaudy or over the top.