- Is there truly a cap or was the shape of the top carved into the mahogany instead, like on the very first cheap Chinese guitar kit I bought a few years ago?
- If there is a cap, is it real maple, or something else, a softer and less noble timber?
- Is the flaming part of the massive top (it never is in this price range), is it veneer, or is it photoflame (a picture of a flamed top glued under the coating)?
- If it's veneer, how thin is it? Usually as thin as they can make it.
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| That certainly looks like a flamed top. |
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| It does look bookmatched alright (i.e. symmetric along the axis of the guitar). |
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| And it's evenly figured all across the surface. |


