What does "Highly figured 30 degree Red maple" mean & look like??

[scgc.om]

I've seen this Luthier's description line: "Highly figured 30 degree Red maple"?

What I want to know is what this looks like--description okay but pictures best. Does it refer to back only or back & sides?

I'm thinking it will only be found in very expensive instruments.

Heard also that fine violins might have "Highly figured 30 degree Red maple"--correct??


All help and pix gratefully rec'd ;~)

[Paul Hostetter]

Violinmakers rarely tout the species of their maple. Even though they know where it's from and probably even what the species is, it's just maple.

30 degrees describes the angle of the reveal of the grain off-quarter, which is a technique for showing off figure in bookmatched carved plates. Quarter is quarter, and slab is 90 degrees off-quarter. In a carved back, this is a way to orient the figure for a certain look. Since the back isn't flat, you get the best aspect of the curl that way, at least in a two-piece back:

http://stefano.firstcirclestudios.co.uk/images/violin_back.jpg