L-03m - Marks under the soundboard finish

[STRAT552]

Hi all. I recently acquired a great L-03m from an online store. She sounds great and plays great. I do have a question to you all regarding marks on the sound board under the finish. (see pic). There are two locations in the photo that seem to show a waive in the spruce grain. The area also appears a shade lighter then the remaining sound board. Can anybody help me understand what this is, and is this considered a blemish?

[Strings4Him]

Not a blemish.  Just natural variation in wood.  Enjoy your guitar 👍

[Mikeymac]

Not a blemish.  Just natural variation in wood.  Enjoy your guitar

I second this^^^.

You'll see this more and more on guitar tops these days as makers continue to try to be good stewards of wood; they don't have the luxury of tossing aside wood for cosmetic reasons these days - cosmetic nuances that will not impact the tone at all.

When those variations are more pronounced in Spruce, they're designated as "Bear Claw" - and sometimes these tops are reserved for higher end guitars because of the beauty of the irregularities!

So as Strings4Him said, enjoy you're guitar's NATURAL beauty!

(And welcome to the forum - please read the rules and bring the donuts!)

[B0WIE]

Trees don't grow in perfect cylinders. A lot of the best wood out there is considered unusable for instruments because customers would think there's something wrong with it. That's a very small, natural example of where the tree turned a little in it's growth. I wouldn't consider it a blemish. Just nature.

[STRAT552]

Thanks all for the great info. I shall enjoy!

[Mikeymac]

Thanks all for the great info. I shall enjoy!

Exactly. I'm betting if you close your eyes when you play, you won't be able to "hear" those birth marks of nature! 

[STRAT552]

Thanks all! Cheers!!!

[ducktrapper]

I can see why you would ask. At one time (in the far distant past ha ha), straight grain was the rule of the day. Martins would have the straightest grain you could find. As that type of wood for tops became harder to source in large quantities, luthiers came to realize that, like the folks above have said, that is no longer the requirement for a good sounding top. I think the grain in your top looks very nice, by the way.