Flame Top: Transparent vs. Dye Finish?

[Cactus Jack]

I’m contemplating my next build and wanted to get some insight into Transparent vs Dye finishes on flame tops.

Even though transparent finishes are transparent...are they too opaque to make the flame pop? What is the primary difference? It appears Dye adds a bit of contrast. However the only dye top I had made the wood appear flat and robbed the wood of the pop. Probably just the particular guitar I had.

Anyway, I’d appreciate your input and as always thank you for your time.

 

[Cagey]

There's really no difference, other than dye implies some color, and is sometimes treated differently. With figured woods, what you're seeing is actually some end grain exposure in the flat plane, which absorbs coatings such as dye at a different rate than straight grain does. So, you dye it a contrasting/complementary color, then sand some off to make the absorbed parts remain while the straight parts lighten up. It enhances the difference in the grain structure, which is often referred to as "pop", since it stands out to the eye.

What you might be referring to is the "chatoyance" of the wood figuring, which gives it sort of a "3D" effect. That relies more on the wood itself, and the fact that you have stereoscopic vision. The light reflects differently in more than one direction, so there's a sense of depth. It's why figured woods never look as good in pictures as in real life. Some pieces will look unreal - others, not so much. But, all finishes will get clear coated, so there's always a transparent finish whether it's colored or not.

 

[gingataff]

I presume that transparent uses a colored lacquer over natural wood, whereas dye uses a clear coat over dyed wood.  ???

 

[Cactus Jack]

Showcase bodies with figured maple tops all seem to use dyes rather than transparent finishes. Most likely due to the grain prep Cagey mentioned. However, I'd love to see an example of Transparent Red on flame vs Red Dye. I assume there has to be some difference, for instance Dyes aren't offered on anything else, which make me think they must be ideal for figured maple.

 

[Hendrix]

Dye finishes take 3 or 5 deep and light colour and sanding in between to get the 3D effect pop up .

in warmth like Aqua Marine Dye , it more expensive

Tigers Eye / Washed Black Dye / Washed Blue Dye may be 2 colour but with sanding in between .

some without sanding one may be cheaper.

PRS and TA / surh may do it more complex:

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