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[themikestro]

Y'alright PG members?

Quick question, how thick (normally) is the maple cap on a Les Paul? Roughly how much wood depth is removed from the edge on a "standard" carve?

I'm only asking because my options for a top wood seem to be 1" or 3/8th" one seems excessive and the other a bit thin. i used a 3/8th on my last guitar but left it flat, I want to give a carve a go this time around. I just inherited a full set of VERY fine carving tools so i'm looking forward to giving them a go.

Tips and advice please!

[Supernova9]

Y'alright PG memebers?

Quick question, how thick (normally) is the maple cap on a Les Paul? Roughly how much wood depth is removed from the edge on a "standard" carve?

I'm only asking because my options for a top wood seem to be 1" or 3/8th" one seems excessive and the other a bit thin. i used a 3/8th on my last guitar but left it flat, I want to give a carve a go this time around. I just inherited a full set of VERY fine carving tools so i'm looking forward to giving them a go.

Tips and advice please!

←

Typically a 3/4" maple top, with a 1/2" depth of carve.

[themikestro]

Thanks, so a 1" in top planed would be the right choice I guess.

Cheers!

[Setch]

Yup - 1" will be fine. If (as I suspect) you are ordering from Craft Supplies, their 1" top will need plenty of working down before you can joint it or carve it. My LP used a 1" plain maple top from CS, and by the time I'd removed the warp and saw marks it was closer to 5/8 than 3/4.