What's a carved maple top?

[wkl]

How does it differ from a solid maple top?
What are the advantages?

I googled it but i'm still not quite sure...

 

[hunter]

Well I think it's just a maple top that has been shaped to contain like mountains and valleys on the top, e.g. a PRS will typically have a carved top.

How it looks differently on the same guitar can well be seen on Hamer Sunburst models. Before 91 they were flat, then carved.

Here is a flattop from '79:

Here a current carved model:

In terms of cost, there is a difference regarding the figuring of the wood. Either the figured wood is very thin and applied on top of the (carved or not) plain maple top, either the whole carved top is made of figured wood. The latter is much more expensive as more of the rare/figured wood is used, but IMO has no significant tonal impact.

 

[Giga]

I think the name "carved" isn't accurate anymore. I believe it comes from the time the luthiers actually "pre-carved" the profile of the top into the wood before they reached the final shape with sanding.
Nowadays, no doubt it's a milling job

Giga.

 

[Juggernaut]

I think the name "carved" isn't accurate anymore. I believe it comes from the time the luthiers actually "pre-carved" the profile of the top into the wood before they reached the final shape with sanding.
Nowadays, no doubt it's a milling job

Giga.

depends on the builder

 

[Dallas Marlow]

Will Stinnett still carves his tops by hand theres a build thread on here some where and you can watch him, but it's def not milled no C&C involved

 

[Digital Jams]

I think the name "carved" isn't accurate anymore. I believe it comes from the time the luthiers actually "pre-carved" the profile of the top into the wood before they reached the final shape with sanding.
Nowadays, no doubt it's a milling job

Giga.

Hamer carves by hand using grinders for every carve top unlike mass producers like Gibson. No machines used.