Both guitars are made with a special Flame maple veneer for the back & sides the spruce model is finished with a very light natural stain, while the back & sides of the cedar-top version sport a rich brown stain. Headstocks are bound and topped with a matching flame veneer. Another outstanding feature of these guitars is the high-gloss lacquer finish. It takes about eight days in production just to apply this finish which is why you don't see this finish on other guitars anywhere near this price range.