Another wood species identification question

[John Ziebron]

I made a bunch of Christmas ornaments this year out of a "chunk" of wood from an uncle that passed away over 40 years ago. My uncle Frank was one of those true craftsman, born in 1898. Among other things he was a watchmaker, violin maker and machinist/metal worker.

My uncle was also a golfer and made his own woods and putters. Although I was just a kid at the time I do remember him saying that drivers and fairway woods were made out of Persimmon, which is what I suspect this chunk that I have is. I also have 3 of the violins that he made and the bridges all appear to be made out of the same wood. Here is a couple of pics of 90 degree sides.
wood1.jpgwood2.jpg

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s curly maple.
I harvested several Persimmon tress the wood was tan with specks of brown and black.
Good Luck

[Mike Cutler]

It looks like maple to me also.
Neighbor cut down a huge persimmon tree many years ago. The color of the wood was a red to burnt umber color when it was freshly cut.
I'll take Andrew's word for it that it is tan. Some woods bleed their color out as soon as the water content changes. I only saw it for the morning after the chainsaw cut through it.

[John Ziebron]

Thank you Andrew and Mike. Maple would have been my second guess since I read that it is also sometimes used for bridges in violins.

[Lee Schierer]

Thank you Andrew and Mike. Maple would have been my second guess since I read that it is also sometimes used for bridges in violins.

I have some soft maple in my shop that looks just like that.

Here's what it looks like when finished.
maplebox.jpg

[Stan Calow]

Maple would have been my second guess since I read that it is also sometimes used for bridges in violins.

I think it was used for the whole violin. Hence the term "fiddleback maple". Old world violin makers didnt have access to mahogany and new world species way back when.

[Mel Fulks]

Violin tops are always spruce , Backs and sides ,maple.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I agree that the OP's wood is curly maple. Violins sometimes also have western red cedar tops. I made a few with it. Backs, sides and necks are traditionally maple or sometimes sycamore, but also cherry, walnut, etc are not unheard of.

[Mel Fulks]

Cigar boxes have been used too ! But were mostly seen on TV with pretty country girls seated on hay bales !
Yasha Heifetz had some violins…but just old stuff.