FWIW I found this on Craigslist NH today..

Tue, Oct 10, 2006, 9:09am (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (jtpr) doth posteth:

I know exactly what you mean. Periodically I post listings from the local bargain papers. Some of these would be of great interest to myself, except for the lack of spare money to buy; otherwise I'd be checking them out, and not posting about them. At least it's good karma.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

I wonder what criterion the seller uses to distinguish between 'tiger' and 'curly' maple.

Agreed - something in those pics is not right!

Really 'good' curly maple is sometimes called 'fiddleback' as it is the material preferred by modern violin luthiers for the backs of stringed instruments. Stradivarius and I think also the other great masters of Cemnona prefered plainly figured wood, though.

I might suppose he refers to the broad curls as 'curly' and the narrow ones as 'tiger' but there does not seem to be any real standard.

That said, it looks like GREAT wood.