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I've seen quite a few posts on checking for runout direction in soundboards for planing them, which I like do to thin lower bout perimeters.
One post I remember suggested stroking a top along each side with white cotton gloves on, they catch in the end grain of run-out, and that works.
But today found the best thing seems to be a microfibre cloth, that really catches in any end grain sticking up at all and makes planing direction very obvious.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

That's a great tip, if you haven't sanded with too fine a paper. As a matter of principal, any book matched set of boards must have the grain running in opposite directions. So, if you find one is going down, the other is up, guaranteed... or you didn't actually book match them for some odd reason.

I use the brute force method, and just try a little in an area I know I will take a good amount of wood off. Usually one stroke with a sharp plane and you know what you are dealing with. The only exception is if you have some funky grain running up and down along the board. In that case, you are pretty much hosed. Grab the scraper plane and hope for the best!

FYI... that looks a lot like my bodies at this phase.

Yup, I just run the block plane all the way round.
I've tried the brute force technique and regretted it, even one swipe can tear out quite badly, especially if you don't set the mouth really fine.
This was sanded to P240, direction of runout still very easy to find, but I couldn't see it at all, which I can with most tops.
BTW it's an OM, Kinkead style. EIR, redwood burl rosette.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

They look like sisters.... except no cut-away.

Nice! That bridge is pretty wild -what wood is that?

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.