All Walnut Guitar?

[HeyMikey]

Has anyone played an all walnut guitar? If so what did you think of it? I know walnut is used for back and sides often, but on the top?

[SRL]

I played an all-walnut J-45 (one of these). It sounded like a J-45, sort of, but more muted and woody due to the heavier piece of wood for the top. Sounded a lot like an all-mahogany dread in a lot of ways.

Spuce, of course, is so popular for tops due to the high strength to weight ratio. Hardwoods like mahogany, walnut, koa, and myrtle can make great tops but the strength to weight ratio isn't as good (they're strong but also a lot more dense). So you need a heavier playing style to drive the top to create the same amount of volume, all else equal.

That said, if the builder adjusts the bracing (lighter) to compensate for the density of the top, you may not lose much volume. But you'll still get a lot of that bluesy, woody sound from the hardwood soundboard, usually a lot more of the fundamental and less of the overtones, if that makes sense. To me, that's what I hear when I play mahogany, myrtle, koa, and walnut topped guitars, but I will say I've played fewer walnut tops than any of the others.

[srick]

Bruce Sexauer built one for the WILS in 2018. It was spectacular! When you strummed that guitar, the whole instrument vibrated. But then, all of Bruce’s guitars are spectacular. It has been said may times, “it’s not about the wood, it’s always about the build and the builder.”

[K20C]

Years ago, I had an all-walnut Taylor 12 string. Sounded fantastic but a little on the quiet side.

[Guitars44me]

I had a late 90s Taylor W15 Jumbo. All highly figured Walnut with a lot of abalone bling.

Sounded real good, but I wished it had a Cedar top. I tend to wish that a LOT!

It sure was a beautiful axe.

Played fantastic too.

Cheers

Paul

[K20C]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

I had a late 90s Taylor W15 Jumbo. All highly figured Walnut with a lot of abalone bling.

Sounded real good, but I wished it had a Cedar top. I tend to wish that a LOT!

It sure was a beautiful axe.

Played fantastic too.

Cheers

Paul

Cedar top on that jumbo would have been awesome. I played a few GA-sized guitars with that configuration back in the day and they sounded really good.

[Alan Carruth]

Walnut is denser than spruce, or other softwoods, but not stiffer at a given thickness. A walnut top that's thick enough to hold up is heavier than a spruce or cedar one, and tends to have somewhat lower 'tap tones'. You get a sound that has less high end, and less power. It's a good choice for anacoustic-electric that's going to be played amplified; the heavier top feeds back less and you can crank up the amp a bit more.

[kmtyb]

I have a Taylor custom all walnut grand symphony. After finding the right strings (it likes 80/20) the guitar sounds fantastic. More piano like with fundamentals then my all KOA martin. Many overtones and plenty loud.

[Kitkatjoe]

I’ve got one that just has suspended sustain in it. It’s bright but has a deep bass also. A great guitar it is.

[FingahPickah]

The Manchester Music Mill has some special run all-walnut Martins .. I played a 12 fret 00 and a 14 fret 000.. both were warm, sweet but quiet. Focused / not versatile tone.

[Wade Hampton]

As others have said, walnut-topped guitars tend to be on the quiet side, with a limited tonal range but great clarity. The people who like them the most tend to be fingerstyle players who have contrapuntal lines going on in their music.


whm

[DavidE]

I had an all walnut Taylor x10 from the 90s. It was just beautiful. Surprisingly, it sounded much closer to my Martins than any other Taylor I've played. I should have kept it.

[donlyn]

All Walnut Guitar?

I have an all-walnut Taylor Jumbo. Strung with Elixir Mediums. Only six string on which I still use Mediums. It is rather subdued after my spruce tops, but not in a bad way. I think it has a sound that reminds me of an arch-top. Can make some noise if I want, but I like the generally the more mellow tones I get without playing it too hard. And being a Jumbo, I find it to be well-balanced too.

No sapwood and some beautiful grain in the build.

Be well and play well,

Don
.

[vanravenjake]

Originally Posted by HeyMikey

Has anyone played an all walnut guitar? If so what did you think of it? I know walnut is used for back and sides often, but on the top?

I actually own 2 all-walnut acoustics, an OM size and a GA, both Masterworks Elite series Alvarez. They're a touch darker than what you'd expect out of something like a spruce top, but they're extremely articulate and really tonally balanced. Tight lows, nice midrange, and not 'take your head off' bright. They instantly became my primary gigging guitars

[Charlie Bernstein]

A friend makes all-walnut Irish bouzoukis. They sound great.