Walnut as a tone wood?
- Thread starter KyleM
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Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
Walnut has a long history as a loved tonewood for acoustics and solidbody guitars. Built a solid walnut Les Paul copy back in '83. Heavy as hell, but it sounded great. The client stlll owns and plays it regularly.
Walnut has a long history as a loved tonewood for acoustics and solidbody guitars. Built a solid walnut Les Paul copy back in '83. Heavy as hell, but it sounded great. The client stlll owns and plays it regularly.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
Walnut is really heavy. That's all I have to say. They can get up to 15 pounds for a Lester.
Walnut is really heavy. That's all I have to say. They can get up to 15 pounds for a Lester.
devastone
Well-known member
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
Fender has made solid walnut Teles and Strats - they always average the weight of a small anvil.
Fender has made solid walnut Teles and Strats - they always average the weight of a small anvil.
ChAoZ
Luthier Extraordinaire
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
Walnut strat body won't be stupid heavy, I used Oak once and will never use it again - best saved for bowling alley floors
Walnut strat body won't be stupid heavy, I used Oak once and will never use it again - best saved for bowling alley floors
Lazarus1140
New member
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
I agree with this and have recently ordered parts to build a TeleGib this way. Besides regular Alder and Mahogany, roasted Alder and Ash are available, and I would use any of the four for a solid body or a back for a laminated top. My concern would be that a solid Walnut body would be too bright for my taste. I might do it if I was going to mount Filtertrons and go for more of a Ric vibe.
I agree with this and have recently ordered parts to build a TeleGib this way. Besides regular Alder and Mahogany, roasted Alder and Ash are available, and I would use any of the four for a solid body or a back for a laminated top. My concern would be that a solid Walnut body would be too bright for my taste. I might do it if I was going to mount Filtertrons and go for more of a Ric vibe.
Nostalgic Distortion
New member
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
I had a solid body Walnut S.G. kinda thing for a while... I'm pretty sure that the body was made out of about six 2in-2.5in pieces all glued together which is probably the biggest challenge of Walnut... You just can't get wood stock much bigger than that???
I remember that it sounded pretty great but as mentioned above it was heavy as $#it!!! Although I don't remember it having any neck dive issues, LOL!!! Personally I think it's got a lot of the same tonal qualities as Maple (kinda dense, bright, & tight) but Maple is much more readily available, A LOT cheaper, & easier to work into the desired finished product...
So unless you're after a Walnut wood grain for a natural finished guitar Maple is probably a better way to achieve that tone? Of course if that's the case a Walnut veneer would do the trick just fine...
I had a solid body Walnut S.G. kinda thing for a while... I'm pretty sure that the body was made out of about six 2in-2.5in pieces all glued together which is probably the biggest challenge of Walnut... You just can't get wood stock much bigger than that???
I remember that it sounded pretty great but as mentioned above it was heavy as $#it!!! Although I don't remember it having any neck dive issues, LOL!!! Personally I think it's got a lot of the same tonal qualities as Maple (kinda dense, bright, & tight) but Maple is much more readily available, A LOT cheaper, & easier to work into the desired finished product...
So unless you're after a Walnut wood grain for a natural finished guitar Maple is probably a better way to achieve that tone? Of course if that's the case a Walnut veneer would do the trick just fine...
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
I would think a walnut top would be fine, but full walnut bodies I've tried were heavy and bright. You could even do a walnut top and back over a lighter wood. It certainly is beautiful. I have payed a 12 lb LP-style walnut guitar before that sounded bright as hell.
I would think a walnut top would be fine, but full walnut bodies I've tried were heavy and bright. You could even do a walnut top and back over a lighter wood. It certainly is beautiful. I have payed a 12 lb LP-style walnut guitar before that sounded bright as hell.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
I'd love to see roasted Walnut! Walnut really needs some aging to dry out the wood and keep the strident tonality in check IMHO.I've played the early 80's Gibson Walnut SG's, and they sound most awesome, not really like a Mahogany SG. Paired with an Walnut/Ebony neck, they are really sweet.
I have an early 2000 Warmoth Walnut Superstrat, and paired with the right pickups to tame the bright nature of the wood, and in my case, na all rosewood neck to further mellow out the tone , it has really aged nicely and sounds great.
New Walnut with the wrong neck could really be terribly bright IMO.
I'd love to see roasted Walnut! Walnut really needs some aging to dry out the wood and keep the strident tonality in check IMHO.I've played the early 80's Gibson Walnut SG's, and they sound most awesome, not really like a Mahogany SG. Paired with an Walnut/Ebony neck, they are really sweet.
I have an early 2000 Warmoth Walnut Superstrat, and paired with the right pickups to tame the bright nature of the wood, and in my case, na all rosewood neck to further mellow out the tone , it has really aged nicely and sounds great.
New Walnut with the wrong neck could really be terribly bright IMO.
Re: Walnut as a tone wood?
Big hulky LP-style? I wooodn't
Thinner-body like S-series with rounded edges, much routing, and a shreddy-thin neck? Yes walnut, even hard-maple body isn't that terribly heavy.
Carvin's full-rounded DC bodies are great for the heavies, plus you'll never have a neck-dive problem.
Big hulky LP-style? I wooodn't
Thinner-body like S-series with rounded edges, much routing, and a shreddy-thin neck? Yes walnut, even hard-maple body isn't that terribly heavy.
Carvin's full-rounded DC bodies are great for the heavies, plus you'll never have a neck-dive problem.
BTMN
LifeIsGoodologist
Vintage Walnut.....
Vintage Walnut.....
Some quick shots I took of "Brown Dawg" Bought one when they first hit in the Spring of '79. Traded it in October of '79 for a Black '75 Strat. Never felt compelled to master it and regretted the trade every time I played it. Found this '79 about 25 years ago and grabbed it to rid myself of that trade regret. :9: :cool2:
Four piece body 3 piece neck. Dig that neck joint.
Vintage Walnut.....
Some quick shots I took of "Brown Dawg" Bought one when they first hit in the Spring of '79. Traded it in October of '79 for a Black '75 Strat. Never felt compelled to master it and regretted the trade every time I played it. Found this '79 about 25 years ago and grabbed it to rid myself of that trade regret. :9: :cool2:
Four piece body 3 piece neck. Dig that neck joint.
