In the future...

Pete Howlett

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As it becomes more apparent that the use of tropical hardwoods for musical instruments is unsustainable, the use of our local woods will be more frequently seen. Start making a stock of them now before they get priced out of the market. Walnut is a good place to start and here's why:

 
I enjoyed a couple of your videos I have watched. I did pick up from you gluing the cutaway piece to the block. I can see how it makes doing the miter so much easier.
 
Love walnut!! I doing one right now. Lovely stuff
 
Thanks for this Pete. I love seeing more and more luthiers using indigenous species. My luthier friend in the next town uses oak. I call them oakeleles. He also uses pecan.
 
Walnut is a fine wood for instruments and very much underappreciated, but we should define our terms. The meaning of "Walnut" is different in Europe and in North America. European or so called "English walnut" Juglans regia is different than so-called "American walnut". English walnut grows in Europe and Asia. American walnut (Juglans hindsii) is related but a different beast in significant ways. I just point this out because they are, while similar, different woods. Then there is the so called "walnuts" that are totally unrelated like "Peruvian walnut" and "African walnut" which are not even closely related. Anyway, both English and American walnut share the characteristic of being easy to work and easy to finish. What more could a person want? The main problem I have experienced with walnut is that it sounds a bit dark and woody which can be an asset in the right hands.
 
Pete, you're not only right. Your timing is impeccable: here's a current project, a juglans hindsii concert. That's claro walnut for those less inclined toward Latin than our learned friend, sequoia. This stuff even looks good inside the box and I love working with it. It bends like a dream, even the super curly variety. But no water, right? :)

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Juglans regia and juglans hindsii bend in very similar ways. I demonstrated with hindsii and am just doing a 'proof' build using regia for a concert Dewdrop style - it's a memeorial uke to be presented to the UOGB in memory of Kity Lux who passed away recently. I'll post up something later this week about it...
 
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Did you say something about stockpiling walnut?

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Maybe we should close this thread now,before anyone else sees it, and before panic buying wipes the UK out of Walnut, like it seems to be doing with Rosewood!!
 
I'm glad that customers are finally realizing that there's life after Brazilian rosewood. I got so tired reading about how only Brazilian rosewood cut by virgins in the light of the full moon was required to make a superior instrument. Truly magical stuff. :uhoh:
I've been using walnut for years since I got a free off-cut that was just big enough to make a concert. Great stuff to work with and it smells so nice...I was hooked. Cherry, Maple, Oak, Birch are all good options too.
 
Most of what I build with these days (back & sides) started with me and a chain saw. Very local. American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is great stuff, and when cut just right has wonderful figure. Here in the eastern US we have black walnut (Juglans nigra). Then there is apple, dogwood, casuarina, hard maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), etc. etc.

In order, left to right, sycamore, casuarina, black walnut
 

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That's claro walnut for those less inclined toward Latin than our learned friend, sequoia.

Yes, yes claro walnut for the less learned. Oh also sometimes just called "California walnut". I love the stuff. Problem is, the nice stuff has long since gone beyond my means pricewise. Pity. But thanks. I like to think of myself as learned. I just learned that I can't afford the stuff. I make do with Umbellularia californica and I'm happy. Mostly.
 
You can find AB Walnut in figured grade which will no doubt be less expensive than claro. AB Walnut doesn't always have the best colour but that can be addressed with a tinted varnish. I basically stopped using rosewood and ebony around 5 years ago so walnut and maple have become my staple woods although I was using them long before that. There's no difference in the sound between walnut and maple, they are about the same density. You'll find just as much variation between maple and maple as you would between maple and walnut, in terms of density and stiffness. Colour is different of course and for most people it's the colour of the wood that defines the tone! Put a blindfold on them and they would really be in trouble.
 
Yep. That's the darndest thing about wood associated with furniture making. Strange it should be oak that gets left out in the cold. I love it!
 
Would someone not buy it due to looks, sound or something else?

Well I'm not of the opinion that no one in the world would buy an instruments made of oak, there's always the (very) odd person who will give something a chance. Oak just isn't in the line of vision as far as the vast majority of buyers are concerned. It probably needs a few well known players to promote it in order to change it's status. It's a pity because there's plenty of oak to be had, new oak or countless old tables that have seen better days - I have one, 1930's vintage, nearly 100 year old oak! It works beautifully with hand tools, probably because it was fully air dried.
 
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