A push for walnut!

mandrew

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I have played a number of stringed instruments that were made of solid walnut. It is a great sounding tone wood, even with a solid walnut top. I wish more makers would offer solid walnut! I know that Mya-Moe does. Any one here have a walnut instrument?
 
I've played MANY walnut instruments at the store I work for. I always wanted a Taylor W65 (12 string Jumbo all walnut), but they stopped making them. Walnut is usually a darker sounding wood. But not darker sounding in a bad way, its a very unique tone wood.

Without playing one, I'd guess on a uke it'd be too warm sounding to use all walnut, but you never know :)
 
We just strung up a claro walnut and wr cedar tenor last night and it sounds great . And we are building a concert with the same combination for a UU member. You can see pictures on our Facebook if you're interested
 
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along with mango it's my favourite tonewood for ukes. Not sure about it being too warm, more to me it has a bright, clear and bell-like tone. I've owned two all-walnut ukes and they both sounded really lovely...couple of demos:

tenor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnz7e7lTeI0&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_5FUgqFIsc&feature=relmfu


concert resonator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=407_6efW_H8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlqlinBd-nQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek9y6sWFGl4

If I can ever afford another Mya Moe it'll be made of all walnut, guaranteed :)
 
Walnut is awesome. I made a walnut top for my cigar box uke and love the sound (the uke is ugly, but that's my fault). The back and sides are Spanish Cedar from the original box. I made the top out of walnut because I liked the looks. It is a little thin though at 1/16th. It was my first attempt at building. Dark walnut looks awesome on instruments.
 
I've got a Tom Guy Bluegrass walnut tenor with spruce top and I really like the sound that comes from it.
 
Walnut was the first wood I went with for the Compass Rose tenor design about eight years ago. It's wonderful.
 
I have played a number of stringed instruments that were made of solid walnut. It is a great sounding tone wood, even with a solid walnut top. I wish more makers would offer solid walnut! I know that Mya-Moe does. Any one here have a walnut instrument?

Compass Rose has been making all walnut ukes for years. They are fantastic.
 
I have played a number of stringed instruments that were made of solid walnut. It is a great sounding tone wood, even with a solid walnut top. I wish more makers would offer solid walnut! I know that Mya-Moe does. Any one here have a walnut instrument?

Check out Brüko ukuleles. Herr Pfeiffer has a soprano flat walnut with arched back for sale. He will make whatever you want with no problem.
 
I had kitchen cabinets made of walnut. They were too dark.
 
I've owned two all-walnut tenors. The first was made by Marc Schoenberger and sold under the 3rd Wave label, and the other was by Dave Sigman of Little River Ukes in Mendocino. Both were great instruments. The 3rd Wave had a brighter, punchier sound. The Little River had a warm, full mahogany-like tone.
 
I once had a solid-walnut mountain dulcimer. It's a great tonewood and I'd love to try a uke in walnut some day.

John
 
If I do another custom (if...ha!) it will be walnut with a redwood top...
 
Better hurry Jon, I still have that walnut you gave to me, but Teek has her eyes on it. Seems she is thinking about a walnut body and redwood top too. By the way, LMI has some beautiful walnut from South America.

Brad
 
Eugene,

That walnut tenor sounds wonderful! I have a deposit down on a Mya-Moe tenor that won't begin building until November, and I had pretty much narrowed the wood choices down to mango and myrtle - now you have added another choice for me to consider. Can you try and compare the mango and walnut for me - I realize it's highly subjective, but I would like your opinion anyway if you wouldn't mind.

Also, your playing is very very good. A nice comfortable, easy going but technically proficient style. Nice job. Can you tell me where you got the Tab for the Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee song. I would love to learn it. Thanks!

Tim
 
I just got a Fluke with a walnut soundboard, walnut neck and walnut fretboard. It sounds wonderful. It has subtle undertones that I haven't heard from my maple/spruce or mahogany ukes. I'm sure the plastic back and sides don't allow the "walnut-ness" of the soundboard to come out as much as they wood on an all wood uke but I'm still enchanted with the sound.

Nix
 
I recently ordered a MyaMoe baritone with a curly redwood soundboard and walnut back and sides. Here is what Char picked out for the uke. The only problem is that it won't arrive until November.

MyaMoe wood selection.jpg
 
I'm currently having a Koolau walnut/redwood top being built for me.
 
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