All walnut top, back sides, and neck

Tukanu

Handmade 2B Hand Played
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I am getting ready to build a "Knutsen Inspired" concert. I have some beautiful crotch walnut that I have been dying to use. Does anyone have experience with a walnut sound board?
 
I built a tiny 9 7/8" scale length uke with an all walnut body. It sounds great. It was straight grained quartersawn wood. I wouldn't hesitate to do all-walnut on a bigger instrument based on that experience. I have used walnut a lot as a back/side wood, but that was the only time as a soundboard.

How stable is the crotch grain walnut you have? I've cut plenty of crotch walnut for furniture and fancy laminate tops on solid body guitars and basses, and it has been among the least stable wood I've ever worked with. It seems to have a mind of it's own once cut, even if it was well dried and carefully handled. I've had pieces twist up, or develop checks years later.
 
I am getting ready to build a "Knutsen Inspired" concert. I have some beautiful crotch walnut that I have been dying to use. Does anyone have experience with a walnut sound board?

I used walnut once as a top and to be honest I didn't care for the result. The sound was dark and dull. But this might not have had anything to do with the wood but with my construction. If I did it again I would go much thinner to get a better response...

Dwizum is right on about using crotch wood too. Looks great but beware of checking and movement.
 
I built a tiny 9 7/8" scale length uke with an all walnut body. It sounds great. It was straight grained quartersawn wood. I wouldn't hesitate to do all-walnut on a bigger instrument based on that experience. I have used walnut a lot as a back/side wood, but that was the only time as a soundboard.

How stable is the crotch grain walnut you have? I've cut plenty of crotch walnut for furniture and fancy laminate tops on solid body guitars and basses, and it has been among the least stable wood I've ever worked with. It seems to have a mind of it's own once cut, even if it was well dried and carefully handled. I've had pieces twist up, or develop checks years later.

I have had the pieces for about 5 years, and no movement, or checks. The pieces were dressed down to about an 1/8" back then.
 
I did an all walnut body concert uke and I really like it. It does sound more mellow like a mahogany uke. Not bright like a spruce top or koa.
I found changing to fluorocarbon strings really perked up the sound (started with aquilla).
 
I did an all walnut body concert uke and I really like it. It does sound more mellow like a mahogany uke. Not bright like a spruce top or koa.
I found changing to fluorocarbon strings really perked up the sound (started with aquilla).

I was wondering if the sound might be too mellow. I thought about using a torrefied spruce, but aesthetically a walnut sound board would look the best.
 
I was wondering if the sound might be too mellow. I thought about using a torrefied spruce, but aesthetically a walnut sound board would look the best.

California Claro Walnut is supposed to have similar stiffness to Mahogany or Koa so likely would also have similar sound. I would find an all walnut uke very appealing as I have a guitar with walnut fretboard and neck that feels and plays fantastic.
 
Am building a Concert In Walnut at the moment. Black for The sides and back and American/English for the soundboard and neck. Soundboard is 1.9 mm thick. Will report in a few weeks if fit is a player or a wall hanger.
 
I'm be interested to hear your thoughts. At this point, it looks like I am going to go with the walnut soundboard.
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Cool. I love the look of walnut. I have heard of some makers doing walnut instruments with great success.
 
Cool looking wood... Just treat it like any hardwood top and make it thinner than you would a softwood spruce/cedar top. Around 0.070 is a good rule of thumb realizing that each piece of wood is different density. Really, how you construct with the wood makes more difference than what type of wood it is. I'll bet it will sound great.
 
Happy to report that the side bending went perfectly...almost too perfectly. There is almost no straight grain to prevent splintering in a piece of crotch walnut, so I didnt know what to expect. It took to the hot pipe with almost no resistance.
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Hi,
Thanks for posting on the walnut build. I have a customer requesting I build a concert taropatch with some fiddleback walnut b&s a d spruce top. The only problem is I’ve never built one yet and I’m kinda sweating bending the sides. Guess I’ll be searching this site for pointers. D88A6142-19E4-4C71-8AF7-1009E80DD926.jpg
 
I took the sides down to about .10 I use a pipe heated by a propane torch. I misted the pieces just prior to bending....do not soak. I moved along at about a 1/4" at a time and let the wood tell me when to apply light pressure. I went over the piece three times, re-misting each time, and adding a little more bend each time. Good luck to you.
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Finished the all Walnut Concert today. Strings are still settling in but I am pleased with the voice and sustain at this point. DSC_9699.jpg[ATTA
 
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Ver, very nice! What is the neck made of?
 
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