Walnut

A dense hardwood with an open, often strongly marked grain, used for acoustic backs and sides, occasional necks and some solid bodies.

Its voice sits towards the warm and dry end, with a solid midrange and a top end that is present without being bright, so it works well for fingerstyle and for instruments where a rosewood-like depth is wanted with a little less ring. It is heavy enough that a solid body in walnut will be a substantial instrument, and its figure makes it a favourite for visible natural finishes. Like any species, the individual piece matters as much as the name.

Example: a walnut-backed acoustic gives a warm, controlled low end that records without the boominess a rosewood body can produce.

Walnut

See also