California (Claro) Walnut, Juglans California, is well known for its use in fine furniture with the more figured material being highly prized for veneers. This local wood has also proven itself as a tonewood with large manufacturers and custom builders alike.
With its rich brown color and occasional black streaks, Walnut produces a striking instrument with a crisp, dry tone and a strong fundamental. Walnut works well in all respects, has a pleasant scent, and once it has been dried is very stable.
Our back and side sets often exhibit fiddleback figure and interesting movement in the grain and we put these in a special grade for those unique projects. Since it is also in demand by fine furniture builders we occasionally run low on the higher grades but we always get the best that is available.
Black Walnut, Mayan Walnut and Peruvian Walnut are three species new to the LMI catalog. Each offers a great value to beginners looking for a quality tonewood at a great price. All three share qualities of our familiar and popular California Walnut . They are dark in color, bend easily and offer a clear, open tone with excellent depth and strong trebles.
The Black Walnut (from the Eastern United States) is gray in color, often with contrasting tan center strips.
The Peruvian Walnut is a nice, dark chocolate brown color, often with interesting, broad, dark lines. Most sets will have some small, subtle gray mineral spots. The Peruvian variety is slightly more dense than other Walnuts, which may increase volume and/or projection.
The Mayan Walnut (not a “true Walnut” from the Juglans family) is even-colored and straight-grained, and is very easy to work. The color is a light-mocha (decaf anyone?) with contrasting dark gray grain lines. Most sets have a very subtle flame figure, and many sets also have an attractive blonde sapwood center.
