Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    31

    Post Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    So I have just been offered a really nice F5 mandolin with a one piece Walnut back, something I’d never seen on an F style mandolin. Does anyone know If a walnut is a good tonewood for the bluegrass sound? It definitely looks cool, if everything works out I may try it out in a week or two to see if its for me. Anyone whos played an F or an A style F hole mandolin with Walnut back and sidesplease feel free to weigh in on this. Thanks
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	127146B2-B7ED-4F1A-8703-E03549803804.png 
Views:	254 
Size:	6.59 MB 
ID:	185842

  2. #2
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    I have a Mandola with Black Walnut used for back, carved, & sides.. A lovely hardwood..

    Can you go audition it in person? I have no clue what the builder of yours, did with it..
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    31

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    I have a Mandola with Black Walnut used for back, carved, & sides.. A lovely hardwood..

    Can you go audition it in person? I have no clue what the builder of yours, did with it..
    I’m planning on going to play it before buying it, just wondering what the general consensus is about Walnut as a tonewood for archtop mandolins.

  4. #4
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,776

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Don’t know about archtop mandolins, but it’s fine for flattop guitars. Similar sound characteristics to genuine mahogany.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    31

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill McCall View Post
    Don’t know about archtop mandolins, but it’s fine for flattop guitars. Similar sound characteristics to genuine mahogany.
    For sure, I’ve owned a couple Walnut Backed Gibsons and they were all pretty fine sounding guitars

  6. #6

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    You are going to have to play it. I have built fiddles and guitars with black walnut. I love to work with it. It is a terrific tonewood.

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Colorado and Florida
    Posts
    145

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Twelve to fifteen years ago I went to the RockyGrass Academy. One of the instructors was the mandolin player in the Claire Lynch Band. His mandolin had a walnut back. If I recall, he said he wasn't even sure who the maker was, he just ran across it somewhere and liked the way it sounded. I wasn't really a connoisseur of tone in those days, so don't have any comment on how I thought it sounded.

    My memory of the details in this story may not be perfect, but that was the gist of it. If anyone knows it better, please correct me.
    Riley

    Kentucky KM-250

    Guitars:
    RainSong SMH
    Blueridge BR-142
    The Loar LH-250
    Recording King RPS-9
    A Strat and a Tele

  8. #8

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Quote Originally Posted by TheLeadFlatpick View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	127146B2-B7ED-4F1A-8703-E03549803804.png 
Views:	254 
Size:	6.59 MB 
ID:	185842
    The back is absolutely gorgeous!! I have no experience with walnut as a back/sides wood, but you've gotten some good above.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

  9. The following members say thank you to lenf12 for this post:


  10. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    31

    Post Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Quote Originally Posted by lenf12 View Post
    The back is absolutely gorgeous!! I have no experience with walnut as a back/sides wood, but you've gotten some good above.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL
    Thanks, the last back I posted was recieved with mixed opinions, hopefully this one makes up for it! If the sound is there, I’m gonna jump on this one! Here’s the only photo of the front I have, but it looks pretty good to my eye also
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	E2AC35C5-E625-4B6A-8FA8-1DCF661CEADD.png 
Views:	218 
Size:	6.33 MB 
ID:	185843

  11. #10

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    My first one was built with walnut back and red cedar top. It is a little more quiet and definitely less bark than the maple backed instruments I have built with similar tops. It was also my first so that may be a factor. There is nothing bad about it that would scare me off. I will probably build another walnut one sometime this year and see what I can do with it now. You should definitely play it before you buy though. It may be too mellow for bluegrass.

  12. The following members say thank you to CarlM for this post:


  13. #11
    Registered User Walt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    West Monroe, LA
    Posts
    414

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    Maybe Hank will chime in--he recently built a fantastic F-5 with walnut back and sides.

  14. The following members say thank you to Walt for this post:


  15. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    ACMO
    Posts
    77

    Default Re: Any Experience With Walnut F5 Mandolins?

    I have an F5 that’s 11 years old and the back is 100 year old walnut. It is a cannon. Loud and easily heard in a jam. Definitely play it first but walnut component shouldn’t be an issue.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •