Seeking advice regarding some Black Walnut slabs

[NateD81]

My parents are getting a little older and are starting to clear out their attic. My dad had quite a few slabs of Black Walnut. ItÂ’s over 100 years old (I donÂ’t k is if thatÂ’s good/bad/doesnÂ’t matter) that my grandfather cut down somewhere in Minnesota. My first question is, are these planks worth anything? I donÂ’t have exact dimensions but they are definitely large enough for back and sides - is black walnut ever used for that? IÂ’d like to keep a little of the wood myself, but if they wanted to sell the boards, any idea what the best way of going about that is?

Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

[Alan Carruth]

Walnut is an excellent wood for guitar backs and sides, and old wood is usually better than new. A lot depends, though, on how it was cut and stored. It would be difficult to be sure without access to the actual wood; pictures on line only go so far. It's possible that some of it will be useful for instrument work, but that would probably only be a small part of the whole unless it was cut specifically for instruments. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent thumbing through tons of wood at a hardwood yard only to find nothing useful. OTOH, much of it could probably be used for high-end furniture.

[redir]

Have you been able to look at them yet? If they are wide center cut slabs that would be amazing to have. Even if they are not perfect for guitar making there is a family history there and you could make a guitar that has a back story and would be sentimental for your self and whoever you might pass it down too.

Walnut is a great wood for every part of the guitar, body, necks, bridges, fretboards (soft but doable), even the linings.

[NateD81]

Originally Posted by redir

Have you been able to look at them yet? If they are wide center cut slabs that would be amazing to have. Even if they are not perfect for guitar making there is a family history there and you could make a guitar that has a back story and would be sentimental for your self and whoever you might pass it down too.

Walnut is a great wood for every part of the guitar, body, necks, bridges, fretboards (soft but doable), even the linings.

I haven’t seen it yet, my dad needs help pulling it down from our attic. I’m guessing it’s in good shape as he is one to take care of everything he owns. I’ll have to ask him if he knows if it’s center cut slabs or not. I have a walnut coffee table he made out of it that’s beautiful - so my hope is that he’d have some usable slabs.

I don’t have skills to make a guitar with it myself, but would love to have that done for the family. Any suggestions on anyone who could do that? I never got to meet my grandpa on my dad’s side, so it would be a pretty cool way to make a connection that way. I know all the stories about him, but that’s all I got to have since he passed before I was born.