Walnut vs Mahogany

[Econ]

Which of the two has better sustain and tone for playing heavy metal, shred type music? What kind of pickups (humbuckers and single coils) would you recommend for a guitar with a walnut body, maple neck/ebony fingerboard and locking trem?

[Nightbat]

Which of the two has better sustain and tone for playing heavy metal, shred type music?

Both, neither
A dead plank can be maple, walnut, koa, mahogany, whatever, one that sings for days could be of the same material
Sustain is more in the individual guitar, you'll find sustain to be more influenced by bad bridge/nut/frets than softer/harder, warmer/brighter woods
(Nothing set in stone though)



the tone between mahogany and walnut is warm/bright (though walnut is usualy not as bright as maple)

How you want your 'metal' depends on your preference
you can play heavy metal on a Strat or shred on a les Paul, you can chug on maple or meedly on mahogany
....or vice versa

What kind of pickups (humbuckers and single coils) would you recommend for a guitar with a walnut body, maple neck/ebony fingerboard and locking trem?

Nothing overly Bright, you might wanna check p'ups with somewhat rolled of highs in that combination (or not, if you want a guitar that screams murder )

[DonP]

Walnut is not very common. There aren't going to be many people who have walnut bodies and play metal. When I think of walnut, I think of bass guitar.

Metal was invented on a mahogany SG (Sabbath), so no issues there. Many mahogany guitars, lots of people use it.

So if you want to be unique, go for walnut.

[~K~]

Let me say this ..You're going to get more tone out of an oiled guitar than a painted one. I have a Mahogany that absolutely sings and unplugged is louded than all my other guitars. I think the only difference you'll see in Mahogany is that they tend to sound a little darker imo ..

[j2379]

Moser is/was making walnut bodied oil finished guitars, templar series. walnut can vary a lot in weight and tone, usually the heavier the brighter. I'm pretty sure some of the 70's SGs were walnut.

[Hellbat]

Yup, I saw a used 79 SG Walnut at a dealer last week.

[Xyrium]

If you can hear the difference between a Walnut and Mahogany electric guitar with gain pumped in your rig, I'd be very impressed.

Acoustic guitars, entirely different story. Just my opinion, though I have tinnitus.

Let me toss in that most Soloists are either poplar or alder, and this is clearly the best guitar for metal anyway.

Finally, Carvin has a decent opinion on their selection of wood types here:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/colorwoodguide/