Its sound is characterized by good bite and attack, bright, but not brittle like the harder woods can be. Our fiddleback and quilted bodies are western bigleaf maple. Walnut is not quite so heavy as hard maple and has a similar sound though not as bright. Walnut is very beautiful with an open grain. Oil finishes can look nice on walnut.
Weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy, a good wood for basses.
Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with a little more brightness. Like walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its best sprayed clear. Koa is sometimes available in flame figure. This is another heavy wood with a very open grain. It has a very distinctive look with light and dark brown stripes.