Western soft maple is another wood like alder that grows all around us here in Washington state. It is usually much lighter than hard maple, but is the same white color. 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.