Walden Guitars D351 Mahogany Natural

Lovely gloss finished all sapele laminate dreadnought guitar. Quality Grover-type tuners, compensated saddle, 25.9" scale, 1 11/16th nut width. Comfortable, not too skinny C-shape neck. Fingerboard and bridge appear to be rosewood. Sometimes I have a bit of trouble playing 1 11/16th" guitars but not so on this one, there seems to be plenty of room for my fat fingers.

The gloss finish is lovely, and not overdone as seen in Johnson and Blueridge.

The intonation is perfect.

Came with a good quality Walden gig bag and truss rod tool.

Made in China, 2007.

The sound is pretty amazing for a guitar in this price range. I have played many guitars, both high end and low end. This one isn't a Martin, but it's by far the best laminate guitar I've played and far surpasses any Yamaha I have played, at even 2-3 times the price. I have played a fair few solid mahogany guitars and none except a Larrivee OM-05MT sounded this good. They tend to be muffled or muted, and as this has a laminate top I was expecting the same. This one is lovely, both strummed and fingerpicked. I often use a capo which can really distort the sound of some cheap guitars, but it sounded fine at any fret.

The guitar has lovely overtones and sustain, but not as much as Yamahas I have had, which I found really annoying and was trying to get away from that overly-bright sound. Not as mellow as other mahogany topped guitars, not sure if that can be attributed to it being all laminate or sapele.

I bought this as I wanted a sturdy all-laminate travel guitar that would withstand temperature changes and outdoor playing.

So far I have no dislikes, and continue to be amazed at the quality of this guitar. It sounds better than many guitars I have played with solid tops - I think you would have to spend quite a bit more to get a better quality and sound.

I have played and owned several other Waldens - a solid spruce / rosewood dreadnought, an all laminate 000, and an 000 cutaway made with a solid cedar top and solid rosewood back and sides. This one is much further down the chain of Walden guitars then the others were, but I like this one better.

Can't find any flaws at all, the guitar is extremely well made and oozes quality. The tuners are fantastic, which I find unusual in guitars at this price range.

Perfectly book-matched top and back, clean binding, no sign of glue anywhere.

Action was fine right out of the box. Came set up with D'addario EXP strings.

I have had the guitar about a month and taken it out a few times. It seems like it will last as well as any other guitar, probably better because of the laminate. Everything about it appears solid, and I feel confident that it will last. It never seems to go out of tune.

I haven't used it at a gig, but am going to have a pickup installed and use it live. I probably would take along an extra guitar just because I don't like playing without a backup, but can't imagine anything going wrong with this one.

No opinion, never dealt with the company.

I bought this guitar mainly based on the review below. I wasn't expecting much, as all-laminate guitars can sound dull and muted but was happily surprised to find the previous reviewer was spot on.

The Walden sounds better than some of the solid wood guitars I have played and owned, and quite a bit better than the Larrivee D-03 I sold recently. It's not up to my Martins, but for the price it is fantastic and I find myself playing it more than expected just because I enjoy it so much.

I have had lots of compliments on the guitar. Waldens are not that well-known here in the UK and people seem to think I am playing something expensive made in the US. They have been very surprised when I told them how much it cost. I don't know if this one is an exception, but I feel very lucky to have it and won't be letting it go.

There are lots of glowing reviews on guitars here, and I often take them with a pinch of salt, thinking they are being written by someone who has just picked up their guitar and is still in the 'honeymoon' phase, or you'll read at the end how they have only been playing 6 months, etc. I hope you will not think this one falls into that category! I'm not a guitar 'expert' but I have been playing for many years and love trying out different guitars and take the opportunity whenever possible.

I've been playing about 25 years and currently own a Martin D-28, D-18V,000-18GE, and a Gibson J-45. I bought this guitar so I wouldn't have to expose my other guitars to the elements. I'm so glad I did, it is a great guitar and so much nicer than the other low-end guitars I have owned and played in the past.

Nothing fancy, but an understated elegance of:

Body Shape: Dreadnought
Top Material: Sapele Mahogany (Laminate)
Back Material: Sapele Mahogany (Laminate)
Side Material: Sapele Mahogany (Laminate)
Neck Nut Width: 1 11/16 "
Fingerboard: Solid Rosewood
Trussrod: 2-way adjustable
Appointments:
Binding: Black plastic
Rosette: 2-ring inlay
Tuners: Die-cast chrome
Bridge: Walden Rosewood bridge
Color: Natural Mahogany Brown (also in Transparent Red and Blue)
Finish: Clear Gloss

If the word Laminate does not scare you off, you are in for quite a surprise! I was looking for an acoustic to use during Men's ACTS Retreats. On these retreats, the Music Ministry moves indoors and outdoors frequently from Thursday through Sunday. Many oppurtunities occur exposing an acoustic guitar to damage. Weather is also a factor. Cool mornings, low to high 90's and rain is always a posibility here in San Antonio TX. I had a few scares with my Takamine EG530SSC A/E. Did some research and ended up wanting an all Mahogany acoustic. It could also double as my Blues Guitar while I'm learning the Blue's. Since another CF Martin (I own a DSR Spruce top/Indian B/S all solid) was out of my reach - D-15 of course - I desided on three: Durango, Samick, and Walden. I went with the Walden Standard Line D351 Mahogany Natural.

http://waldenguitars.com/steel/standard/D351.html

This was choice was made because of their warranty and reputation. I was not disappointed! It has a rich and not so bright, "bluesy" sound, yet works well with other genres. The sustain is unbelieveable; try an open G Chord, and prepare to be stunned!

The guitar is designed by Walden, and made in China (Taiwan?). It came with D'Addario EXP Light Gauge Phosphor Bronze Strings. The set-up was low (just how I like it), allowing for fast action, with no buzzzing anywhere on the fretboard. The workmanship is impecable. The Laminate (there's that word again!) Sepele Mahogany is of very highest grade quality. There is an absense of flaws throughout the completed product, inside and out. Using a telescoping dentist's mirror, I found no signs of glue over-spill, and the inside was as flawless as the outside. The saddle, nut, and Rosewood bridge are expertly done. The gloss finish is beautifully smooth and shiny on the natural brown mahogany wood finish.

I've only had the Walden D351 for only two (2) weeks, but, the hardware holds tune very well with no slippage. The finish is well very done, and I predict that it will not easily wear off. I'll add a strap button to the neck, but the tail strap button is solid and firmly in place. This Walden D351 seems and looks so reliable and dependent, I won't hesitante to take it on the next retreat.I'm confident that it will perform well during our "daily gigs".

Walden Guitars is a collaboration between C.Fox Guitars, Inc. and luthiers Charles Fox and Jonathan Lee. When I had questions about strings and specifications, I eMailed Walden Guitars several times. Since my first eMail answer, I have delt with Jonathan Lee, himself. What does that tell you? Will I have any problems with my lifetime warranty if I ever needed any warranty work performed? I doubt it!
As a matter of fact, I've fallen in love with a solid wood D710:

http://waldenguitars.com/steel/natura/D710.html

It's a Dreadnought, Solid Engelmann Spruce top, back material is Solid Indian Rosewood, side material is Laminate Indian Rosewood, with Scalloped-X soundboard bracing. Mr. Lee likes my choice.
I like his company.

Overall, I got a fantastic value acoustic guitar. I know quality and great workmanship. I additionally own:

CF Martin Custom Model DSR (all solid Spruce and Indian Rosewood) Epiphone MasterBilt AJ-500MNS (all solid Spruce and Mahogany
Takamine EG530SCC (solid Spruce top, solid Sepele Mahogany back, with laminate Sepele Mahogany sides

You just CAN't go wrong with a Walden Guitar!