Walden Guitars G3030CE SupraNatura

This note is an addition to my review which is already here. The price didn't go through on that one. I must have added something other than digits.

I realized the "low spot" near the neck on the back was highly likely to simply be an effect of the high humidity and not a sanded low spot. Due to the humidity the guitar has a slightly rounded back but it's slightly flatter where it joins onto the neck brace in the guitar and very slightly at the tail peice as well. This is to be expected with a solid back and humidity changes. I guess I was tired when I wrote my review.

This is a great guitar at a great price, I'd highly recommend it.

Body

* body shape: Grand Auditorium
* top material: Solid Western Red Cedar
* back material: Solid Indian Rosewood
* side material: Solid Indian Rosewood
* soundboard bracing: "Pre-War" Scalloped-X

Neck

* material: Mahogany
* nut : Bone
* nut width: 1 3/4"
* scale length: 25.6"
* fingerboard: Solid Ebony
* trussrod: 2-way adjustable
* reinforcement: Carbon Graphite Rails

Appointments

* binding: Flame Maple and Wood
* rosette: Abalone and Wood
* tuners: Gold with tortoise coloured buttons, type unknown
* logo: Pearl
* bridge: Faceted Ebony bridge
* saddle: Bone
* endpins: Ebony with abalone dot

Finish

* Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer
*EQ: Fishman Ellipse Pro
*cutaway: Venetian style which is the more rounded type.
*Extras: I got it with a hard case. The seller also provided some picks and a strap. A grey strap, which goes really nicely with the guitar. ;) 9 because it would be nice to have some high end tuners but for the guitar you get for the money it should be an 11.

I play classical, a bit of folk, some finger style. With new D'addario strings the tone is more "brassy" than I prefer, however the original Elixirs Nanowebs are supposed to be much warmer. I'm switching back to those next time around. Still a good sound though. The cutaway makes it really easy to reach all the way down the neck. You can get a nice range of volumes on pure acoustic, chords sound nice and smooth and classical sounds great with each note ringing true. This is still a very new guitar and doesn't have it's full sustain or rounded sound yet, but I get the sense it'll be beaut when it's had a bit of ageing. The neck is nice and thin which suits me as I have quite tiny hands. 8 is because it needs some milage yet.

Excellent set up, I bought it second hand but as far as I know the set up is as factory. Really low action with no buzz and no dead notes. No sharp edges.
Nothing loose, no stray glue, joints all tidy. Lovely matt/satin finish, which I prefer. Lovely bone nut and saddle and fully compensated saddle.
When running my hand over the back I do notice a very slight dip up near the neck. Not sure if this is a slightly sanded low spot or what but you can't see it by looking at it. I'm just fussy because I do a bit of wood work myself and I love wooden surfaces. Otherwise this secton would rate a ten. The front of the guitar is quite beautiful, the binding matches the colour of the top. The top itself is a lovely straight grain, evenly spaced. Their web site doesn't say what grade it is but I'm guessing it's pretty up there. In fact all of the wood on this guitar looks excellent. The tuners are gold coloured, the front strap button is brass coloured and the jack/back strap button is silver which is kind of silly given all the other brass colour. Being picky again, it would be nice if it matched. 9 because of the low spot at the back and the colour of the strap button at the back. Oh, also the front strap button isn't quite flush. All picky stuff. The overall guitar looks are totally awesome, it's a very nice looking guitar. The rosewood back and sides are deep, deep chocolately brown. From a distance the guitar looks plain, close up has just enough bling to be pretty without being gaudy. Gives a very pleasing overall effect.

Soft Cedar top and no pick guard isn't good if you're going to use a pick a lot or play hard. You can add a pick guard yourself. I think they may be shooting for the finger style player here in which case you don't need one and I'm actually quite glad there isn't one as that gives me the option, which I will probably not take. I'd prefer to let the top vibrate. Finish, hmmm. I have a feeling that may wear off where your arm rests across the body, but as the guitar is only two months old, time will tell. Strap buttons are solid. Guitar seems solid enough but gives a more delicated appearance than say a heavily laquered yamaha. I don't think you'd want to risk it camping, for instance. For indoor playing you should be fine, even under gig conditions. I'm not sure about those tuners. So far they're fine but I would have liked to know who made them. I think you'd be mad to play any gig without a backup if you could afford one. 8 because I'm not sure how the finish will last.

It's still under 3 year shop warranty. Previous owner only had it for two months before onselling it and a few others he owned. I don't expect to have to use the warantee but it's nice to have.

I played for some years for my own enjoyment, primarily classical and some folk, quit playing for fifteen years and am now back at it. The urge just came back to me and I finished renovating the house so I have the time again. I used to own a Norman, which is a darn good guitar made by Godin (same makers as Simon & Patrick, Seagull, Art and Lutherie) and I've been borrowing a decent yamaha folk lately and before I quit playing I also had access to the spouse's yamaha classical plus my own classical guitar which I believe was also in the Godin line. I no longer have any of those guitars but I really wish I'd kept my Norman which like this one, was a cedar top. I researched this guitar very well before purchasing it at an online auction unplayed. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another one because Seagulls fretboards are a bit wide for what I want and are too pricey for a full solid wood body, Lowden and Larrivee are out of my price range, alas and too many of those other makes you're paying big bucks for the name. Look at the features on this guitar and it's price vs. the features on some of the big name brands and THEIR price. Given the excellent workmanship of this guitar (made in China, by the way, designed in the US by I forget who but he's well known) and it's clear the manufacturers have been getting away with a very high mark up indeed! China is the new Japan of the seventies for good quality low cost guitars. I compared this guitar to all the standard ones you'd look at like, say, Fender, Takamine and so on. None of the big names stood up to the features of this guitar for the price and the workmanship appeared to me to be better on the Walden. I have a feeling that Walden are going to be the next up and coming brand and my little guitar may be a collectors item some day. Not that I'd sell it. I love it.

Satin finish is great beacuse its easy to keep clean and doesn't steal tone.
The body is a cut-away orchestral acoustic, its a little more round then your standard dreadnought.
The neck on this thing is awesome...very very comfortable, easy to reach but plenty of room to move without tripping over your fingers.
The guitar came with a very nice hard wood case, I'm going to guess a TKL made one.
From what I can tell, this one was built in 04-05 in China, designed in America.
Solid all the way baby.
Ceder top, rosewood body, maple binding..abalone rosette and ebony neck...no fret markers on it either...makes the guitar look very classy.

I loved the sound of this guitar from the very first time I played it. Its got a very deep, rich and warm sound, but you don't lose any of that high end sparkle. Its got a great balance of tone.

I play mostly rock/jazzy kinda stuff, Dave Matthews Band-ish and for that kind of style, this guitar fits perfectly. You can finger pick and not lose any real volume and keep that great warm rich tone, and when you do use a pick its clean and clear but still has all the body.

I've used this just through my little Nady studio monitors and its sounded awesome. I've had the chance to play it through a couple bigger setups and its sounds so nice. I wet myself just thinking about it.

The guitar does have an active pickup system in it, but they didn't put any controls on the guitar, that means...no extra holes to lose tone from. Great idea. I do wish that the batter was a little easier to get to, sometimes I might forget to change it before a show and then...where will I be?

I recorded this running direct, and with a really nice nady condensor mic a while back so I could blend the two sounds together on my board and it was just amazing. The mic picked up very very well as did the pickup (duh). But hearing them both at the same time just made me love this guitar even more.

Part of the reason I really considered a Walden is their satin finish. Gloss finishes, to me anyway, tend to make some acoustic guitars look cheap. Plus, if the gloss is too thick it robs your tone. The wood needs to sound good...not the shiny. I played a few models that Walden made before deciding on this one. I picked this one because of the woods. Cedar top, rosewood back and sides with maple binding. I love the sound of the rosewood/ceder combo. It just sings, and I know that many many years from now, this guitar will sound amazing because the woods age so well.

The action was perfect. I started playing electric, and still do when the mood hits me, and the transition from that to this is almost unnoticable. The neck is so lean and smooth and the action is just right, not too low and not too high.

Mine did have one small flaw on the back, but it looks like it was in the wood they selected, not something that happened to the guitar itself, so no complaints there...and its in the back anyway, I see it more then anyone else does.

I've played live with this a few times, little solo gigs in a bar around here, the only one with no smoking...i'm not going to do that to me, or my gear unless I have to. And, even just though the guys little bitty crate practice amp this thing just sings. It will hold up very very well, but it does need a pickguard, I just can't bring myself to put one on it.

The hardware is excellent nice dependable tuners. They do have the plastic tops on them which I never though that I'd like..but they fit the guitar wonderfully.

The strap buttons are solid enough, i do really like the style that they used for the input jack, I prefer the ones that acrew into the wood, but I don't think I'm going to change it.

I'd gig with this guitar till my arms fell off, I'm that confident in it.

I've never had to deal with Walden's support so I can't say anything good or bad about it.

I've been playing guitar about 10 years, have a few electrics and am now down to just this for an acoustic and I dont' think i'll get another one for a long long time...unless I can come across an awesome 12-string.

I did play quite a few different brands and models when it came to picking this one..I played a few martins and was not impressed with the sound for the price they wanted at all. Played some Yamahas that I did really really like, but they all had the gloss finish...same with Samick. Got my hands on a Taylor or two...again I wasn't impressed. Walden is going to be a top choice of acoustic guitars for me for a long time.

If this were to get lost, or stolen...I'd cry. Then, after getting out of therapy, i'd get another one.

I love the sound and the look of this guitar, its just beautiful. No other way to say it.

If you have the chance to play one...do it.

I bought it two weeks ago, Its all solid wood(top:red cedar; Back side:Indian rosewood; neck:Afrian Mahogany).They upgraded the pickup system from Fishman MatrixII to Ellipse Matrix Blend. "Ellispe" include control module. 3030CE have a satin Finish, nature color and use a traditonal "X-brace" bracing. The nut width of all new 3030CE were 1-3/4", scale length:25.5", fingerboard: solid Ebony. 3030CE include a hardshell case.

IT has a deep warm bass, full sound.if you are fingerstyle player,it will suit for your style. When I pick it aggressively, I feel its good respone and a little bit noisy(but it suit for me to lead a song without any amp). I change it to use Dean Markly steel string(mid-light0.54-0.12), I'll try to use Matin String(light)to compare the difference between them. I had one takamine ESF15C and one Tacoma C2C cheif, I like 3030CE to lead a song so much.

It's a bookmatched top, back, and maple binding, abalone rosettle.

I live in Hong Kong, they give me a dealer contact in HK. But I dont know how long is the warranty they can provide.

I play guitar over ten years, Now I have 2 steel string(1takamine<Japan>, 1 tocoma<U.S.A>), 2 classical guitars (yamaha<Taiwan>, pro-natru<Gammery>) 1 semi-electric guitar<Japan>. 3030ce is my new member of "united Guitar". If it were stolen, I'll so upset...its not about the cost, its about the time(I'll need waiting for 3 more months...). Its hard to compare with other one, 3030CE is the new guitar, but my takamine and tacoma were play at least 5 years, But they all have mature sound. I expect 3030CE have more "growing" level.

This guitar is designed in USA and made in China. I was a little reluctant to pay so much for a Chinese made guitar but as soon as I played it, I knew it was for me. This is a hand made guitar consisting of a solid western red cedar top, solid indian rosewood sides and back, african mahogany neck, and with flame maple and wood binding. The cutaway feature kinda results in a bit of loss in resonance but the Fishman Matrix Natural II pickup makes up for it when plugged in. The active pickup system doesn't have an eq embedded on the body which I don't mind. The fretboard is made out of solid ebony and it feels beautiful. With the narrow profile neck its almost as easy as playing an electric. The satin finish looks nice and the colour is natural. The only down side of this guitar for me would be that it doesn't have a pick guard. Although I got one put on, but it would've been nicer if the makers themselves attached it.

I play a lot of rock as well as plenty of fingerstyle. Like I mentioned earlier, the cutaway does compromise the volume that the guitar naturally produces but the quality of sound is still there. With the cedar top, the sound is very warm. The bass resonance is beautiful and the high end strings again has a warm sound. I got a fishman blender system put on and the mic gives it that extra "boom." However, the fishman pickup alone still sounds great.

This guitar has a very low action. Its very easy play for an acoustic guitar. It would probably suit a fingerstyle guitarist. When using a capo though, because the action is so low you hear a lot of buzzing espcially on the A and D strings. The finish is very thin, apparently the idea of this is to produce more tone. The fretboard finish wasn't perfect as it had some marks here and there, but for a hand made guitar they seemed pretty acceptable.

I guess it is hard for me to comment on this as I've only owned the guitar for a short time. But from what I can see by the quality of the craftsmanship, it looks very durable and would easily last a lifetime if taken care of. I recommend that you get a pick guard put on though.

I've never had to deal with Walden directly.

I guess if I had a choice and a lot more money, I would buy a Martin guitar anyday. But being a university student, even spending this much was too much. However, Walden guitars seem to almost match the likes of Martin guitars in terms of feel and craftsmenship. The value for money is just incredible. If it didn't have the "Made in China" label on it, you'd swear that its an American made guitar. I would definately recommend this guitar to anyone out there wanting to upgrade and I'd also buy this guitar again in an instant if it got stolen. Overall, this is a great buy and the price just doesn't match the amazing quality of the guitar.