It’s that good. The only way a Kim Walker could sound better to our ears is if it’s had decades of music put through its fibers–and this 2000 Walker SJ A Deluxe has that in spades. Wide awake and oh so expansive. Rich! In a word. But also so clean, clear, and expressive. The Sitka Spruce top has some sweet bearclaw figuring, and pairs perfectly with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Ivoroid bindings, and a delicate vine-and-flower at the headstock. This comes in with Kim’s Deluxe A appointment package, which we love for its understated aesthetic that channels to the timelessness of the classic American flattop in Kim’s own way.

Other keywords: heirloom guitar, 139, brazilain, grained ivoroid, schaller, ameritage

Kim Walker continues to be one of the most sought after modern makers. And why? Because each and every guitar of his contains a heaping spoonful of power, balance, clarity, and dynamic range. This 2012 OM, dressed up with Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce plus Curly Maple bindings, has all of that in spades. The high end has a rich, expressive quality that enriches the whole voice, and the bass is crisp, expansive, but perfectly balanced against the warmth of the midrange. In short, a perfect fingerstyle instrument. With a 25.4″ scale and Adi top, this Walker also has the headroom for flatpicking ands trumming work as well. The Brazilian Rosewood comes from a select stash that Kim acquired from Martin in the early 1970s, making this Walker even more desirable.

Other keywords: 232, brazilain, adriondack, fingerpicking, al petteway, hoffee

Pure magic. That’s what this Kim Walker SJ is. Pure, beautiful magic. Brick-red Cocobolo back and sides with a Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top that Kim confirmed was part of a series of sets that turned out even better than he had hoped—we’ve seen a few of them and can completely agree. This beauty is from 2001 and has a few marks to prove it’s been an active music maker, and the setup is slinky for just about anything you want to do. Open G? Fantastic. Flatpicking in Standard? Yes-yes-yes. From tuner to tailblock, this Kim Walker SJ Cutaway is a bombshell, one of the best flattops you will ever see or hear.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, walker guitars, small jumbo, bearclaw spruce, waverly

Every time we get one of Kim Walker‘s guitars in the shop, it’s like eating your mother’s cooking again, years after being a kid–and this Walker OM-40 is better than your mom’s chicken noodle soup could ever be. Everything is absolutely perfect, from the tight-grained Brazilian Rosewood back and sides (and paired Brazilian Rosewood binding) to the butter-colored German Spruce and 42-style Abalone inlay, this guitar is the ideal form of Martin’s OM size. Mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard, Walker’s floral headstock inlay and tap-tuned German Spruce top–each component is assembled in perfect harmony. One look and you can’t miss Walker’s unique glossy finishes which help make his guitars amazingly light and responsive. The tone of this instrument is rich and perfectly balanced–the kind of complex, enveloping tonality you’d expect from a 1920’s Martin. But here’s the kicker: this guitar isn’t even a year old. The response is even and finely tuned across all registers, with a razor-sharp pianistic separation of notes. The low-end is clear, the trebles crisp, and the overtones are clean, subtle, and controlled. Truly, there are very few luthiers creating instruments of this calibre in the world today–and almost none are building them as dynamic and powerful as the Walker OM-40.

Kim Walker is a heavy hitter we get incredibly excited about around the Dream Guitars shop. Kim is known for his vintage style guitars with an incredible pre war tone. Kim is a living legend in the Lutherie community, his guitars are as close to perfect as any human is likely to get. This 000 is made with premium East Indian Rosewood and one of the finest sets of Sitka Spruce we have encountered to date. We stopped counting grain lines when we were 200 years in and had gone less than 3.5″ across the top. The silking in this top is practically luminescent, shimmering uniformly across the board. Every detail on this piece is flawlessly executed and Kim even mixes his own varnish recipe for some of the finest finish you’ll ever see on a guitar… ever.

While looks and reputation are important, it’s truly the voice of this thing that sets it apart from the rest and just might shatter your preconceptions of what a good guitar is. It has a warmth and brilliance to it that fascinates and draws you into its sound. It is exceptionally rare to find such a balanced tone, one where every string has a full bodied voice. It’s a pleasure to listen to, even when plucking a single note and just letting it ring. But when you play the strings together, this Walker sounds heavenly, with a ringing chorus of tone that emanates from the sound hole whenever you strike a chord. This is a guitar from one of the big boys, and it lives up to its reputation.