Custom-built instruments crafted in the Spanish tradition. Each guitar is the product of decades of study, experimentation, and a deep love for the craft — built one at a time, by hand, for you.
View Guitars for SaleThese instruments are currently available. Each one is a unique, handcrafted creation ready to find its new home.
Three distinct models, each custom-built to your specifications. You choose the woods, rosette, scale length, tuners, neck profile, and more.
Brilliant, loud, and percussive — built for the fire and passion of flamenco. Available in blanca (cypress) and negra (rosewood) models.
The quintessential classical guitar. E.I. rosewood or walnut back and sides with spruce or cedar top. A fine instrument at an exceptional value.
The pinnacle of the Walker line. The finest select rosewoods — usually cocobolo — with meticulous detail work and world-class projection.
Johnny Walker has always loved working with wood — from boats and grandfather clocks to the house he and his wife live in. His professional career began as a research chemist specializing in plastics and high-performance composites, a background that proved invaluable in discovering the right combinations of glues, finishes, and construction techniques for building world-class guitars.
His interest in guitar building was sparked while studying classical guitar under Professor Clyde Kammerzell in Tulsa. Unable to afford a fine instrument, Johnny decided to build his own from a mail-order kit — and never stopped.
Decades of experimentation with bracing, finishes, woods, and acoustics have culminated in instruments that combine the Spanish tradition with modern refinement. Every guitar benefits from his unique intersection of chemistry, craftsmanship, and musical passion.
Johnny builds primarily with hand tools in his temperature and humidity-controlled workshop in Oklahoma — keeping with the tradition of the Old World masters while incorporating modern acoustic principles refined over decades of study.
Years of refining bracing, top graduation, and construction technique have produced a signature voice — rich, crisp, sweet, and loaded with harmonics.
Rich, crisp, and sweet yet complex. Bright singing trebles, slightly woody basses, loaded with harmonics and excellent sustain. Outstanding note separation with virtually no objectionable overtones, especially in the upper register. Louder than most — ideally suited for performance.
Tops and backs are slightly arched for enhanced sound projection, using a combination of traditional fan bracing and Johnny's own improvements drawn from modern acoustical principles.
The blanca model is the quintessential flamenco voice: loud, percussive, bright, raspy, with short sustain and low, fast action. Built to be heard above footwork, singing, and the crowd.
The negra model sits between classical and flamenco — sweeter in sound with more sustain, yet still typically flamenco. Capable of both flamenco techniques and classical pieces. Both models are lightly braced to be responsive and lively.
A cedar top produces an open, warm sound with slightly more volume. A spruce top delivers a brighter tone. Cedar breaks in faster (500-1,000 hours) while Engelmann spruce needs at least 1,000 hours and European spruce can take several thousand hours to fully open up. New guitars should sound tight — if a new guitar sounds broken-in, it may be braced too lightly.
A cutaway removes some physical volume from the body but doesn't seem to noticeably affect tone or volume. The lost volume can be compensated by making the body slightly deeper. The cutaway "horn" is radiused to maintain the traditional classical guitar aesthetic.
French polish is an historic finishing process using shellac resin dissolved in pure ethyl alcohol, applied with a pad using olive oil as lubricant. It's tedious and difficult to master, but produces a tonally superior finish for guitars. The process takes several days to weeks depending on the model and wood. Over time the shellac polymerizes to become more resistant, though it will never match modern synthetic finishes for durability. A long-sleeved shirt or protective sleeve is recommended during play.
The standard scale length is 650mm. Shorter scales (640-645mm) suit smaller hands and emphasize treble; longer scales (660-665mm) suit larger hands and emphasize bass. As a rule of thumb, if your open hand spans about 8 inches from thumb to pinky, 650mm is ideal. Neck width can also be adjusted from the standard 52mm nut width.
Hannabach strings sound excellent on Walker guitars. For break-in, D'Addario EXP45 or EXP46 are good choices. Classical models are built to handle high tension strings, while flamenco models are designed for light to normal tension.
Original Titebond exclusively. While hide glue is traditional and appropriate for instruments that are regularly disassembled (like violins), guitars are rarely taken apart, so there's no advantage to using it.
Yes. "Green" guitars use non-endangered North American woods: black walnut or maple for back and sides, Engelmann spruce or western red cedar for the top, hard maple for the fretboard, and walnut or cherry for the neck. These guitars are not green in color.
Most guitars are custom-built to your specifications. Together we'll decide on the model, woods, rosette, scale length, tuners, neck profile, and any other options.
A 25% down payment is required to begin your custom build. The remaining balance is due when the guitar is complete and ready to ship. Email updates with photos are provided throughout the build.
Ground shipping via FedEx is included and fully insured. Air shipping available at extra cost.
Additional charges may apply for special requests or materials. Guitars ship in a case, which can be provided for an additional $350 (HumiCase). Payment by PayPal, credit card (via PayPal), money order, cashier's check, or personal check.
Guitar workmanship is warranted to the original owner for as long as Johnny is an active luthier. No coverage for neglect or abuse (humidity/temperature extremes). Registration or proof of purchase required.
If you are not satisfied, the guitar may be returned within 30 days for a full refund, provided it is returned in original condition. Minor adjustments are provided free of charge (you pay shipping both ways). Major modifications quoted for approval before work begins.
Keep your guitar at 45-50% relative humidity — the same conditions it was built in. Use a digital hygrometer to monitor and a humidifier when the furnace is running. Low humidity causes wood shrinkage and cracks. Always store in a hardshell locking case when not playing.
Avoid temperature extremes. Low temps can cause structural damage; high temps soften the finish and dry the wood. Never leave your guitar in a vehicle. Don't expose to prolonged sunlight — it fades wood and dries the body.
Clean gently with a damp soft cotton cloth. For stubborn residue, add a few drops of liquid soap to water. Dry immediately — don't let water stand on the finish. Never use paint thinner, lacquer thinner, or anything containing alcohol, as it will attack the French polish.
Have questions, want more information, or ready to discuss your dream guitar? Johnny would love to hear from you.