Can someone school me on Tanglewoods please?

Sparky

Looking for a reasonably priced cutaway, with electrics and a non dreadnought size (but not parlour) and Tanglewood come up a lot in my quest for more info. I would love to hear from some owners on their actual experiences with these please.

I'm intending to use said new guitar for my ongoing weekly lessons and practice at home - I'm currently looking at their Super Folk sizes. I appreciate these are not Taylors or Martins, but where do they sit in the quality scale? 

Thanks in advance.

Legionreturns

I've had one since January. (One of these
http://www.kennysmusic.co.uk/tanglewood-premier-tw115-ss-ce-electro-acoustic-guitar?source=googleps&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm9vPBRCQARIsABAIQYdwe0IhE_teBvr9X0jWgj8tYNO1o3wM9F8KgE5JQMoZKttlyPnTxkUaAmjIEALw_wcB )

and been very pleased with the sounds. It definitely varies, the cheaper ones are a bit pants but I've used this acoustically and using the pickup with very pleasing results. It's a lot better than it's price point suggests. Only now am I selling it on because I've just spent nearly a grand on a Takemine New Yorker. It's a dread though so too big for you sadly, otherwise you could have had it for £150 lol

Fuengi

What sort of budget are you looking at?

Sparky

Thanks legion, good to know and yes, a dread is too big for me currently.

Fuengi said:

What sort of budget are you looking at?

Somewhere around £300 ish. I'm open to other suggestions and Yamaha have been suggested to me as well. Maybe an APX or CPX.

proggy

I've got a TW70 H SRE. om size. It's all solid with spruce top, rosewood back and sides with an ebony board.

Comfortable to play and sounds beautiful.

Fuengi

What are you playing at the moment @Sparky ; ?

Sparky

Fuengi said:

What are you playing at the moment @Sparky ;

Playing a mahogany GS mini currently, which is great but I'm looking for something more substantial. 

Fuengi

If it was me....

I'd look to see what I could pick up used. With £300ish you might be looking at something that cost £450 - £600 new. I think (others will disagree) that the sweet spot in the new acoustic market is £500 - £750 - that's where you get best value for money. 

If you buy a new Tanglewood (or any brand) at £300 it's going to lose £100 pretty much the minute you walk out the shop. Nothing wrong with doing that if it's really the one you want. 

 If you go used and it's not quite right you can always flip it. I've gone through a series of used acoustics, the last two I sold I made over £100 on each. If you lose a bit it's like renting, and it's fun to try different guitars. 

Sparky

Thanks @Fuengi you may well be right. Used will probably open up my options somewhat. Doubtful it will stretch to a Martin or a Taylor but something like a decent Faith, Sigma, LAG etc might be more in reach.

Legionreturns

I'd be looking at a used GS mini. They're serially good guitars for the money

Sparky

Legionreturns said:

I'd be looking at a used GS mini. They're serially good guitars for the money

I already have one and I totally agree. Mines the mahogany one and it sounds great.

 What I'm looking for is a bit of a workhorse for my educational journey, something nearer to a full size with a cutaway, electrics and something that won't fall apart after a year or so. Perhaps I should just keep saving and buy one of those Taylors or Martins I keep referring to.

Jimbro66

Tanglewoods are best bought used as they lose a stack of money as soon as you walk out of the shop. Even selling them can be tricky as the used market is flooded with them. I have a Tanglewood jumbo cutaway which is all solid woods, has excellent electrics and sounds really good. New they are about £800 but attempts to sell it for £250 have drawn a blank because jumbos are not in vogue. -  and it's a Tanglewood.

The other advantage of buying them used is that the seller may well have already paid to have it set up properly. I've yet to try a new Tanglewood that did not desperately need a proper setup.

I've also got a Tanglewood TW40 O AN E which is an OM-style guitar. I bought it to lie around the house and to take on my travels in the camper van, which I wouldn't do with my Atkin OM. It sounds OK and after a pro setup it plays ok. Being mainly laminates it will be more durable and less affected by humidity than the Atkin. If it gets the odd knock I won't be too bothered.

BigLicks67

I had Tanglewood Dreadnought (all solid) years ago, was nicely built, a bit on the heavy side with a really stiff action. Some of the old cedar top Tanglewoods are particularly good from a tonal perspective, but if it was me I'd get a Yamaha LL6 used. The new model has a passive pickup and unless you are doing some serious fiddling up the dusty end you don't need a cutaway.
Alternatively, get a Sigma.

Sparky

I've been looking at Sigma today, I like the look and the price. Now to find somewhere to go and play them. Still looking to get a cutaway though, might as well have one as I might just venture to the dusty end from time to time!

Winny_Pooh

My recommendation is to not get a cutaway, what you loose in tone far outweighs the gain in access. I'm a relatively competent player and don't go up there, especially as the tone on the high plain strings can be weak on even great guitars. 

Fuengi

The new Sigma range are incredible value for money and sound great. 

Legionreturns

With my new one there isn't a dusty end, it joins at the 12th! I'm absolutely not noticing it. If I want to make screamy sounds I'll use one of my electrics. This is for singer songwriting type stuff

thomasw88

I'd recommend not getting one with electrics installed.   Fitting an afternmarket LR baggs M1a  or equivalent pickup later on is a much better solution, as the electrics on cheaper acoustics in my experience really aren't up to much.

I have a Tanglewood TW15ns  which i got second hand for not much money. It sounds absolutely phenomenal, is all solid and I have put in the takemine version of the LR baggs M1A and it sounds fantastic.

Sparky

Thanks for all of the replies chaps, they've really helped. I've been leaning towards a Sigma since originally posting this. Fishman seems to be their preferred electrics choice and until I win the lottery, I like the idea of a poor mans Martin.

usedtobe

Fwiw...
 I’ve had a nice tanglewood, all mahogany, solid top, electro, which I thought was great, until I tried a used Martin in a shop, which had a too high action to buy, got home and the tangle sounded like a bag of nails. 
Bought a recording king, all solid dread, spruce top, rosewood back and sides. Can’t remember the exact model, but bought blind, taking a chance, best guitar I’ve ever owned, total keeper. Tried a 000 recording king , but it had the wider nut, that I just couldn’t get on with.. Played and sounded great. I do like tanglewoods, but for me, there are preferable options out there...

Exorcist

I bought a tanglewood all mahogany parlour, solid top and back and I love it. Sounds great to me, neck joins the body at the 12th, and sounds great when you really dig in, I guess its the mahoganies natural compression, not harsh at all. My Dad bought a slightly bigger version and again it is a great guitar. I had an old Tanglewood 12 string spruce laminate thing that was 'OK'. Also I tried a very similar guild to my parlour and on the day, the TW sounded better for my ears. But I wanted something a little softer and woodier than a spruce ( I have a nice Faith spruce guitar and a cats eyes). Its so small it just lives behind the sofa and gets played more than any other guitar. One of my best guitar purchases IMHO