How much is this worth? Extremely rare (only one in existence) Tanglewood.

geraintthomas

Hey guys,

So here's an interesting one. I've had this guitar for around 10 years now; it's a firm favourite of mine. It's a dark wood semi-hollow Tanglewood electric guitar, as seen below:

[img]https://i.imgur.com/iwVok48l.jpg[/img]

Now I've had no reason to find anymore information about this guitar, but recently curiosity had got the better of me. I had spent days looking for more information, only to find nothing. It seemed like this didn't exist or was somehow the only one of its kind. All it says inside the body is the model number, followed by "Traditionally handcrafted."

So I contacted Tanglewood, and they've replied with the following email:

"Hi Geraint,

It seems to be the only one because it IS the only one in existence!

Around 10 years ago we asked our high end acoustic manufacture to make us
a range of electric models, 6 different samples to see if we could go into
the electric market with them. Unfortunately although the guitars were
extremely good, the price was far too high to put into production and the
project ended there. This factory still produces our MasterDesign and
Sundance series of acoustics.

This is one of those 6 samples! They were sold out to dealers and one
landed with you.

Unfortunately though as it was a sample, made 10 years ago, and 1 of a
kind, we don¹t have any information on it anymore I¹m afraid.

Hope this is of some help!

Regards
Tanglewood Guitars"

Unbelievable.

Now, knowing there were only 6 made in the world, each different to each other, resulting in each one being the only one in existence of its type, this is obviously incredibly rare. As mentioned it was the factory that makes their high end MasterDesign range (which currently sell acoustics for £1,700+, and they're not rare at all), but decide to make only 6 electric guitars. I wonder where the other 5 are.

Which begs the question - how much would this roughly be worth?

It's absolutely beautiful to play with a gorgeously warm sound. I don't intend to sell it, but I'd like to know if I need to increase the insurance on it!

Let me know your thoughts
Thanks!

geraintthomas

Sorry, image isn't working. Here you go:

Funkfingers

I cannot stop looking at the area between the twentieth and twenty first frets, where the ninth trapezoid inlay ought to be. This omission gives the guitar the look of a twenty four fret design. 

HarrySeven

Hmmm...tricky one...the Tanglewood name isn't exactly associated with uber-expensive/bespoke luthiery.

Also, similar discussions have been had before on here re. high-end/low-volume makers whose products should be worth significant sums - but in reality, their actual market value doesn't equate to (anywhere near to);

a. What they originally cost and
b. What they ought to sell for, considering their often stunning quality.

sticker

geraintthomas said:

I don't intend to sell it, but I'd like to know if I need to increase the insurance on it!

As it's irreplaceable insure it for whatever figure would buy you something you'd be happy with should something happen to it .

As has already been said it's "value" will be nowhere near what it is actually worth .

Sync

Insurance replacement value and market value are usually two completely different things. For example a UK luthier built guitar may be receipted at £4k for insurance on a new for old policy but on the market you may only get £800-£1300, if that. Heck even a Gibson LP standard would lose 30-50% from insurance value to used market resale. 

The purposes of your insurance will be to indemnify your losses. The problem is you will need to demonstrate it is worth more than the original new receipt / book value I suspect. As a one off, I would look for an arbitrary value akin to an identical spec custom UK luthier built guitar. Take photos and perhaps ask Crimson Guitars etc what it would cost to make you a replacement one in the event of loss. I suspect you would be looking in the range of £1800-£2600.

Tanglewood are predominantly known for their low - mid end acoustic guitars in circa a £100-£500 range which is what the majority of shops sell. Or don't actually sell when you see a lot of the stock hangs their seemingly indefinitely. Their market and broad appeal is limited (compared to Gibson, Taylor, PRS etc), they don't have big name players of your guitar to broaden it's appeal either. I'm guessing wasn't used to record an album or in live performance. They are well regarded though and the master design are nice. 

To sell yours for big money or at least more than a few hundred, you will need to find a Tanglewood focused collector who would be interested in buying that guitar for its history and uniqueness. Furthermore, nothing stops Tanglewood from bringing them into production in the future if market demand resurged. 

Does it play and sound like expected from a MD series guitar and is at least comparable in tone, fit and finish to a quality luthier custom? 

Where was it actually made and how much did you pay for it?

I suspect the price range on this could vary hugely, find the right buyer and you may get good money (£1k plus). Go on an eBay auction and it could go £200-£2000 but probably the lower end. Out of interest, have you offered it to Tanglewood themselves?

Wazmeister

I guess the difficulty is 'finding the right buyer'... maybe, as has been suggetsed, offer it to the manufacturer.

For me, as it stands, it looks like £300 - £500. As ever, ymmv...

ICBM

From the title I thought this was going to be a joke, since it's the kind of ridiculous claim you get in Ebay listings, for what turns out not to be... there are almost no guitars that rare from big manufacturers. But it looks like you really have one .

For insurance purposes, probably the best you can say is that it's worth as much as one of their current top-end Master Design guitars. There's no market history to show otherwise, and if you don't want to sell it doesn't matter what it would actually fetch.

All you need is the other five now...

steer

I think you need to find out who actually built it (ie who actually is "our high end acoustic manufacture"), and then compare it to anything else they have produced. 

geraintthomas

Thanks for all the comment guys.

After a bit of research, the luthier seems to be Michael Sanden, so I've contacted him to see if it's one he recognises. I'll let you know once I get a reply.

Chalky

It would be a "needle in a haystack sale", the buyer being the needle. And the buyer would be hard-pushed to pay more than £300 without trying it first. So with eBay's new rules that isn't going to be easy.

I think you are getting carried away with the fact that it could be the 'only one in the world'. There are plenty of folks on here who have made unique guitars.  The rarity value of say, a stamp, is because it is impossible for it to be validly replicated as an original. Whereas there are many who could reproduce this guitar, even adding the fretmarker missed from yours . And the Tanglewood brand has very low value.  Tanglewood collectors exist because its cheap to build a collection.  So more than £300 is going to be outside their comfort zone.

Ask Michael Sanden to refinish the headstock with his name on it as he built it?

geraintthomas

Good point. Thing is, if it's worth £300 or £3,000, I'm not selling the guitar so it's just out of curiosity.

I wouldn't say I'd be getting carried away with the fact it's the only one in the world, because of two reasons; the first being that I'm not claiming that it's worth a mint - I genuinely wouldn't mind if it wasn't worth that much. The second reason would be that it actually is the only one in the world, confirmed by Tanglewood, so it's just stating a fact

The thing is, as you've said I was aware that they weren't expensive guitars, but their MasterDesign collection sell for over £1,500 new, which are the same luthiers who have made this one. That, mixed with the fact that it's a one off, surely must be around the same price.

Either way, it's just a bit of fun knowing

Whitecat

IIRC a couple years ago Cranes in Wales had a couple of solid body Tanglewood prototype electrics for sale. They were asking somewhere around £900 I think. 

I inquired about one of them, they told me they were made at the Fujigen factory in Japan. Never ended up buying it but it looked pretty. 

geraintthomas

Whitecat said:

IIRC a couple years ago Cranes in Wales had a couple of solid body Tanglewood prototype electrics for sale. They were asking somewhere around £900 I think. 

I inquired about one of them, they told me they were made at the Fujigen factory in Japan. Never ended up buying it but it looked pretty. 

Very interesting that. It was Cranes that I bought the guitar from 10 years ago.

Whitecat

I think the guys that own(ed?) Cranes also had/have a financial interest in TW. 

BowynMadley

Whitecat said:

I think the guys that own(ed?) Cranes also had/have a financial interest in TW. 

They had regional distribution rights for a long time but then brought out Hudson guitars which from what I gleaned from one of the staff at the time were made in the same factory as Tanglewoods and had very simular specs and styles. But they came in cheaper because they cut out the middle man. 

musicman100

I can't imagine you would get more than than a few hundred quid on a good day. 

geraintthomas

musicman100 said:

I can't imagine you would get more than than a few hundred quid on a good day. 

I don't think that's entirely true, given the fact that it's made by the same luthiers as their MasterDesign models, which are £1,600+ when new, and given this is a one off, I'm sure it'll be a similar price.

Unless you have reason for that not to be the case?

musicman100

geraintthomas said:

musicman100 said:

I can't imagine you would get more than than a few hundred quid on a good day. 

I don't think that's entirely true, given the fact that it's made by the same luthiers as their MasterDesign models, which are £1,600+ when new, and given this is a one off, I'm sure it'll be a similar price.

Unless you have reason for that not to be the case?



It's all about market demand 

thermionic

I think there was a connection initially between Cranes & Tanglewood,but they later seemed to transfer their interest to their brand Hudson. Alan Entwistle (of Entwistle Pickups) worked there for a while and I think he designed some of the Tanglewood electrics. He did a fret dress on a Tele for me once, and pointed out a Tanglewood Quomaster (green Tele type) to me, the impression I got was that it was one of his designs.

jonnyburgo

Would love to think its worth a lot but Tanglewood just aren't a sexy brand unfortunately and dont demand high prices, even more so in this current market

 I've got a Tanglewood acoustic that is very nice indeed.