Product Review

Tanglewood Acoustic Guitars

Upon first opening the box that the two guitars came in, I was immediately pleased that both guitars came in their own separate soft-shell case and was well packed. You could throw this box o’ guitars off the CN Tower and they would all remain in perfect tune!

I must admit, I have never heard of Tanglewood before. But I have definitely heard them now. Packed stock with Elixir strings, I knew this was a serious instrument. I was given two Tanglewood full-bodied acoustic guitars to review (the TW15N-NS and the TW15-DLX).

With one axe in gold-plated hardware and the other in chrome, I must say they are both equally esthetically pleasing in their own right. The tuners are Grovers! I have always been a fan of Grover tuners. Most of my own guitars have had the tuners replaced with Grovers or Gotohs.

As I stated above, the guitars come stock with Elixir strings. These are a neat innovation on regular guitar strings, adding a coat of Teflon on the strings. This not only keeps the strings from corroding so quickly but also gives the strings a new brilliance in tone. The materials used to make these guitars are all natural wood. They are handmade in China, but they’re HANDMADE!

I would like also to pay particular attention to the neck. This neck is not the circumference of a baseball bat as so many other acoustics are, but rather that of an Ibanez USA Custom: thin and wide! Because of this, the action is amazing. It’s like playing an electric guitar. There is also a truss-rod in the neck with easy access from just inside the sound-hole by an Alan-key. They even pack an Alan-key with the guitars! I, surprisingly, didn’t need to adjust the necks for proper intonation. Both guitars were perfect right out of the box!

Now, on to the sound: Have you ever picked up an expensive Martin full-bodied acoustic? Have you ever played any high-priced acoustic that just blew you away in sound quality? This is exactly what happened to me with the Tanglewoods. I tuned them up, and just played until my fingers hurt. It’s like hearing an acoustic guitar off of an album, LIVE! I couldn’t put them down! It is so absolutely amazing to hear what an acoustic actually should sound like. I should, however, take a moment to give readers a description of these guitars:

The TW15N-NS is a full-bodied acoustic guitar with chrome Grover tuners. It has a tortoise-shell pick-guard and has a white binding around the body. It features an old-style "volute" neck/headstock reinforcement. The top is made of American Spruce, while the body is solid African mahogany. This beauty is in a satin finish. In my opinion, this is a full sounding guitar. Filled with rich sounding lows, prominent mids and just enough highs. This was my favorite pick of the two. It is real sounding, good in a mix, great for rock.

The TW15-DLX is also a full-bodied acoustic, but this one features gold plated Grover tuners. It has a black pick-guard and tortoise-shell bindings. The materials used to make this guitar are the same as the TW15N-NS but is of a glossy finish. I have to say, the TW15-DLX is definitely brighter. I would use this guitar to do ballad work or folk songs. It has more of a twang to it: Not as deep on the low end, it is defined on the mids and bright on the highs. The gloss really does change the sound.

Because words do not properly express the sound and nuances of the product, I have taken the liberty to record both guitars in my studio and host the two clips on one of my Web sites. They are both recorded in the same manner. There is no production, mastering or EQ involved. If you have access to the Internet, please go to www.sonicmyst.com/tanglewood.html. There you will hear the difference in both guitars. I have recorded approximately one minute each of the guitars. Both performances are separately improvised as I recorded them.

As a result of the positive impression I received from the Tanglewoods, I am a forever-changed engineer. No longer do I use only the legendary names in acoustic guitars for my mixes. No longer do I assume the unknown name is inferior. Tanglewood is by far the best sounding acoustic I have played that was made after 1990. I am so impressed by this line that I am looking to try the other products from Tanglewood; acoustic basses, electric acoustics and everything in between, even if I don’t have to write about them. I fully and whole-heatedly recommend trying a Tanglewood. If you are close-minded and wish to stick to your tried-and-true acoustic guitars for recording, consider this article a brief glimpse into esoteric knowledge you will only hear about everywhere you look in the near future. This line is new in Canada, but a best seller in Great Britain. I am more than ecstatic to be among the first to review what I know will be legendary here. I give this review three thumbs up (yes … three!).

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the Tanglewood TW15N-NS is $699, and the price of the Tanglewood TW15-DLX is $899.

For more product information, contact: SF Marketing, 6161 Cypihot, St. Laurent, PQ H4S 1R3 514-780-2070 , FAX 514-780-2111, info@sfm.ca, www.sfm.ca.

Nathan Chamberland is the lead guitar player in his band Firewall. He is a Producer and Engineer at his studio Sonic Myst Labs (www.sonicmyst.com). Nathan likes long walks on the beach and is a Libra. Contact Nathan at Nathan@sonicmyst.com.