Does Anyone Like Tanglewood Guitars? - Page 2

B-Nads · #16 04-13-2010, 11:38 AM

I've been using a TW55 as my main gig guitar for the last 4 or 5 years. I went in the shop with a set spending limit, and couldn't find a guitar that compared at the price I paid - $850 CAD with the case included. It was very close in sound to the Taylor 314 I was trying at the same time, but with more bass and body to the sound, and for $600 less at that store. If you look at them, they appear to be modeled after the Taylors, but the one I had would have compared more in sound to a current Martin D-18. It was a good enough guitar for the purposes it served, and I wouldn't say much bad about them for the price. While I would probably go with the one I had over a a D-16, I wouldn't say it slays Martins at 3 times its price - it is completely irresponsible and incompetent of a store employee to do so.

They hold up well (mine was abused and it was solid as a rock - I ended up selling it for $650 after 4 years of gigging with it), they open up reasonably quickly if you play them a lot, and the wood seems to be of a high quality (Canadian wood that is sent to China, made into the guitar there, then shipped back to Canada for inspection). I would say this, however - considering you could pick up a Larrivee D-03 in the same price range, the price on the TW seems less of a bargain. I sold mine to clear some cap-space to buy the Larrivee, and to my ears there's simply no comparisson.

Good luck, whichever way you go.

DonW · #17 04-13-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianmay

I DO wish salesmen wouldn't do that - bad mouth somebody 'good' to sell what they've got. I bet if he'd had a Martin in but no TW, it would have been along the lines 'yes, well you get what you pay for, the TW does it (really well for the price), but the Martin does it better' - or something similar.

Bang for buck, the Tanglewood looks really good, like Yamahas, like Seagulls etc etc.

Play what you love, love what you play! Best of luck, enjoy.

That's so often the case.
Or, translation: We can sell 2 or 3 times as many TW's for the price of one Martin, and we make more money on one TW than on one Martin, therefore you should buy the TW...and that's why we're motivated to sell them to you.

Rick Jones · #18 04-13-2010, 02:03 PM

I have a Tanglewood story...I once posted it on another forum, and was told to remove it, and as I had already thrown the remains away, I couldn't prove what I was saying.

I wouldn't buy one.

darko · #19 04-13-2010, 08:24 PM

I had a TW 45 FLM (Cedar/African mahogany, all solid wood), and it was a good bang for the buck guitar but I would not compare them to all solid wood Martins. I didn't like the neck, not because is 1 11/16 but because they have really thin profile necks and finish is not as good as Martin's. They are made in China and in that price range I'd prefer to buy Seagull, Norman or S&P. I traded mine when I bought my Boucher and got pretty good deal for it. Tanglewood is a nice guitar but not Martin comparable IMO.

stonebridgian · #20 04-14-2010, 11:52 AM

I have a TW305. Had it for nearly four years now played it plugged, unplugged, gigs, parties, houses and halls. I love this guitar and will never part with it. A friend of mine brought a Martin in and we played together and both agreed the TW was close enough not to justify the 3xprice difference... unless you just want a Martin of course. It's all subjective. Go with your ears not the brand name!
Cheers

Ian

darkvalley1 · #21 04-15-2010, 01:12 AM

[/QUOTE]
@ darkvalley1
That might have been the TSJ.[/QUOTE]

I do believe you are correct

shambolic · #22 04-15-2010, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonW

That's so often the case.
Or, translation: We can sell 2 or 3 times as many TW's for the price of one Martin, and we make more money on one TW than on one Martin, therefore you should buy the TW...and that's why we're motivated to sell them to you.

I suspect this may be case. I was looking at buying a strummer in a rather large store and the salesman kept trying to divert me onto the Tanglewood line. They were ok but his constant harping made me suspicious. Having worked in a guitar shop myself. I remember being told to push various lines because the profit was greater.

guitargabor · #23 04-24-2010, 02:33 PM

The fellow who gives me lessons happens to be one of the very few Tanglewood dealers in our area.

They do have a nice tone..Their "low" end is not as well built as their newer (and more expensive) "upper "end models.

A new 12 fret ,TW 73 parlor sounded great and had excellent build quality.

I am loathe to purchase any M.I.C. guitar on principle.However they do sound pretty good for the price...

Cue Zephyr · #24 04-24-2010, 02:46 PM

I'm not so for MIC either, that's why I'm not interested in Tanglewood, Walden or Eastman anymore... I don't even completely understand why.

RandomNoise · #25 05-12-2015, 06:27 AM

I bought a TW40-O-AN a few years ago. It's an OM with solid spruce top and laminated back and sides. I take it with me whenever I travel. I'm very happy with it. So much so that when I saw a TW15-NWS up for sale on the more generic "for sale" site, I bid on it and won it for a nice price. It's a dreadnaught all solid Spruce and Mahog with a 1 3/4" nut. Great low end and sparkling highs. I sometimes stick a L.R. Baggs M1A pickup in it when I go to jam sessions.
Most recently, I found a TW-1000B for sale at a good price, so I bought it. Another Tanglewood Dreadnaught but with Engleman Spruce top and an installed B-Band pickup system.

All tolled, I like my 3 Tanglewood guitars as well as my 2 Eastman and almost as much as my 2 Martin acoustics (the MMV and OM1GT). They're like kids, they all have their own personalities.