REVIEWED
TANGLEWOOD Parlour Guitars
Check out our Video Review at
www.playmusicpickup.co.uk
If you are in the market for an affordable small bodied acoustic or electro-acoustic guitar, these handsome specimens from Tanglewood UK might tickle your fancy without busting your wallet...
Words: Tim Slater
The small bodied acoustic guitar might not enjoy quite the same level of universal appeal as its larger cousins the dreadnought and jumbo but it still seems that plenty of guitarists are beginning to cotton on to the joys of picking on a light and highly portable instrument, such as the three Tanglewood parlour guitars featured in this review. Besides offering handy portability the parlour can also still hold its own fairly well compared to a larger-bodied guitar. Volume and value for money share equal importance for the cash conscious gigging musician.
TANGLEWOOD Parlour Guitars
TW 73 VS
TW 73 VS-E TW 173
£579.00 £329.00 £329.00
All prices include VAT CONT
ACT
Tanglewood Guitars UK T:
01959 571600 W:
tanglewoodguitars.co.uk 30 3pickup
So why buy a parlour guitar instead of a louder more powerful instrument? The parlour’s compact size certainly makes it easier to transport between gigs or rehearsals or even just handy to have around the house without taking up too much space. The scale length of 650mm (approximately 25.5-inches) is generally the same as a standard dreadnought style guitar but the Tanglewood TW73- VS and TRP 73-VS-E’s 12th fret neck join both hark back to the Parlour style’s pre WWII origins, a time when the acoustic guitar was generally viewed as an instrument for solo accompaniment rather than being integrated into a dance band setup. The budget-priced TW173’s 14th fret neck join offers a slightly different take on things; the overall scale length is the same as its two stable-mates but the extra two frets offers the player slightly more range. Parlour guitars often tended to be a bit more affordable compared to their larger cousins and although the wide
choice of instruments available to today’s guitarists doesn’t necessarily guarantee this, these parlour-styled offerings from Tanglewood still offer plenty of finishes and an impressive choice of specifications whilst still keeping an eye on the pennies.
TW 173 The TW 173 belongs to Tanglewood’s affordable Premier series and for a budget-priced guitar it still offers an appealing combination of a solid Canadian Cedar top, a solid mahogany back with laminated mahogany sides, plus a mahogany neck. At first glance what looks like a fairly unadorned straightforward acoustic guitar actually turns out to have a few pleasing stylistic touches; abalone fingerboard and headstock inlays help to add a welcome touch of class whilst maple body trim and fingerboard binding enhances the contrast between the dark orange cedar top and warm brown mahogany neck, back and sides. Despite a few tiny areas where some polish or tinting has partially leached into the pale maple the overall standard of finish seems perfectly acceptable. Immaculate herringbone trim runs around the top’s circumference and concentric soundhole rings and the internal curfing similarly isn’t let down by unsightly glue marks that might otherwise diminish the overall impression of a well made guitar. Playability-wise the mahogany neck’s smooth satin finish compliments the comfy ‘C’ section neck and the TW 173 feels like quite a nimble little guitar to get around on. The rosewood ‘board is fitted with slim but fairly tall fretwire whose edges feel reasonably smooth and the playing action is rattle free without being so high that the player almost feels like they could perform a
limbo dance beneath the strings. Vintage style tuners and a well cut nylon top nut both conspire to maintain an impressively stable tuning and help to finish off a great little budget priced package.
Sounds
In common with its fellow Tanglewood Parlour models the TW 173 is fitted with conventional X-bracing. Combined with the good quality solid top this guitar delivers a well balanced and powerful sound that seems to belie its diminutive body shape, especially in terms of its impressive amount of bottom end. The brash boxy tone that often characterises affordably priced acoustic guitars is notable by its absence, ok the tone maybe isn’t the warmest we’ve heard but bear in mind that this was a box-fresh guitar and given plenty of regular use the initial stiffness should eventually give way to a warmer sound as the timbers – particularly the cedar top – begin to dry out and absorb more of the complex frequencies bouncing around inside the body. The 14th fret neck join does make a substantial difference in terms of how much extra range the player is able to extract from the guitar – you’d never believe that two more frets make so much difference but they definitely do – and with that regard the TW 173 feels well suited to a ‘lead’ acoustic player or at the very least someone that likes to nip around the neck a bit. Played with a pick the TW 173 delivers a clear and strident tone that sounds very punchy and whilst it maybe feels a little raw the TW 173 still feels like very good value for money.
TRP 73 VS-E The electro-acoustic TRP 73 VS-E belongs to Tanglewood’s Rosewood
Tanglewood TW 173
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64