|
|
|
|
|
Photos too small? Click on photos, screenshots and diagrams in articles to open a Larger View gallery. January 2010
Other recent issues: | Tanglewood TW55 HBElectro-acoustic guitarPublished in PM August 2008  Printer-friendly versionReviews : Guitar: Electro-acoustic If you're looking for an electro-acoustic guitar at a reasonable price, there's plenty of choice. But not many of them will offer the high-quality construction and value for money that Tanglewood's TW55 HB does.  The French have a saying: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose", which roughly translates as, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." This pithy, if occasionally vacuous, Gallic aphorism sprung to mind when I worked out that the Tanglewood TW55 HB acoustic guitar costs more or less exactly the same today (adjusting for inflation) as my Levin LN-26 Goliath did back in 1963. The big difference these days is that when I went looking for my first really good acoustic guitar back then the available choice around Edinburgh was limited to a Gibson J45 (which I couldn't afford at £45), a Hagstrom that I didn't like, and the Levin. Nowadays, I'd be spoilt for choice, which makes the process of finding the perfect guitar that much easier and that much more difficult. In the intervening 45 years, acoustic guitars haven't really changed that much. By the 1960s, Martin, Gibson and Guild had fully developed the 'O', 'D', 'J' and 'F' body shapes, and all other guitar manufacturers have essentially used those basic outlines ever since. Different bracing patterns and bodies have been tried, cutaways have come and gone, and composites, carbon fibre and plastic have all made their appearances and disappearances, but somehow everything always seems to come back to the four original outlines. What has changed is the number of acoustic guitar manufacturers making really good guitars and the places where they make their guitars. Back in the early '60s, there were only a few acoustic brands being imported into the UK. Framus, Gibson, Guild, Hagstrom, Harmony, Levin and Martin were the ones that I was aware of, and they came from the USA, Germany and Sweden. By the mid '60s, Yamaha had released their Japanese-made FG series, which became the spearhead of the Far Eastern acoustic guitar invasion. Forty years on and that initial invasion has spawned a multitude of large guitar factories and small facilities in China churning out guitars in vast quantities. As a result, although it is possible to buy a brand new acoustic guitar-shaped object in a charity shop for around £30, if you want a good middle-of-the-road guitar then, in real terms, prices haven't changed since 1963. Which brings us neatly back to the Tanglewood TW55 HB, a guitar that in quality, price and market position equates pretty closely to where my old Levin was in 1963. The guitar  The 9V PP3 battery that powers the pickup system is easily accessible, having its holder mounted in the side of the guitar next to the endpin output jack. The first thing you'll notice about the TW55 HB when you pick it up is that it feels like a quality guitar. First impressions count for a lot, and in the case of this particular guitar you're not going to be disappointed once you get to know it. The all-solid woods used are of high quality, from the Indian rosewood peghead overlay, the mahogany neck, back and sides, through to the select spruce top. I can't quite work out where the spruce on the top originates, but it is of a very high quality and is beautifully close-grained. Bridge and fingerboard are ebony, and even the body, headstock and fingerboard bindings are made of solid walnut. Add in the bone nut and the fully compensated bone saddle and you'll realise that you are looking at what is potentially a very good guitar indeed. The good news doesn't stop with the woods. Fit and finish are exemplary, as there isn't a drop of stray glue to be seen inside, and the gloss finish on the body and front of the guitar is absolutely flawless to my eyes. The internal brand on the back of the TW55 HB states that it is handcrafted, and the attention to detail in the construction certainly confirms the presence of human beings in the assembly of this guitar. The body shape is that of a Venetian (soft) cutaway jumbo similar to those from the Guild and, latterly, Taylor factories. I'm a little sad that Tanglewood have shaped the TW55's bridge and pickguard in a very Taylor-esque fashion, but as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I suppose it tells us what part of the market they're trying to appeal to. The full-depth body is, despite its bulk, very comfortable and the whole instrument balances very nicely, whether you're seated or standing with it on a strap. The satin-finished neck is really very comfortable indeed to play on. Without the stickiness of a new gloss finish, it is extremely fast, and the shape — a thinnish chunkiness is the only way to describe it — fitted my hand perfectly. There's a neat Martin D28-style volute at the neck-to-headstock transition, and the gold machine heads — a Kluson/Grover confection with Waverley-style buttons — complement it well. The front of the headstock carries the Tanglewood logo inlaid in what appears to be slightly garish 'abalone'. The same material is used for the Martin Style 42 inlays on the fingerboard. In keeping with the overall high construction quality of the guitar, the inlays are very well done, but as with the plastic 'ivory' bridge pins, don't really live up to the rest of the guitar. When it comes to the pickup system, Tanglewood have continued with the quality theme. The B-Band pickup system, which features their onboard A5T preamp/EQ, is highly regarded by those in the know, and is one of the best and most comprehensively equipped units of its type. Featuring a four-band fader EQ (Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence), the A5T also has a -15dB notch filter that sweeps between 100Hz and 330Hz to reduce the feedback potential of body resonances. Add in the Phase reverse switch, an overall Volume fader and the very useful Low Battery indicator and you've got a very powerful preamp sitting in the upper bout of this guitar. Also, the B-Band A5T has another trick up its sleeve: the integral, fully chromatic tuner, which can be activated whenever required. This tuner is very fast to lock to the note and doesn't go hunting around, thus making tuning, detuning and retuning very slick indeed when you're on stage. Power for the pickup system is from a 9V PP3 battery, which, somewhat unusually, has its holder mounted in the side of the guitar next to the endpin output jack. Although this is an unexpected location, in practical terms it simply makes the battery really easy to get at. Sound and playability  The B-band pickup system features an onboard B-Band A5T preamp/EQ, which has a four-band EQ (bass, middle, treble and presence), -15dB notch filter, phase reverse, volume, low battery indicator and integral fully chromatic tuner. The Tanglewood TW55 HB seems to have been designed as an electro-acoustic guitar, and with a bit more emphasis on the electro rather than on the acoustic. Plugged into an acoustic guitar amplifier or a PA, and set up with a little care and attention to the EQ, notch filter and phase settings, it is capable of sounding very good indeed. I'd more than happily take it out on an amplified gig with my acoustic band as my main guitar. When it comes to the straight acoustic sound, it seems to me that the bracing and the voicing have been designed to give a very even frequency response, which means that, to my ears, the TW55 doesn't give me quite the fullness and warmth that I'd expect to get from the jumbo body. The advantage of this is that the guitar doesn't sound at all muddy; in fact, it is a model of clarity, string separation and precision. But the downside to me is that the sound can feel a bit cold when I'm accompanying a singer. However, let's put this performance into context. This is a brand new guitar that sounds every bit as good as I remember my old Levin sounding in the days when it was new. Give this guitar a few months of playing in and I'm certain that, because of the quality of the materials, it will open up and start to develop the warmth that I'm looking for. The TW55 HB is a delight to play. The almost perfect proportions of the satin-finished neck made it a feather bed for my fingers, and despite the body depth, access to the dusty upper reaches of the fingerboard above the 12th fret was very good indeed. Like all brand new guitars, it needs setting up to my requirements, and if I were going to keep it I'd want to drop the string height at the nut and the overall action to suit my light-touch, fingerstyle way of playing. Since there's plenty of room for adjustment, doing all that wouldn't be a problem and your supplying dealer will doubtless happily get that done for you through their favourite luthier. Conclusion The Tanglewood TW55 HB is a guitar that you can't really fault, is excellent value for money and is an ideal instrument for an intermediate standard player moving up to a guitar that, given a decent setup, will acquit itself well in almost any situation, amplified or acoustic. To get your hands on a new guitar that is going to be a lot better, you're going to have to move up a division or two and spend a fair bit more money. However, this Tanglewood comes without a case, so budget for a decent one and don't forget to get a good setup done on it. If you're in the market for an electro-acoustic guitar at this price point, then you really ought to put the Tanglewood TW55 HB acoustic guitar through its paces. It might just be the guitar for you. 0  Published in PM August 2008  | Tanglewood TW55 HB £649 Solid-wood construction throughout, exemplary fit and finish, a high-quality B-Band pickup system and a precise, clear sonic character make this an excellent candidate for an audition if you're looking for a good-quality electro-acoustic guitar at around its price point. Budget for a good setup and a decent case and you'll end up with an instrument that'll cope with most gigs — concert, club or bedroom.
Tech Spec TW55 HB Super jumbo cutaway body. AAA select solid-spruce top. Solid mahogany back and sides. Mahogany neck with satin finish. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. Waverly-style machine heads. Ivoroid bridge pins. Bone top nut and compensated saddle. Natural gloss finish on body. Elixir strings. Walnut binding. Snowflake position marker inlays. B-Band A5T preamp/EQ system with notch filter, phase reverse and tuner. |
|
All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 2007-2010.
All rights reserved. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither SOS Publications Group nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Publishers.
Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates | SOS | Relative Media |
