Question:
I've just started learning to play and am looking to buy a half-decent guitar of my own. I'm from the UK and have seen what looks like a real nice one. It's a Tanglewood AJ870 and costs around 150 Pounds, which is about $215. What I'm asking, is do you think this is a good guitar or is it a poor make? I'm at a bit of a loss, and I want to spend my money wisely. The guitar has a spruce top (not solid but laminated) and doesn't have a cutaway. How important are these things? Also, would you recommend that I buy a case to go with it? If I don't, I'll probably end up breaking the darn thing. Other than that it seems well made, I just wondered if there's a better make out there that is around the same price range. Any advice ?
Answer:
Tanglewood make some fair guitars, they are generally reasonably well set up. However, you can buy an Ozark 'folk' shaped (not dreadnought, but a very attractive small body) with a solid top for £160 - and I obtained a really beautiful little solid top, solid body Vantage parlour guitar for £195 reduced from £425 three years ago - you have to know what to look for. I did not like the AJ870 at all, after playing a whole set - every model - of Tanglewood guitars at a dealer just stocking this range. The only really good ones were £369 upwards, and were the 'jumbo' shaped large body models. The Ozark Folk model I refer to I have seen in The Music Shop, Alnwick, Northumberland but I did not note down the model number. It's one of the best low price guitars I have ever played, and a really comfortable shape and size. Ozark is comparable to Tanglewood in price, but they seem to used different factories and have more use of solid woods. I discussed the folk guitar with the dealer; he agreed that it was exceptional and they were very pleased with it for the price. I do not know if it is still there, or a replacement. With Christmas approaching these things tend to shift. Nor can I say if another example of the same guitar would be as well set up (this one had excellent low action and perfect intonation, both of which are unusual at £160). But you could try calling them, get the details of the model number and Ozark's distributor (probably the ubiquitous John Hornby Skewes organisation) and find one near you.
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