I'm Addicted to Tanglewood Parlours
Dec 6, 2015 16:01:57 GMT
Wild Violet, leoroberts, and 5 more like this
Post by vikingblues on Dec 6, 2015 16:01:57 GMT
There - I said it - my problem is out in the open!
My TW73 parlour (right) and TW JPE parlour (centre) have now been joined by the TW133 parlour, an all Mahogany (solid top and back) version from the "Premier Historic" series.
Am I stuck in a rut?
All parlour size but not all the same exact dimension as can be seen, all 12 frets to the body, all narrower nut showing a total disregard to needing the wider nut for fingerstyle. The TW133 is longer 25.5" scale v 24.75" on the others.
No binding - no fancy design, no fancy woods. Just mahogany in all directions!
Even the soundhole rosette is understated.
Very simple design slotted headstock. Just a pretty basic "T" for a badge. I like the look of it to be honest. I'll maybe replace the PPS saddle with bone - a DIY job I managed on the Java.
As seen elsewhere here I'd sold my Lowden - so i wanted something to fill the empty space where it used to sit. Due to my hands it had to be a small body guitar (parlour, 00, 0), and had to have a non chunky neck and at least one of narrow nut or short scale. I already had two cedar tops, and I don't like spruce as mentioned recently. Sort of just leaves mahogany. I did not feel hugely inclined to spend big again.
Short list of all the possibles in Edinburgh ran to just 6 guitars ranging from £239 to £1,549. Tried them all except the most expensive one.
Sigma 00M-15, Alvarez Ap66, Guild M120, Martin 0015M, and the Tanglewood TW133. Plus I tried a Guild spruce top equivalent to the M120 and a Sigma 000M size.
The Sigma and Alvarez had a much brighter, brasher sound than I was expecting from all Mahogany. The Sigma had insufficient sustain for a light player like me though it's bigger 000 brother was better, but was too big. I'd thought I'd feel the benefit of a 24" scale on the Alvarez but didn't. The Guild M120 was obviously a higher quality guitar and sounded like it - but there was a reserved aspect to the sound and it didn't sing out for me - it's spruce top equivalent model put more sound out when I played but it reminded me why I usually don't like the general sound of spruce. So 5 tried in that first shop.
I was considering the Guild still when I left the shop. At which point I was told there might be a used one in their other shop round the corner. I then hesitated on the pavement as to whether to check that out or go to the car. I did decide to check but it had been sold - it occurred to me if I had been really interested in the M120 I would not have hesitated.
Onto shop #2 and the Martin 0015M - similar type of general sound to the Guild but not as reserved, but 2 1/2 times the price. Not for the first time I found a Martin fretboard and neck profile to be not that comfortable for me - overall I felt the Guild would suit me better.
Then I tried the Tanglewood. A turning point!
I felt at home on it after a few seconds and found myself very soon making musical runs on it and being expressive for the first time that day. Fortunately this all happened before a nearby customer started trying out some keyboard through an amp rather loudly! Very mahogany sounding on the lower strings, and less so on the higher strings - but that's OK as it means melody lines are not muffled and the melody lines stand out against the bass accompaniment. I switched between this guitar and the Martin quite a few times and after about 20 minutes it was evident that this was the overall winner. There was another Martin possible in shop #3 but it was just a variation on the 00M idea and even more money - I did not feel inclined to go and look. And didn't.
The TW133 would have been the winner on the day even if all the prices on the guitars I tried were the same. Just my personal taste of course. So my Lowden "replacement" turns out to be 11% of the cost ... which was nice.
I've been playing it a lot over the weekend and have peeling skin on my ring finger to prove it. Running through various tunings and it sounds good in lowered tunings too. Noodling around in Csus2 resulted in a new tune (well sort of tune ) evolving - so it's doing the job of aiding creativity.
It may be very simple stuff, but I great a lot from creating these little dirges.
"Tea in the Parlour"
Mark
My TW73 parlour (right) and TW JPE parlour (centre) have now been joined by the TW133 parlour, an all Mahogany (solid top and back) version from the "Premier Historic" series.
Am I stuck in a rut?
All parlour size but not all the same exact dimension as can be seen, all 12 frets to the body, all narrower nut showing a total disregard to needing the wider nut for fingerstyle. The TW133 is longer 25.5" scale v 24.75" on the others.
No binding - no fancy design, no fancy woods. Just mahogany in all directions!
Even the soundhole rosette is understated.
Very simple design slotted headstock. Just a pretty basic "T" for a badge. I like the look of it to be honest. I'll maybe replace the PPS saddle with bone - a DIY job I managed on the Java.
As seen elsewhere here I'd sold my Lowden - so i wanted something to fill the empty space where it used to sit. Due to my hands it had to be a small body guitar (parlour, 00, 0), and had to have a non chunky neck and at least one of narrow nut or short scale. I already had two cedar tops, and I don't like spruce as mentioned recently. Sort of just leaves mahogany. I did not feel hugely inclined to spend big again.
Short list of all the possibles in Edinburgh ran to just 6 guitars ranging from £239 to £1,549. Tried them all except the most expensive one.
Sigma 00M-15, Alvarez Ap66, Guild M120, Martin 0015M, and the Tanglewood TW133. Plus I tried a Guild spruce top equivalent to the M120 and a Sigma 000M size.
The Sigma and Alvarez had a much brighter, brasher sound than I was expecting from all Mahogany. The Sigma had insufficient sustain for a light player like me though it's bigger 000 brother was better, but was too big. I'd thought I'd feel the benefit of a 24" scale on the Alvarez but didn't. The Guild M120 was obviously a higher quality guitar and sounded like it - but there was a reserved aspect to the sound and it didn't sing out for me - it's spruce top equivalent model put more sound out when I played but it reminded me why I usually don't like the general sound of spruce. So 5 tried in that first shop.
I was considering the Guild still when I left the shop. At which point I was told there might be a used one in their other shop round the corner. I then hesitated on the pavement as to whether to check that out or go to the car. I did decide to check but it had been sold - it occurred to me if I had been really interested in the M120 I would not have hesitated.
Onto shop #2 and the Martin 0015M - similar type of general sound to the Guild but not as reserved, but 2 1/2 times the price. Not for the first time I found a Martin fretboard and neck profile to be not that comfortable for me - overall I felt the Guild would suit me better.
Then I tried the Tanglewood. A turning point!
I felt at home on it after a few seconds and found myself very soon making musical runs on it and being expressive for the first time that day. Fortunately this all happened before a nearby customer started trying out some keyboard through an amp rather loudly! Very mahogany sounding on the lower strings, and less so on the higher strings - but that's OK as it means melody lines are not muffled and the melody lines stand out against the bass accompaniment. I switched between this guitar and the Martin quite a few times and after about 20 minutes it was evident that this was the overall winner. There was another Martin possible in shop #3 but it was just a variation on the 00M idea and even more money - I did not feel inclined to go and look. And didn't.
The TW133 would have been the winner on the day even if all the prices on the guitars I tried were the same. Just my personal taste of course. So my Lowden "replacement" turns out to be 11% of the cost ... which was nice.
I've been playing it a lot over the weekend and have peeling skin on my ring finger to prove it. Running through various tunings and it sounds good in lowered tunings too. Noodling around in Csus2 resulted in a new tune (well sort of tune ) evolving - so it's doing the job of aiding creativity.
It may be very simple stuff, but I great a lot from creating these little dirges.
"Tea in the Parlour"
Mark