This article is about the playing quality, sound, guitar quality, style and price of some guitars. I will be comparing a Fender and a Tanglewood model for this review. Both acoustic/electric and acoustic guitars of the same brand sound the same when not plugged into an amp. The Tanglewood guitars are only the cheaper ones, not the more expensive.
The first guitars under scrutiny are a Fender Stratocaster (picture on top of page) and a Tanglewood electric model. When playing these guitars, I feel that while the Fender has a better sound, the Tanglewood is better for string bends. The Tanglewood and Fender weigh about the same, but the Tanglewood is easier to play. However, when it comes to quality of the build of the guitar, the Fender is way ahead. It has a sturdier design from the tuning handles to the whammy stick to the body. It also looks better, even though it is basically the same as the Tanglewood in style. A Fender Stratocaster is around the $1500 mark, though, while a Tanglewood will only set you back around $300.
The next guitars are a Tanglewood acoustic/electric and a Fender Sonoran. (The Sonoran is an acoustic/electric as well). Again, the Fender sounds better. It has a clean, smooth sound and gets better with time while the Tanglewood has a more twangy sound after a lot of playing. Though at first, both guitars sound just as good as each other. The Fender is better to play as well, with a more relaxed feel to it and a thinner neck. The Fender is also sturdier, and looks better, though at first it looks strange - who puts an electric guitar head on an acoustic guitar? But price wise, the Tanglewood is better, at about $300 (plain acoustic models are about $200) while the Fender is over $2000.
So which is better? The Fenders, definitely. However, the Tanglewoods being cheapest, it would make a fantastic first guitar.
The first guitars under scrutiny are a Fender Stratocaster (picture on top of page) and a Tanglewood electric model. When playing these guitars, I feel that while the Fender has a better sound, the Tanglewood is better for string bends. The Tanglewood and Fender weigh about the same, but the Tanglewood is easier to play. However, when it comes to quality of the build of the guitar, the Fender is way ahead. It has a sturdier design from the tuning handles to the whammy stick to the body. It also looks better, even though it is basically the same as the Tanglewood in style. A Fender Stratocaster is around the $1500 mark, though, while a Tanglewood will only set you back around $300.
The next guitars are a Tanglewood acoustic/electric and a Fender Sonoran. (The Sonoran is an acoustic/electric as well). Again, the Fender sounds better. It has a clean, smooth sound and gets better with time while the Tanglewood has a more twangy sound after a lot of playing. Though at first, both guitars sound just as good as each other. The Fender is better to play as well, with a more relaxed feel to it and a thinner neck. The Fender is also sturdier, and looks better, though at first it looks strange - who puts an electric guitar head on an acoustic guitar? But price wise, the Tanglewood is better, at about $300 (plain acoustic models are about $200) while the Fender is over $2000.
So which is better? The Fenders, definitely. However, the Tanglewoods being cheapest, it would make a fantastic first guitar.