Tanglewood TRF review (acoustic folk guitar)

Tanglewood TRF review (acoustic folk guitar)

The Tanglewood TRF is an acoustic folk guitar from the Tanglewood rosewood reserve series. All guitars from the rosewood reserve series, like the trf (folk), the dreadnought and the Jumbo, are build from the same materials: solid spruce top and laminated rosewood sides and back.

Tanglewood TRF soundhole

Tanglewood guitars are probably not well known in the United States and in most countries in Europe. In the United Kingdom and Australia though, Tanglewood Guitars is a major, well established brand, and they are expanding more and more worldwide. The United States and Canada will be the next markets where Tanglewood, without doubt, will be succesful.
Not only do they produce acoustic guitars, classic, folk, dreadnought and Jumbo, but also some electric ones like a Telecaster and a Les Paul model. From what I've seen on their specifications it can be interesting to compare them with the well known brands in the same price range like Fender Mex, and Epiphone, but that's another story. Here it's about the acoustic Tanglewood TRF, the folk guitar from the Tanglewood rosewood reserve series.

 

tanglewood trf body

What's to like of the Tanglewood TRF

The question can be answered very easy: you name it, I like it! The Tanglewood TRF is like the other models of the rosewood reserve series built in China. I presume most of the "cheaper" guitars are built in China. Not only by Tanglewood Guitars, all the big names are in. Also my Epiphone ES-339 Ultra was built there. I have heard and seen good and bad things about the Chinese building quality, and it seems to me that the quality can depend from brand to brand and within the brand itself, there can be some bad periods. On this Tanglewood TRF though, they did well.

The finish, from the elegant headstock to the dark rosewood on the back (bookmatched) and sides, to the solid spruce top (also bookmatched), is outstanding, no flaws can be found. The single walnut binding finish and the golden tuners make the guitar look a lot pricier than it is.

Playing is a real joy; the neck is made of one piece Mahogany, and is smooth as it should be.

Originally The Tanglewood TRF is stringed with D'Addario. The sound is clear and clean. High tones and middle tones are more standing out than the bass tones, but for fingerpicking it's just what I need.
As the guitar is designed for folk, fingerpicking, more than for strumming (with a plectrum), it lacks a pickquard, and in my opinion it gives the TRF a nice "classical" look.

The guitar is priced in Europe between around 350-400 Euro. My dealer offered the TRF with a nice discount, and I got it for just 250 Euro. For that money I could not get a better guitar, so I choose the Tanglewood TRF. I played some other brands, but this is my choice within my 400 Euro budget.

Can you find better acoustic guitars? Sure you can, but within this price range: value for your money!

Tanglewood TRF head

What's not to like of the Tanglewood TRF

As much as I love the golden tuners on the Tanglewood TRF, that's were it goes wrong. The golden finish from 2 out of 6 tuners seems to be fading. One of the 2 even looks a bit "reddish". Despite of that, I'm very happy with the Tanglewood Folk!

By the way, on the picture above, what appears to be a little scratch on the head of the guitar.....it's just a little dust....

Tanglewood TRF tuners