# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Tanglewood Mandolins

## Andrew Fenn

Do any of you have any opinions about tanglewood mandolins? I have a union series and I absolutely love it, it seems well built and makes a great sound compared to my old mandolin. However I was in a shop today and saw a tanlglewood scroll top f type mandolin and was a bit shoched at the finish inside the scroll. As I said, I love my one and that is all that matters but opinions please.

----------


## Ivan Kelsall

An e-mail friend of mine up in the Shetland Isles off the North coast of Scotland bought one a month or so ago & he loves it. I had the chance to pick one up & play it recently at a Bluegrass Festival here in the UK & i thought that the finish & sound was excellent considering it's price. If i were in the market for a 'first' Mandolin again,i'd do far worse than to consider a Tanglewood.
I have a top of the range Tanglewood 'Dreadnaught' style acoustic Guitar,a TW-1000 SR, that in all honesty,i'd traded in 3 other Guitars for,with the idea of then trading it for a Gallagher Guitar. When i got the Tanglewood,i realised that i didn't need a Gallagher at all,it's that good,
                                                                                                                   Ivan

----------


## allenhopkins

OK, checking a few reviews of Tanglewood instruments, I get the impression that, despite Tanglewood's listing itself as "England's leading guitar manufacturer," with instruments "designed by Europe's leading luthiers," these are Asian imports just now being sold in the US through Musiquip Inc.  Correct?  Tanglewood has a huge product line of electric and acoustic guitars, banjos, mandolins and ukuleles, and the mandolins have the "standard Asian you-give-us-the-nameplate, we'll-stick-it-on-the-product look."

Doesn't mean they aren't a value for the money, but aren't we talking pretty much standard import first-mandolin fare?

----------


## Andrew Fenn

Not to denegrate the asian instruments because there are lots of them and they can be pretty good. I was a bit disappointed by the tanglewood company making such a big thing about being British only to find made in China stickers tucked away on the mandolin. Like I said, I love my one and would not swap it, great feel, great sound and looks cool. Wish I could play the damned thing!!

----------


## Ivan Kelsall

My *Tanglewood TW-1000 SR* Guitar was made in Korea. I must admit that i've never heard of Tanglewood claiming anything about being an English design. I used to know the guy who was the Tanglewood rep. up here in the North of England & have spoken at length with him many times in the past..He never gave me to believe that the Tanglewood range was anything 'other' than an Asian make.
   Re._'playing the damned thing'_ Andrew,you've only had it 5 minutes so to speak.Simply pick it up,make sure it's in tune & if it's as humid where you are in Yorkshire,as it is here in Manchester at the moment (the highest humidity in donkey's years) keep it cool,then mess around on it a bit. Pick out simple tunes that you know,find out where the scale patterns are & generally,just enjoy it - you'll find things come to you fairly quickly - don't try to be another Chris Thile overnight either. Stay simple in what you play & learn to play your tunes well - THEN progress,step by step.Every single thing you learn is another brick in the wall,one on which you'll build another one & so on.It takes time,but every worthwhile endeavour does,
                                                                            Ivan

----------


## Andrew Fenn

I can play, I am not a beginner as you seem to assume, i have been playing for a long time now. The reason I cannot play is that I am on a ship in the north sea building windfarms. But I do wholly concur with what you write and of course when we stop learning we stop living.

----------


## Ivan Kelsall

My apologies Andrew - didn't know your were a 'super picker' already  :Grin: . Most members on here who post  re.a reasonably inexpensive Mandolin (albeit well made),within their first few posts are usually new(ish) players. 
Nevertheless,you did buy a lovely Mandolin,the one i picked up & played a few weeks ago,was certainly better than my 'first' instrument. I hope you get back to shore soon,
                                                                                                       Ivan  :Wink:

----------


## Andrew Fenn

Cheers Ivan, super picker i am not, but a happy picker with itchy fingers!! Desperate to get home, only a month left!

----------

