Tanglewood Pioneer

Bought second hand about six months ago. I don't know when it was made but it is in excellent condition - virtually unmarked.

Single cut body with carved top and back and built in neck. A light weight, well balanced guitar. Black back fading into a beautiful transparent blue top. Made in Korea. Quilted Maple top, mahogany back and neck, rosewood fingerboard with blue abalone inlay all the way up it. Gold plated metal work - Gotoh style stop and bridge and non-locking tuners. Two black humbuckers with four leads each, but not coil taps, which is a shame.

The guitar is very resonant unplugged and has very good sustain. I use it with a Peavey Classic 30 and am generally pleased with the overall sound which ranges from Jazz to Zeppelin. However it is very pokey and bright, particularly switched to the bridge pickup. Overall I don't think the pickup choice and the bridge pickup position do justice to the potential of the wood characteristics.

Set up reasonably well - truss rod OK, but intonation and action needed adjusting which is now excellent. The pickups were too low and the neck one just didn't fit - see below.

Three complaints. The neck pickup ring was flat and not tapered which meant the pickup was not parallel to the strings. I changed this. The bridge was the wrong way around which meant the intonation adjustment screws faced the bridge pickup. It was impossible to make any adjustment! I changed this around. The bridge pickup is too near the bridge for my taste. I don't intend changing this.

Excellent body and neck finish. Fretwork is flawless, no buzzing and no annoying overhang. All controls are smooth and quiet. All together a very well put together package.

A well built, solid guitar. The fittings are well made and I'm sure it will withstand gigging for many years. It's light weight will work in it's favour too if ever dropped!

No comment

I've been playing for about 35 years. My other guitars are a Les Paul Custom and a Vox semi acoustic (I don't know the model, I got it from their factory when they closed down in the 60s).

This is a nice guitar and I wouldn't hestitate to replace it for a sensibly priced second hand one. New prices are all over the place ranging from #399 to #275. I wouldn't pay #400 for one though. Sort out the niggles, put in sweeter pickups and coil taps and you would have a nice machine.

My guitar was second hand so i dont know when it was built, but i would guess about 2/3 years ago.It was made in Korea. It has a solid top. Underneath, body is flame maple.
There are two tone controls, and one for volume. Also is a very nice 5 way selector. This gives v good tone at all the options, and lots of variety. The neck is made of maple i think, and has the most gorgeous pearl inlay in the pattern of a flower.It is very thin.
The neck has useful dots to indicate the 5th, 7th frets etc which is v useful, i play a lot of satch!!!
I think that the elctronics are passive, but not too sure...The body style is kinda Telecaster, but very thin in comparison...It is also a very lightweight guitar, which is great as i take it wherever i go!
THe vib system is great, its a Wilkinson, but sadly vib bar has scratched a bit. But finish is very nice.
The tuners are also great, but fitting strings is tricky, and they are very slightly out of line.
In the price of the guitar was included a soft case, and set of strings.

Definitly it suits me down to the ground! Very lightweight, and robust.i play a lot of Knopfler, Satriani, blues, etc, so is great. Very nice tone, esp when put thru a big amp, eg Laney, and zoom unit is effective, so i'm getting one very soon! It even sounds good on a 15 watt "Force" amp!
What i like is the way that it is so variable. i can play totally diferent music on the same guitar, and that is good. Very rich tone.

Pickups are a tad loose, some slight rust on their tops, but are very good quality. The top of the guitar is very well matched, has gold coloured tuners, same colour as bridge. Bridge is very well routed, smooth, no marks.However, very slight discoloring around edges.
Controls are great, good quality, 5 way selector is wonderful.

Have only had guitar for about 6 months- but is very robust. No live playing as yet but lots of jamming with friends. However, a very nasty crack has developed in laminate where neck is joined to body- and laminate is cracked, quite badly. I'm sure i havent caused this, but as guitar was second hand, it may have been knocked about .
Apart from this i would rely on it, certainly during a gig, if i had to!
The finish is very good, will last, and has few scratches on it.

Never dealt with company. However, no warrant on second hand. Have heard from friends that they are very good.

I have played the classical guitar for 8 years, done Grade 4 about 3 years ago. I have a Hohner Rockwood, and two acoustics. I looked at lots of guitars, from many shops, but decided that this was the best. Certainly its the best looking guitar i have ever seen for the price, and better than some for more! If it was stolen , I'd have the theif shot, and buy another, exactly the same. I love most things about it, but the crack in the laminate has really hacked me off. Plase email me if youre a Tanglewood Pioneer owner/fan I'd love some feedback. Thankyou. IF YOU EVER ARE UNSURE ABOUT BUYING ONE OF THESE, GET IT- THEY ARE AN ABSOLOUTE DREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Will not regret it.

Basically ever feature you can get without strapping a GT-5 to it, not sure where it was made but the custom limited edition paintwork proves to lead you into love. 2 volume, 2 tone, beautifull opal rose going up the fret board to the head and breaking out into the paintwork

My music style goes from anything from blues to rock, although rock is my favourate and I have had a rich, crisp sound from the baby for a year now, the only prblem with the sound is if connected to a mediocre amplifier (obvious) and wacked up to full volume.

Im sorry for saying this but all the features about this guitair is splendid, I dont have a single compaint in any department, the finish is the sexiest I have seen, well what can I say.

Very very reliable, played for 6 months witht he band and have only had one trouble and thats cos I dropped it and buggered a pickup, but I have only dropped it once and dont plan on being so inconsiderate to my guitairs feelings again :)

warranty is one year from GT-R in huddersfield, england. Never had to deal with the company so couldnt say.

I have been playing for 3 years and have had 6 guitairs, this is by far the best, I own all the kit (GT-5, GT-3, original wah wah, laney tube amp, and a funky chinese strap :)). My favourate feature apart from the playing is the looks, the scheme is the most beautifull you will see. Oh if you see one BUY IT.