Tanglewood TH503 Semi

Tanglewood TH503-BL thinline semi-acoustic guitar. "Blueburst".

Well, this IS a budget entry-level instrument. It does have a couple of minor faults, one easy to fix, one that really needs a guitar-tech. It comes strung with light-gauge strings. Chuck 'em out. Put mediums on it. The sustain is better and it stays in tune better.

If you look on YouTube you might stumble across a wally called 'Howard' reviewing this instrument. Mostly he just talks. He does have one good point: the control knobs don't really do anything until you get above 7. Don't worry about it: turn up the volume on your amp; get a guitar-tech to fix it if you want. It just needs a bigger resistor soldering across the pot.

The appearance and finish is superb. It is nice and light, and it doesn't slip off your lap like a proper Gibson ES335. It is comparable with any other entry-level semi on the market, and very nice looking into the bargain. With the right strings the tone is good. The manufacturing quality is excellent. The intonation is fine. Make do with this one for now, and buy the Gibson when you turn pro!

I found the Tanglewood TH503 Semi a sweet sounding, lovely looking guitar, with good quality tuners, and controls. Finish is good with a smooth neck and no sharp edges. Body is larger than a solid electric, so bear this in mind if playing sitting down. Holds its tuning well, with no notable bad points. A stunning piece of hardware for the price.

I have been playing guitar for a few years now and have owned a few, and my Tanglewood TH503 plays well. I wouldn't know what really well is because i have never played anything high end, but for a medium price guitar i think it is pretty decent. My girlfriend had an Epiphone 335, mine looks better and is much lighter, she got hers second hand for about the price of mine first hand. If you like th 335 look then you should definitely consider a Tanglewood, although they are famous for their acoustic guitars, they make pretty decent electris guitars too.