Tanglewood TE3BL Elemental Orchestra Folk Acoustic Guitar with Solid Mahogany Top

A warm, even-voiced mahogany guitar at a fair price

The Tanglewood TE3 is an orchestra-shaped acoustic guitar from the Elemental series. This TE3BL version suits players who want a balanced voice from a comfortably sized body. If you are shopping for a mahogany acoustic guitar that will not cost a fortune, it is a sensible place to start.

Solid mahogany on the top

The top is solid mahogany, and the back and sides are mahogany as well. Mahogany gives a warm, woody sound with a focused midrange. Notes stay clear when you fingerpick, and chords hold together when you strum. The top does most of the work in shaping tone, so a solid one at £299 is a real plus for a Tanglewood orchestra guitar.

Body shape and feel

The orchestra body is mid-sized. It sits easily on your knee and your strumming arm does not have to stretch far. The fingerboard is Eboncore, and the natural satin finish keeps the body and neck smooth under your hand. Satin also shows less glare than gloss, so the grain of the wood looks soft and natural.

The finishing touch

A blue and white pearl rosette rings the soundhole. It is a small detail, but it gives this guitar its own look against plain natural finishes.

• Orchestra/Folk body shape
• Solid mahogany top, mahogany back and sides
• Eboncore fingerboard
• Natural satin finish
• Acoustic only, with no pickup fitted

This is a good fit if you play at home, write songs or play small sessions where you do not need to plug in. If you want a bigger body for more volume, look at the dreadnoughts in the Elemental range. If you want amplification, look at the electro versions in the same series. For a straightforward solid wood acoustic guitar with a clear, warm tone, the TE3BL is hard to fault at this price.