Tanglewood TW40 D AN E Sundance Historic Dreadnought Electro-Acoustic Guitar, Antique Natural

A loud, full-voiced dreadnought ready to plug in

Big strumming, strong bass and plenty of volume are what the Tanglewood TW40 D AN E is about. It is a dreadnought electro acoustic guitar from the Sundance Historic line, pairing a solid spruce top with mahogany and Fishman Presys electronics, and it suits players who lead with rhythm and need to be heard.

Why choose a dreadnought

The square-shouldered dreadnought is the most popular acoustic shape for good reason. Its large body moves a lot of air, which means strong projection and a deep bottom end that fills out a band mix or a solo set.

Full range tone

Solid spruce gives clear, bright highs, a balanced middle and solid lows, so the guitar covers a lot of ground. Over time a solid top tends to open up and gain character. Mahogany underneath adds an earthy, rounded warmth that takes the edge off the spruce, giving a full sound for heavy strumming and a sweet one for fingerpicking. Here is the build at a glance:

• Solid spruce top
• Mahogany back and sides
• Laurel fingerboard
• Antique Natural gloss with binding and rosette details

On stage

When you plug in, the Presys preamp lets you dial in bass, middle and treble, tame feedback using the phase control and tune up with the built-in tuner, all shown on a digital display. Together with the aged-look gloss, it makes a guitar that keeps the vintage character of the range but works at a modern gig or in a recording session.

Compare it with the TW40OANE if you want a smaller orchestra body, or the TW4012SDANE for twelve strings. Both sit in the Tanglewood Sundance Historic range. At £799 this is the straightforward six-string dreadnought of the family. Free UK delivery comes as standard.