Tanglewood TW40 SD VS E Sundance Historic Slope Shoulder Dreadnought Electro-Acoustic Guitar

A vintage-look slope shoulder dreadnought you can plug in

The Tanglewood TW40 SD VS E takes a full-size dreadnought, rounds off its shoulders and adds onboard Fishman electronics. If you want a dreadnought electro acoustic guitar that sounds big in the room and plugs straight into a PA, this one belongs on your shortlist.

Shape and sound

Instead of the square upper bout of a standard dreadnought, the shoulders here slope away from the neck. You still get a large body with plenty of low end and volume, but it sits a little more comfortably under your arm. The top is solid spruce, so it responds to a light touch and a heavy pick alike, giving a bright, clear attack. A solid top also tends to open up as it is played over the years.

Mahogany back and sides add warmth under that spruce brightness. The result is a rounded tone with a strong middle, which works for bluegrass rhythm, singer-songwriter strumming and fingerstyle parts. The fingerboard is laurel.

Plugging in

The Fishman Presys preamp built into the guitar gives you:

• A three-band EQ to shape bass, middle and treble
• A phase switch to help tame feedback at volume
• A built-in tuner with a digital display
• A simple way to go from practice at home to a gig or a recording

Because the controls are on the guitar, you can make small changes between songs without reaching for an amp.

Vintage sunburst finish

The gloss vintage sunburst gives the guitar an old-school face and lets the spruce grain show through. Binding around the body and a decorative rosette finish off the old-time look. It is the kind of guitar that looks at home on a folk club stage or hanging on the wall of your music room.

Go for the TW40 SD VS E if you love the feel of a full-size dreadnought but want something with more character than a plain natural finish. If you mostly fingerpick sitting down, compare it with the smaller super folk TW45RE from the Sundance Reserve range. If strumming and projection come first, this Tanglewood Sundance Historic dreadnought is the one to choose.