Tanglewood TWX1EK Winterleaf Exotic Mini Folk Travel Electro-Acoustic Guitar

Koa looks in a mini body you can take anywhere

The Tanglewood TWX1EK is a travel electro acoustic guitar from the Winterleaf Exotic series. It puts a solid mahogany top and koa back and sides into a mini folk body, for players who want something small that still looks and sounds special.

Autumn burst and koa

The first thing you notice is the finish. Autumn burst gloss sits over a koa veneer on the top, and the back and sides are koa as well, with strong grain patterns. It is a striking small guitar, and it will not look like a plain travel model at a session or on a stand.

How it sounds

A solid mahogany top gives a warm, focused tone with a firm centre. Koa back and sides add clarity and a bright edge, so the voice stays open rather than dark. For a mahogany acoustic guitar of this size, the sound is balanced and the notes are easy to pick out, when you strum or play fingerstyle.

Plugged in

Tanglewood Premium Plus electronics are fitted. They give you volume and tone controls and a built-in tuner, which is handy on a small guitar you carry about. The Eboncore fingerboard keeps the feel smooth.

Because it is a mini folk, you can keep it in easy reach at home and pick it up whenever you have a spare minute. Players who already own a full-sized guitar often add one like this as a second instrument, for writing songs, practising away from home or playing round a fire.

• Mini folk body for easy travel
• Solid mahogany top with koa veneer
• Koa back and sides
• Premium Plus electronics with tuner

It has no cutaway. For a larger Winterleaf Exotic body with a cutaway and the same koa look, compare it with the TWX4CEK. If you want a compact koa guitar that you can plug in, the TWX1EK costs £549.