Tanglewood Electric Guitar article
Tanglewood Electric Guitar for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Starting with a Tanglewood electric guitar is a solid choice for beginners. Here's what to buy, what to buy alongside it and how to get started.
If you've just started playing electric guitar and are considering a Tanglewood, this guide tells you what to know before buying and what to do once you have the instrument in hand.
Which Model to Start With
For a beginner, the Crossroads Strat-style model is the natural starting point. It's the most affordable Tanglewood electric guitar in the range, offers a versatile three-single-coil pickup configuration, and the Strat body shape is comfortable and balanced. If your budget stretches to £280–£320, the Evolution III HSS is a better long-term investment with improved pickups and hardware — but the Crossroads serves a beginner well for the first year or two.
What You'll Need Alongside It
The guitar alone isn't enough to start playing. You'll also need:
- An amplifier — a small practice amp (10–15W) is sufficient for home use. The Fender Frontman 10G or Boss Katana Mini are popular starter options.
- A cable — a 6.35mm (¼-inch) instrument cable, at least 3 metres long
- A tuner — a clip-on tuner is fine; the Snark or D'Addario NS Micro are reliable and inexpensive
- A pick — start with a medium gauge (0.73mm) until you develop a preference
- A gig bag or case — to protect the instrument from scratches and humidity changes when not in use
Setting Up Your Tanglewood Electric Guitar
Most electric guitars benefit from a basic setup out of the box, and this is as true of entry-level Tanglewood models as it is of any budget instrument. If the guitar feels difficult to play — strings too high, fretting requires too much effort — the action (string height) is likely set too high. A guitar shop will perform a basic setup for £30–£50, and the improvement in playability is immediate and significant.
Before spending money on a setup, try lowering the saddle height slightly using the bridge adjustment screws (most Tanglewood electrics use a standard adjustable bridge). If you're unsure, leave it to a professional.
Learning Resources
Online guitar learning has improved enormously. Free resources that suit beginners:
- JustinGuitar.com — the most comprehensive free beginner guitar course online; structured, progressive and free
- YouTube — Paul Davids, Marty Music and TalkingGuitarTV have reliable beginner content
- In-person lessons — worth considering even for one or two months to establish correct technique early on
Common First Mistakes
New players often try to learn too many things at once, don't tune consistently before every practice session, or give up during the first two weeks when finger soreness and slow chord changes feel discouraging. All three are temporary. Consistent short practice sessions — even 15 minutes daily — produce faster results than occasional longer ones.
For guidance on which Tanglewood electric guitar suits different styles and budgets, the best Tanglewood electrics guide covers the options clearly.
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