Description
The Tanglewood TC3 Crossroads Orchestra is a deliberate, highly functional nod to the Depression-era instruments of the 1930s, prioritizing stripped-back aesthetics and raw, unvarnished tone over flashy ornamentation. Developed with structural input from master luthier Michael Sanden, the Crossroads series is engineered to emulate the dry, open resonance of a vintage acoustic that has been played in for decades. By bypassing thick gloss polyurethanes in favor of a breathable satin stain, the TC3 maximizes the natural acoustic properties of its all-mahogany body.
The traditional Orchestra (O) body shape produces a tightly focused, mid-forward voicing that articulates individual notes cleanly without the muddy bass frequencies often found in larger dreadnought models. This makes it an exceptionally reliable tool for session tracking, where microphones capture its balanced EQ perfectly. It equally serves as a rugged, highly playable workhorse for gigging musicians, traditional delta blues players, and advancing students needing a responsive, no-nonsense instrument.
This model is specifically suited for delta blues enthusiasts, roots musicians, and fingerstyle players who require a dry, woody tone with pronounced midrange projection. Its comfortably contoured Orchestra body and manageable 43mm nut width also make it an excellent choice for smaller-framed players or singer-songwriters seeking an intimate, easy-playing guitar for late-night writing and stage performances.
Key Features:
Tonewoods & Body Construction The TC3 is built using a select mahogany top, back, and sides, completed with a distinctively vintage Whiskey Barrel Burst Satin finish. This all-mahogany architecture inherently rolls off harsh treble frequencies, yielding a naturally compressed, warm, and dark output that sits perfectly behind a lead vocal track without competing for sonic space. Because the satin finish is intentionally thin, the top soundboard remains unconstricted, allowing it to vibrate freely and respond with a surprisingly fast attack to both heavy strumming and delicate fingerpicking.
Neck Profile & Playability
Fitted with a solid mahogany neck and a dense Eboncore fingerboard, the instrument provides a smooth, dependable playing surface that mimics the feel of traditional ebony while offering superior resistance to climate and humidity shifts. The 43mm nut width provides standard, comfortable string spacing that feels universally familiar, allowing for clean execution of complex chord voicings and intricate Travis-picking patterns. Paired with a standard 650mm scale length, the neck maintains optimal string tension, ensuring that every note rings with clarity and sustain across the entire register.
Hardware & Tuning
Stability To guarantee reliability on stage and in the studio, the guitar is equipped with sealed chrome die-cast machine heads that deliver smooth, precise gear ratios for accurate tuning adjustments. The engineered wood bridge houses a properly compensated white saddle, which effectively corrects intonation offsets, ensuring that barre chords played higher up the neck remain perfectly in tune. Traditional white bridge pins securely anchor the strings, maximizing the mechanical transfer of string vibration directly into the mahogany soundboard to enhance overall acoustic volume and structural sustain.
Dimensions:
- UPPER BOUT WIDTH: 290mm
- LOWER BOUT WIDTH: 380mm
- WAIST WIDTH: 240mm
- BODY DEPTH (TOP): 90mm
- BODY DEPTH (BOTTOM): 100mm
- BODY LENGTH: 490mm
- TOTAL LENGTH: 1027mm
FLAT SHIPPING FEE TO MAJOR CAPITAL CITIES AND METRO AREAS. DOES NOT INCLUDE REGIONAL DISTRICTS
Regional areas please email for a quote: sales2@stagefrontmusic.com.au