The Crossroads series pays homage to the style & sound of classic instruments from 1930’s America.

Tanglewood set out to create an instrument that evokes these traditional values, & commissioned the services of a very special luthier, Michael Sanden, the man behind Tanglewood Masterdesign. Michael is the creator of the Sanden Guitar company in Sweden, and now the chief design consultant for Tanglewood Guitars.

Michael started with the tree, selecting timbers that will sound good together, making the soundboards a precise measurement so they will flex and respond to the players attack, and then he braces the instrument with his own patterns to make each instrument have its own personality. It’s not just the special bracing, or the woods that are selected, or the construction method even.

All these are vital components for any guitar… but on Crossroads Michael wanted to create something very special. He wanted to make a guitar that could have the sound that any musician, professional or amateur could appreciate. He wanted to make the guitar look authentic to the 1930’s era, adding a wonderful dark tobacco burst stain to the timbers to make the Crossroads guitars look historic and simply elegant. And he demanded that the neck profiles and bridge contouring and fret inlaying should be implemented without regard to the price of manufacturing, to proudly reflect the Tanglewood ethos of outstanding value and performance.