...
Options
The Rebel 4 is available in a variety of different colours. These include black, purple and honey orange. I have the honey orange version and I think it looks brilliant.
The rebel 4 can be found in a fretless version as well, this is the same guitar, but with no frets.
Lefthanders ... Read review
Advantages: Great guitar for the price Disadvantages: Some items in the box are useless
.../>
I got my tanglewood rebel 4k when I started doing standard grade music ( I think that is GCSE level in England ) and choose bass guitar as my second instrument. I already played guitar so I thought choosing the bass guitar would be an easy option and so I started to look for good deals. I then found the tanglewood rebel series on a website I thought they looked good for the price. After seeing them I then found a rebel 4k going cheap on eBay ... ...you don't only get the rebel 4k bass guitar you also receive a packet of tanglewood plectrums, a tanglewood guitar strap, a guitar lead, an accessories bag, an instructions sheet and a gig bag.
The plectrums are medium to thick strength but I actually just use them for my electric guitar as I prefer playing finger bass.
The guitar strap is made of excellent quality and has tanglewood printed on it, I normally don't use cheap/free straps ... more
Introduction
I got my tanglewood rebel 4k when I started doing standard grade music ( I think that is GCSE level in England ) and choose bass guitar as my second instrument. I already played guitar so I thought choosing the bass guitar would be an easy option and so I started to look for good deals. I then found the tanglewood rebel series on a website I thought they looked good for the price. After seeing them I then found a rebel 4k going cheap on eBay as a music shop had gone bust and was selling all of its items cheap. After I received the bass I have hardly stopped playing it.
The box
So what's in the box? Inside the box you don't only get the rebel 4k bass guitar you also receive a packet of tanglewood plectrums, a tanglewood guitar strap, a guitar lead, an accessories bag, an instructions sheet and a gig bag. The plectrums are medium to thick strength but I actually just use them for my electric guitar as I prefer playing finger bass. The guitar strap is made of excellent quality and has tanglewood printed on it, I normally don't use cheap/free straps as they tend to break and damage your guitar but I still use this one and it works fine. The other items are not so good. The guitar lead is very small and cheap. I would never use this lead, even if I was at a gig and that was the only guitar lead available! The accessories bag is like a small pouch that can be used to store your lead, strap and picks in, but I never use it. If you buy a decent lead, it won't fit in when it's coiled, I don't take my straps off my guitars as it wears away the leather and they tend to break easier and I keep my picks in my pockets. So I have no real use for it but that's not to say some other people might. The instructions sheet is quite useful as it has everything from how to hold your guitar too chord shapes and truss rod adjustment. It covers the four main types of guitar; bass, electric, acoustic, and classical. It has information on how to re-string your guitar and take care of it too. It is very useful. The gig bag is not that great. It is a very snug fit and offers no protection what so ever as it is not padded in any way. It only has one carry handle and no straps. The pocket in it is not A4 sized so you have to fold your music to fit it in. Not great but you have to remember it was free. The box itself, is your basic cardboard guitar box with pictures of the guitar and the accessories that come with it. It boasts a plastic carry handle (exciting stuff), and the tanglewood logo.
Construction
The rebel is a double cutaway with a basswood body. The neck is made of maple and the fingerboard is made of rosewood. I don't know what materials are the best for a guitar, maybe its just player's choice but I think this combination certainly works for this bass. It has black chrome machine heads and the head is black too. The guitar boasts 24 frets with plain dot inlays. On the body just above where the neck meets, the words "tanglewood rebel 4k" is written. All the hardware is black, including the 3 controls, 2 volume and 1tone. The 2 volumes are for the 2 different pickups. It has a fully adjustable bridge and 1 split humbucker pickup and 1 single coil pickup, both covered with black coverings. The pickups are made by EMC electronics, not a major name in guitars but still very good. The construction of the guitar is solid. It is slightly top heavy but so are a lot of very expensive guitars.
Playable??
It's no good having a guitar that looks great, if it's not playable. This guitar is quite playable. When using the strap and standing up, as the guitar is slightly top heavy you have to hold up the top at all times, this isn't too much of a problem but can get annoying at times. The action (distance needed to push the string to the fret) is quite good, and can be adjusted with the bridge. The only problem being, like with most basses, that the strings then "buzz" or vibrate off of the frets. This is not so good and can be avoided by adjusting the truss-rod. Apart from that the guitar is reasonably playable; the tone and volume controls make it quick and easy to change the sound of the bass.
Sound
The sound is one of the most important things about buying a guitar. It needs to sound good; otherwise it is a waste of money and space. This is why I would recommend trying a guitar at a music shop before you make a purchase. When I bought this guitar, I didn't do this, which is why I am quite happy with the way it sounds. Once fitted with a good set of strings, it gives off a nice warm rumble, which can be very easily changed with the right amp. It can give a good variety of tones and overall sounds good for the price. It is very much a beginners-intimidate bass, as the sound is not of professional quality. But don't let that hold you back. For the price, it's great!
Price
The price is one of the most attractive things about this bass guitar. The price ranges from about £170-£200 depending on the package that comes with it. Most companies try to sell it as a starter package with a cheap amplifier included, pushing up the price. Wither you want to buy it as a package or as a single guitar, the price is good. Don't be blown away by a guitar pack for £100, its just not worth it. This guitar is good, and it wont break the bank either.
Options
The Rebel 4 is available in a variety of different colours. These include black, purple and honey orange. I have the honey orange version and I think it looks brilliant. The rebel 4 can be found in a fretless version as well, this is the same guitar, but with no frets. Lefthanders can also buy a rebel 4 as it comes in a left handed version as well. The choices are endless
Conclusion
The rebel 4k is an excellent bass for the beginner to the intermediate market. It comes with a variety of different items in the box, of which only some are useful. There are many different options you can have, like colours. The sound you can get off this guitar is good for the low price tag and it is built to last! So go out there and learn to play the bass guitar today!!
