Lag Tramontane T200D review

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Lag T200D

Lag T200D

The T200D is a full-bodied dreadnought constructed with a solid red cedar book-matched soundboard. The top is subtly stained, resulting in a darker hue and an aged, more mature appearance.

The T200D's back and sides are formed from a bright selection of 'honey' mahogany, featuring a distinct, pronounced grain. The two-piece back is divided by a simple yet tasteful Indonesian rosewood centre strip, flanked by a maple pinstripe.

"The T200D's elegant French satin finish is beautifully executed and suits the simple, unpretentious looks."

The same is used for the body's binding, front and back, as well as the centre strip at the base of the guitar where one of the two strap buttons is located. A distinctive wood soundhole rosette is the T200D's only real decorative feature.

The two-piece mahogany, slim-profile neck is fitted with an undecorated Indonesian rosewood fingerboard into which 20 medium-sized frets sit neatly. The fretwork is excellent and although playability could be improved by lowering the action a tad, out of the box, the T200D plays well and feels comfortable. It's comparatively lightweight too, coming in at under two kilos, which dreadnoughts rarely do.

The T200D features an Indonesian rosewood, oil‑finished headstock face, into which the wooden Lag logo is inlaid. We like the headstock's stepped, 'chunky' look, and the decision to neither gloss nor satin finish the face is a good one in our opinion. We did, however, struggle a little with the shape of the neck's heel. Instead of being shaped to a sweeping point, the heel is comparatively flat.

In terms of its build quality and presentation, the T200D scores well. Every joint is tight, clean and tidy, as is the inside of the guitar. The elegant French satin finish is beautifully executed and suits the simple, unpretentious looks.

Sounds

Though mature in looks, the T200D has a tight, nasal, 'new guitar' sound that veers toward being brittle and harsh, particularly when strummed enthusiastically. We found the best results come from gently asking rather than demanding.

The bass is comparatively lacking when played against similarly priced Tanglewood and Freshman dreads, but it did show signs of beginning to mellow and open up during its time on test. While time will probably improve things, on this evidence, it's a little lacking at this price point.