Lâg Tramontane 218 Dreadnought Cutaway Electro

Tramontane 218: a modern folk built around an iconic wood duo

In the Tramontane family, the 218 series highlights a highly sought-after combination in folk lutherie: spruce for response and projection, rosewood for breadth and depth of the spectrum. The LAG Tramontane T218DCE follows this recipe in an electro-acoustic dreadnought format designed to play "big," with a true acoustic volume reserve and a marked personality once plugged in. The cutaway clearly places this model in a modern approach: maintaining the power of a dreadnought while facilitating access to the upper frets, more natural for lead playing, melodic lines, and modern arrangements.

Another strong point of this position in the range is the integration of a complete STAGE LAG system. The idea is not just to add a pickup but to offer an electro-acoustic guitar ready for rehearsals, stage, and recording, with practical tools to manage equalization and common issues (feedback, resonances) encountered live.

An electro-acoustic for which guitarists and styles?

The Tramontane T218DCE targets intermediate to advanced guitarists who want an expressive folk guitar, capable of handling energetic rhythmic playing while remaining clear on arpeggios. The dreadnought body is particularly comfortable for strumming (pop, rock, folk, variety), with present basses that fill the space and naturally support vocals. In fingerstyle, the guitar maintains good articulation thanks to the solid spruce top, and the cutaway becomes a real asset as soon as you use positions beyond the 12th fret.

If you regularly play plugged in, the onboard electronics allow you to switch from a warm and round sound to a more precise and cutting tone, depending on the context (band, voice-guitar duo, percussion, etc.). It's a relevant choice for those who alternate between home playing, rehearsals, and performances without wanting to rely on complex external processing to get a usable sound.

Sound

The solid Engelmann spruce top gives the T218DCE a quick and nuanced response: the attack is clear, notes come out easily, and the guitar reacts delicately to right-hand variations. On arpeggios, you benefit from a clear separation between strings; on more powerful playing, the top maintains good sustain and keeps the definition needed for chords to remain readable.

The rosewood back and sides add a more "hi-fi" dimension to the acoustic sound: deeper lows, rich mids, extended highs, with a sense of space and naturally generous sustain. This character is especially appreciated for open accompaniments, enriched chords, and picking parts where a nice note length is sought.

Plugged in, the STAGE LAG electronics provide settings designed for live use. The 3-band EQ serves to quickly adapt the guitar to a PA system, acoustic amplifier, or audio interface, while the parametric mids facilitate adjusting the most sensitive range in a mix. The phase inversion and notch filter are two valuable tools to limit resonances and maintain control when volume rises, without sacrificing the body of the sound. The built-in tuner completes the package to stay autonomous on stage.

Recommended Compatible Accessories

To preserve the original feel and balance, opt for steel acoustic strings in Phosphor Bronze with a Light 12-53 gauge (ideally coated if you want longer durability), like the factory-installed set. A selection of plectrums (soft to medium for accompaniment, stiffer for attack) is also a simple and universal choice to exploit the full dynamics of this dreadnought.

Technical specifications

Category	Steel String Shaped Body Electric-Acoustic	Nbrs of frets	20
Format	Dreadnought	Scale (mm)	650 mm
Cutaway	Yes	Tuning pegs	Die cast, ratio 1:18
Truss Rod	Double-action	Bridge	Brown Brankowood
Strings	Steel	Nut	Black graphite wedge / 72 mm & 43 mm
Nbr of strings	6	Electronics	STAGELAG (Volume, 3-band EQ, tuner phase switch, notch filter)
Top	Solid Engelmann Spruce	Original Strings	Coated Phosphore Bronze Light 12-53
Back&Sides	Rosewood	Types of frets	Medium Silver Nickel
Neck	Khaya	Color	Natural
Radius	350 mm	Colours	Bois naturel
Nut Width	43 mm	Finishing	Glossy
Fingerboard	Brown BrankoWood

Back & sides	Rosewood	Fret type	Medium Silver Nickel
Finish	Glossy	Tuners	Oil bath, 1:18 ratio
Scale length	25.59" / 650 mm	Nuts	Compensated black graphite / 2.83" / 72 mm & 1.69" / 43 mm
Number of frets	20	Number of strings	6