The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-01-2012, 09:23 PM
Calhoon Calhoon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3
Default Seagull Coastline vs Entourage

The coastline guitars usually command a higher price than the entourage series.

Does this suggest that the coastline series is a higher line, better quality guitar versus the Entourage?

I’m new to guitar, and I think I have it boiled down to the Coastline Cedar S6 GT versus the Entourage Mini Jumbo (and perhaps the regular S6 as well) but am having a hard time deciding. They’re both virtually the same price, though my understanding is that the Coastline is ordinarily more expensive. The Entourage Mini Jumbo is at a Guitar Center locally wheras the Coastline is through a retailer on Amazon. Thought that if the Coastline was a better quality of guitar, used better consturction materials, that’d make the choice easier.

I've tried both at a store locally, and I like the comfortable size and neck of the mini jumbo marginally better...but when I play the six chords I know on the wider S6 I don't mind that either and at this early stage I can hit the strings easier, which is nice. Keep going back and forth between the two. As for the quality of the sound, I'm too new to guitar to say which is better.

Don't know if this would play into the decision, but when I learn how to play the thing I'd be interested in delta blues. Not sure if one style of guitar or the nut width would lend itself better to this type of music.

Also, the gloss top on the Coastline. Does that offer a layer of protection on the surface against scratches versus a regular S6, or it purely asthetic?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-01-2012, 09:40 PM
HudsDad HudsDad is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SE Texas
Posts: 3,234
Default

Build quality should be the same throughout the Seagull line. Main differences between the Coastline and Entourage series are aesthetic...finish and binding. Also, the Coastline models have two options for nut width while the Entourage only offers a 1.72" nut width.

Personally, I prefer the Standard models because of the 1.75" nut widths and matte finishes. The 1.72" are too cramped for me. I know that 0.03" doesn't sound like much, but it feels huge to my long fingers. And I don't like gloss finishes on wood...purely personal preference. I don't notice any tonal differences that I could attribute to the finishes.
__________________
How I wish...how I wish you were here.

A few Canadian and American Guitars
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-01-2012, 09:53 PM
k.crabbe k.crabbe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,200
Default

I've played a Coastline before and own the Entourage mini-jumbo. The only difference I found was that the Coastline had a better cedar top. Build quality on both was equal to my eyes. I bought the mini-jumbo because the shape was more comfortable and I liked the overall sound better. Keep in mind, cedar tops are soft and will scratch/dent easily. Mine has a couple and I don't know how they got there. They just appeared. No biggie though. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-01-2012, 11:10 PM
Roselynne Roselynne is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,681
Default

If I'm not mistaken, the main difference is in the quality -- not necessarily the type -- of the woods used, but the builds should be about the same. (Which may explain why the Entourages come in sunburst.)

Is the Coastline used? That might explain the lower price. If it's in good structural condition, used can be beautiful. Is there a return policy?
__________________
Yairi and Son, Clase 300 (1971) / Yairi Guitar/S. Yairi, Clase 650 (1971)
Seagull Series-S S6+ Cedar GT (2005) / Alvarez Masterworks MD90 (2002) / S. Yairi YW-40 (1973)
Martin 00-15M (2012) / Martin 000-15SM (2011)
Nimbus 2000 (2000)

Kamaka Gold Label Soprano (c. 1960s) / Nameless "Chicago-style" Soprano (1910s-30s[?]) / Keli'i Gold Series Tenor (2012?)

Kamoa E3-T Tenor (2012-13?)

Last edited by Roselynne; 10-01-2012 at 11:20 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-02-2012, 03:46 AM
Wasper Wasper is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CT., USA
Posts: 1,558
Default

In this case, if I was in your shoes trying to decide between the two and keep finding it is virtually a toss-up..... I would always pick the one I could buy local and not have to deal with shipping and all the headaches that can go along with it (damage, if a problem you have to ship back.. at your cost??.. on and on).

I say get the Entourage... besides, I think the burst on those are pretty nice looking :P
__________________

"Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish."
Quintilian
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-02-2012, 05:20 AM
jlwoodall jlwoodall is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,378
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wasper View Post
In this case, if I was in your shoes trying to decide between the two and keep finding it is virtually a toss-up..... I would always pick the one I could buy local and not have to deal with shipping and all the headaches that can go along with it (damage, if a problem you have to ship back.. at your cost??.. on and on).

I say get the Entourage... besides, I think the burst on those are pretty nice looking :P
I second this motion. With as many guitars as I have bought online, I still prefer to buy local. Then you know what your getting.
__________________
Taylor 416ce 2011 Fall Ltd
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-02-2012, 06:00 AM
Judson Judson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Apex, NC (outside of Raleigh)
Posts: 4,966
Default

I agree that the biggest difference between the Entourage and the Coastline is the nut width options. It's actually 1.8 inch on the Coastline ... a distinct difference from the 1.72 and a huge difference from the 1.68 offered on most guitars in that price range.

Quote:
Originally Posted by HudsDad View Post
Build quality should be the same throughout the Seagull line. Main differences between the Coastline and Entourage series are aesthetic...finish and binding. Also, the Coastline models have two options for nut width while the Entourage only offers a 1.72" nut width.

Personally, I prefer the Standard models because of the 1.75" nut widths and matte finishes. The 1.72" are too cramped for me. I know that 0.03" doesn't sound like much, but it feels huge to my long fingers. And I don't like gloss finishes on wood...purely personal preference. I don't notice any tonal differences that I could attribute to the finishes.
__________________
"Alas for those that never sing, But die with all their music in them!" --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hear my original music at: https://www.reverbnation.com/judsonhair
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-02-2012, 06:14 AM
Calhoon Calhoon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3
Default

Thanks for the responses.

Roselynne -- the Coastline is new. The return policy is thirty days...however, if you don't like it for any reason you get hit with the return shipping.

Wasper, that's a good point. Locally, there'd be no surprises. Also, I think I can get the origial s6 at around the same price also at the same shop.

Back to the gloss top in Coastline Gt. Looking on line and here it was mentioned how the matte finish scratches so easily. Does the Gloss top mitigate that somewhat, or does it scratch/ding just as easily? If it's purely cosmetic, than I wouldn't care.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-02-2012, 07:29 AM
Gostwriter Gostwriter is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 741
Default

Check out what's being sold locally on craigslist too. Sometimes you find someone who bought a guitar and never used it and put if for sale a few months later. You might find a nice Coastline that's 6 months or a year old and hardly used for the same or less than a new Entourage. I would take someone who knows guitars (if you're not comfortable examining it) to look at it for any damage or set up issues. I have even seen some great deals on other makes.
__________________
Gostwriter

Never use metronomes; they screw up my timing!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-02-2012, 07:53 AM
Long813 Long813 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canada, Eh?
Posts: 1,152
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackville View Post
I agree that the biggest difference between the Entourage and the Coastline is the nut width options. It's actually 1.8 inch on the Coastline ... a distinct difference from the 1.72 and a huge difference from the 1.68 offered on most guitars in that price range.
IIRC correctly, the 1.8 v. 1.75 has been discussed here greatly and it's actually a conversion error. I believe someone here actually measured out the s6 nut and it was the same as his other 1.75 nuts.
__________________
Correlation does not imply causation.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-02-2012, 08:00 AM
Brant0086 Brant0086 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Alabama
Posts: 1,109
Default

There is not much I can add. There have been good replies to this post. HOWEVER..... don't undervalue your own ear simply because you are a novice player. I started playing guitar because I loved the sound of guitar. Even before I picked up a guitar, Tom Schultz (Boston) had me mesmorized with his guitar sound. Buy the guitar that plays and sounds the best to you. Get the salesman to play the guitars for you as well and judge. Trust me, they will love to do it..... they are musicians as well.


Bryant
__________________
1994 Martin D-16H
Silvertone SD-50CE
Greg Bennett D-8CE
1991 Takamine EF350MC
Fender T-Bucket 400CE
$19 Silvertone Bobby Labonte SNBLA
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-02-2012, 09:21 AM
sublro sublro is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cape Cod MA
Posts: 805
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Long813 View Post
IIRC correctly, the 1.8 v. 1.75 has been discussed here greatly and it's actually a conversion error. I believe someone here actually measured out the s6 nut and it was the same as his other 1.75 nuts.
nope, I've played a bunch of seagulls over the years and the 1.8 is really 1.8 - definitely wider than the typical 1.75
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10-02-2012, 09:46 AM
Judson Judson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Apex, NC (outside of Raleigh)
Posts: 4,966
Default

Maybe, but as long as Seagull continues to advertise it as 1.8, I'm going to trust their measurement over any individual or individuals. I have personally measured my Seagull (1.8) against my Martin DCPA-4 (1.75) and while the string spacing is the same, the nut width is greater on the Seagull. Of course the difference is extremely slight, but it is in fact, wider when I measure.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Long813 View Post
IIRC correctly, the 1.8 v. 1.75 has been discussed here greatly and it's actually a conversion error. I believe someone here actually measured out the s6 nut and it was the same as his other 1.75 nuts.
__________________
"Alas for those that never sing, But die with all their music in them!" --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hear my original music at: https://www.reverbnation.com/judsonhair
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 10-02-2012, 10:07 AM
ljguitar's Avatar
ljguitar ljguitar is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: wyoming
Posts: 42,556
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackville View Post
Maybe, but as long as Seagull continues to advertise it as 1.8, I'm going to trust their measurement over any individual or individuals. I have personally measured my Seagull (1.8) against my Martin DCPA-4 (1.75) and while the string spacing is the same, the nut width is greater on the Seagull. Of course the difference is extremely slight, but it is in fact, wider when I measure.
Hi B-ville...
The confusion comes from the fact they are built in a French speaking & metric measuring area, and the nut is actually 44mm or 46mm. They are not trying to be different.

The wider version of the nut is 46mm (listed in English as 1.8''), but the spacing is exactly the same as other manufacturer's 1.75'' nut guitars. While this provides a tiny amount of extra space on the outside edge of the fingerboard, it is not more finger space unless you normally have issues dragging the 1st string off the fingerboard.

Also, their 44mm (1.72'') fingerboards are spaced the same as 1¹¹/₁₆'' nuts. You could build the nut 2'' wide, but if the strings are only spaced to 1.75'' that is what really counts.

I like the Jumbo bodied versions when they are going to be amplified. I recently heard one of them with the high end Seagull pickup/mic Q systems, and it was fabulous through the PA.

I played that guitar later, and it was pretty similar to an S-6 acoustically.


__________________

Baby #1.1
Baby #1.2
Baby #02
Baby #03
Baby #04
Baby #05

Larry's songs...

…Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them…
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 10-02-2012, 10:22 AM
BluesyRob BluesyRob is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Northwest hills, Connectucut.
Posts: 1,619
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jlwoodall View Post
I second this motion. With as many guitars as I have bought online, I still prefer to buy local. Then you know what your getting.
+1.

I have the Entourage Mini Jumbo. Bought it used at GC, just one little ding in the top. Great guitar!
__________________
---Rob

Martin GPC 11E
Guild CV-1
Gibson L-00 Studio
Gretsch Jim Dandy
Fishman Loudbox Mini
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=