Seagull S6, then what ? narrow the field for a second guitar

[RaumfahrerRalf]

Hello all,
I am looking to buy a second guitar.

I bought my first guitar - a seagull S6 original - 4 years ago.
How did I choose that first guitar ? To be honest it was a pretty random choice.
I had not played any instrument before that, and I was starting guitar from zero. There was the risk that I might give up quickly, so I was reluctant to spend too much, but I did want to be serious about it and not go for the cheapest guitars out there, I wanted a form of commitment. 450 euros seemed to hit the spot.

Before writing this post I looked through old mails I sent a friend following my purchase of the seagull 4 years ago. It seems I was disappointed with the sound, and quite critical of the guitar. Now I love it, and looking back I feel, out of pure luck, I made a very good choice for my first purchase of guitar.
I think the lessons here are : irrational action may work, and you grow to like what you have.

Now I am looking to buy a second guitar. Why ? Well I don't know. Why do people have more kids when they already love their first kid ? Greed for happiness I guess, or plain boredom. More seriously, often I am learning tunes on different tunings, and sometimes I record multiple tracks with a ukulele, I guess it could be fun to throw in a second guitar with a slightly different sound too.

I am not an excellent guitar player. But I know I won't give up now, I feel any guitar I buy now, I'll play until the end of me, or it, or time, whichever comes first, so I don't feel too bad about spending a little more. 1000-1500 maybe.

I mostly play unaccompanied. I like to sing and I don't sing loud. I never use a plectrum. So I feel guitar volume is not an issue.
I like fingerstyle, old blues, folk. Stefan Grossmann DVDs : I have them all.
I like mellower strings. I like the sound best when the strings are getting old and dead. Can't understand the hype for fresh, new, "bright" strings.
I would like something a little different from my seagull : something different from a dreadnought, and something different from cedar.
I have a weakness for Martin. The whole folk mystique. It's silly, but I fall for it. I am not against other brands. A higher end seagull maybe... I have not played many different guitars. I have played a Yamaha fg730s occasionally.
I know what some will say : go to a store and try a bunch of guitars. I don't like to play in a store : the noise, the social masquerade, the commercial pressure. I will go to a store and try the guitars, but only once I have seriously narrowed the field down and had some thought.

So here I am looking for ideas...

[TRD1]

Sounds to me like your set on a Martin. Check out the 15 and 16 series.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by RaumfahrerRalf

Hello all,
I am looking to buy a second guitar.

Hi RR...

Well it's time to quit looking and start getting out there and playing some.

My advice, to step up from a $400 guitar (S-6) you should plan on spending $1000-1500, & move up to a guitar which has all solid construction. My other advice is don't focus in on a specific guitar before you start looking. Go find out what YOU like, not what WE like.

If you choose an $800 guitar (new) you are taking baby steps and in very short order you will likely want to step up again. But you may earn honorable mention in the book titled "How to buy a $1500 guitar for only $3000!" (the answer to which is keep moving up in baby steps).

If you look in the $1500 bracket, and consider the big three (Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Eastman, Larrivee) and you may be surprised by what you play/find.

If you will consider used guitars, your $1500 may buy you over $2000 worth of guitar.

Hope you find the guitar-o-your-dreams!

[Judson]

If you go with a Martin or a Taylor after becoming used to the wider nut of a Seagull S-6, I'd encourage you to look for one with a 1 3/4 inch nut ... All of the Martin PA "Performing Artist" models have it. All Taylor 300-level and above have it as well.

[Tony Done]

Your interests are very similar to mine (including the uke!). You might even get interested in slide, if you aren't already.

Given your preferences, I would be looking at the Martin 15 and 16 series, as already suggested. I had a good-sounding D-16GT for a few years (only sold it to finance a decent amp), and also liked the D-15, but I would lay odds that this is a killer:



The Martin 000-15S. I've never tried one, but the inexpensive Sigma copy I tried recently was one of the best sounding guitars in the shop.

I personally would be looking more at the Taylor (Mexi) 100 and 200 series, though you might find them a bit bright.

[Brucebubs]

You didn`t mention your budget but here`s a Martin and it`s not a dreadnought and it`s not cedar. It does everything really well. Listen to this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6pLqcsB8ek
I paid $2,500.00 for mine.

[psychojohn]

Seagull S6 original was my first. Godin Exit 22 (electric) was my second and easier on my beginners fingers. For my second acoustic, I too wanted something different from my S6. After looking at Martin d-28, hd-28, I settled on Martin DCPA1 and got what I wanted and more. If you want something dread different the GCPA1 is nice.


John

[RaumfahrerRalf]

Hi all, and thanks for the comments.

TRD1 & Judson & TonyDone :
The Martin 15 series looks very nice. I see the 000-15sm has a nut width of 1-3/4, while 00-15m and 000-15m are slightly narrower (1-11/16). 000-15sm is definitely on my short list.

ljguitar, this would come in the price range you suggest (1500) and this is the range I was ready to reach. From what I saw Gibsons were significantly more expensive, I didn't see any Taylor that struck me, but I may have missed some. Eastman / Larivee I will have to take a look.

psychojohn / Brucebubs
The guitars you mentioned are a little above my range (more in the 2500$ range).
The DCPA1/GCPA1 have electronics + cutaway, which I consider unnecessary, wouldn't throw it away if someone gave any of these to me though, but I wouldn't buy one I think.

[mckong]

I would strongly recommend used Taylor 714 or 714ce cedar top with Elixir phospho bronz.

[RaumfahrerRalf]

OK so I bought the Martin 000 15-sm.
1600 euros.
I am very satisfied with it

I will make a few comparative points between the martin and the S6 this makes little sense as they are very different guitars (size, wood, etc), but I have no other reference point than the s6 to judge the martin...


The martin feels very light, it's smaller, thinner, and the wood also feels less dense than what I was used to on the S6. This makes the guitar feel very responsive : you get a great variation of volume/amplitude, going from very quiet to very loud easily. The sound feels very warm, and I notice it seems a little clearer/sharper than the S6 when playing loud. I felt the S6 got a little blurry/muddy when playing loud. The martin feels a little fragile, due to the light weight, this and the fact that it cost me a bunch makes me reluctant to toss it on my bed like I used to do with the S6


The smaller size of the martin makes it a little harder to get a comfortable position playing while sitting down. With the seagull I used to sort of slouch on top of the guitar and feel comfy for hours. The 000 size requires a little more posture, it has less surface to rest arm/chest on.

The neck feels similar to the seagull in width, lots of room for the fingers, I have had no problem adjusting from the S6 the the martin. This was not the case when I occasionally tried narrower necks that felt uncomfortable.

Both guitars look very simple, no gloss, no fancy decorations, I like that.

Right now I can't put the martin down. Love it

[Judson]

Very good choice ... first of all, you got a Martin, and you got a Martin made of a different type of wood and different body size than your Seagull, and then you also got a Martin with a nice wide nut width only marginally narrower than the Seagull. Congratulations~

Originally Posted by RaumfahrerRalf

OK so I bought the Martin 000 15-sm.
1600 euros.
I am very satisfied with it

I will make a few comparative points between the martin and the S6 this makes little sense as they are very different guitars (size, wood, etc), but I have no other reference point than the s6 to judge the martin...


The martin feels very light, it's smaller, thinner, and the wood also feels less dense than what I was used to on the S6. This makes the guitar feel very responsive : you get a great variation of volume/amplitude, going from very quiet to very loud easily. The sound feels very warm, and I notice it seems a little clearer/sharper than the S6 when playing loud. I felt the S6 got a little blurry/muddy when playing loud. The martin feels a little fragile, due to the light weight, this and the fact that it cost me a bunch makes me reluctant to toss it on my bed like I used to do with the S6


The smaller size of the martin makes it a little harder to get a comfortable position playing while sitting down. With the seagull I used to sort of slouch on top of the guitar and feel comfy for hours. The 000 size requires a little more posture, it has less surface to rest arm/chest on.

The neck feels similar to the seagull in width, lots of room for the fingers, I have had no problem adjusting from the S6 the the martin. This was not the case when I occasionally tried narrower necks that felt uncomfortable.

Both guitars look very simple, no gloss, no fancy decorations, I like that.

Right now I can't put the martin down. Love it

[psychojohn]

Like you my first was a Seagull S6, but I quickly picked up a Godin Exit 22 Electric. I chose electric because it was easier on my sore fingers than acoustic and gave me some variety. I've since bought multiple electrics and acoustics for more variety. If I had it to do over and had only my Seagull, I'd still probably buy an electric but it would be an Epiphone Les Paul 60's Truibute+ with a Peanvey tube amp (classic 30). Any thing you can play on an acoustic you can play on an electric, but electric will give you more tonal options than an acoustic when paired with a good amp IMO

John