Three Seagull's compared

[rnantel]

I just returned home from a shop that had a wide selection of Seagull guitars in stock. This gave me an opportunity to try three models that could potentially meet my requirements:

• Cutaway body
• On board electronics
• My maximum budget: $700
• In terms of sound preference, I lean more towards "rich" than "bright."

The first I tried was a Performer Folk Cutaway Cedar Gloss Top:

http://www.seagullguitars.com/produc...erfolkcwgt.htm

The smaller body felt great and the guitar was very nice. The sound was "upfront" and midrange pronounced. I'd be happy with this model but was looking for something warmer with a stronger bass.

The second model I tried was a Maritime Mini Jumbo Cutaway Cedar Gloss Top:

http://www.seagullguitars.com/produc...imemjcwgt.htm:

Whereas the folk model had a sound that was upfront, this one had a sound that was "distant" and a bit echo-y. Again, very nice, but just not the sound I was looking for.

The third guitar I tried was a 25th Anniversary CW Flame Maple EQ’s:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Seagull-...03-i1392331.gc

Although this one has a spruce top instead of cedar, it sounded richer and warmer than the other two models I tried. The more I played it, the more it grew on me. In the end, I bought it.

The price was $xxx Canadian, and it came with Seagull's impressive Tric case.

I hope this has been helpful for anyone with requirements similar to mine.

[cotten]

Congratulations on finding one that fits you well. Seagulls are generally considered to be good sounding, though different among the different models, offering a great value - lots of music power for the money. Thanks for the review!

Now go enjoy your new guitar.

cotten

[grayn]

Thanks rnantel, I enjoyed your comparative views on the 3 Seagulls. The one you chose is quite a looker too.

I've always liked Seagulls, since I had an S6, many years ago.
I tried (very briefly) an Artist Mosaic, the other day. Now that was tempting.
Hope you enjoy you new guitar.
Cheers

[rnantel]

I see the price of the guitar I purchased was removed from my post. My apologies for possibly having broken forum rules. I wasn't aware of this restriction.

About the guitar I purchased, yeah, it's lovely. The maple sides and back are stunning.

The biggest surprise for me in having tried three models was that some common myths were broken. Although we read everywhere on the Web that cedar top guitars are warmer sounding than spruce top guitars, the opposite was true for the models I tested. Obviously, body shape has a huge impact on warmth vs brightness.

Next step: off to shop for an acoustic amp!

[stratokatsu]

I have heard people in this forum recommend Seagulls forever, but I never got to see one or play one in the flesh until about 2 weeks ago. The little GC near me had 3 in stock, just all of a sudden. To say the least, I was impressed. It wasn't what I was looking for that day, but as something to keep in the closet at the office and have to play during the hours when I sit around between work and meetings, (Good forbid I should WORK between 5 and 8), the Seagull seemed like a really good bet. I was impressed with how it felt and how it sounded, regardless of the low price.

[EunosFD]

Nice mini-comparo. I used to own a Seagull 12'er back in the early 90's and still regret selling it so I've been wanting to get another lately. I stopped by GC (yeah, yeah I know ) early this week to see what they had hoping they had one of the 25th Ann. spruce/hog models in. No dice unfortunately, but I did pick around on a few other models. It's tough to argue with the price/quality ratio of them and I LOVE the huge/wide necks they have.

Congrats on the new guitar mantel.

[rnantel]

By the way, I really wanted to try out the models I had researched on the web prior to making a selection. This was easier said than done. Most of the stores near me had just one model out of the three. Needless to say, playing one model, driving to a different store and trying another model doesn't create the most objective results due to different acoustics of the rooms.

I called Godin and they had their local distributor contact me. The distributor was top-notch. He knew what most of the shops had in stock. He suggested a place an hour away that had all three.

The end result is that I was able to compare all three side by side and I now have a new favourite shop from which to purchase all my gear. Really a win-win experience.

[Antonio Salieri]

Congrats on your new Seagull! I got to hear a 25th Anv spruce/maple a couple of days ago, & now really want to hear the cedar/mahog one.