Seagul S6 or Blueridge BR-43? Can't decide...

Melee54 · #1 07-25-2008, 04:43 PM

Hearing recommendations from some of you guys, and owners of different guitar sites, I think it has come down to my first guitar either being a Seagul or a BR-43. (Or possibly a Simon & Patrick Woodland Folk, but I can't find it anywhere.)

SEAGULL COASTLINE S6 CEDAR GUITAR
SEAGULL S6 CEDAR ORIGINAL 6-STRING

But both of them are laminate. Should I be worried about that as a beginner? They seem to sound okay from what I've heard on youtube...

Maury from Maury's Music recommended The Blueridge BR-43, or BR-63 if I could afford it.

What are your final recommendations before I settle on one of these listed things? Should I go for something else all together?

My style and sound is / will be something like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oBFMp8XdD0

(Warrant - Blind Faith Acoustic version) ... Or general love ballads from the 80s,

jyee · #2 07-25-2008, 04:51 PM

Both have solid tops and laminate sides... the solid top is the most important, so I wouldn't worry about the lam sides. They're both good guitars and really at this point you should make every effort to play them both. Making a decision from recordings, especially highly compressed files on youtube is practically buying blind. You'll need to hear both in person, and just as important feel each. One may feel more comfortable, whether it's the neck profile or the body contour, etc.

ljguitar · #3 07-25-2008, 04:51 PM

Hi Melee...
Both are solid top. The Blueridge I've played are more Martin-like and the Seagull S-6s more Taylor-esque. More of a personal choice.

Melee54 · #4 07-25-2008, 04:53 PM

I see...

Man, I really wish there was a shop near me... So there's really no way for me to make a good decision online, eh? Disappointing, but expected...

riorider · #5 07-25-2008, 05:15 PM

...But I admit I haven't played or heard the Blueridge. I bought an S6 original for my kids about 15 years ago - and they are still fighting over it's scarred, abused body even now. They all love it.

I recently went to a local shop and tried one, and again really liked the tone, the playability, and the overall feel.

I think you'd be happy with it, but certainly it would be best if you could find some to hands-on first!

rr

Melee54 · #6 07-25-2008, 05:19 PM

Thanks RR for the info. Would you happen to know what kind of S6 it is? There are a bunch of different versions and I'm not sure the major differences.

Although at a nice price, from the pics on Elderly, they don't seem to be the prettiest guitars ever, hahaha.

random works · #7 07-25-2008, 05:43 PM

You mentioned a Simon and Patrick folk being hard to find. Seagull also makes a folk size. I have seen some used.

The Seagull is a well made guitar, but the cedar top will ding and scratch more easily than a spruce topped guitar. I have heard good things about the Blue Ridges.

Random

catdaddy · #8 07-25-2008, 05:49 PM

I'm a fan of the S6 Cedar. Even as I've accumulated other (more expensive) guitars over the years my S6 still gets its share of playing time. Fun to play and sounds great.

ljguitar · #9 07-25-2008, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by random works

...The Seagull is a well made guitar, but the cedar top will ding and scratch more easily than a spruce topped guitar.

Hi RW...
I've had a Seagull S-6 for several years, and it is neither scratched or dented any more than my Spruce topped guitars which are also not scratched or dented.

Any guitar will scratch-n-dent if you play aggressively with a flat pick and don't confine your stroke to the area where the pick plate is, but the top on the Seagulls is not fragile.

The top on my Olson Cedar topped Dread - now that is fragile.

Melee54 · #10 07-25-2008, 06:08 PM

Thanks for much of this information, everyone.

Seems as if more people are familiar with the seagull. I want to try one of these out badly...

riorider · #11 07-25-2008, 11:34 PM

Sorry for the delay, M -- Just getting back to this now. The one I played and the one I bought for the kids (who are now 23-30 btw) is the original cedar topped, black cherry back and sides.

For a few more smackers the shop also had a slightly-better dread, cutaway, electronics, which had the best at-the-guitar-store setup I'd ever experienced. Low and comfortable, but not too low, and nice straight neck.

So, if you can get somewhere close to a shop; and if not, the Seagull is a nice product and you'll be happy with it if that's the way you go.

rr

Made In Canada · #12 07-26-2008, 01:38 AM

One thing to keep in mind is these two models are very different in one way.

The Seagull has a wider nut width/neck and the Blueridge is narrower.

If buying without trying is the way you're going the Seagull is the safer bet, much more consistently well made.

Also consistently good and a more traditional neck that would fall in between these two models sizewise would be a Yamaha FG. That said I started out on a Seagull which served me very well and I'm a huge fan of the brand. As I got more experienced I discovered I preferred a different neck shape but I imagine if I never tried other guitars, I'd still be happily picking and plucking that Seagull

Sammy_L_D · #13 07-26-2008, 07:14 AM

Blueridge.

I just think they sound better.

captaindonn · #14 07-26-2008, 10:31 AM

i have owned a seagull s6 (dred) and loved the smell of the cedar but it think i like the sound of the blueridge 43 (000). so smell or sound?
donn

Plunky · #15 08-03-2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Made In Canada

One thing to keep in mind is these two models are very different in one way.

The Seagull has a wider nut width/neck and the Blueridge is narrower.

If buying without trying is the way you're going the Seagull is the safer bet, much more consistently well made.

Also consistently good and a more traditional neck that would fall in between these two models sizewise would be a Yamaha FG. That said I started out on a Seagull which served me very well and I'm a huge fan of the brand. As I got more experienced I discovered I preferred a different neck shape but I imagine if I never tried other guitars, I'd still be happily picking and plucking that Seagull

But you still have Seagull options with the more traditional nut width. Seagull now makes the Seagull S6 Slim for those that prefer the narrower width. Or a Simon & Patrick Woodland Cedar Dread (also made by Godin) has the narrower width. The Seagull S6 Slim was my beginner, it was great! Also I think Seagull is still building the Entourage, a rustic finish version that is about $100 less expensive than the Orginal S6 and also has the slimmer more standard nut width. A great option for a beginner.