Seagull S6 Mahogany vs Performer Mini Jumbo

[Theguitar]

Hello guys. New member here. I started a thread because i cant decide which one to get: Seagull S6 Mahogany model or Seagull Performer Mini Jumbo. They sound different, but both sound good for my ears. Which would be a better investment in your opinion?

[Judson]

It appears that you have played them both. That's step one.

I'm a fan of the Seagull Mini-Jumbo size so I'd choose that one, but that's just me.

The two guitars will sound different because one has a solid spruce top and the other has a solid mahogany top. Also, the S-6 is a larger dreadnought.

Though both have laminated back and sides, Seagull laminates don't have a poplar middle layer (like Taylor and others) so I believe the tone wood veneers (mahogany for the S-6 and Maple for the Performer) do have actually have some sonic influence on the overall sound.

Hope you can A / B them both extensively before buying. Good hunting!

[Birdbrain]

Originally Posted by Theguitar

Hello guys. New member here. I started a thread because i cant decide which one to get: Seagull S6 Mahogany model or Seagull Performer Mini Jumbo. They sound different, but both sound good for my ears. Which would be a better investment in your opinion?

My preference should be clear from my gear list. I owned an S6 for years and barely played it. Finally I realized that I don't like dreadnaughts, and started finding alternatives. For me, the MJ style is sexier (those curves!) and more comfortable. It balances better on my lap sitting down, and feels smaller than it sounds. But that's just me.

Neither will be much of an "investment," in financial terms. I don't expect that many mass production guitars are appreciating nowadays. Seagulls offer a lot of value for the money when you purchase them, so you've won already at that point.

[Ed66]

My attraction to Seagull should be pretty obvious as well. I believe either option could be great. My S6 is an amazing guitar and every time I pick it up it makes me realize just how good Seagull is regardless of cost. It can put many guitars at 2x and 3x its price point to shame. I've got the performer in a cutaway dread, and I'm equally impressed with it though for slightly different reasons.The combination of the Maple and Spruce make for a real punchy sound that cuts through and over other instruments. I think it depends on what you want; a more mellow controlled sound or a little more punch and projection. But by all means let your ears guide you.

[TBman]

What are you playing now? How do you play? Flat pick, strumming or finger style?

[Theguitar]

Originally Posted by TBman

What are you playing now? How do you play? Flat pick, strumming or finger style?

Pretty much everything, but I don't use a pick too much

[Birdbrain]

... If you buy one and change your mind later, your mini jumbo might make a quicker resale. When shopping for used guitars, I find a dozen dreads for every alternative body style. Within the Seagull brands, used solid-wood dreads are serval hundred dollars cheaper than jumbo, folk and concert styles. Beyond supply and demand issues, a lot of guitar players are getting older. Plenty of younger players don't have the same preoccupation with the dread shape. An increasing number of female guitarists might be seeking a body shape that's more accommodating (there's a reason or two that Dolly Parton played a jumbo instead of a dreadnaught).

If you're comfortable with both, you can't make a bad choice here.

[Wade Hampton]

The resale issues Ex-Nash mentioned are valid, but I would recommend that you get the Mini Jumbo because it's a more versatile musical instrument, in my opinion. The ones I've played have been more sensitive to light touch playing, which is important when playing fingerstyle, but they also stand up nicely to a flatpick.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Quebec Picker]

Can't go wrong with either one. Every Mahogany topped Seagull I've played (I've tried 2 or 3 in stores over the years) has been really sweet. They seem to get some quality Mahogany.

[Birdbrain]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The resale issues Ex-Nash mentioned are valid, but I would recommend that you get the Mini Jumbo because it's a more versatile musical instrument, in my opinion. The ones I've played have been more sensitive to light touch playing, which is important when playing fingerstyle, but they also stand up nicely to a flatpick.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

I'mm all about that- I've purchased two over two years. But I happen to have an M6 dread in my lap right now, and the sound is almost worth the discomfort. I do hear that midrange "scoop," though, that's not present in the MJ. What matters more to you, volume or balance?

[Steadfastly]

As an investment? If you are talking monetarily, they would likely be equal.

If you are talking about an investment in tonal qualities, you have to make that decision yourself.

[lowrider]

What about neck width? Seagulls come with 1.8 and 1.72. Is there a difference with these models? Which would you prefer?

I just sent my Seagull Concert Hall (000) to my grandson. It's a beautiful guitar. It had a 1.726 nut width. I was able to change the nut to 1.5 width, same as a 1.75 nut guitar and it played like a dream.