player opinions
Seagull S6
Name: Rob Sayer
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Band: -----
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Model Year: 1993
Price Paid: $400 CDN
Performance
This guitar is untouchable for the price, and I’ve seen a few. The last acoustic I had was a Tak that was 3X the price. This is better, objectively so. It sounds like a real guitar because it is — it’s not one of the plastic-y boxes you have to hammer on to get a decent sound. That’s one of the main reasons I got it. It’s the only steel-string acoustic I know of you can fingerpick with bare hands and get a decent sound out of. Best of all, you can jam with people playing expensive guitars and it won't be all out of tune or just disappear due to no volume or not sound good. And it’s not so fancy that other pickers will see it and expect you to be a virtuoso. Perfect for a learner and it’s a fact that pros use these as backups for their Taylors et al. The ONLY caveat I’d make is the necks are wider than average. I like big necks — they make the guitar sound better — but some may prefer a smaller one. Simon & Patrick make a very similar guitar with a narrower neck.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Excellent. Everyone who’s heard it says so too. The Cedar top gives warmth but it still has presence.
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Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
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Basically solid with a few rough edges. The saddle is was a hair wide so some work was done there (every guitar in this price range or even rather higher should have a fitted bone saddle installed anyway). Flat-sawn maple neck with, on mine at least, grain lines running parallel to the fingerboard. Fingerboard itself is quite true and the frets are nice and round. Has a double action truss rod. The guitar does feel a bit delicate though, since the top is cedar and dents easily and the finish is light nitro lacquer. The latter is one of the best features of the guitar actually — heavy finish KILLS the sound — but it ain’t a beater. If you strum from the forearm, hard like a punker, you’ll likely end up with a Willie Nelson guitar.
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Construction Rating: 8
Name: Peter Gordon
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Band: Church band
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Model Year: -----
Price Paid: $295
Performance
I think Seagull guitars are a great guitar for the price range. Sound is great and I use it in church through a Boss A3 processor. It sounds like any high priced guitar. I feel it lives up to the name well.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
I think it has a very clean sound. I have a LR Baggs Mirco EQ and love the sound. It doesn’t sound like mud. I play through an acoustic Peavey amp and it’s very clean.
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Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
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Seagull S6 is very high craftsmanship and is not cheaply made. It stands up well at home or on stage at church. Its action is good but does not stand up to high priced guitars. Still it is good. The finish is good but with open grain the weather makes it go out of tune. It doesn’t look fancy, but carries good sound.
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Construction Rating: 8
Name: Richard Groner
Band: Bayou Station
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Model Year: -----
Price Paid: $380 with case
Performance
I purchased this to be my “beater” guitar, for festivals, camping, etc. The selling point was hand-built, solid cedar top at a very decent price. It plays like a handmade guitar, and has a 1 3/4" neck width at the nut, which is usually seen on grand auditorium and concert sized guitars. The tone is fantastic, especially for a guitar in this price range. I have found no real flaws in it, the top is a little soft but with care that is manageable. I added a Baggs RT ribbon pick up to it and it is now my road/stage guitar so I can save wear and tear on my Taylor 612ce custom. It has held up very well to two years worth of gigging, and I would buy another in an instant if I lost this one.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Guitar sounds great plugged in or unplugged. It doesn’t have the bottom end of some dreadnoughts, but it is very evenly balanced and handles a pick or fingers equally well. The cedar top gives is a bit mellower tone than spruce, and the cherry sides and back add to the sound quality. It also will hold it’s own volume wise. While it doesn’t sound like my Taylor, it does beat anything else tone wise in its price range or even higher. I have played Martins and Guilds that were over $1000 that I didn’t like at well as the Seagull.
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Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
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Construction wise, it is very good. It has held up to two years of gigging and being on the road and it still is in great shape, minus a few minor scratches. The internal work is very clean, like most hand-builts, and the neck is a dream. I haven’t noticed anything failing on this guitar, and the tone gets better as it is played. It makes a fantastic road guitar, I wish they were around 27 years ago when I first started playing. The would be a superb beginner guitar. As I stated earlier, I would definitely buy another, in fact, I already have. I bought one of the Grand parlor sized guitars and a La Patrie classical (also built by Seagull.)
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Construction Rating: 10
Name: Reuben Kabel
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Band: -----
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Model Year: -----
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Price Paid: $290
Performance
Let me qualify my remarks by saying that I am a true novice. I have been learning for most of one year, and during that time have had my Seagull for 6 months. I bought it on the recommendation of an experienced player and the independent recommendation of the salesman. I must say that it is everything it was made out to be. I was promised a resilient guitar that had tone and quality beyond its price range. It is relatively sparse on exotic features, but has it where it counts. I wholeheartedly endorse this guitar as a beginners first acoustic.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
The sound is really quite good. My roommate has a $1000 Takamine, and prefers to play on mine when he can. I guess everything that has been said about the workmanship and solid top construction is true.
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Sound Quality Rating: 8
Construction
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Being a novice, I’m not the best at evaluating these things, but I have not noticed a single problem with the guitar. I will give a 8 below only because I do not feel qualified to give a 10.
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Construction Rating: 8
Name: Mike Hutchins
Band: Loose Thoughts
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Model Year: -----
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Price Paid: $350
Performance
I’ve been playing a few years and I wanted a Seagull for a long time. I went to a great dealer here in Baltimore (Applician Bluegrass) and they made me a great deal.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
The “voice” it has cannot compare to any other guitar I’ve tried (and I tried many.)
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Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
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The conruction is first rate. I look forward to playing this guitar for a long time.
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Construction Rating: 8
links
Average Ratings
- Performance: 10
- Sound Quality: 8
- Construction: 8.4
Ratings Key
- 10: Excellent
- 0: Useless
Available At Guitar Center
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Seagull The Original S6 Acoustic Guitar Natural
Company
- Seagull