Customer Reviews

Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought a Seagull in 1995, with my first paycheck after graduating from college, at a small guitar store in Petaluma. It might be the best $400 I've ever spent.

Over the years I've become a much better guitar player, but I haven't outgrown this instrument, and I doubt I ever will. It is a fantastic guitar that plays beautifully and sounds better every year. It's very easy to play, very reliable (haven't needed to adjust the truss once) and did I mention it sounds great?

It's beautiful, too, with a wonderful light finish. Most guitars in this price range are cheaply made in asia and heavily lacquered. Not this baby!

If something ever happened to it I'd skip right past the Taylors and Martins and buy another one of these without a second thought. I brought it to a party recently, and met someone who asked to borrow it. I let him, and he strummed it for a few minutes. Turns out he's one of those guys who owns half a dozen guitars, and when he handed it back to me he said, "Don't ever sell this guitar, unless it's to me."

The only guitar I've ever played where I felt like I was clearly handling a better guitar was a Paul Reed Smith hollowbody which runs for over three grand.

You could spend a lot more money and not get an instrument this nice. For $400, it's hard to imagine that you'll do better.

After 42 years of playing unsatisfying guitars, I did some research and spent a lot of time at all the local Guitar Centers, Sam Ash stores and a number of indie stores like McCabes in Santa Monica. I played everything I could get my hands on that had at least a solid top.

So when my husband wanted to get me a guitar for my birthday, I chose the Seagull Original S6 because it sounds great, feels good and plays so very well. The sound actually stands up pretty well even when played right after all-solid more expensive guitars. After a setup and putting on some extra light strings, it's hard to believe it has laminate back and sides - my S6 sings! And it sounds great finger picking or strummed.

Details - the nut is 1.8 inches, which is very nice for finger picking. This is a short scale guitar but not a 3/4 size, and the body hits at the 14th fret. The top is solid cedar, sides and back are laminated wild cherry. Build quality of every one I've seen (and I've seen a lot of them) is very good, and the semi-gloss finish looks and feels smooth. It's got well-finished frets and fretboard and a bright sound with lots of sustain - if you're like me and didn't need that much brightness, try phosphor bronze strings.

If you're a beginning to intermediate player or are looking for a second guitar, I cannot recommend the Seagull Original S6 enough!

I'm a guitar newbie (been playing 3 months) and before starting I did some on-line research on acoustic guitars to determine what would be the best beginner guitar. Every list I found rated this one in the top five, even though it was more than twice the price of all the rest of them. Convinced, I found a used one on Craigslist for $200.

Since it was my first guitar I had nothing to compare it to, but my first impression was good. It seemed well built, reasonably attractive and had good sound. A little bulky, but I got used to it. I was happy.

Then I took an adult guitar course at my local community college and saw what the other students were bringing in. Ibanez's, Yamahas, Epiphones, Fenders, even a Toys-R-Us Hannah Montana (???). It was then I realized how much of a superior instrument the Seagull is! Every one of them looked and felt like cheap crap compared to mine. Wavy sound boards, thick glossy finish, crude bracing, ill-fitting inlays, etc. One guy had a fancy six-hundred dollar Ibanez electric-acoustic cutaway in stunning flame maple finish and he allowed me to play it for a bit. It sounded horrible, like stretching fishing line over a tin can!

So in conclusion: you get what you pay for. And in the case of the Seagull, you get a quite a bit more of what really counts. It's a no-frills guitar with very little thought given to unnecessary adornments. It's designed to be played, not displayed on a wall. If you're serious about guitaring, stop reading this and go get one.

Beautiful guitar. This guitar beats all of them in sound & looks. It was priced at Amazon full price in our local music store. We had to bring it to a local music store to have the shoulder strap installed since this guitar only has one peg for the shoulder strap. Also bought the tric case from the local store since I was not sure if the same case they have here at amazon fits the S6. Don't hesitate, buy S6 here in Amazon. They packaged it well & it arrived in 2 days with my prime membership.

You should probably discount my review as I am very much a beginner who has never played anything else, but I love this guitar. It sounds great and I really enjoy playing it. The build quality seems very good. I really like the fact that it has a more natural finish compared to the highly lacquered look of a lot of guitars.

I bought this guitar in 2005. It sounds and looks wonderful and manages to stay that way. I think this is a good guitar and when you think that something that might sound better would cost three to four times as much it is a great guitar for the value.

This model has the cedar top. I love that sound vs the more typical spruce top on flattop guitars. It is a bit more mellow and has a hint of a classical guitar tone because of that. If you prefer the bright concert sound of a Martin then you'll not want this cedar top.

Yes this guitar has an oiled finish. This allows the soundboard to really sing unimpeded. It also allows you to knock the heck out of it. Funny thing is that after five years there isn't much damage just a little arm wear. I think you'll like this guitar enough to not knock it around.

The neck feels silky smooth. The frets are well placed and don't stab you by hanging over the neck a little which is what you'll get in other guitars in this price range. Paying to get the frets filed down is an additional expense on those competitors so beware when comparing.

This doesn't come with a case so I bought a hard shell by the brand name "Canadian". Great case.

When I bought it it really didn't need an adjustment but I took it to a local shop to make it perfect for me. I've also taken it in every other year for setting the action - checking and tweaking the neck - and getting the frets polished. I also use a humidifier in its case during the winter months in Chicago. Performing these tasks will prolong the life of your Seagull and your enjoyment of it.

I've had one for about a year and I highly recommend it, especially for beginner or intermediate players. The action is as good as I've seen on any guitar and much better than I've found on other $400 guitars. Great sound, easy to play and a guitar that you'll never outgrow at a very reasonable price.

It really does live up to the hype. I think the builders of these wonderful guitars take a special pride in their craftsmanship and that is a rare thing these days. The quality and attention to detail really ring out with each note.

Not everyone can afford a 2,000 guitar, but it's so wonderful that for a reasonable price, you can own a finely crafted instrument made on this continent by folks who clearly care about the piece of art they are building.

It's so nice to actually get what you pay for!

Out of the box, the set up was excellent. Tuning was required, but then it rang amazingly true and clear. Its all in the details; no glue slop, careful grain matching, quality hardware and most importantly-- careful assembly and inspection of all the components.

There are plenty of positive reviews on this guitar but it's worth repeating that this is a great instrument for beginners and old timers alike. It is a little concerning that instead of a serial number stamped on the neck, there is a sticker inside the sound hole with the serial number; makes me worry that these may be becoming more mass produced. I hope this company never sells out and starts outsourcing because the craftsmanship is currently fantastic and this legend should go on at the current remarkably high standard of care and quality which no ears can deny. THIS IS THE ONE TO START WITH AND STAY WITH!

For those of you searching for a great guitar... period, you can do no better than a Seagull S6. i did my research for what seemed like an eternity and spent alot of time at local guitar shops and have found a gem in the S6. Stunning craftsmanship, great action, warm sound, all bundled into an outstanding package that looks, sounds, and plays like a $1000+ guitar for a third of that price! You cant go wrong, except to pass it by.

I received my S6 twelve years ago as a gift from my mother. I had been playing on an electric for a few months previously and this was to be my first acoustic. We went to a local music shop and my older brother already had a Seagull in mind for me. He played a few of them and finally decided on one he liked. My mom bought the guitar and my brother, the hardshell case. In the eighth grade, and a pretty horrible guitar player, I wasn't able to appreciate the instrument I was just gifted and I was pretty into heavy metal, so it kinda got shelved. High school came about and so comes the parties, where acoustic guitars get passed around, pop punk is in big, and so is the acoustic ballad. At some point, my S6 gets played with a nickel (damnit juan!), earning scratches and battle wounds. My adolescent self applied stickers, removed, applied new stickers, removed, etc. etc.

Now, hear I am, 26 years old recording full length albums with the very same guitar. I worked at Guitar Center for two years and was afforded the opportunity to play a lot of expensive guitars. I never played anything that could match both the rich tone, nor the easy playability of this guitar. In twelve years, I've never received a professional setup, yet I experience no buzzing or tuning issues. In fact, my S6 has an amazing habit of staying perfectly in tune for weeks at a time. I do a quick check before recording and I rarely have to change a thing. My only complaint is some very slight intonation issues on the B string, in my particular case. However, it is VERY slight, and I'm a perfectionist.

Now, I'm not going to say that every S6 is going to be a home run...they are entry level priced guitars, but their quality control standards are pretty high. I do believe I received a particularly special instrument, but then again, the reviews on every website I've been to suggest that most of these are special instruments :)

I recently recorded a friend of mine and let him play my guitar. His first words were "wow, this guitar has some life in it". I couldn't put it any better.
If I had one recommendation for someone looking to make the step up from an uber cheap, learning guitar, I would suggest the S6 with no hesitation. Not only is it perfect to continue learning, but it's an instrument that only sounds better with age. In my case, and apparently most cases, you may never feel the need to own another guitar in your life. Can't beat that for four hundred bucks, aye?