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SEAGULL ACOUSTIC GUITARS
ON EBAY
Seagull Guitars
Nestled in the picturesque setting of LaPatrie Quebec Canada is a small workshop belonging to Seagull Guitars. You have probably never even heard of Seagull Guitars, but, as a player, you should know about them.
Seagull Guitars is a subsidiary of the Godin Guitar Company. The first Seagull guitars were produced by Robert Godin and a few friends in 1982. The focus was to make a line of guitars with features standard on expensive guitars worked into an instrument that would be affordable to working musicians everywhere. In other words, Seagulls would not only be attainable by the “successful” artists out there. The pricing would cover a wide range so local players could afford a great sounding guitar with features normally seen in, for example, Martin, Collings, Gibson or Santa Cruz instruments.
Seagull guitars are available in six separate series including the Entourage, Original, Coastline, Performer, Maritime and Artist series. The lower end being the Entourage series and the high is, of course, the Artist series. Each series is specific in the combination of materials used.
What makes Seagull guitars different is that they only manufacture solid top instruments. This means each top (where the sound hole is located under the strings) is constructed of a single piece of cedar or spruce. These two woods provide the most vibratory resonance and Godin explains it this way right on the website. The following is taken directly from www.seagullguitars.com/seagullstory.htm:
“A solid top vibrates much more freely than a laminated (plywood) top. This results in richer tone, better dynamic range and better balance of tone. Not only does a solid top sound better initially, over time the vibrations from playing the guitar result in the top vibrating more and more freely. This phenomenon is called 'aging' which means that the more the guitar is played, the better the guitar will sound.”
Several other advanced lutherie techniques used include
1.“Bookmatching” the top material. Each piece of wood for a top starts as a single piece of wood. Then it is cut in half through the center of the grain and opened like a book, then glued together. This provides an even matching of the grain across the guitar top.
2.Reverse headstocks. Each Seagull neck begins life as a single piece of wood. The wood is cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Then the end piece-the headstock-is glued on beneath where the cut was made with the grain reversed. This provides a more stable neck than most guitar manufacturers offer.
These are just two of the areas that Seagull craftsman focus on. Other standard quality features dowel reinforced neck heels, precision sanded necks, custom precision neck pitch and a double action truss rod in the neck. These guitars are available in four basic body sizes; standard, folk, grand and mini jumbo.
With all of these features and stuff going on, the price tag is surprisingly affordable. From the S6 Entourage starting at $299 to the Artist series at around $1549, you can have the guitar that fits your budget and sounds great.
Keep in mind that there is not a single best acoustic guitar for every player. Go to the Seagull website, find a dealer near you and go try a few on for size. To find the right guitar for you, you need to play a few.
SEAGULL ACOUSTIC GUITARS
ON EBAY
Seagull Guitars
Nestled in the picturesque setting of LaPatrie Quebec Canada is a small workshop belonging to Seagull Guitars. You have probably never even heard of Seagull Guitars, but, as a player, you should know about them.
Seagull Guitars is a subsidiary of the Godin Guitar Company. The first Seagull guitars were produced by Robert Godin and a few friends in 1982. The focus was to make a line of guitars with features standard on expensive guitars worked into an instrument that would be affordable to working musicians everywhere. In other words, Seagulls would not only be attainable by the “successful” artists out there. The pricing would cover a wide range so local players could afford a great sounding guitar with features normally seen in, for example, Martin, Collings, Gibson or Santa Cruz instruments.
Seagull guitars are available in six separate series including the Entourage, Original, Coastline, Performer, Maritime and Artist series. The lower end being the Entourage series and the high is, of course, the Artist series. Each series is specific in the combination of materials used.
What makes Seagull guitars different is that they only manufacture solid top instruments. This means each top (where the sound hole is located under the strings) is constructed of a single piece of cedar or spruce. These two woods provide the most vibratory resonance and Godin explains it this way right on the website. The following is taken directly from www.seagullguitars.com/seagullstory.htm:
“A solid top vibrates much more freely than a laminated (plywood) top. This results in richer tone, better dynamic range and better balance of tone. Not only does a solid top sound better initially, over time the vibrations from playing the guitar result in the top vibrating more and more freely. This phenomenon is called 'aging' which means that the more the guitar is played, the better the guitar will sound.”
Several other advanced lutherie techniques used include
1.“Bookmatching” the top material. Each piece of wood for a top starts as a single piece of wood. Then it is cut in half through the center of the grain and opened like a book, then glued together. This provides an even matching of the grain across the guitar top.
2.Reverse headstocks. Each Seagull neck begins life as a single piece of wood. The wood is cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Then the end piece-the headstock-is glued on beneath where the cut was made with the grain reversed. This provides a more stable neck than most guitar manufacturers offer.
These are just two of the areas that Seagull craftsman focus on. Other standard quality features dowel reinforced neck heels, precision sanded necks, custom precision neck pitch and a double action truss rod in the neck. These guitars are available in four basic body sizes; standard, folk, grand and mini jumbo.
With all of these features and stuff going on, the price tag is surprisingly affordable. From the S6 Entourage starting at $299 to the Artist series at around $1549, you can have the guitar that fits your budget and sounds great.
Keep in mind that there is not a single best acoustic guitar for every player. Go to the Seagull website, find a dealer near you and go try a few on for size. To find the right guitar for you, you need to play a few.
