Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar

I've waited a good long time to review this.This guitar is, imho, excellent for everyone from rank beginner to intermediate-advanced players.Let me clarify: If you have no idea whether you'll still be plinking away after the first few hours, then by all means rent one for your first several lessons. That way, you can experience playing, possibly several different guitars, before making a choice.Personally, I'm no professional musician - or even close. That's what made the S6 absolutely VITAL to me.I'm good enough to tell when something sounds wrong, but not always good enough to tell when it's me or a flaw in the guitar.This is where the Seagull has my back.When the sound coming from the S6 isn't all it could be - I look to my playing to discover why - not to the Seagull itself.Other than getting a little dead when it needs a new set of strings, which is my fault for not replacing them often, it never dissapoints.This is good, because I'm learning to play properly - not how to compensate for a poor-sounding instrument.I don't have a lot to un-learn later because of starting off using a cheapo beginner's instrument.I wasn't able to go play 40 guitars and pick one from the herd, due to time, distance, and skill or lack thereof.What I did instead was perhaps better for me at the time - I listened to the pros play them. Then, I asked them questions...The S6 and its cousins emerged as excellent sounding instruments, and didn't require a ridiculous budget to purchase.That was then - this is now. The S6 has been way more than good enough to provide the music for our own radio commercials...Verdict: If and when you take Nashville by storm, you may want something prettier, or flashier, or with a different "voice" - but I bet you won't sell off your Seagull when that day comes. For my part, it's more guitar than I'll ever outgrow...The seagull arrived here nicely set up, action spot on, tuned it and played it a little right out of the box, sounded good. As it adjusted to the temperature and humidity, and got a few miles on it, it now sounds great.Holds tuning well, and I've not had any problems with the 14:1 tuning pegs, though others have. One day when I'm good enough with this thing, I'll treat myself to a set of gold plated 18:1' pegs, or maybe not... :)Strings: My preferred are D'Addario EJ16-3D Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light - price around and you'll find them three sets for about thirteen bucks - and you want to keep a few spares around.On the S6 I find them easy enough to fret but they still don't go unduly sharp when you get aggressive with pressing them, and even so they are stiff enough to provide room filling sound yet not be buzzing around all over the place...Tuning - There's a nice free kindle app for that called TUN-D.Nice, and it tunes alternate tunings as well as long as it's using the 6 main notes.(DADGAD ok, but not the alternate tunings with sharps - still doable but you'll have to fret those to tune them.)Quality wise - no sweat. The only gripe I have is that the finish is easy to scratch.Go to seagullguitars dot com for more...

Seagull guitars have intrigued me for years in photos and on their website, but there is no dealer anywhere near me, so I bought one sight-unseen from Amazon, based on the good reviews. I'm glad to say I can add my voice to the chorus of praise for this innovative design.A traditionalist will need some time to become accustomed to the unusual appearance and construction. The narrow, reverse-taper headstock and wide fingerboard give this guitar a bottom-heavy look when viewed vertically. Back and sides are cherry with only a light stain, and the binding is dark. The top is natural cedar.As dreadnoughts go, this one is very comfortable to play sitting down. It appears to be based on the Martin outline, but with a slightly rounder lower bout and a narrower upper bout. Weight is pleasantly light, and the semi-gloss finish is comfortable to the touch. Players with broad fingers will appreciate the wide fingerboard, but those with small hands should consider the ""Slim" version, with a neck 0.08" narrower at the nut.Sound is what really counts, however, and this Canadian dreadnought has nothing to be ashamed of there. The maker has the good sense to ship the instrument with high-quality, fresh strings, allowing the new owner to appreciate the notable bass and clear midrange as soon as it is tuned up. Overall, it falls within the classic dreadnought tone category, with good volume.Buying a guitar online saves money but leaves setup to the buyer. Both the nut and saddle on my guitar needed lowering, and the truss rod required adjustment (a long-reach hex wrench is included). If you are not experienced in these tasks, a local luthier should do it for no more than $30 or so.Based on sound, playability once adjusted, and construction quality, this guitar should definitely be included when comparing instruments in this price range. It is a real standout in value.Update 8 DEC 2012: The more I play this guitar, the more I love it. It delivers balanced sound with good dreadnought "snap", and once the action was dialed in, the broad fingerboard relieves finger crowding I didn't fully realize hindered my playing. I am considerng replacing my Takamine mini-jumbo with a Seagull equivalent.

Would be a great guitar but comes with the action WAY to high, making it very difficult and hard on the fingers to play. Need to take it to a guitar shop to get the action lowered, which is annoying and time consuming. It should just come with the action set correctly