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Well, it never rains on a golf course do we say... Anyway, I found it was a good day to finish and post my appreciation of my Seagull as I had seeked help here to find a nice affordable guitar with a cutaway. After the Eastman, here is my new Seagull.
*** Seagull Performer Concert Hall CW Burnt Umber QIT
This "grand concert" body size (similar to OM or Taylor xx2/GC models) with cutaway comes with a padded gigbag in a box without any further protection (see the video at the end). As a matter of fact, the body is similar to my Taylor 512.
Solid spruce top (no pick guard) with Solid flamed maple back and sides (dual action truss rod; tool included). I let interested people go on Seagull's website for more specs.
The 1,8 inches nut width bears the same string spacing as the Taylor which shows that nut width as an indicator of string spacing may be misleading. I could replace the nut to increase string spacing a bit since there is clearly room allowing that but I am already comfortable as is.
String gauge is clearly 0,012.
Factory installed Fishman QIT with battery inside the body accessible through the soundhole only. Control buttons are on the upper side of the body. Tuner included and efficient as controlled with my PolyTune tuner.
The thin neck is comfortable. Action a quite high but allowing fingerstyle and strumming... as well as slide. Time will tell wether I will have action lowered for maximum comfort or if I am to keep as is to play slide on this guitar.
The guitar still smell lacker finish, but already sounds good with clear bell like notes. I will long to hear her open up through the next months.
The intonation at twelfth fret is honest but not perfect.
While playing pieces of Country Blues repertoire on this Seagull, I happened to feel I was playing on the Gibson L-00 TV instead ! 8-/ Same wire on dry woods sound as good ole Gibson ? Took an hour to play both the Seagull and the Gibson alternatively (Celtic repertoire in standard tuning) : Similar body dimensions but different woods, the Seagull is heavier, has a clearer tone but seems to project less. The Seagull price is some 25-30% of the Gibson price !
Though I am not an electric guy, I gave the QIT system a short try. I hope I am not telling stupid things here. So did I plug in my Behringer 1800FX, controls in neutral position, without ANY effects. With QIT system controls for treble and bass in mid position, I could clearly say after only a few notes the system is based on an undersaddle piezzo (instead of some underbridge microphone) but the QIT system eases the usual dry piezzo sound, giving him some softer, aerial sound reminding a pipe organ in a cathedral ! Turning control buttons to go extreme bass side increases that with light bass saturation/distorsion while the extreme clearer side invites quacks to the party. All in all, for the price, I find it an honest system.
Well, 799$CAD plus taxes, who wants more ?
Well, I could not find a good video... but this one illustrates some drwbacks with the company...
Why I dare show this ? Well, when I unboxed my Seagull at LM, the knob or butterfly (or whatever you would name this) was missing on the key of the second string so that we could not tune the guitar ! Worse, the butterfly on the sixth string just slipped out when I touched it ! The guitar tech glued it as he also put a temporary knob so that we could tune the guitar to pitch. I am awaiting an original set of tuner knobs.
So get a Godin carefully inspected in the store before leaving !
ADD ON :
Here is mine !
Seagull Performer burnt umber
And, though iPad mic is not ideal... similar E Blues montage...
Gibson L-00TV
*** Seagull Performer Concert Hall CW Burnt Umber QIT
This "grand concert" body size (similar to OM or Taylor xx2/GC models) with cutaway comes with a padded gigbag in a box without any further protection (see the video at the end). As a matter of fact, the body is similar to my Taylor 512.
Solid spruce top (no pick guard) with Solid flamed maple back and sides (dual action truss rod; tool included). I let interested people go on Seagull's website for more specs.
The 1,8 inches nut width bears the same string spacing as the Taylor which shows that nut width as an indicator of string spacing may be misleading. I could replace the nut to increase string spacing a bit since there is clearly room allowing that but I am already comfortable as is.
String gauge is clearly 0,012.
Factory installed Fishman QIT with battery inside the body accessible through the soundhole only. Control buttons are on the upper side of the body. Tuner included and efficient as controlled with my PolyTune tuner.
The thin neck is comfortable. Action a quite high but allowing fingerstyle and strumming... as well as slide. Time will tell wether I will have action lowered for maximum comfort or if I am to keep as is to play slide on this guitar.
The guitar still smell lacker finish, but already sounds good with clear bell like notes. I will long to hear her open up through the next months.
The intonation at twelfth fret is honest but not perfect.
While playing pieces of Country Blues repertoire on this Seagull, I happened to feel I was playing on the Gibson L-00 TV instead ! 8-/ Same wire on dry woods sound as good ole Gibson ? Took an hour to play both the Seagull and the Gibson alternatively (Celtic repertoire in standard tuning) : Similar body dimensions but different woods, the Seagull is heavier, has a clearer tone but seems to project less. The Seagull price is some 25-30% of the Gibson price !
Though I am not an electric guy, I gave the QIT system a short try. I hope I am not telling stupid things here. So did I plug in my Behringer 1800FX, controls in neutral position, without ANY effects. With QIT system controls for treble and bass in mid position, I could clearly say after only a few notes the system is based on an undersaddle piezzo (instead of some underbridge microphone) but the QIT system eases the usual dry piezzo sound, giving him some softer, aerial sound reminding a pipe organ in a cathedral ! Turning control buttons to go extreme bass side increases that with light bass saturation/distorsion while the extreme clearer side invites quacks to the party. All in all, for the price, I find it an honest system.
Well, 799$CAD plus taxes, who wants more ?
Well, I could not find a good video... but this one illustrates some drwbacks with the company...
Why I dare show this ? Well, when I unboxed my Seagull at LM, the knob or butterfly (or whatever you would name this) was missing on the key of the second string so that we could not tune the guitar ! Worse, the butterfly on the sixth string just slipped out when I touched it ! The guitar tech glued it as he also put a temporary knob so that we could tune the guitar to pitch. I am awaiting an original set of tuner knobs.
So get a Godin carefully inspected in the store before leaving !
ADD ON :
Here is mine !
Seagull Performer burnt umber
And, though iPad mic is not ideal... similar E Blues montage...
Gibson L-00TV
