My Seagull SWS Maritime High Gloss dreadnought

[raegan]

I just bought my first guitar and I'm so thrilled with it. I did lots of research before deciding on a Seagull guitar. I had a budget of between $400-600 and I really wanted a solid wood top and body. After looking at a few local guitar shops I thought that I would never be able to afford a Seagull solid wood guitar because they didn't have any in stock to try and they said that they would be in the $700-800 range anyways. I decided to be patient and believed that my Seagull was out there and I would find it. I didn't want to try ebay because I was worried about getting ripped off and I wanted to try the guitar before I bought it. I decided to do a search for Seagull sellers who were selling from my city (Vancouver BC), so I could contact them and ask to see it before buying. I found one seller that was selling a Seagull Maritime rosewood guitar for $600. Whoa! I thought there must be something wrong with it at that price range, but I contacted him anyways to check it out. Turns out it was a business that did most of their selling online and bought a large quantity of Godin guitars regularly so they could sell them at reduced prices. They were having a big shipment in soon so I headed down there a day after they arrived. It was just a very small showroom tucked away in an industrial part of town that you would never see if you didn't know it was there. I tried the spruce top rosewood body and the spruce top mahogany body. They both were amazing, but I liked the sound of the mahogany better and the price was even better that the rosewood. He sold the Seagull case to me as well for an extra $30. I headed home with the guitar in my car like I was carrying home a newborn baby. I can't believe the beautiful ringing sound of the strings, great craftsmanship and how gorgeous it is. I would have preferred a cedar top but maybe Seagull will come out with that in future. Love my Seagull.

[Turbo989]

Congratulations on the new guitar. I actually have the exact same guitar as you and I love it as well. I purchased mine recently also $600 and I got a gig bag and some strings as well!

Only complaint I have about the guitar is that I thought the 1st string a bit too bright for my liking, so I have been trying out different strings lately for a more mellow sound.

Anyways, keep on praticing! I am sure you will love the guitar as much as I do!

[raegan]

I am also getting used to the bright sound of this guitar. I was playing on a vintage nylon string classical guitar previously with a very warm mellow sound which I liked, but I wanted a steel string guitar too. I'm thinking about trying out different strings after the factory ones give out, I'd be interested to know feedback on your string experiments. I've heard several good posts about elixir strings on seagulls and one bad review. Doesn't say how they changed the sound - more mellow, etc.

[gangonthehill]

I got mine for christmas and am enjoying it more and more all the time.

[arbutusq]

If you want to reduce the brightness of your guitar try using phosphor bronze strings, which tend to be mellower, or you could go to silk and steel to really mellow things out. Elixir strings (the normal ones, not the nanoweb) will be a bit mellower as well.

Also try using a really heavy (1.m mm or more) pick.

[relix]

I love the bright tone of this guitar, it really chimes.

In fact I went to the store thinking I would buy the S6 and liked the tone of the Maritime so much more that I walked away with it.

[gangonthehill]

I always thought the "B" string was kinda bright but I put a new set of Ernie Ball strings on it and it mellowed out.