NGD!!! 2002 Seagull Artist Mahogany Folk
Nov 18, 2018 21:11:41 GMT -5
RobertW, Jim, and 2 more like this
Post by CTGull on Nov 18, 2018 21:11:41 GMT -5
Yea, another one... Seagull's (and vintage Yamaha's) are like potato chips!!!
I was looking at CraigsList and saw the guitar was posted about a half hour earlier. In excellent condition, asking $230, about 50 minutes away!! My Seagull gland pumped endorphins and I wrote a quick reply: "I'm interested if it's still available, call me". Shortly after that, after doing a little research, I started having second thoughts. Cedar over mahogany. Won't that be too warm or dark??? I already have too many guitars!! But how can you pass up a Seagull Artist for $230???!!! Even if it was made between 1997 and 2005. At least that means I can take the neck off if I need to!!
As I was writing another email to him, saying it might be too dark/warm and I already have too many guitars, he calls. I ask a few questions. He bought it for his wife who never used it, from a friend who bought it for his wife who never used it. He said he's BUILT 14 guitars and is building another one. GOTTA MEET THIS GUY!!!! So I said I'd be there in an hour and I couldn't stay long because my daughter had to be to work in 3 hours. I packed up my trusty Yamaha FG-110 and off I went!!!
A quick inspection showed it's mint except for a couple of small scratches on the top. NO fret wear!! It sounds great!! As soon as I started playing it he said it's more of a fingerpicking guitar. A few strums with a pick proved that, not too impressive, but not bad. It's very open and resonant, similar to my favorite FG-110. BUT, it lacks the dread BOOM, which is no surprise since it's a Folk size. The FG-110 is a folk size but it has a decent bottom end. The Seagull actually made the Yamaha sound boomy and muddy. I tried the first guitar he ever build, the only one he's kept. I liked the Seagull better. I'm not a strummer.
We go to the basement to see his workshop. He's got lots of guitar building fixtures. And one guitar in progress. I commented it looked like redwood over rosewood, which he confirmed. I have no idea where I got the redwood idea from, other than the grain looked too wavy for cedar. He has lots of cool tools, organized far better than my messy half garage. But I had to leave to get the money!! The nearest bank is 10 minutes away! I didn't bring any money because I doubted the Seagull would impress me more than the Yamaha. It did, at least today. I did the same comparison with the dread size Seagull Artist Portrait, with the heavy Element pickup system. When I got it sounding pretty good, but it's big and heavy. I'll do an A/B another day. I got the money, we swapped, and I got home just in time to get my daughter to work.
Later I checked out the guitar. The action is pretty good, enough saddle. The action for the low E is 3/32", and the high E 1/16", although every string was close to 3/32" except the high E. I'll be making a new bone saddle, maybe a new nut. It's very light, 3.88 lbs, nearly as light as the Yamaha. I looked inside to find plain straight bracing, just like the Artist Portrait. A bit disappointing, you'd think they'd do a better job on the bracing on the top end models. But you certainly get a big bang for your buck with Seagull guitars. Can't complain about the small things if the big thing is they sound great!!
I was looking at CraigsList and saw the guitar was posted about a half hour earlier. In excellent condition, asking $230, about 50 minutes away!! My Seagull gland pumped endorphins and I wrote a quick reply: "I'm interested if it's still available, call me". Shortly after that, after doing a little research, I started having second thoughts. Cedar over mahogany. Won't that be too warm or dark??? I already have too many guitars!! But how can you pass up a Seagull Artist for $230???!!! Even if it was made between 1997 and 2005. At least that means I can take the neck off if I need to!!
As I was writing another email to him, saying it might be too dark/warm and I already have too many guitars, he calls. I ask a few questions. He bought it for his wife who never used it, from a friend who bought it for his wife who never used it. He said he's BUILT 14 guitars and is building another one. GOTTA MEET THIS GUY!!!! So I said I'd be there in an hour and I couldn't stay long because my daughter had to be to work in 3 hours. I packed up my trusty Yamaha FG-110 and off I went!!!
A quick inspection showed it's mint except for a couple of small scratches on the top. NO fret wear!! It sounds great!! As soon as I started playing it he said it's more of a fingerpicking guitar. A few strums with a pick proved that, not too impressive, but not bad. It's very open and resonant, similar to my favorite FG-110. BUT, it lacks the dread BOOM, which is no surprise since it's a Folk size. The FG-110 is a folk size but it has a decent bottom end. The Seagull actually made the Yamaha sound boomy and muddy. I tried the first guitar he ever build, the only one he's kept. I liked the Seagull better. I'm not a strummer.
We go to the basement to see his workshop. He's got lots of guitar building fixtures. And one guitar in progress. I commented it looked like redwood over rosewood, which he confirmed. I have no idea where I got the redwood idea from, other than the grain looked too wavy for cedar. He has lots of cool tools, organized far better than my messy half garage. But I had to leave to get the money!! The nearest bank is 10 minutes away! I didn't bring any money because I doubted the Seagull would impress me more than the Yamaha. It did, at least today. I did the same comparison with the dread size Seagull Artist Portrait, with the heavy Element pickup system. When I got it sounding pretty good, but it's big and heavy. I'll do an A/B another day. I got the money, we swapped, and I got home just in time to get my daughter to work.
Later I checked out the guitar. The action is pretty good, enough saddle. The action for the low E is 3/32", and the high E 1/16", although every string was close to 3/32" except the high E. I'll be making a new bone saddle, maybe a new nut. It's very light, 3.88 lbs, nearly as light as the Yamaha. I looked inside to find plain straight bracing, just like the Artist Portrait. A bit disappointing, you'd think they'd do a better job on the bracing on the top end models. But you certainly get a big bang for your buck with Seagull guitars. Can't complain about the small things if the big thing is they sound great!!
