Seagull Coastline Grand Parlour QI

Here are features to this guitar directly from Seagull's website.
(Please excuse my english as I am French Canadian)

It's a parlor type guitar.
Top : Select Pressure Tested Solid Cedar
Back & Sides : Wild Cherry
Neck : Silver Leaf Maple
Fingerboard & Bridge : Rosewood
Tusq?? nut and compensated saddle
Finish : Semi-Gloss Custom
Quantum I EQ system
No case included.
Made in La Patrie, Quebec, Canada

It is obviously not a loud guitar. As I read reviews for previous "grand" Seagull models, people were tending to say it was loud, but to me it is everything but loud which i'm happy about. Not being loud does not mean not sounding good. There is some laminated guitars that are pretty loud but sound crappy.

The question of being loud or not put aside, I think it sounds real nice for what it is meant to do, that is fingepicking, flatpicking and really soft strumming. It as kind of a lo-fi sound, a bit like old vinyls. A real "woody" sound. One thing that's great for me, is I hate having guitars that sound all about the same and this one has a real particular sound.

As to how much sound variety, I would say don't expect to play pinball wizard on it.

The sound is well balance especially for fingerpicking, and more if you have nails...
(people fingerpicking without nails do not sound good in the first place).

I would give it a 7.5 for the fact that it is far from being a "do it all" guitar. But for what it's suppose to do, it sounds amazing (to me!).

Action was properly set up.
Everything was well built.
No major flaws.
For the price paid, could not ask for more.


Don't expect to have the same quality criteria that they have for a 5 000$ guitar.

Had a problem with the bridge coming off from the top, went to the luthier and it was fix.
The finish is good, nothing to fancy...
It's a cedar top with a satin finish, so eventually it's gonnad get scratch... It just adds to the memories (kinda of like "tattoos"). ;)

Like I've said before, I had a problem with the bridge coming appart from the top. I never deal with customer support as I prefer going to the same luthier i've been going for 10 years. He knows how I like my guitars (and know he's not my friend as every guitar player on this site seem to have a luthier as a friend!).

Apparently, they are pretty good with customer service, that's the rumor. Being french canadian, I hope it's true!

I've been playing for 16 years, studied in classical music in college as well as in music interpretation in University. Other acoustic is a Cole Clark.
I guess electric, lap steel and classical are irrelevent. in comparison to this guitar. They are nothing alike, close, etc.

As I read in another "grand" model review, someone said it was great to sing to a child, I couldn't agree more. Hope my little baby girl like as much as I do!

I try several coastline grand models, and the one I bought was obviously the one that sounded the best to me. I would have like it not to have a pickup system as it's taking some place in an already small body.

I don't like glosy finish so to me a satin finish is more than great. It's a really comfortable guitar to play, the neck is really well built and well finished.
I probably will add a tortoise pickguard just because I like the look, even if it takes away a little sound quality.

If it was lost or stolen (yes you can loose a guitar, i almost forgot mine in a luggage carrier on a train), I would buy another one right away.

I would recommend this guitar to someone who plays by himself and does not sing loudly, but be aware that it is not a "do it all" guitar like a regular dreadnought would be. If you want a more versatile sound, I would suggest an OM shape, with a bit more projection (Seagull have some models that are really good in the same price range).

It is honestly my "go to" guitar and probably the i've played the most throughout the years.
Oh, and yes it does record fabulously; well it does so to me with 2 AT3031.

A rational rating would be an 8, but an emotional overall rating for this guitar would be 15!