Seagull M6 Spruce

Made in 2003, Canada. This is the satin top model. No electronics. Mahogany back and sides, solid spruce top. Its an acoustic guitar with few amenities. Nothing spectacular in terms of abalone or rosettes. But spend more if you want that.

I thought I would have to spend well over $500 to get something that sounded decent. I played some great sounding Taylors and Martins starting at twice the price. Then I picked this thing up and it blew me away, especially considering the price. Well balanced sound - I won't bother comparing it to something else. It's not overly bright, nor too boomy. Just right. It has aged nicely too. There are guitars that sound better, but you'll have a really hard time finding one CLOSE to this price range. I rate this a 9 because of that consideration - and say it's a 10 for it's price range.

Fantastic fit and finish. Very little to complain about here. Action could have been a bit lower, but I adjusted the bridge and now it's fine.

This is the only place that this model doesn't shine. It's a satin top, and although it's harder than cedar, it can ding easily. The top also seems thin, and if you don't keep it properly humidified, it could bubble up under the saddle, which mine has. I only use light strings on it now, and this has stabilized. Nothing drastic, but I presume the bubble would be worse if I hadn't changed to lighter strings. This has resulted in a noticeable loss in volume. I see that they offer a "compound curve" top now. I guess this adds some strength to the top.

A wonderful guitar for the price. When speaking with the retail rep, he said something about Godin (parent company?) getting subsidized by the Canadian government (or maybe it was the lumber industry?), allowing them to achieve Martin like quality at a lower cost. I don't know whether that's true, but it explains a whole lot! Nothing should scare you away from this guitar, considering it's price range. If I was doing it again, I'd buy a gloss top, with cutaway and electronics and cutaway, but that's because my needs have changed.

Made in 2002. Solid Spruce top, laminated mahogany back & sides with cherry center laminate. Dreadnaught with no pickup. Very light satin finish. Seagull non-locking tuners. Nice wide (1.8" at nut) neck for my big hands. Nice hard case with soft interior included.

Sound is superb - mellow yet bright. However, not quite as loud as I might have expected. Maybe it will improve as it breaks in, or with new strings. Strings are Godin light gage.

Other than the slight hassle and stress of thinking the neck was warped, I love the guitar now.

Poorly set up at factory. Neck was severely bowed. However, took it to local repair shop, and neck was adjusted, and action is fantastic now. However, I feel that I give this a relatively low rating because Seagull should take more care to ensure guitars are better set up before shipping. For 15 bucks, I got it all straightened out, and I love it now.

I've only had it for a few days, so I can't really tell. It's a very light guitar, so i will baby this one.

Haven't used.

I've been playing for just about 2 years. Once I got the neck adjusted, the guitar plays very easily and sounds great playing by myself (I don't play with anyone but my instructor, so I can't say how it blends with others). The action now is terrific, I can do things with this guitar that I could not do with my Big Baby Taylor. I love the wide neck. I think it will help make me a better player.

Same as the other reviews....It's simple and light. Light guitars sound better. It doesn't have heavy lacquer which muffles the vibrations that create good sounds, like some Martins. I like the wider neck and the how the length isn't tight on the strings. This allows great playability. I got a gig bag and a Korg Tuner with it.

I play alone mostly and this sounds great with my solo style. I play a lot of types of music, and it's warm, even sound suits my variety. It isn't really loud, so I'd definitely mic it when playing with drums etc. For the price, it sounds much better than other makes.

The action was pretty low, allowing easy fingering without much string buzzing. The size keeps the strings in tune with less tension, so I can bend and it has a good factory setup. The finish keeps it looking natural and beautiful, though it doesn't protect it much.

The finish isn't really made for preventing nicks and dents. I've made enough pings and scratches in it already. I think it'll wear off with a lot of playing. I use it without backup all the time, and it sounds great to sing with.

Dunno...

This is a perfect guitar for someone who is short on cash or wants to play at home for pleasure. It plays beautifully and sounds good alone. It is better than a starter guitar, and is a medium grade guitar. I've played for about 10-12 years and am preparing to upgrade to a Larrivee LV-03E, the best acoustic I've ever played. I recommend this for an intermediate player who'd like a better acoustic before they're ready for a top-end guitar. It's the best acoustic under the $1,000.00 price range I know of. Great value!!!

2002 model from the folks in LaPatrie, Quebec. Spruce top from a 500 year old tree - or so they say. Laminated Mahogany sides and back. Not your standard sawdust pressed laminated board. They use actual wood and sandwich it together with a Cherry wood center. Satin finish, Rosewood fretboard and bridge. Sealed tuners - look like Gotoh with a Seagull logo on back. Rosette around sound hole and a Micarta saddle. Binding on the front and back which is nice since most of the S Series Guitars I've seen only have the binding on the front. At first glance, it gives off a plain Jane appearance. Upon closer inspection, the Guitar has a very simple understated beauty about it. The Spruce top is tightly grained and flawless. The wood grain pattern on the back side is very nice. Does not have a lot of bells and whistles but has everything you need.

Without a doubt, I bought this for the sound and playability. I play both a flatpick and fingerpick style. Drives well with a pick and really booms at the bottom end. Very clean tone on the upper registers. Each string sounds extremely clean. Sounds great when using a fingerpicking style. In my opinion, the M series Seagulls sound (and look) better than the S series Guitars. I don't mean to offend my Taylor 710 but this M6 sounds just about as good. A close second. A rating of 10 is the only rating you can give this one.

Perfect action. No buzzing on any strings even when getting on it with a pick. Fit and finish is flawless. Very clean inside and out. Extremely easy to play - practically plays itself. The neck is super comfortable. Can play this for hours.

I suppose this M6 could withstand live playing. You would probably want to use extra caution since it does not have the 2" bullet proof dipped in plastic finish that the Pacific Rim guitars sport. Rear strap button is steel, not a cheesy plastic one. It feels sturdy but I suppose since the finish is Satin, it will probably show some wear after awhile. Won't lose any sleep over that. I don't play live but if you did, would you play without a backup? Will give it a 9 due to the Satin finish protection.

I emailed Seagull yesterday for some information and got a response this morning. A quick response in my book. That will earn high marks.

I've been playing guitars for 31 years. During that time, I've owned Martins, Guilds, Tacomas, a Taylor and a Collings. I've also had some import numbers like ALvarez, Epiphone and Ibanez. This M6 is the nicest sounding and playing guitar I've seen in this price range. It sounds as good as other Guitars that are 3 times the price. Since I've had this M6, my Taylor is not getting as much action and my Flatiron Mandolin has been staying in the case. This Seagull is just fun to play. I highly recommend the M6. The folks at LaPatrie are making these by hand and doing a right fine job. Run out and get an M6!

I just finished reading a recent review that alluded to the anticipated richness that time would accord a recent M6 purchaser. I'm a recreational player and bought an M6 about two years ago (not long enough I guess to hear the aging difference I suppose) but wanted to confirm what I've read in other reviews. This guitar was a steal.I purchased it from Motor City Guitar in Waterford MI for $395 (with a reasonable quality case) It has a solid spruce top and mohogany body. As previously noted, it has a matte laquer finish and minimal decoration. It seems to have nice quality tuners etc. for the price, I believe the neck is rosewood and a little wider than I've played on similar instruments but nice for easy fingering.

I have to say I was struck by the sound quality of the guitar from the first time I played it. I played guitars price for twice what I paid for this and there was no comparison in my ear. I play purely acoustic for my own entertainment, so I don't have the same needs as a professional, but it has a very bright and full sound with both bass and treble notes that sustain very well. I am reassured every time I pick up this guitar that it was the perfect choice for me and that I play for the sound, not the brand name or appearance.

The build quality seems to be good. I've had no problems and haven't noticed any degradation of the assembly or parts since I bought it. The action seems just a bit on the high side, but since my other guitar is a Stratocaster I don't have another acoustic for reference. I would have liked a different finish than the matte laquer, but the proof of the guitar is in the sound.

I'm not a professional so I'm not hard on my guitars, but my M6 looks, works, and sounds like new. I'm a little surprised that the laquer finish has held up so well. All of the tuners, bridge, nut, strap buttons etc. have been very secure and dependable.

I've never needed any support.

I started playing a 12 string Alvarez about 25 years ago then didn't play for probably close to 20 years. I bought a Fender Stratocaster and a Fender practice amp about four years ago and then bought this M6 about two years ago. The sales person at Motor City Guitar suggested playing it along with the Yamahas, Washburns, etc that I was trying. He also said to go to any other shop and try any other guitars and he felt confident I would end up giving high marks to the Seagull. He was right. This guitar is a great value.

The guitar is a 2000 model (apparently the 2001 models are slightly more expensive due to a recent increased cost for certain woods used in the guitars). This guitar (as all Seagull guitars go) is a utilitarian instrument. No flashy rosettes, or intricate inlays. But what it lacks in extras it more than makes up for in sound, quite simply one of the most dynamic sounding acoustics I have ever played. The top is solid spruce, which produces a very bright sound that has great sustain and shimmers beautifully. The back is solid mahogany which apparently warms up the sound a bit, which would provide a nice counterbalance to the bright spruce top. The top is finished with a low gloss lacquer, which provides a good deal of protection but doesn't deaden the sound. The tuners are surpisingly small but work very well and are engraved with the seagull logo.
The neck is pretty standard, nicely finished but perhaps a bit wider than most (similar to a classical but by no means as wide). It came with 12 gauge D'addario strings as stock which are a little too big for my playing style (suppose I have weak fingers) so I changed them to 10 gauge without needing a truss rod adjustment. No case or strap was included. The only thing that is preventing me from giving the guitar a 10 in this category is that it really doesn't have that many extra features, but by no means is that a reason not to like this instrument.

This is where the guitar really shines. The fellas in La Patrie must really know what they're doing because this guitar sounds really good. You won't hear anything remotely similar coming out of a plywood guitar, and even low end solid tops from other manufaturers can't compare to this guitar. It has a great range of sound with nice volume dynamics. As I said before, the spruce top gives the guitar a really bright sound, perhaps too bright. But the great thing about solid top guitars is that the sound warms and deepens with age, so I bought the instrument ancticipating such an event. As I said before, this is really the best feature of this guitar, and as far as any instrument is concerned, definitely the most important. I've done a small amount of recording already and it mic's quite nicely.

The action is a little higher than I'm used to, but then again I've been playing a classical (a La Patrie Etude) with nylon strings, so anything is going to seem a little more resistant. As I said earlier, I changed the stock strings simply due to personal preference. I've inspected the guitar thoroughly and couldn't find any flaws in design, I even had trouble locating the seam on the reversed head stock, now that's a sign of good carpentry. A selection of very nice woods were used, very attractive grains and all that sort of thing. At first the tapered head stock may look a little strange (they say it prevents uneeded tension on the strings) but I've actually grown to like it quite a bit, it complements the entire look of the guitar.

This is a guitar that you really don't want to thrash on simply because it wasn't designed for that sort of playing. If you need something to throw around and beat up, buy a plywood guitar. If you want something that consistently sounds excellent and feels great to play then this is the guitar for you. With that said, you can still play extremely loud and hard on this guitar and the integrity of the sound isn't compromised. I haven't had it long enough to say anything regarding the long term durability of the guitar but if it's anything like my Etude (made by the same corporation as the Seagull) it will be more than adequate. I haven't played live for a few years, but I would happily use this in a concert, the only thing that could go wrong is if a string broke. On a similar note, it doesn't seem to go out of tune easily, after it adjusted to the new strings it settled in nicely.

The only time I've needed to deal with La Si Do was through the dealer I purchased my Etude at. There was a flaw in the neck's heel and it had lifted from the rest of the neck. It was still under warranty so I exchanged the guitar with a new one of the exact same model, no questions asked. Seagull also has a very informative web page that is worth checking out.

I'm really pleased with this guitar and look forward to playing it for many years to come. A feature that I haven't mentioned earlier about this guitar is it's great value. You'd be hard pressed to find a similar sounding and playing guitar for under $500, it would even be difficult to find something for under $800 that would sound as good. I would definitely buy it again if anything happened to it, not only is it a well crafted instrument but it's hand made in Canada where people really know their wood.... hmmm... Anyways, the only feature that I would like to have is a pickup, but seeing as that I don't have an acoustic guitar amp, there's no point.