Seagull Acoustic Guitars: How They Get That Sound

Seagull is a subsidiary of Godin Guitars located in Quebec, Canada. It makes acoustic guitars designed for working musicians—professional quality instruments at a price most musicians can afford.

Seagull credits the quality of its guitars to many factors, but one of the most important is the guitar top. Seagull manufactures its guitars using solid tops only—no plywood.

According to Seagull, the top of the guitar has a big effect on sound. It vibrates along with the strings, amplifying the sound. Its sound is richer, and the range is greater, on a solid-top guitar than on a laminated or plywood-top instrument. A solid-top guitar sounds better at both loud and soft sound levels.

Seagull uses both cedar and spruce to top its guitars. The top is manufactured in a single layer, which is pressure tested to ensure the right level of stiffness for just the right harmonic vibration. Seagull uses wood with straight, tight grains, ensuring that the top is both stiff enough to withstand the pressure of the strings and flexible enough to vibrate along with them.

Interestingly, solid top guitars sound better as they age. As the guitar is played, the vibrations of the strings cause the wood to loosen and vibrate more freely, resulting in a richer and more balanced sound. This is called “aging,” and it’s great news for musicians who use their guitars often. You can’t age a guitar unless you play it, however; if you leave your guitar untouched in your attic for years, it won’t sound better when you pick it up again.

Seagull uses both cedar and spruce to make guitar tops. The company hesitates to recommend one over the other, as sound preferences are subjective. However, there are some differences. Cedar tends to have a warmer, richer sound, while spruce is generally a little brighter in tone. Cedar also ages faster. However, neither is preferable to the other in general.

Seagull guitars are the preferred instrument of working musicians all over the world. They are often featured in high-profile guitar magazines for outperforming guitars that cost many times more. If you’re looking for a professional-grade guitar at an affordable price, you can’t beat Seagull guitars.