Brand/Model: Seagull S6 Original
Number of Strings: 6
Hand Orientation: Right/Left
Body Material: Wild cherry/Cedar top
Neck Material: Maple
Fretboard Material: Rosewood
Price Range: Under $500
Our Rating: 9.4/10
Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar Review
Everyone loves the S6 series, and the original model is the most popular guitar of them all. What’s not to love about it? It’s made in North America, Canada to be exact, and all of Seagull’s guitars are pieces of art.
If you believe excellent craftsmanship is the key to a flawless guitar, you’re in the right place!
The Seagull S6 is a full-size guitar with a dreadnought body. You have a pressure-tested solid cedar top that provides its bright, yet warm, and well-balanced tones.
Wrapping the sides and back of the guitar is laminate wild cherry. The neck is made from silver leaf maple donned with a rosewood fretboard.
It’s a gorgeous guitar that’s clean and tight in all the right places. It wouldn’t be part of the flagship line if it didn’t dot its I’s and cross its T’s, and part of its complete package is its tapered headstock, tusq nut, and compensated saddle.
Although it hasn’t been decked out with intricate décor pieces, it’s the simplicity that exudes its classic and traditional appeal.
Picking up the guitar feels like you’re holding a quality instrument that can withstand the abuses of time and other damaging factors.
To get a lifetime buy in this price range is priceless.
Beginners get a heck of a deal out the original S6. Not only is it comfortable and easy to play, it has great tone and build that pro players will envy.
Open chords may chime, thanks to the cedar top, but its tight build and cherry body will provide a thick richness that will help those root notes make a decent presence.
Pros
- Price
- Solid cedar top
- Full-size
- Tapered headstock
- Great craftsmanship
Cons
- Tapered headstock
Seagull S6 Reviews
As you can imagine, the Seagull S6 acoustic guitar rocks their world. It’s a great guitar for strumming, finger picking, and playing around with arpeggios to enhance your harmonics.
It’s a guitar that no player will ever outgrow, even if you’re an advanced guitarist. It has excellent value for the price, and there’s really no downside to ever buying and owning a Seagull, especially the S6 Original!
However, despite the raving reviews, not everyone is a fan of the tapered, slim headstock. They say it looks mismatched on a full-size guitar. Again, not everyone is a fan of the simple aesthetics, but that’s subjective.
If you have eyes to see, make sure you like what you’re looking at before you buy. You can’t ding a guitar for coming exactly as pictured and then decide you didn’t its unique look afterwards.
Alternative Acoustic Guitars to Consider
If you want to know all your S6 options, then we’re excited to tell you that you can plug the S6 Original into an amp! Not this model, but the Seagull S6 Original QI. It’s identical to its acoustic sibling, but it comes with the Godin EPM Quantum acoustic guitar system with a saddle transducer.
It’s in the same price range as the acoustic model, and you can plug in and blow everyone away!
Staying true to authentic acoustic goodness, the Takamine GD93-NAT is another full-size dreadnought guitar that’s worth checking out. With a solid spruce top, maple body, and some flashy hardware, it’s an instrument that will attract those who have a taste for the luxurious things in life.
More good news? It won’t cost much more than the Seagull to land a Tak! These great reasons are why it made our list of the best acoustic guitars under $500.
- Made in North America
- Select Pressure Tested Top
- Double Action Truss Rod
Seagull S6 Original FAQ
What is the Width at the Nut?
The tusq nut width is 1.8 inches.
What is the S6 Scale Length?
The scale is 25.5 inches.
What Gloss Finish does the Seagull S6 Guitar have?
The S6 Original has a semi-gloss lacquer finish.
What is a Tapered Headstock for?
The S6 has a tapered headstock that you could consider old-school. It’s usually seen on vintage guitars, but Seagull employs use of it on their original S6 model.
Getting into the techie part of it, it may have to do with reducing string drop from the nut to the tuners without employing guides to keep strings in line with their tapered grooves.
But, suffice it to say that Seagull reckons this headstock will ensure optimal tuning fidelity.
Can you use a Guitar strap on this Original S6 acoustic guitar?
There are two strap buttons on the S6 guitar that makes using a strap a breeze. You can also use a tie-end strap to tie around the headstock if you prefer.
However, there is a pre-installed button near the heel for quick connection.
Are there other S6 Original Guitar Models?
There is a left-hand model of this guitar and an acoustic electric one. There are other S6 Original guitars that include a slim body, mahogany deluxe, concert hall, and other variations including limited editions.
Do I need a Humidifier for Seagull’s Original S6 Guitar?
If you live in a dry climate, you’ll need a suitable humidifier to protect your guitar during storage. This guitar has a solid cedar top, so protecting it from drying out is always a good idea.
What is the Action on the S6 Seagull Guitar?
Most buyers have reported that it comes with playable action out of the box. We assume it’s close to low action. However, it does come with a double action truss rod to lower the action even further for a beginner.
The great thing about the Seagull is that you can get the action pretty low before you get any buzz – nice!
Hardware/Electronics You’ll Need
Officially, the Seagull guitar doesn’t come with any included accessories, it’s a solo buy. Most quality guitars don’t come with anything else in the purchase. Knowing this ahead of time can help set the parameters for a workable budget.
You’ll need to stash a few more bucks away for some important pieces of accessories to store and protect your guitar while also helping to acquire new skills.
To get a comprehensive list, see our must have guitar accessories guide. But, we’ll go ahead and splurge on a few needs you may want to know about right now!
- Case
- Extra steel strings
- Pick
- Strap
- Tuner
- Capo (optional)
- Metronome (optional)
- Stringwinder (optional)
Standout Features of the S6
- Pressure-tested solid cedar top
- Excellent craftsmanship
- Made in North America
Our Verdict on the Seagull S6 Original
To strum it up, the Seagull S6 Original acoustic guitar is a great buy. Its unique touches may not be for everyone, but for every one person that buys it, they’ll be more than happy. When a guitar is built just right, you’re guaranteed to be a satisfied player.
The proof in the craftsmanship, and the S6 is built to impress, oh yeah, and it sounds good, too!
Further Reading:
- 5 Best Acoustic Guitar Strings For Beginners To Pro’s (Steel, Heavy & Classical Strings Included)
- 5 Best Acoustic Guitars for Under $150 In 2024
- 7 Best Acoustic Guitars For Beginners In2024 – Children & Adults
- Alvarez AD60 Review – Artist Series Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar (Full-Size)
- Best Acoustic Guitar for Small Hands: 3/4 Sized Instruments, Parlor Guitars & Slim Necks
Trent is a music lover, musical instrument player and passionate audio afficionado.