Question for Seagull 12-String Owners

i played a used one at GC once and was not impressed. the strings were very close together and it was uncomfortable. the tone sucked. no volume or projection (old strings perhaps? not sure). it was awkward

i played a used one at GC once and was not impressed. the strings were very close together and it was uncomfortable. the tone sucked. no volume or projection (old strings perhaps? not sure). it was awkward

Thats very uncommon for a Seagull 12 String. I don't own one, but I have played them, and really enjoyed them. The strings were very close together, but I kind of liked that, personal preference I guess.

I owned one for two years before having to get a different twelve string (it was an airline accident and nothing to do with the guitar). Before the Seagull, I'd owned an Ibanez, a Martin and an Ovation. The Seagull was the best of the three in terms of comfort, playability and sound. Loved the thing.

But not everyone is the same and everyone, as in evidence all over the Forum pages, has different preferences. Mine had a cedar top, which (to my ears) gave it a different voice than other twelves. The neck and strings were no problem. I have small hands and found it easy and repsonsive to fingerpicking.

If you don't mind a question, what's your budget? Another great 12 string maker is Guild, and you can often find excellent models between $800 and $1100. More than a Seagull (but you can get a jumbo body) but less than a Taylor.

Peace

i played an Alvarez 12 that i enjoyed alot. i don't remember how much it cost but it was most likely pricey. I also played a Martin 12 in the $1000ish new range and it was lovely. Fender makes cheaper 12's but Fender acoustics, in my experiences, are generally toneless wooden boxes.

I dunno if Parkwood makes a 12, but every single Parkwood guitar I've played in GC (I'm in research mode for a new guitar, so i go every few weeks and ask them questions and try new instruments) has been solid with wonderful tone. I really like those guitars and I'm considering one.

Washburn make nice acoustics, aswell as Garrison. Combined with Seagull, they are the three I would recommend to just about anyone.

Thanks for the interesting responses.

I'm especially surprised to hear the strings are close together, as I thought Seagulls were known for slightly wider than average string spacing at the nut. :?
If you don't mind a question, what's your budget? Another great 12 string maker is Guild, and you can often find excellent models between $800 and $1100. More than a Seagull (but you can get a jumbo body) but less than a Taylor.

My budget is quite low - the one I'm looking at is a "factory second," and will be under $300 (sans case.) It's cedar with wild cherry back and sides, so perhaps a little brighter than the mahogany-backed model. The main risk is that I can't play it beforehand (on-line purchase), and I was mostly concerned about the responsiveness when fingerpicking.

Thanks again.

PS - David - you mentioned a jumbo. What's the advantage to that body style, more bass response?

I find that dreadnaughts tend to have more bass response than any other type of guitar. Jumbos, to my ear anyway, are like larger versions of "folk" or "auditorium" style guitars and, at least as far as fingerpicking goes, tend to have nice clarity across the entire range of bass to treble.

But again, that's based on where I sit, which isn't the best place to accurately hear a guitar! :wink:

I think that if you've been happy with a six string Seagull, you'll find their twelves to have the same kind of tone and playability. That was my experience, for whatever that's worth.

Peace

I find that dreadnaughts tend to have more bass response than any other type of guitar. Jumbos, to my ear anyway, are like larger versions of "folk" or "auditorium" style guitars and, at least as far as fingerpicking goes, tend to have nice clarity across the entire range of bass to treble.

I find that you can fix that with string choice and gauge. I put Martin Lights on my acoustic and it brightened up the fingerpicking sound quite nicely, for a six string anyway.

Jumbos, to my ear anyway, are like larger versions of "folk" or "auditorium" style guitars and, at least as far as fingerpicking goes, tend to have nice clarity across the entire range of bass to treble.
That's really interesting. I've never considered a jumbo before, but after doing some more research last night I think I need to test-drive that body style.

I've read consistent praise for the Alvarez jumbo 12-string, which can be found for ~$400 if one shops very carefully. Supposedly it's very well balanced from bass to treble, as you suggest the jumbos to be.

I'm putting the Seagull on the back burner until I can make a more informed decision. (I was hesitant to by over the web anyway.)

Thanks!

My experience is far less than David's, but I agree about jumbos and dreadnoughts. Dreads tend to be a bit boomy, while jumbos have a very broad frequency response.