| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: | |
| Sound: | |
| Value: |  |
| Average: | |
Pros:
- Affordable
- Comes with a bundle
- Good sound
Cons:
- Laminate Tonewoods
- Not flexible sound
If you have read more than one of my reviews, you know that I love myself a good bundle. The cheaper the bundle, the more stuff in it, usually, so I love cheap bundles a lot. Though, to be realistic, in cheapness you sacrifice quality. Which is why I am consciously appreciative of decent quality instruments that have other items attached to them as part of the deal. They are what makes bundles viable. The Seagull Entourage Rustic Acoustic Guitar with Gig Bag and Stand is one of these quality bundles. Let’s take a closer look, and see why.
Build Quality
The guitar itself is a very nice dreadnought. Everybody appreciates a good dreadnought, especially musicians who want to be heard in the very back rows as well. The dreadnought works well here, as it brings out the bass of the guitar very well, something the tonewoods are not designed to do.
The top wood of the guitar is solid cedar. Pressure tested, is what they call it. In all honesty, this wood is not much different from any other cedar used in guitars in the same price range. It looks good and has the characteristic of bringing out the mid-tones of the guitar, without affecting the tremolo or the bass sounds of the guitar much. The wild cherry back and sides play a very similar role to the cedar, further enhancing the mid-range of the tones without properly paying attention to the higher end or the lower end of the sound. The combination of cedar and cherry does look pleasant. The laminate for both tonewoods impacts the sound, slightly deadening it, but does not do too much damage to the sound of the guitar.
The neck of the guitar is made of silver leaf maple, a very nice wood that keeps the guitar lightweight and remains sturdy throughout years of use. The fretboard is rosewood for very smooth and pleasant playing.
Hardware
The bridge of the guitar is solid mahogany, which plays a good role in trying to bring out the bass of the guitar a little further. Having just the bridge of the bridge take this role on, would have not done the trick, but thankfully, combined with the dreadnought body, this creates a pleasant nuance in the bass sounds of the guitar.
The nut and saddle of the guitar are synthetic, which do not enhance the sound much but do their job adequately enough. Not the sturdiest material, but easy to replace, so not many points are lost for that.
The tuners of the guitar are steady and ones set, will remain stable for a while. You will have to retune the guitar more often than one with top-notch tuners, but the stability is acceptable at this price range.
Seagull Entourage Rustic Sound
The guitar sound great in the mid-tones, good in the lower tones and just fine in the higher range of tones. This is not to say the guitar doesn’t sound great. The very opposite – the sound is very adequate for professionals and beginner guitar players alike. Though a little more attention to the high tones would have been nice. The sound of the guitar is especially favorable towards fingerstyle playing. Overall, an adequate-sounding guitar for its price.
Conclusion
The guitar itself is definitely a good pick for anyone, a beginner or intermediate player, looking to graduate from their very first guitar. It offers a very nice, warm sound, biased towards the midtones, that is perfect for fingerstyle players. The bundle it is part of is also very useful – having a gig bag and a guitar stand are a must for any musician more or less serious about their guitar future. Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new guitar.
Click here to find out more about Seagull Entourage Rustic Acoustic Guitar w/ Gig Bag & stand.
Click here to view more from Best Acoustic Guitar for Beginners.
