Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

The Acoustic Guitar

Forum > General
Acoustic Guitar and
Amplification
Discussion >
General Acoustic
User Name User Name Remember Me?
Guitar Discussion
Seagull S6 Password Log in
info and
thoughts--old vs
new--build
quality- neck
resets

Register FAQ Calendar

Thread Tools

05-19-2021, 08:16 AM #1

Join Date: Mar 2018

Krackle Posts: 19
Registered User

Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--build quality-

neck resets

looking at several Seagull S6's in my area..

1 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

there is a:
-1998 Cedar top S6 original
-An unknown date 12 digit serial number apparently
number
13,486 from time of 12 digit serial number change..
- Another 12 digit number dont have the number

haven't gone out to check any of them out yet..

Im always attracted to the older stuff but im

apprehensive about buying a cheaper guitar that might
need a neck reset..going to see it later today..

Does anyone have a clue on how common neck resets are

on these 90's
S6 guitars?

How about the sound differences between the older ones

and the more recent S6's..in a general sense..

build quality differences?

Im looking for a travel guitar..played one owned by a

friend a while back..was very impressed...it was an 90's /
very early 2000 i believe..
I just dont want to get into a guitar that was a cheap
model in a line and destined to disintegrate..

05-19-2021, 08:45 AM #2

Join Date: Mar 2016

cyberdog Location: Saskatoon
Registered User

2 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Posts: 107

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krackle

Does anyone have a clue on how common neck
resets are on these 90's
S6 guitars?

Pre 2006 Seagulls are bolt on necks. If a reset is needed,

it is a very simple and inexpensive procedure.

Post 2006 Seagulls have epoxied necks which are not

good candidates for reset.

05-19-2021, 08:47 AM #3

Join Date: Oct 2009

jricc Location: Jersey Shore
Charter Member Posts: 3,617

Hi Krackle,
I do know older Seagulls were bolt on necks. I'm not sure
when they changed... So when you check it out, look
inside and see if you can see or feel a bolt, on then neck
block. It might be covered with a paper label. But if you
can get your hand inside soundhole, you could feel it
through the paper. If it is a bolt on, should the neck ever
need to be reset, it probable wouldn't be too much of a
repair.

3 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Hope this helps.

__________________
-joe

05-19-2021, 09:17 AM #4

Join Date: Dec 2016

FrankHudson Location: Minneapolis, MN
Registered User Posts: 4,045

Here's my data-point regarding necks and longevity.

I have three Seagulls: a turn of the century mahogany

b&S and spruce top dread, a 20th century Folk model and
a 12-string with the classic laminated cherry b&s and
cedar tops. I bought them all used.

I generally use .012 light gauge sets over the years on

the 6 strings, but have moved more often in the last 2-3
years to custom lights .011 top E, but I have tried
mediums and Elixir HD sets on them too. Neither need a
neck reset in my estimation, though the M6 is the nearest
to that. There's lately been some discussion about some
Godin models using epoxy in their neck joints thus
making a reset more impractical. My experience has been
that necks don't just decide one day to collapse, so
examination of the current state of the ones you're
considering might be important for your piece of mind.
Regardless of make, I'd be hesitant to buy any
unremarkable and inexpensive used guitar that needs a
neck reset -- simply because the cost/benefit to having

4 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

that done just isn't there. But an inexpensive Seagull that

doesn't need a reset? It's not likely to need one next year
or the year after, unless you're a fan of heavier strings
that I am. Having some saddle-height left that could be
lowered would be another comforting thing you might
want to took for.

The Folk probably had a lot of hours on it before I bought

it, as it had considerable wear from picks or fingernails in
the area where a pickguard would be if the guitar had
one. It's still not a Willie Nelson's Trigger hole and is
AFAIK a cosmetic issue. I've played it a lot, more than
any other acoustic. The back of the entire neck, originally
satin, is now semi-gloss just from all the use in my hands.

The 12-string (pretty much an S6 only with 12-strings)

has been tuned anywhere from concert pitch to a full tone
down (D to D). I use the light gauge 12-string sets from
any number of makers. Fewer hours on it and it doesn't
have the wear the Folk model has and shows.

The 'hog/spruce dreadnaught has a gloss finish and looks

unremarkable for a guitar of it's age.

I humidify them in cases in the winter, but not with

complete obsession. They all seem stable in the winter
over the years.

All three have the wider and thicker necks that were a
feature of Seagulls at the time. Some disliked them then,
but I've always prized that feature. I believe they are all
the shorter sub 25 inch scale. Over the years
Godin/Seagull have moved away from those feature, to

5 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

necks more like the mainstream of the market.

Your post seems to feel that Seagulls (perhaps because

they are lower priced) are likely to have more issues.
That has not been my experience. The softer, thinner,
non-gloss finish will show wear;* the cedar tops have a
distinctive sound that I like having access too, but are a
softer wood more subject to cosmetic dings and even
gouges.

Will you like their sound? I can't say. Mine don't sound
like a Martin or a Taylor. The 12-string has a different
sound than my Guild. They sound a bit more like a
Gibson. I find it a valid, usable sound. I enjoy playing
them and what they sound like when I play them (I'm
primarily a cross-picking flat picker who sounds like a
person who uses finger-picks). The cedar Folk is very
responsive until it comes to its "ceiling" after which there
is no more volume, so it's not a "jam circle" instrument.
The cedar topped 12 has a markedly different response
than my big jumbo spruce topped Guild, but for some
things I prefer it.

Models and specs change all the time, and I don't know
any authoritative "catalog" of what a particular year
featured for each model.

Are you going to examine and try the guitars before you
buy them? If so, I'd use that as your "spec sheet" -- and
if you like it, that's the spec to be concerned with.

*You may be worried by the recent post showing a

6 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Seagull with what looks like a chemical reaction that

dissolved and stripped a good deal of finish off the neck. I
believe my satin finish Seagulls use a nitro-like finish, not
the thick poly that many inexpensive guitars used when
they were made. If you want to wipe off mustard drips or
a spray on insect repellent in between songs guitar, get a
shiney gloss-poly-finish instrument. As with any nitro
guitar, I wouldn't store mine long term touching any
rubber or plastic either. However, more modern Seagulls
have gloss finishes and are like any other garden variety
acoustic now.
__________________
-----------------------------------
Creator of The Parlando Project

Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull

M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin
000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator,
Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses....

Last edited by FrankHudson; 05-19-2021 at 09:25 AM.

05-19-2021, 09:36 AM #5

Join Date: Mar 2020

Martin_F Location: Ottawa Area - Ontario, Canada
Registered User Posts: 326

I think my question would be: who is going to do a neck

reset on a guitar where the reset likely costs as much, or
close to, a new guitar of the same model?

7 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Just my thought.

Martin
__________________
*****************************
Gibson L-00 Standard 2018
Yamaha FS5 2020
Gibson J-45 Standard 2020

05-19-2021, 09:45 AM #6

Join Date: Oct 2012

emtsteve Location: Illinois (reluctantly)
Charter Member Posts: 1,653

8 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Based on my limited recent experience with a few

Seagulls, older and newer, I prefer the older models. If
it's an older guitar and the neck angle is good I'm of the
opinion it will probably stay that way for the long term
and not need a neck reset so I don't care if they're
epoxied or not. Like Frank, I love the thicker neck and the
cedar tops and I love the sound and playability of these
guitars.

Bottom line, you won't be in for a lot of money anyway

and I think the older Seagulls are worth the slight risk.
Just my $.02
__________________
EMTSteve
a couple guitars too many

05-19-2021, 10:51 AM #7

Join Date: Mar 2018

Krackle Posts: 19
Registered User

Yes..i love the wider necks and the cedar top was what i
played and liked..

I'll check on the bolts..Is there also some sort of glue

used on these joints in combo with the boltings?

I plan on bringing a straightedge to do a rough check of

neck angle..

9 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

even in the lower price ranges im not going to jump for a

guitar that's close to the edge..

going to see the older one later today.

and wow..thanks for all the informative responses..

05-19-2021, 12:46 PM #8

Join Date: Jun 2019

Wellington Posts: 1,979
Registered User

I would snag the 90's one, no epoxy, easy reset, and

short scale, post 2012 Seagulls are full scale.

Regarding the demonic use ( ) of epoxy on 2006 to

present, they may still have bolts on the outside, they
were using them to hold everything in place while the
epoxy set, they might still do that. It's deceiving, so go by
the year 2006 and onward to be sure any Godin branded
acoustic has an epoxied neck.
If that doesn't bother you, then that's a hurdle that
doesn't matter.

05-19-2021, 03:21 PM #9

Join Date: Nov 2019

Robin, Wales Location: Eryri, Wales
Registered User Posts: 2,998

10 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Personally, I think that the epoxy/no epoxy argument is a

bit of a red herring. The whole Seagull/other Godin brand
neck joint area and top of the guitar around the
fingerboard extension are a very different build system to
"normal" acoustic guitars. The dowel reinforced heel,
bolted integrated neck set block and compound curve of
the guitar top under the fingerboard extension are all
there to stop the neck pulling forward or collapsing the
body. The plywood sides and plywood back on the
cheaper models add even more stability. The fretboard
extensions are stuck to the guitar top using normal wood
glue; it is the extended neck block that is epoxy glued
into its rectangular recess under the fretboard extension.
The neck heel abuts the neck block cleanly with no glue.

If a Seagull. Art and Lutherie, Simon and Patrick, Norman

guitar comes out of the factory with a good neck angle
then, as has been said in the posts above, it is very likely
going to stay that way and it is really only going to be a
building error that's going to cause problems.

I've had 3 Godin guitars so far. An A&L Dread I bought

second hand about 15 years ago and sold 2 years back. A
Seagull S6 Spruce I bought new a couple of years ago
and sold last autumn. And an A&L Legacy I bought second
hand last year that I still have. All 3 had perfect neck
angles and were incredibly stable despite living out of
their cases at home year round. I used medium gauge
strings on the two dreads and only sold them because I
really couldn't sing across them comfortably with my
playing style.

11 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

The Seagull guitars don't sound like Martin or Gibson or

Taylor etc. I think that I would describe the tone as quite
dry and fundamental; sort of "folk" rather than "fineness".
You are either going to take to it or not. A couple of my
friends have the cedar top S6 Original guitars, and they
are really nice all round instrument, not quite as punchy
as the spruce S6 I had (which I bought for bluegrass
flatpicking) but a modern classic. I think that if I had
bought the S6 Original with the cedar top then I would
still have it.

I liked the 1.8" neck on the S6 and, for me, the standard
fitted Tusq nut worked fine. However, on the 1.72" necks
(like my Legacy) I find the Tusq nut string spacing
awkward as they use an equal spaces system, which I
think makes the neck feel narrower than they truly are. I
have cut my own nut for the Legacy with 37mm overall
spacing set in a proportional centres system. This is the
same spacing as the bone (not the Tusq) nuts on 1.72"
neck Gibsons.

I changed the Tusq saddles for bone saddles on all 3

guitars. Tusq is very articulate but bone (particularly
traditional round topped saddles) I think gives a nicer
string blend when strumming. It is a cheap, easy and
reversible experiment!

Good luck with your hunt. I hope you find what you are
looking for. And I really wouldn't worry about the guitar
disintegrating. Robert Godin has over-wintered guitars
outside the factory in Quebec to see how they would hold
up (no problems by the way!) - a nice story, but it does

12 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

show that the stability of the guitars during the sort of

real world use a budget guitar is likely to get is very much
on the radar of the company.

Edit - I forgot to add another classic Seagull S6 story

about their robustness: Apparently, James Blunt, when he
was a Captain in the Life Guards took his S6 with him into
action in the Kosovo War, strapped to the outside of his
tank!
__________________
I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to
accompany songs.

I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain

dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a
bluegrass band.

robin.clark
The Cadair Id…

Privacy policy

13 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

robin.clark
Elzic's Farew…

Privacy policy

Last edited by Robin, Wales; 05-19-2021 at 03:51 PM.

05-19-2021, 08:19 PM #10

Join Date: Oct 2012

emtsteve Location: Illinois (reluctantly)
Charter Member Posts: 1,653

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Personally, I think that the epoxy/no epoxy
argument is a bit of a red herring. The whole
Seagull/other Godin brand neck joint area and top
of the guitar around the fingerboard extension are
a very different build system to "normal" acoustic
guitars. The dowel reinforced heel, bolted
integrated neck set block and compound curve of
the guitar top under the fingerboard extension
are all there to stop the neck pulling forward or
collapsing the body. The plywood sides and
plywood back on the cheaper models add even
more stability. The fretboard extensions are stuck
to the guitar top using normal wood glue; it is the

14 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

extended neck block that is epoxy glued into its

rectangular recess under the fretboard extension.
The neck heel abuts the neck block cleanly with
no glue.

If a Seagull. Art and Lutherie, Simon and Patrick,

Norman guitar comes out of the factory with a
good neck angle then, as has been said in the
posts above, it is very likely going to stay that
way and it is really only going to be a building
error that's going to cause problems.

I've had 3 Godin guitars so far. An A&L Dread I

bought second hand about 15 years ago and sold
2 years back. A Seagull S6 Spruce I bought new a
couple of years ago and sold last autumn. And an
A&L Legacy I bought second hand last year that I
still have. All 3 had perfect neck angles and were
incredibly stable despite living out of their cases
at home year round. I used medium gauge
strings on the two dreads and only sold them
because I really couldn't sing across them
comfortably with my playing style.

The Seagull guitars don't sound like Martin or

Gibson or Taylor etc. I think that I would describe
the tone as quite dry and fundamental; sort of
"folk" rather than "fineness". You are either going
to take to it or not. A couple of my friends have
the cedar top S6 Original guitars, and they are
really nice all round instrument, not quite as
punchy as the spruce S6 I had (which I bought
for bluegrass flatpicking) but a modern classic. I

15 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

think that if I had bought the S6 Original with the

cedar top then I would still have it.

I liked the 1.8" neck on the S6 and, for me, the

standard fitted Tusq nut worked fine. However,
on the 1.72" necks (like my Legacy) I find the
Tusq nut string spacing awkward as they use an
equal spaces system, which I think makes the
neck feel narrower than they truly are. I have cut
my own nut for the Legacy with 37mm overall
spacing set in a proportional centres system. This
is the same spacing as the bone (not the Tusq)
nuts on 1.72" neck Gibsons.

I changed the Tusq saddles for bone saddles on

all 3 guitars. Tusq is very articulate but bone
(particularly traditional round topped saddles) I
think gives a nicer string blend when strumming.
It is a cheap, easy and reversible experiment!

Good luck with your hunt. I hope you find what

you are looking for. And I really wouldn't worry
about the guitar disintegrating. Robert Godin has
over-wintered guitars outside the factory in
Quebec to see how they would hold up (no
problems by the way!) - a nice story, but it does
show that the stability of the guitars during the
sort of real world use a budget guitar is likely to
get is very much on the radar of the company.

Edit - I forgot to add another classic Seagull S6

story about their robustness: Apparently, James
Blunt, when he was a Captain in the Life Guards

16 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

took his S6 with him into action in the Kosovo

War, strapped to the outside of his tank!

I learned quite a bit here. Thanks Robin!

__________________
EMTSteve
a couple guitars too many

The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and

Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Search
Search
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:08 PM.

AGF Home - Archive - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11

17 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM
Seagull S6 info and thoughts--old vs new--b... https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forum...

Copyright ©2000 - 2022, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=

18 of 18 10/2/22, 1:25 AM