The Seagull M6 Acoustic Guitar.

There exists a huge number of guitar manufacturers in the United States of America, and abroad, from which to choose an instrument to purchase, own, and play. Figuring out just which is the single best guitar for you as an individual with your personal budget can be a very daunting task. It's my purpose here to present to you an outstanding guitar by the Seagull Guitar Company that is both relatively inexpensive, and by all accounts an outstanding instrument for the price of the guitar.

In my hub, "The Top Five Steel String Guitars For Under Five Hundred Dollars" someone left me a comment about what he thought was a glaring omission on my part - I hadn't listed the Seagull S6 acoustic guitar in that hub, and the man felt that it was clearly superior to two of the guitars that I did list, and he felt that way because he'd played them all.

I can't ever dispute, nor can anyone, that a particular guitar is "better" than another one because it really all comes down to personal opinion, and what an individual likes better or worse for themselves, and the type of music that they play. Also, every single guitar is unique and an individual in it's own right - no two guitars are ever going to play or sound exactly the same - as the nature of woods and their properties are all unique to the specific trees, and the planks of wood used.

Seagull guitars, however, have been around for a while, and have made a very reputable name for themselves in the industry. Though I, personally, do not have a huge deal of experience playing them - anyone in the market for acoustic guitars should definitely, if possible, take the opportunity to check out any Seagull guitar that is a competitor to the type of instrument that they are interested in purchasing.

The Walnut Valley Festival is held every year in Winfield, Kansas; in the third week of September. I've been to the WVF at Winfield three times, and for anyone interested in acoustic folk music - it's sort of a pilgrimage, and something that I'd encourage everyone who is interested and able to attend at least once. The Walnut Valley Festival is NOT a guitar festival, all manner of acoustic stringed instruments are played on many stages there by many performers from all over the world. There's even an unofficial stage in the campground where anyone attending can get up on either by themselves or with any assemblage of musicians, and perform for all.

From my profile at Flatpicking Guitar Magazine I'd read that Andy Hatfield had won this years flatpicking guitar championship at the Walnut Valley Festival. There are fierce competitions in contests for virtually every stringed instrument at the festival - and it's a VERY prestigious award for any musician to win in the folk music world. The winner of various contests always get their pick of several extremely fine instruments, and this years winner, Andy Hatfield chose a Gallagher Walnut Valley Commemorative Guitar.

People sometimes go from who you are standing next to in the audience at the WNV festival to professional performers for some pretty big name bands in the under valued folk or bluegrass genres. I couldn't recall having ever heard of Andy Hatfield before - but that doesn't mean that I'd not met Andy, or seen him play, or maybe just bumped into him before at such a large festival. So basically, I immediately did a youtube search for Andy Hatfield so that I could hear his playing, and determine for myself just what I thought about the new international flatpicking king. I wasn't disappointed - Andy has a youtube channel; and I'm VERY impressed with this guy's playing. I'd love for someone like him to live next door or something - so I could be inspired, and .....well, talk guitar with someone way superior to me.

The thing about the modern age is that a great musician doesn't have to live next door to you for you to talk to them. I found the video above on youtube, and wanted to hear it because the tune Turkey In The Straw is a public domain melody that is very old, and very "played out." You've probably heard the tune played from the ice cream trucks if and when they roll through your neighborhood or area of employment. I knew that if Andy Hatfield could make Turkey In The Straw sound great, and have some unique interpretations to such a tune - that I'd then have my opinion about his playing - and boy, I sure am impressed with what he can do with a tune like that one!

Acoustic folk musicians aren't ever really superstars - you can talk to these people; and so I left a simple Congratulations in the comments on Andy's video, and he, being a down to Earth, and humble champion of folk guitar - thanked me for it. But I read into the comments on the video up above a little more, and as always, someone asked the question:

What kind of guitar is that you are playing?

The answer to the question is that Mr. Andy Hatfield is playing a Seagull M6 acoustic guitar in that video, and Andy stated that it was simply the best guitar that he could afford at the time, and I think that you will agree that in his very capable hands, the Seagull M6 Acoustic guitar is a wonderful instrument!

The Seagull M6 Acoustic guitar is a solid top guitar which is what makes a guitar a good one to begin with. From searching a bit on the internet I've found that though the Seagull M6 acoustic guitar most often features a solid spruce top, that it is also available with a soled western red cedar top. Which type of tonewood sound board that best suites you and your personal guitar playing is something that you'd have to work out for yourself. You can't really go wrong with a solid spruce top, but a lot of fingerstyle guitarist prefer the tonal characteristics of solid western red cedar. While I've read that playing loudly with a stiff pick, as we flatpickers do, can sometimes overdrive and distort notes on guitars with solid western red cedar tops - that isn't always the case, but it's definitely something to consider if you happen to be a flatpicking style guitarist.

The back and sides of the Seagull M6 acoustic guitar are mahogany. What I've not found said is that they are laminated mahogany, but I'm positive that they are laminate. I know this because when guitars have solid wood construction on the back and sides - the manufacturer will nearly always say that they are solid wood back and sides - and because this guitar is priced in the five hundred dollar range and does have a solid top - I know that were it of solid mahogany back and sides, then the guitar would be priced much higher than it is. There is no need to fear that a laminate back and sides guitar isn't good enough for you, however, many people who can play very well never own all solid wood guitars until they get to where they are making money playing. It's just a matter of priorities, value, and personal economics. Seagull also makes the Seagull Mosaic acoustic guitar - which is pretty different in that it features a solid cedar top, solid mahogany back, and laminated mahogany sides. Most guitar companies that make a solid top guitar with laminate back and sides go straight from there to all solid wood models. Kudos to the Seagull guitar company for offering a variety of options with their instruments!

The Seagull M6 is basically a traditional dreadnought guitar based on the timeless Martin D18 mahogany dreadnought model - but made more affordable to the consumer by having laminate back and sides, a mahogany fingerboard and bridge rather than either rosewood, more more expensive still, ebony bridge and fingerboards. The Seagull M6 also has a very nice high gloss finish, which truly makes it a visually beautiful guitar as well as a guitar with a very pleasing tonality. If you are in the market for a great steel string acoustic guitar for around five hundred dollars, then by all means have a look at the Seagull M6, and other Seagull guitars. If you liked Andy Hatfield's music as much as I did - then log into your youtube account, and subscribe to his channel, or simply tell him that you enjoyed hearing his playing, and give a big CONGRATULATIONS on his Walnut Valley Festival International Flatpicking Guitar Championship!