Seagull Entourage Rustic Mini Jumbo Guitar

Comment: I went to my local guitar ratailer to try all of the guitars $800 and below. I had outgrown my extremely entry level Washburn Lyon. I played around fifty guitars (some of the same model) until I settled on this one. I thought it sounded superior. I am an intermediate player so I also had some experts that regularly hang around the store play it. They were surprised at the excellent sound and low cost of this guitar. $300ish is an awesome price for a guitar that far exceeds the value/sound of, in my opinion, ALL other guitars below $800 that I tried that day. Yes, you could spend less, like I did for an entry (the Washburn), but I had to spend over $150 on repairs and set-up over the year and a half that it was my learner guitar. Those that call guitars entry level because of price are mistaken. Look past the brands and actually play the guitars at your local shop if you can. The names may be impresive but the sound and play-ability are what matter. As another reviewer stated the cedar top might get overwhelmed my a harsh strummer but I haven't noticed it yet. So far I think this guitar is perfect.

Comment: Another reviewer stated they had done their research before buying. Well goody...I came into contact with this guitar while trying to amend an earlier mistake in purchase. I have big fingers and a guitar with an 1 11/16th nut width does not allow me to make clear, squeak free chord changes and with some chords, my fingers are so cramped that I cannot play. Enter this guitar, I was at a local dealer and was attracted to the finish and picked up the guitar and played an acoustic blues piece that I had been unable to play due to the problem noted above. The nut width of this guitar (1.72 inches) allowed me to play the piece free of the cramps and squeaks and other issues plus...the cedar top and wild cherry laminate back and sides allows me - a fingerstyle player - to get a sound that approximates the warm midrange that I hear on old blues pieces. The jumbo body is comfortable - much smaller than a comparable model from a name maker (gibson or taylor), and it is quite evident that Seagull has taken care here to make a guitar that provides a great deal of value for your out of pocket expense. Do I have gripes? Yes - I do not like the rubber or plastic ring around the soundhole and would have gladly paid a little more for a real herringbone presentation but this is minor stuff. If you are a strummer, this guitar will not respond to a harsh attack - the cedar top is overpowered very quickly. But if you play fingerstyle, this is a great entry level guitar to start with. For the average price advertised on the net (300.00 to 350.00), you are getting a great guitar made in North America.