If you’re curious about Seagull vs Taylor guitar brands, this post is for you!
Are you a guitarist looking to upgrade to a higher-quality instrument?
If so, you may have come across the Seagull vs Taylor debate.
These award-winning brands are known for their high-quality craftsmanship and playability, with many classic guitarists using one or the other.
In this post, we’ll explore the differences between Seagull and Taylor guitars and help you make an informed decision based on your preferences and needs in today’s marketplace.
Taylor vs Seagull Guitar – A Battle of the Best Acoustics
Seagull has a range of categories, such as The Maritime, The Artist, The Entourage, The Performer, and The Original Series.
One of the most popular is the S6 Original Acoustic Guitar, known for its solid cedar top and wild cherry back and sides.
The Taylor Guitars acoustic line is organized by series as well.
Each series has a particular arrangement of tonewoods and decorative elements.
They have the Academy, 100 – 900, American Dream, GT Collections, Koa, and Presentation Series.
Discovering the Masters: Seagull and Taylor Guitars
Seagull guitars are handcrafted and first started in 1982 by Godin Guitars, a company founded by Robin Godin in a small village called La Patrie in Quebec, Canada.
It has since become known for producing high-quality acoustic and electric guitars, basses, and stringed instruments.
Their guitars also come with solid tops and beautiful finishes.
If you’re curious about who plays Seagull guitars, some musicians include James Blunt, Peppino D’Agostino, Michalis Hatzigiannis, Kim Deal, Michelle Lambert, and many more.
Bob Taylor founded Taylor guitars in 1974 in El Cajon, California.
They are famous for well-crafted acoustic guitars using high technology to perfect century-old luthier knowledge.
Some musicians who often play Taylor guitars include Ben Harper, Tori Kelly, Jewel, Jason Mraz, Mon Laferte, and many more.
Seagull vs Taylor: Comparison
Bracing
Seagull has a unique compound-curved top, where the top has a slight curve above the soundhole.
This design reduces downward pressure from the fingerboard.
Another advantage of this curved design is the structural integrity that allows for light bracing.
Seagull guitar has a dreadnought body – solid cedar top and laminated wild cherry on the back and sides.
The bracing pattern is scalloped and curved to match the bent top.
This bracing and guitar top provides strength, allows for more free vibrations, makes it more responsive, and produces lasting and great sound.
On the other hand, Taylor guitars have Sitka Spruce on top and rosewood on the back and side and use a bracing pattern called “V- Class” designed by their master guitar designer Andy Powers.
This results in a guitar top that maximizes volume and sustain.
Neck Design
The neck is one of the essential features of a guitar.
If the neck pitch or the angle at which the neck connects to the guitar body is off, it often sounds thin or muddy.
So the appropriate neck angle is essential in any guitar’s construction.
Seagull has a silver leaf maple neck and uses an Integrated Set Neck system which ensures consistent neck pitch.
This system also reduces warping of the neck due to temperature change.
In this system, the neck connects to the body using a wood-to-wood connection, generating excellent neck and body energy transfer.
Since no glue is used to attach the neck and body, the sound vibrations theoretically travel unhindered, resulting in a purer sound.
Another feature of the Seagull neck design is a thin yet wide design near the nut with smaller scales.
On the other hand, Taylor’s neck is mahogany and has built its own patented neck designs known as NT necks.
They stay stable and straight despite the temperature and continuous top movement.
They are constructed using a single piece of wood that fits into pockets using laser-cut spacers for precision at a specific angle for accurate intonation.
Soundboard and Sound
Check out this video to hear just that!
Seagull guitars produce a bright, rich, and warm tone thanks to their tonewood and solid top.
Seagull offers solid top guitars made of either cedar or spruce wood.
These woods tend to sound better with age, so a guitar with older soundboard wood may have a warmer and richer tone than the newly constructed one.
Another feature of the Seagull guitar top is it uses the book-matching technique.
With this technique, a single piece of wood is sliced and matched like a book and then glued together.
This gives the guitar a beautiful, even grain pattern.
Taylor guitars also feature a solid spruce top with a rich and bright tone.
They even offer a series of solid wood guitars, with some featuring exotic tone woods.
Solid wood guitar tops vibrate freely giving them what many believe is an overall improved sound.
All these guitar series with different top woods give buyers lots of variety when considering which instrument to purchase.
Polish
Guitar polish is an often overlooked aspect of a guitar.
Seagull gives its guitars a Custom Polished finish.
This custom finish ensures resistance to the wear and tear of the guitar without affecting its sound quality.
In addition, this polish helps in the aging process of the wood, where the guitar sounds better with time.
Taylor guitars, on the other hand, use an Ultraviolet-Cured finish on their guitars.
This is an extremely thin, durable finish and less susceptible to cold-checking and any other changes that occur on wood due to temperature differences.
This finish is applied using a robotics spray system, ensuring a very thin and even layer is sprayed on each guitar.
Seagull vs Taylor Guitar: Other Features
Some other features of the Seagull Guitars are that the headstock is narrow and the TUSQ nut width is a bit wider.
The compensated saddle also contributes stability and helps the guitar stay in tune.
The Seagull S6 also has a separate pickup system if you need electronics for a more amplified tone.
And the Seagull Entourage series has a cutaway available to reach those high frets.
Both Seagull and Taylor use diecast chrome tuners typical in guitars.
Taylor is an acoustic-electric guitar with three simple electronics: volume, bass, and treble.
These controls are useful when playing in a large crowd to keep a natural, acoustic sound.
Seagull vs Taylor: Essential Features Explained in Video Tutorials
Below are some helpful videos tackling Seagull and Taylor Guitars features.
Seagull vs Taylor: A Price Comparison of Two Popular Guitar Brands
Unfortunately, price usually makes or breaks a decision to purchase an instrument.
So how do Seagull and Taylor brands compare in price?
Seagull guitars typically range from around $500 to $1,000.
And although Taylor has some models priced under $1,000, most of their instruments are $1,000+, with some priced well over $1,000.
In short, odds are a Seagull instrument will be less expensive than a Taylor.
Taylor vs Seagull: Conclusion
So which guitar brand is better for you?
Ultimately, that depends on your sound preference and your budget.
Seagull’s guitars are typically more affordable, but Taylor has made a name for itself as one of the premier acoustic guitar manufacturers.
All in all, trust your gut (and your ears) and choose whichever you prefer, regardless of reputation!
Do you own a guitar from one of these brands?
Let me know in the comments!
And if you want to read about some of my other acoustic guitar brand comparisons, check out the following posts:
17 Responses
Just got a Seagull Artist Series CW. I’m typically a Gibson guy. Although Taylor and Martin make a great guitar I’ve been bias about Bozeman. It just seems right to get Country Western in Montana. Sound and playability are great too. That said…Canada is cool too. Love the Seagull sound and playability. The looks are intriguing to me and the mahogany back makes it unique to my other rosewood guitars…so…there’s a time and a place for all. Looking forward to seeing how it ages.
Hi Curt,
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying your Seagull. They make some great instruments!
I have owned several Seagulls. They’re made very well. There is a YouTube video of Robert Godin touring where they are made. The Maritime SWS CW GT Q1T gets better sounding every time it’s played. The Artist Mosaic series now have new optimized bracing system. I’m waiting on a Peppino right now. The Artist Mosaic series are a $1,200 +. But. Definitely their best and I would put it up against any Taylor
Hi Phillip,
Thanks for sharing this! I haven’t played as many Seagulls as I’d like. But your comment definitely makes me want to try out more!
I’ve had 2 Seagull acoustics. One cedar and one mahogany. They both were exceptionally well built and had a great voice. I do miss the cedar smell every time I opened the case. It was more enticing than new car smell. I’ve wanted to perhaps delve into Breedlove. A few of my friends own those and call them quite comparable.
Hi James,
Thanks for the comment! That’s great to hear about your Seagulls. I keep hearing good things about them. Breedlove also makes some high-quality instruments! You may want to check out our article about Breedloves vs Seagulls!
My best-sounding acoustic is a Godin mahogany Metropolis QIT , which has superb finish and action.
The mahogany top and back give a mellower sound thank many high-end spruce-top all-solid spruce top acoustics.
Y=Taylor 614cc, Gibson Hummingbird, Larrivee L03,Blueridge Br163, Yamaha LL-Ta Transa coustic., all are terrific.- sounding and playing.
but the Godin acoustics are my favorites, at a fraction of the price.
I am considering buying the Seagull CW cutaway , which is maple-side and back all-solid spruce top, despite e owning the similar Taylor.
I am so impressed with Godin’s products that I might spend the $ for a guitar very similar to my very expensive Taylor , but at a fraction of the cost.
I have or had several other Godin acoustics, two Seagulls and a Simon& Patrick, all outstanding to play and hear and extremely well -built.
Hi John,
That’s great to hear about Godins! I’d like to try one out someday but haven’t gotten ahold of one yet!
Yeah well ive rockin my lefty cedar top s6 for about 5 or 6 years i play pretty hard and loud and was able to compare it with a coiple of martins, taylors, gibson and high end yamaha’s. As far as tone is concerned cedar top guitars are my thing i love how the mids projects and sometimes overpower haha (when you hit it hard). Even the dealer was impressed when he heard it. Then he brought me every lefty under 5k$ he had to compare even a brand new s6 and i still can’t get over how mine sounds. Its a truly well built instrument I’m a long haul trucker and she has been everywhere with me from see to shining see up the rockies and past the arctic circle and back with heating ac and and high humidity with no ac and other than a quarter here and there on the truss rod it has been rock solid!! Shes about due for a fret level and a bridge adjustment but I’ve been pounding everyday on her for sometime now lol I paid mine 500$ back in the day I dont regret it one bit by far the best bang for the buck on the market
Hi there. I have owned a Taylor 224CE DLX KOA and the 714CE I also was an early owner of a 12 STRING seagull. I bought it in 1989. I just bought the Artist Mosaic CW HG EQ and here in Canada it is 1900 plus tax. I have always loved Seagull guitars and the quality is outstanding. I think more people should try them out. I especially love that it is a Canadian Made Guitar as I live in Nova Scotia. I play on stage a lot and the LR Baggs will be a great pickup for that. Thanks for a good article.
Hi Tim,
It’s fun to have an instrument made somewhat locally. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Love to hear the difference between these and a “low end” guitar being played.
Hey Steven,
Here’s a video comparison of a less expensive Taylor compared to a high-end Taylor. I’d love to make a video directly comparing these higher-end instruments to a lower-end guitar! Unfortunately, I can’t quite afford to go buying any of video of them just yet.
Just picked up a new to me Seagull Maritime M12. The original owner is a collector who kept the guitar cased in a properly humidfied environment. Needless to say, the guitar is in immaculate condition. It also hasn’t been played much in the past ten years so the wood has probably not aged to the best sound. I assured him I would fix that. Even so, my other 12 string (which I passed on to my daughter) is a 1972 Yamaki Deluxe and has the beautiful, full sound a 50 year old guitar should have. I dare to say the Seagull has a comparable wonderful, full, rich sound. I’m looking forward to many years of enjoyment from this fine instrument.
Thanks for sharing, Jeff! Congrats on your Seagull Maritime M12! We agree, it’s an excellent instrument that will get even better with regular playing.
I have an S6 cedar top that my wife bought for me for my birthday in 1992. It has now aged to the color of slightly burned butter. I think she paid $450 for it. I remember when I had started to want to learn to play and didn’t know anything about guitars, the guy at JAM music in Arlington told me that it was a pretty new brand but that he couldn’t get over how good these Seagulls were. Thirty years later, it sounds better than ever. I had only had it about 5 years when my son knocked it over and put a 6″ crack in the top above the sound hole running parallel to the strings. I keep saying I am going to fix it, but it still sounds the same and stats in tune forever. A lot of people have picked this guitar up over the years, admiring the beauty of the top and then I tell them to just strum a D and a G. They always just sit there and say, “wow, now who makes Seagull”? I bought a beautiful new Breedlove a couple of years ago, cutaway amped, liked the narrower nut at the time, thought it would be easier with the nerve damage in my left hand. Traded it in , bought me my first electric, a player plus Telecaster, which has been awesome. But that S6, is an incredible guitar to beat. I have played Taylor’s, Martins, Alvarez, Yamaha too. The Seagull just sounds like a more complete instrument. My S6 is loud, but it never sounds loose, always tight, especially the mid and bass. Seagull definately hangs with some much more expensive guitars. For the money, it is second to none.
Hey Charles,
What a story and what an instrument! Thanks so much for sharing! My conclusion after reading this is that I need to play more Seagulls.