Seagull Entourage Rustic Grand

Seagull Guitars, a sub brand of Godin, has been providing guitarists with affordable yet high-quality Canada made instruments. They offer a number of parlor guitars, one of which is the Entourage Rustic Grand, carrying the same distinct design as other Seagull models, but with a smaller body.

Because of the parlor guitar shape’s more pronounced mids, many seem to market them as “loud” guitars. But the reality is, it can’t be louder due to physical limitations, however it can cut through an acoustic jam session because of the emphasized mids. Seagull took advantage of this by allowing the top to vibrate better using optimized internal bracing and soundhole design – so it really will seem louder, albeit without the boominess and bass of bigger bodied acoustics.

This compact guitar starts off with a solid cedar top that underwent what the company describes as pressure testing, the same process used on the tops of their other acoustic guitar models. While it may sound like marketing jargon, it does play an important role in giving Seagull Guitars a distinctively chimey and ringing tone. Straying from traditional flat top designs, the top of the Entourage Rustic Grand has a compound curve shape to enhance projection and resonance further.

The back and sides are crafted from 3-layer wild cherry, a locally sourced wood that’s a favorite of Seagull and Godin guitars. Since this one utilizes cedar, the resulting sound would be a bit warmer, which complements the already warm tone produced by the small body shape.

Another nifty feature implemented on the Entourage Rustic Grand is the “Integrated set neck”. It is described as having the neck optimized in position to get the right pitch and tone, and provide increased durability to reduce the risk of twisting and warping. It is topped by a 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with a nutwidth of 1.72″ and a scale length of 24.84″. Note that the neck meets the body at the 14th fret following modern acoustic guitar building methods. The bridge is also crafted from rosewood to match the overall rustic theme of the instrument.

This parlor guitar is wrapped in an elegant looking rustic burst finish, which makes it easily blend in with traditional furniture, or be the standout piece in case you’re living room has a more modern design. Finally, all of these features are available for a surprisingly reasonable price, at just under $380. My only complaint is the slim headstock design, which is more of a personal preference, but I’ve always been impressed by the sound and build quality of Seagull guitars that I’ve tried and heard.