Seagull, as a subsidiary of the Canadian premium Godin brand, specializes in top-value and near hand-made acoustic guitars. Their instruments often pass the quality tests, though, with many people confusing their models for a mid-level Taylor or Takamine option.

The Seagull Entourage Rustic is a mid-tier offering from the company. It hits the segment with superb quality, something we expect of the company.

Seagull is a leading branch in the mid-segment as well. That said, the Entourage Rustic Dreadnought guitar, as well as the S6 model, are some of the highest-rated acoustic guitars in the segment.

It’s hard not to recommend the model. Be that as it may, we must see what it brings to the table for intermediate and experienced players.

Currently, the Seagull Entourage Rustic sits among the top 5 best rated acoustic guitars on Amazon.

Before we go on, I have to add that Seagull also produces other guitar accessories like bags, as well as mandolins and ukuleles.

“Seagull guitars on the wall” by David Blaikie Derivative work: Guitarpop / CC BY 2.0 Seagull guitars are made in Canada, which is why they are hard to find outside of North America.

The Seagull S6, a similar offer, is known as the best mid-level acoustic guitar. Check the article for additional info about the brand. Moreover, use it to compare what the Seagull Entourage Rustic offers.

Contents

Seagull 046492 Entourage Autumn Acoustic Guitar Review

Since 2018, Seagull has replaced the Entourage Rustic for the Entourage Autumn guitar. The changes are minimal, though, most of them regarding the body colors.

That said, if you were looking for the Entourage Rustic review, you can consider the article as such. That’s because the follow-up guitar retains the same characteristics as the previous version.

Moreover, both guitars are part of the Entourage series guitar, but you wouldn’t be able to find the Rustic model anymore. More importantly, Seagull is no longer listing the Entourage Rustic on their official page.

Instead, we’re reviewing the 2020 Entourage model, which is the Entourage Autumn Burst. The Autumn represents an aesthetic change with the so-called “Autumn Burst” finish. There’re also some new features, including white binding, a new pickguard, and a shaded finish on the sides and back.

Still, it retains the tonewoods, measures, dreadnought shape, and overall design. And, overall, Seagull delivers loud and gorgeous guitars that can thrive on any occasion.

There’re two additional models on the Entourage series as well. These options are the Autumn Burst QIT, and the Burst CW QIT. Both models are acoustic-electric guitars.

About Seagull

Seagull is one of the various Canadian brands working under the Godin company umbrella. Recent years have represented several achievements for the company, as users now know their guitars to be extremely good and affordable.

Seagull uses a serious amount of handcraft process for their models. The Entourage Autumn shows how far can a quality build go for the price.

As a Canadian company, Seagull has access to a vast supply of top-tier tonewoods. They specialize in local timber rather than importing exotic hardwoods. Such is the case of the Entourage series, which means it uses Canadian threes like maple, wild cherry, and spruce.

Maple is one of the best hardwoods for acoustic and electric guitars. It’s properties allow for a richer sound, stronger projection, and extra durability.

Overview

Welcome to one of the sweetest acoustic guitars in the market. If you’re looking to sound professional and catch the eye whatever you play, the Autumn Burst is your go-to choice.

We’re looking at a Wild Cherry Dreadnought guitar with a maple neck, a smooth fretboard, four color options, and a top-tier finish.

Overall, any Entourage guitar represents rich and loud tones, superb construction quality, and clean aesthetics.

Build quality

The build follows the classic dreadnought body. Dreadnought guitars consist of a large body, square bottoms, and bold tones.

For materials, it has a solid “pressure tested” Spruce Top with layered Wild Cherry at the sides and back. For the neck, Seagull uses Silver Leaf Maple.

It’s an “Integrated Set Neck,” a typical feature of Godin Guitars, as well as of Seagull Guitars. That means the guitar was made as a whole, instead of gluing the neck and the body together. The resulting guitar is more resistant to climate changes, moist, and overall abuse.

On top of that, it provides a more consistent string action. Without any glue, the vibration and resonance of the frets are at 100%.

However, it’s a rather difficult piece to repair. You might want to check the warranty on the guitar before buying it.

Be that as it may, the rosewood fretboard has 21 medium jumbo frets with Mother of Pearl dot inlays. Back on the body, there’s extra aesthetic features like a tortoiseshell pickguard, a semi-gloss finish to darken the guitar, and a white finish on the sides.

In particular, Seagull calls the binding “Cream Double Binding” with a custom polished finish.

Lastly, I should add that the guitar comes with one strap button pre-installed. Oh, and don’t you forget either the Autumn Burst of the Rustic finish.

“Seagull S12 12-string guitar restringing” by Tim Walker from the United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0. All Seagull guitars use some level of hand-made craftsmanship. As you go for their premium offerings, you’ll find purely luthier-made options.

Sound quality

The sound of both the Seagull Entourage Rustic and the Seagull Entourage Autumn is something you need to check for yourself.

It’s hard to explain how good it is. It’s rich, bright, and clear. It’s also loud, with plenty of ring and livelihood. The properties of the wood also ring out thanks to the extra projection of the guitar, making the Entourage series sound warm and harmonious.

Overall, the sound is amazing. I don’t think you can get better than this on a dreadnought guitar. Especially not for a mid-level price.

Feel Quality

The playability of the Seagull Entourage series is right what you expect, and then some more.

Even if the company is not marketing the guitar as such, the Seagull Entourage Autumn and the Seagull Entourage Rustic are great acoustic guitars for beginners.

The string spacing is generous. It’s adequate for newbies to learn, as well as comfortable for experienced players to play chords, arpeggios, and solos.

With a nut width of 43mm, you get the standard dimension of acoustic guitars. That’s okay for most players to get started. Also, the guitar works especially well if you have thin or narrow fingers.

The scale is also slightly shorter than the fully-sized dreadnoughts. It’s a 24.84” scale guitar, instead of 25.5”. That makes it a superb first-timer guitar, certainly better than alternatives coming with laminated wood pieces.

Because of the nut width, though, finger players would need to practice on the guitar for a while to tame the instrument.

Strumming is perfect nevertheless. After all, the Seagull Entourage is a dreadnought guitar, which makes it better for all genres and styles.

The sturdiness and overall balance of the guitar is also something to point out. The weight is okay for newbies and experienced players alike. Kids might not want to play on the Seagull Entourage, but teenagers can like it better.

Hardware

As for hardware, we’ve got standard choices.

For example, there’s nothing special about the bridge. It’s a rosewood piece.

On the other side, die-cast tuning pegs can hold the guitar in tune but don’t expect anything crazy.

That said, the guitar is ready to play live, just as long as you play within limits. For example, don’t expect to down tune without having to change the strings.

Downside & set-up

The critical feature you might not like about the Seagull Entourage Rustic or Autumn is the setting. Advanced guitar players might need to tweak the string height and intonation before feeling comfortable.

Other than that, both options are playable right out of the box. Also, the sound is significantly above its price range.

That said, we could very well change some of its pieces. Replacing the bridge, nut, and tuning pegs could take the guitar to the Hall of Fame.

However, replacing the bridge, tuning pegs, or nut won’t improve the guitar significantly.

Variety

As I said before, there are two additional models within the Entourage series.

First off, we’ve got the Entourage Autumn QIT. It features a solid pressure-tested solid Cedar top, Wild Cherry on the sides and backs, and the same cream binding.

Aside from the slight changes in tonewoods, the guitar packs the Quantum I pickup system. It has a built-in tuner, a piezoelectric pickup, and an onboard EQ with Godin QI electronics.

The electronics and the control cluster can improve the response and the richness of the guitar.

The other option is the CW QIT. It features the same specs with a more premium finish.

Alternatives

Other brands are making excellent guitars at the Seagull Entourage price range. Unfortunately, we haven’t reviewed any of those options yet.

However, you could look for either the Yamaha FG or the Yamaha NTX series. Both offer proprietary design features that push their respective guitars to the top.

We reviewed the Yamaha FG800 and found the best budget-level acoustic guitar. On the other hand, the Yamaha NTX700 is a contender for a top-value acoustic-electric guitar.

Seagull Entourage Autumn Specs

Dreadnought body with dual cutaway
Pressure-tested Spruce top with layered Wild Cherry on the back & sides
Rosewood fingerboard and Silver Leaf Maple Integrated Neck
42mm nut
21 medium jumbo frets
24.84’’ scale

In summary

Why do I like the Seagull Entourage Rustic / Autumn?

Seagull is a trusted brand, and it shows. The Entourage Autumn Burst, as an upgrade over the Entourage Rustic, defines how much value and quality a mid-price tag can muster.

It’s a superb addition to experienced players, as well as an excellent beginner guitar for teenagers and adults.

Final Thought

The quality is exactly what you should expect from Godin, and so all buyers can be happy to pay for the guitar. Ultimately, it tops most guitars on its price range and sells with a premium feel no budget-level guitar can offer.

Jennifer Jones

Jen is a guitarist and singer-songwriter who spends much of her time on the road and has lived in 13 cities across 4 continents. She picked up her first guitar at the age of 6 and learned to play by ear shortly after. She received her formal music education at the Berklee College of Music, and currently plays for a few bands in her free time. She has an uncanny ability to improvise creative melodies and harmonies. Her early influences include blues, jazz and rock.