guitar test : Yamaha FG730s vs Seagull S6 sound samples

[Softrockman]

Having larger hands / longer fingers I chose and bought the Seagull S6 Cedar because of the wider fret board, much easier for me to play and I preferred the brighter sound, is it me or does it sound louder than other similar priced acoustics?

[KRPunK77Guitarist]

Yamaha has more clarity, more bass and treble, but sacrifice mids. the S6 is basically the same except boxier

[Pinoyako11705]

Yamaha definitely has more, not much, but noticeablely more bass, while the Seagull trades it for more treble.

[TheXxAfflictionxX]

They sound the virtually the same i want the seagull but i only have 200 is the yamaha good

[xjerryc2x]

Go Seagull go!! I just got my performance CW! Sounds awesome!!!

[bidyutmuk]

Clearly, Cedar top S6 has a very mellow & soft tone, which is really great... sounds like a guitar should.

Yamaha, in comparison, is a tad bit towards brighter & more metallic, acoustically...

Now its all down to personal preference :)

[7hotfuzz7]

I've had the Seagull S6 over a year now, and it has never disappointed me. Many people believe that the Yamaha is better for strumming chords, but i beg to differ. If you have decent strings, the S6 sounds incredible. The fingerpicking is beautiful and it is easier, in my opinion, because of the wider string spacing. The cedar/cherry combo is a unique sound that you can use for any situation. Alternate tunings sound so amazing its hard to even describe. You get 3X more for what you pay.

[watsonvillian]

What it came down to me on these two models was the nut width. For a person with smaller hands like me who wants a great sounds the FG is the model to go with. Even the slim neck Seagull's are somewhat uncomfortable to me. They sound beautiful though. Very bright and great for finger picking. The Yamaha though fits smaller hands well, and makes chord progression easy. I love their sound of mine. Just got it.

[mesaman666]

The seagull has a little more mid and bottom end which I like better, it's great for just strumming away and the volume is unbelievable for an acoustic....I like the look of it with the tapered head however the body is a little bulky but you get that with the bigger sound....the yamaha is a little more tinny sounding but still excellent

[SpaceShipRuthie]

I prefered the Seagull, the Yamaha wasn't offensive at all though. It did start to bell a bit at the end. That ringing just drowns out the individual notes being played, unlike the Seagull which didn't do that at all.

[cosmiblue1027]

I prefer the Seagull overall. In the strumming section, the Yamaha does have more "shimmer". However, in the last comparison, you can clearly tell how the Seagull sounds superior with the finger picking.

[colinadequate]

ive been an amateur guitar player for many years but i feel like ive improved so much with my seagull s6, it feels like the highest quality instrument. This brand of guitar has me for life

[wksoh]

The seagull is richer and more mellow. Clear winner for me.

[JasonCole1369]

Nice comparison, thanks! I actually own both of these guitars, and my take on it is that the Seagull is more midrangy and better suited to finger picking, while the Yamaha has more bass and high end shimmer, which is well suited to strumming chords. If these two guitars were electric guitar amps, the Seagull would be a Marshall Plexi, while the Yamaha would be a Fender Twin. I think both guitars are good, it really depends on how and what you like to play.

[iStyleZ415]

a fg700s will be better than the 730!

[jun19020987]

@iStyleZ415 I do agree to this statement, I did try the 700s and 730s and 700s is a lot more friendly user with rich tone, however the 730s has a really clean warm tone. In fact, I placed an order and decided to go with Fg730s my personal preference and I like the Tobacco finish personally. Overall both GUitars are great for the price I would pay $50 more for both. Let's just all have fun and enjoy these guitars!!

[ABadDream81]

my vote goes to seagull. if not mistaken, the s6 has a thinner finish than the fg and i believe it affects the sound. had an old s6 once, just knocking the top with my fingernail left a visible dent on the surface

[borrowmeadolla]

I'm calling the yamaha out for being in posession of a vagina, cuz that thing is pussy.

[watsonvillian]

@borrowmeadolla millions of people disagree. It pretty much took popular guitar honors this year as the most favorite guitar.

[sasdori01]

i prefer the seagull. it sounds like theres "more there" if ya know what i mean. like not nescisarily thicker or louder just more punchy

[Swedishpersondude]

Yamaha sounds better to my ears :D

[deCaramelCoffee]

i like the seagull better :D

[akapellatoronto]

Great video, thanks for posting! I'm amazed at how accurate this video is! I spent an hour playing these two today: I prefer the look of the Yamaha, but I preferred the sound of the Seagull and found its craftsmanship to be superior (bought the Seagull). It just had this brilliant warm resonance and amazing sustain. It sounded better than a $520 Martin DX1 (tho the $580 Taylor 110 sounded a bit crisper). Having tried everything in the <$500 range, the Seagull is definitely the best value IMHO

[rishiboi]

seagull sounds a tad brighter but not hugely so. the yamaha's much better value though... like most yamaha stuff in general.

[akapellatoronto]

@rishiboi The Seagull costs exactly $20, mostly due to the high-quality Tusq nut and sadle (as found in high-end Taylor's). This is an essential piece of the guitar and it would cost you about twice that if you tried upgrading the Yamaha, so the Seagull is actually better value. I spent over an hour scrutinizing both of these guitars today, and found the Seagull had better sustain and a fingerprint-resistant finish. I also preferred the way the Seagull sounded, but that is purely subjective!

[akapellatoronto]

@rishiboi I also forgot to mention that the Seagull has a double action Truss rod (adjusts both ways) unlike the Yamaha. Anyone who has maxed out the adjustment will know the value of this. When you take all the differences in account, the FG730 ($330) seems over priced. Check out the FG700 - much better deal ($200) - essentially the same as an FG730 without some of the pointless frills. The S6 Cedar ($350) & Spruce ($380) are higher level guitars compared to the Yamahas, and priced accordingly.

[raumfahrerralf]

@akapellatoronto thanks for the extra information.

Here (France) the prices are a little bit higher than those you give, particularly for the seagull. The seagull s6 cedar original is usually sold around 410 euros and the yamaha fg730s 330 euros.

[MrIzzPizz]

Wow, nice video with the pictures and everything! Big help! (Sorry for bad English)

[TheStarbull]

I'd go with the Seagull. I've played both and the S6 just sounds a little more balanced to me. The Yamaha definately has a brighter sound but can get downright "brassy" when strummed hard. Both guitars are very nice instruments and it just comes down to what you like. Can't go wrong with either one.

[rurounisld]

i like yamaha's brighter sound but this is a matter of taste i guess.

anyway icant say wich is better unless i play them both

great work btw

[rurounisld]

i like yamaha's brighter sound but this is a matter of taste i guess.

anyway icant say wich is better unless i play them both

[jmccross666]

A worth while comparison considering both are considered "the best" guitar under $500. I bought an S6, loved it, then found a steal on CL for a Yamaha 730. I own both. The S6 and 730 have an equally fantastic sound. I dig them both...equally. Not better, just different voices. The Seagull has more clarity when picking notes or finger-style and a louder bottom end. The 730 has the almost "electric" vibe when strumming that is something else and it is brighter (spruce). Buy both ..

[zhapper2002]

I like the sound of the yamaha. it has a richer and cleaner sound :)

[hXcHipHop]

Yamaha makes the best guitars for the money. Anything under $500, go yamaha.

[pattiny04]

Is that last song you played Cat Power's "Love to Be Silly?" I love that song and have been looking for a tab. Any idea where I might find one? Thanks.

[raumfahrerralf]

@pattiny04

No it's "oh Papa" by Libba Cotten / taught by Stefan Grossman / played by sinopsycho.

Sorry, can't help you with "Love to be silly", I just listened to this song though and it does sound REALLY similar. Find the tab to "Oh Papa", it might give you ideas :) (we had it from the dvd "Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques" by Grossmann, but the tab is probably out there somewhere.

[94Telecaster]

the s6 sounds a bit better, so nice and warm. the yamaha sonded great though, you just cant beat the s6 in the 400 dollar range.

[ValleysOfSaturn]

Strumming sounds much warmer and mellower on S-6 to me.

FIngerpicking is hard to tell...

[Xcalith]

Be sure to set the video to 720p before comparing.

[SENSEBE77]

Seagull all the way

[sharkhead7854]

There's something about it.... sounds like the Yamaha had newer strings when you did the test. There's a bit of a sound difference in the guitars themselves, but the strings too.... I may be wrong though. Either way, they both sound great!

[sinopsycho]

@sharkhead7854 No, we changed the strings the same hour on both guitars

[DoorMat444]

great video! It's very close between the two. Not sure I can even decide!

[raumfahrerralf]

@DoorMat444 thanks. Indeed the guitars sound very similar and although there is a slight difference it is hard to say which is which on a blind-test. It is even harder to say one is better than the other.

[sinopsycho]

great video