Seagull Entourage Rustic CW QIT Review – Another Stylish Seagull

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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When spending just under $500 on an acoustic guitar, chances are you’ll hear the name Seagull several times. For good reason – in this price range they expertly marry quality, value and a touch of premium. This Rustic CW QIT electro-acoustic from Seagull’s fairly-priced, Canadian-made Entourage series is looking like a fine choice for any player, regardless of style or ability.

Body And Neck

The Rustic CW QIT shows off classic Seagull style, with a large single-cutaway dreadnought body shape and 24.84” scale length. The top of the guitar is made of select solid cedar, with its familiar dark style and tight grain. Meanwhile, with cream double binding, the back and sides are crafted from equally attractive wild cherry, all with a relaxed ‘Rustic Burst’ thin semi-gloss finish to deliver a seriously vintage style. The very slim soft C-shaped set neck (featuring a two-way truss rod) is a joy to move up and down. Made from silverleaf maple, it feels smooth and ultra playable, with Seagull’s slim 1.72” nut width, which will be attractive to players with smaller hands. The neck is complemented with a nice rosewood fretboard and 21 easily-accessible frets, marked with simple dot inlays. Built in Canada, the craftsmanship is what you’d expect from a $500 guitar – pretty flawless, and a big step-up from some Asian-made models you find in lower price ranges.

Hardware

As an electro-acoustic, this fine guitar is loaded with Godin’s Quantum IT system, with saddle transducer pickup – a very simple but effective system. The stylish little control panel features straightforward controls – volume, treble, and bass – as well as a built-in digital tuner, with a handy auto shut-off function. Elsewhere, the Rustic CW QIT is fitted with six chrome tuners, that sit on Seagull’s distinctive tapered headstock, which splits decision – some guitarists aren’t keen on the shape, although it does offer good tuning stability and a straighter string pull. We like it! There’s also a rosewood bridge with a compensated Tusq saddle and matching nut, to give bone-like consistency and tone. The only slight negative is that there’s no gig bag or case included, although this really isn’t a deal breaker.

Sound

With good tonewoods and promising electronics, the Rustic CW QIT has all the ingredients for a good sound. And it doesn’t disappoint. The solid cedar is pressure tested to offer a warm tone that projects superbly, with consistency and plenty of articulation, while the wild cherry keeps the sound balanced. Plugged in, the Quantum IT system provides a rich reproduction of the guitar’s natural acoustic sound, with the simple control panel giving you some versatility on the tone (even though mids will need to be tweaked via an amp). Overall, very good marks for this Seagull’s sound.

Conclusion

The Entourage Rustic CW QIT is a real treat for beginners, intermediates and advanced guitarists alike. While retaining a price tag that doesn’t break the bank, this rustic electro-acoustic manages to offer excellent tonewoods, brilliant build quality and performance (mainly thanks to that slim neck), and a beautiful tone whether plugged in or played acoustically. It’s genuinely hard to fault at this price.

For more info about the Seagull Entourage Rustic CW QIT, click here.
For more acoustic guitar under $500 you might like, click here.