Built by Canada’s Godin Guitars, Seagull instruments have long had a deserved reputation for their excellent value; they are among the most affordable steel-string guitars made in North America. And while the company’s legendary S6 is all about function, Seagull’s lineup now includes several models that take the basic design uptown with higher-grade woods and refined appointments.

With a solid spruce top and solid Indian rosewood back and sides, the Maritime SWS Rosewood has a dreadnought body and features a herringbone rosette, two-color binding, and semigloss finish. Our demo guitar included the optional Quantum 1 electronics package (which adds “QI” to the model designation), consisting of an undersaddle pickup and a side-mounted preamp with controls for volume, bass, and treble, as well as an onboard chromatic tuner.

The guitar impressed me with its rich, warm tone and great dynamic range, whether played with a pick or used for fingerstyle explorations. And played through an AER Compact 60 amp, the onboard electronics offered hassle-free amplification.

SPECS: Dreadnought body. Solid spruce top. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides. Bolt-on mahogany neck. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale. 1.72-inch nut width. Enclosed gold tuning machines. Quantum 1 electronics. Made in Canada. $899 street. seagullguitars.com.

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