Seagull Entourage Rustic Guitar Review

Seagull might not be one of the guitar market giants like Fender or Gibson but the brand sure knows its stuff! It released its Entourage Rustic into the market about 15 years ago after its famous S6.

Now while the Entourage Rustic might not be the best guitar ever, it sure is a decent fetch.

In fact, in the $300 to $500 price range, this guitar has consistently come in second place in most reviews from customers and pros alike. It’s also worth mentioning that the it only comes in second place to the S6, its big brother also from Seagull.

In comparison to the S6, the Entourage Rustic is slimmer with a warmer and richer tone. But there’s a lot to find out about this wonderful guitar than these. So let’s get right to it.

The Seagull Entourage Rustic Guitar At A Glance – Is This Guitar For You?

The Seagull Entourage Rustic is a dreadnought sized guitar with a solid feel. The wood Seagull chooses for this guitar is obviously top-shelf from the top, to the neck, to the back and sides.

The top comes in pressure-tested cedar which ensures that your guitar comes in solid and durable. The sides and back come in Canadian wild cherry, while the neck is a quality Silver Leaf Maple.

As for the finish, this axe comes in semi-gloss which adds to the fancy look of this guitar.

So, all in all, there’s no question here. This is one elegant axe that you’ll be proud to carry around. And with the integrity of the materials on here, it will definitely last a long period of use.

But wait, that’s just on the surface level, there’s more we haven’t explored here. Come, let’s look a little closer.

The Entourage Rustic is made in North America which assures you of quality. It also comes with a double action truss rod, and a tapered headstock that helps you make stable and precise tuning. And let’s not forget the compensated saddle and the tusq nut that enhance the intonation of your axe.

As to sound, this is a bright-sounding guitar and that’s because the makers kinda added more treble than bass here. We do know a couple of people dig this kind of setup.  So, if that’s your gig, then you should seriously look into getting this axe.

Lastly, the Entourage Rustic comes with a thin neck which increases its playability since it makes the guitar easier to hold.

Now, the purpose of this summary is to give you an insight into this guitar so you can make a decision on this guitar. So, is this guitar for you? If yes, then keep reading.

Highlights Of The Seagull Entourage Rustic Guitar

Solid Craftsmanship

The quality of craftsmanship on the Entourage Rustic is obvious, especially for its price tag. Not many sub-$500 guitars actually come close to the Entourage Rustic in quality and build. And especially in the categories that matter most – sound and playability, this guitar is a catch for the price.

It almost looks like Seagull is doing a giveaway with this guitar.

It is true that many manufacturers try to avoid using wild cherry in making their guitars. And it’s for good reason too. Wild cherry does tend to tend to give the guitar a cheap, dull look and feel. However, Seagull uses it anyway but this time they go for the high-end wild cherry.

This high-end wild cherry makes your guitar look classy and also makes your guitar feel a bit lighter. So, you’ll definitely feel quite comfortable holding and playing this axe, especially beginners who haven’t built the required strength yet.

Still on the looks, the Entourage Rustic comes in a semi-gloss finish which is actually a bit of a downer. Most feel like this guitar’s semi-gloss finish feels kinda false because it’s quite thicker than it should be for a guitar.

But then again, we feel like it’s not such a huge deal since it’s obviously just a cosmetic flaw. We haven’t seen how the semi-gloss finish affects the tone of the guitar so, it’s passable for us. Moreover, the guitar maintains the same quality tone over time, so we feel we can overlook that.

Furthermore, playability here is on point as the neck is thin. We know how users with small hands to medium-sized hands usually have it hard getting a guitar they can use. The Entourage Rustic easily comes to the rescue with its thin neck.

Action

All guitars in the Entourage series actually come with a pleasant feel to them that only Seagull can deliver. Though they come at a sub-$500 price, they tend to feel and play like something within the $1000 price range category. Of course the Entourage Rustic also promises you that too.

The action here is fantastic stretching all the way into the 16^th fret.

Sound

There must have been some obvious meeting at Seagull headquarters after the release of its first guitar. Because the Entourage Rustic saw some serious upgrade which apparently also improved sound.

Did it have to do with a design upgrade or did Seagull just make it a point on the Rustic? We don’t know. All we know is that this sounds good.

The Entourage Rustic is a bright and cheerful guitar. Like we mentioned in the overview section, Seagull increased the treble over the bass here. So, the guitar does tend to give a rather bright sound.

Beginners might experience a real bummer the first few weeks as they might hit all the wrong notes. Of course, that will inadvertently make them sound awful which can be quite discouraging.

But if you’re a beginner getting the Entourage Rustic, then there’s your heads up. Just don’t quit because eventually, you’ll get the hang of it and the guitar will get easier to play. Once you’ve locked that down, then you can really begin to settle in and enjoy the feel, sound, and clarity on this bright-sounding axe.

Now, besides the beauty of the sound, a bright sound also has other benefits.

Many times, producers prefer bright, crisp tones accompanying their vocalists while recording a song to give a beautiful blend to their recording. In such situations, the Entourage Rustic makes a fine choice. It clarifies the notes and gives your chords a more enthusiastic and vibrant feel which give your song that quality you’re looking to achieve.

Slightly Arched Top

Perhaps what adds to the brightness of this tone again is the slightly arched top. By going for a slightly arched top rather than a flat surface, Seagull kills two birds with one stone. One, they make the Entourage Rustic automatically sturdier and more durable. Two, they improve the tone of the guitar.

Now, with an arched top, added to the fact that the top of this guitar is made of cedar, we can easily see why the sound here is so exceptional.

Apparently, there’s a whole lot that a simple-looking guitar can do for the user and the Entourage Rustic steady be proving that. Yeah, there’s still more to check out on this axe. Keep reading.

Also read: Seagull Entourage Acoustic Guitar Review

Playability

Without doubt, we can confidently tell you that the Seagull Entourage Rustic is one of the easiest guitars you’ll ever play. The thin neck here makes the ease of play enhanced by a lot especially for beginners and players with small hands.

A dreadnought can be a bit dreadful (pun definitely intended lol) for beginners to begin their guitar journey with due to size. But Seagull has done such people a huge favor with the design of this guitar.

It’s a guitar you can easily learn with. And even seasoned players are going to love it too, especially because it is so consistent.

Inconsistency is a real kill-buzz for most guitarists whether they are playing live or recording. Many times you’d have to change the guitar you’re using altogether and nobody enjoys that. Plus, let’s not forget how it messes up with the purity of your sound making your music come out pretty awful.

Well all that is done away with on the Seagull Entourage Rustic. It is consistent and will give you an optimum performance from start to finish.

Pros Of Seagull Entourage Rustic Guitar

Cons Of Seagull Entourage Rustic Guitar

Now here are some specs for those wanting some more technical details before deciding.

Seagull Entourage Rustic Specs

Conclusion

The Seagull Entourage Rustic is obviously a fantastic instrument with so much value for money. It delivers on design, build, and tone like few other guitars in its price category can.

Nonetheless, we understand that sometimes you might need more bass in your music. Sadly though, you won’t be able to get that here.

But if bright, warm sounds are your specs in the new guitar you’re looking to buy, then you’re on to something here. The Seagull Entourage Rustic makes a great choice.