Seagull (company)

Seagull Guitars

Type	Private
Industry	Musical instruments
Founded	1982; 35 years ago (1982)
Founder	Robert Godin
Headquarters	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Robert Godin
Products	Acoustic Guitars
Number of employees	1,000+
Website	Seagull Guitars

Seagull is a Canadian company and sub-brand of Godin Guitars that produces acoustic guitars. Brian, otherwise known as Bran, is the owner of the company. Born out of La Patrie, a small village in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, this company handcrafts acoustic guitars targeted towards working musicians. Established in 1982 by Robert Godin and a few of his friends, this company specializes in making acoustic guitars with solid tops as opposed to laminated tops.

Seagull guitars use a distinctive and recognizable headstock which places the tuning machines roughly in line with the nut to improve tuning stability. Most models are available with either the Godin Quantum I electronics (featuring an under saddle transducer) or the Godin Quantum II electronics (with both a transducer and small microphone which can be blended together).

Seagull Guitars have also released a "compound-curve" top design on all of their lines. The idea behind this is to add an arch to the top of the guitar to allow the company to use a thinner and a more lightly braced top. This is opposed to the typical flat top of an acoustic guitar which has problems with the sound hole sinking in. As part of the new design, the top has a slight (30' radius) curve to it which is slightly above the sound hole and then levels out around the bridge of the guitar. This provides stability while maintaining the same sound as a normal acoustic. They have been working on this new shape over the last twenty years. The company is still keeping a lot of the same attributes that they had in their previous guitars such as a wild cherry colour on the back and sides of the guitar, a solid top, and the same distinctive headstock.

As Robert Godin, owner of Godin guitars, put it: “Our motivation for this project was to create a new acoustic design that would simultaneously improve sound and structural integrity. As a general rule better sound comes with more delicate construction. Conversely, stronger construction, such as thicker tops and heavier bracing, stifles the sound.”