Seagull Merlin Spruce M4 - Sound Test

NOTE: If you're trying to make a purchase decision between the spruce top and mahogany top Merlin M4, we have an even better sound comparison video to check out. And if you are purchasing soon, we'd appreciate you considering us ;-)

Seagull Merlin M4 Spruce Sound Test | Video Transcription

Hello, Friends! Wanted to give you a quick auditory run-through on this Seagull Merlin M4 branded stick dulcimer. This is a spruce top one. This is a four string model. I want to make sure to point out a couple things about this one before I give you a sound test, because this is a totally different type of stick dulcimer guitar from the "pickin' stick" or Strumstick varieties that most people seem to know.

This has only one octave of frets with no flat seven. It is four strings, four tuners at the top, because the top string, the top string is doubled so you still play it the same way. It's a much wider body back here and the strings actually go through, and it uses slightly different strings than your Strumsticks will. [Shop Seagull Merlin strings!]

Anyway let me let me know that you hear it we'll do a little bit of a melody part first. I'm going to use my thumb which is a warmer tone.

Alright, that was much warmer than it can be if I use a little bit more of a fingernail to it, so...

Or if I use a pick it gets even brighter and...

Yep, so there's the melody aspect of it. Now the great thing about these instruments is, and with all dulcimers, the lowest string and the highest string are tuned the same, in this case it's D A D, so whatever you play on the high string, you can play on the low string instead.

[Learn more about the Seagull Dulcimer vs a standard Mountain Dulcimer!]

So you can play all of your same songs on the low string. But the nice thing about this that's kind of fun, it gives you a little bit more of a musical expression option, is that the low string is easier to bend. Now you could certainly try and bend the upper strings, but in this case it's got two of them, so it's difficult. It's less predictable than the low string. I just like to point that out because I feel like it gets overlooked and it gives a lot more musical expression. Same thing is actually true of the middle string.

So there you go that's with the lighter gauge pick. Now I'm going to try and do a little chord action for you.

There's D, G, A, B minor. You could also play B minor here.

Now that gives you four chords and those four chords will get you through 90% of music out there, I kid you not.

So, what does it sound like?

The heavier pick makes me want to be a little bit more rhythmic, lets me dig in more, and be more aggressive, so it projects even more. Or I could just go to town jangling...

The way you can play melody would be a little bit more aggressive, too, so here's one that a lot of people love.

That's the chord side of things, again, play the melody real quick on "Twinkle, Twinkle." I don't even need to keep going. It just projects so much more when you've got a heavier pick, so just keep that in mind when you're thinking about how you want to approach the instrument. No particular way you have to do it, it's just really about having some options and really enjoying what you're doing.

That is really all I had to say. I wanted to make sure that you heard it, saw it, spruce top Seagull Merlin M4 stick dulcimer guitar, we also have them in mahogany.

I did forget to mention that this is a strap that comes with all of them and we want to make sure that you can play on the go, that you can have an easy time holding it, so the straps come with our instruments, and… Enjoy... being musical.

Play. Have fun. Thanks.