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Seagull Guitars M4 Merlin Mountain Dulcimer - Natural Reviews

4-string Diatonic Instrument with Solid Spruce Top, Rock Maple Body, Rock Maple Drive-through Neck, and Satin Finish - Natural

Looking for a new and unique instrument that's easy and fun to play? Seagull's dulcimer-inspired Merlin Natural Spruce SG definitely fits the bill. This ultra-compact, 4-string instrument has a diatonic fretboard making it quick and easy to start playing. The Rock maple body and neck offer superior tuning stability and base tone. Merlin's solid spruce top offers full-range tone and projection. A mustache-style Tusq bridge and saddle offer enhanced intonation for in-tune playing. Add a new twist to your musical instrument selection with the Seagull Merlin Natural Spruce SG!

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Highest Rated Reviews

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The Merlin Mountain Dulcimer Rocks!

By Charles M Letterman from White House, TN on October 10, 2023 Music Background: It's a hobby! I love the guitar and I'm learning the Bass now too (also bought from Sweetwater!).

The Merlin Mountain Dulcimer is a member of the Zither family called the Stick Dulcimer. The body of the Stick Dulcimer extends the length of the fingerboard and the fretting is diatonic.

It's fun, easy to learn, no wrong notes, compact, and will have you playing music in minutes. Indeed, within 5 minutes, I had already picked out "Wildwood Flower", with a touch of nostalgia from my days as a boy growing up in East Tennessee. A few minutes later "Dueling Banjos" was added to my list and the songs just kept growing. If you like, you can purchase music books that show the diverse chord patterns. Or, if you learn by ear, it is VERY easy to pick up.

This little dulcimer is great fun to pick while you are sitting in the rocking char outside at night. Irt will not disappoint.

And, of course it is backed by the Sweetwater guarantee and awesome customer service.

If you do not have an account manager, ask for Jonathan Appleton. He is great!

Happy pickin'!

Magical Mr Merlin

By Chaz from From PA on April 6, 2023 Music Background: Multi instrumentalist, home recording 40 years

Bought her,this sweet puppy Girl bout 10 years ago; Amazing instrument! The way she Looks, feels, Sounds, and plays-OUTSTANDING! SOUNDS & RECORDS BEAUTIFULLY;PLAY AROUND WITH DIFFERENT TUNING'S, YOU'LL

What a fun little thing.

By Aaron Black from FORSYTH, MO on January 18, 2023

I really like this. But, with my background being fully electronic music, I was always envious of musicians who could just take their instrument anywhere...no plugs, no cords, just acoustic and finger-powered. I bought this particular unit due the narrow neck width. I had my left wrist pretty mangled up in high school. So I've never been able to fret a full-sized neck. This is perfect and I have no problem fretting any note. This is well-built in Canada. It's of quality construction and has a very warm sound. I have no reason to believe that it will last me less than a lifetime. And, if not...hey, it wasn't too expensive to start with. I bought this having never played a guitar. But, being diatonic, it's really difficult to play in an absolutely terrible-sounding way. So far, it's easy to learn, even for a non-guitarist. I'm trying different picks right now. And it seems to do well with just about every gauge except the heaviest. But, I usually use a thin indoors so I don't anger the neighbors. I like the sound of a thicker pick if I'm playing outdoors. It also sounds good strumming or finger picking. It's just a great little instrument to play around with and try new things. I love the sound and really look forward to improving my skills.

Amazing mr Merlin

By Chaz from Pa on September 14, 2022 Music Background: Guitarist, singer, multinstumentalist ,home recording for 40 years

Wow what an amazing sounding instrument!!! I play acoustic & electrics, bass also...have always loved blues/country & western, Appalachian bluegrass, Texas swing...this is one magic Merlin for me!!! Amazing, spine tingling dulcimer and mandolin sounds...top notch workmanship & quality!!! Records amazingly beautiful ...my next one will be your dark Cherry silver Maple Cherry sunburst dradnaught beauty...no doubt... amazing sounds and quality, nothing from Asia et Al can hold a candle to what you guys are producing.... impeccable, gorgeous

M4 review

By Leo Coveris from Bas Lake,IN. on December 22, 2020 Music Background: Guitar player for over 60 years

What a totally awesome instrument!!! For a small compact string instrument the tone and volume is unique. Seagull did a great job in the construction of this fine Dulcimer. Very easy to play,and the fretting is very wide.I highly recommend this instrument for players of all levels.

New instrument

By Sweetwater Customer on August 9, 2020

Great sound

Fun and entertaining

By Jesse Plemons from Beaufort, SC on March 15, 2020

I bought it because it seemed interesting and it was cheap. I had fun with it but once I tuned it to CGC I had a blast. I do come from a metal background. DGC did not work in my opinion(so no Mötley crüe on the edited version of a dulcimer). The maple smells great. I give it a hoot and a half

Seagull M4 Merlin

By JCL from New York on December 27, 2019 Music Background: Pro musician

Although we are guitarists, it's still fun to play with these! You cant make a mistake either! I suggest checking out youtube so you can familiarize yourself!

Seagull Merlin m4 dulcimer

By Bill Williams II from Burns,Oregon on April 10, 2019 Music Background: Play a little geetar

Great little dulcimer hybrid. Sounds really good, fairly loud and well crafted. Made in Canada. Was really close to being in tune...DADD. Easy to play, cant really make a bad note. Well Done Canada!! Thanks again to Sweetwater for all their Wonderful Help.

Seagull M4 spruce top

By Sweetwater Customer on January 3, 2019

Received the M4 in excellent condition. Was even properly tuned! Only slight defect was incomplete sanding of a very small part of the inner edge of the sound hole. I am 81 and this is my first musical instrument since a few piano lessons more than 70 years ago. I like the simplicity and sound of the M4 and so far I am playing Mary Had a Little Lamb. Next is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Too much fun

By Ron Rosenbaum from Albany, CA on April 15, 2018

What a delightful surprise. Played it at a jam the same day I received it. Easily was able to play leads.

Great Mountain Dulcimer

By Daniel Losgar from Northeastern, PA on November 18, 2017 Music Background: Casual Musician

Awesome acoustic instrument recently purchased here as a gift. The build quality is really good and the tone is amazing. 'Purchased the Seagull Gig Bag with it along with some extra strings.

As always, Sweetwater's Robert Williams took great care of my order...They're all customer service experts!

Thanks!

Fun little instrument!!!

By RIck from Kingsport, TN on June 13, 2016

This is a well built little instrument and so much fun to sit around and play. I already had the Mahogany Merlin and wanted the Natural Spruce to compare them. I have guitars and mandolins, but since getting the Merlin, I just want to play them. They're VERY addictive. Don't get one unless you can handle sitting around picking it for a couple of hours at a time, without getting tired. Strings are easy to fret and last forever. I added a strap and pick guard. Sweetwater was so helpful in the purchase. I had ordered two from a competitor and both were returned because of rattle. At that time, I didn't know Sweeter stocked the Merlin in the natural spruce, since it did not show online. Upon calling them, I found that they did stock the spruce. The salesperson was so helpful, you would have thought I was purchasing a $10,000 instrument. Tuning is D-A-DD and it puts you in mind of the sound that John Hartford had when he played banjo. If, or shall I say when you order one, be sure to get the Seagull Merlin gig bag. It's about $20 and is great for storing the instrument. Be sure to order from Sweetwater, they're second to none and go the extra mile to see that you get what you're looking for.

Affordable Quality

By Peter Heisler from Hayward WI USA on November 27, 2014 Music Background: Playing bass for 50 years.

I love to shock my friends with the stuff I try to play. Still trying to learn anything else but my first love (Bass) This quality instrument seems to be working! People are amazed at it's workmanship and the fact it isn't made in China. (Don't get me wrong some of my favorite bases were made in China.) Sweet deal from Sweetwater.

Affordable Quality

By Peter Heisler from Hayward WI USA on November 27, 2014 Music Background: Playing bass for 50 years.

I love to shock my friends with the stuff I try to play. Still trying to learn anything else but my first love (Bass) This quality instrument seems to be working! People are amazed at it's workmanship and the fact it isn't made in China. (Don't get me wrong some of my favorite bases were made in China.) Sweet deal from Sweetwater.

Seagull Merlin

By Patrick McElligott from rural northwestern oregon on August 3, 2014 Music Background: longtime guitarist

an amazing instrument! So much sound from such a thin bodied acoustic.
And, a whole new way to play dulcimer. Looks like an exotic guitar style instrument, sounds like a dulcimer, tunes like a dulcimer. I picked the spruce option, and the sound is amazingly resonant and pure. Another home run from the Seagull family of instruments, and incredibly easy to play. For an extra treat, play it with a slide.

A true delight

By Diane from Upstate NY on October 28, 2020 Music Background: singer, acoustic bassist, baritone and concert ukulele, stick dulcimer

I truly love my new Seagull M4 Merlin, the Spruce Top Mountain Dulcimer—tuned in D. It's a great hybrid between mandolin-esque, banjo-like, and, of course, hammer dulcimer, with the lightweight feel of a baritone ukulele and the true "vibe" and tone of itself, alone. Like other reviewers, I must add that the sound hole was not properly sanded, and the finish is not exactly as advertised, hence the 4 1/2 stars instead of 5. Case is a great fit, except for the velcro strap that is too loose to really hold the neck in place firmly, but, overall, it is well made and does the trick. The kittens are enjoying the serenading. A terrific and beautiful instrument. Thanks, Seagull, and thanks, Sweetwater. Now, I have to decide if I want to get a Mahogany one—tuned in G! I also really love that the wood is local.

Wonderful.

By Sweetwater Customer on July 11, 2020

I just got my Merlin today and I have fiddled with it for hours. It is fun and sounds wonderful. I've sung in my life but never much played an instrument. I've tested with pianos and guitars, but I got this because it seemed to be an easier intro into playing an instrument. I love it!

It came a bit out of tune, but that was an easy fix. The design and feel are simplistic yet beautiful. Also there is no clear coat or anything so it looks more rustic or something than shiney. Shipping was a breeze and it arrived two days early!!

The only reason I didn't give a full five stars is because it still is slightly rough for me to learn because of the spaces of the frets being so long. Warning for people with small hands like me, it may time some time for us to stretch out fingers out, haha!

Great fun to play, with a few minor problems

By Peter M. from Chicago suburbs on May 31, 2020 Music Background: Enthusiastic amateur musician for 50 years on multiple fretted instruments

This instrument, a cross between a parlor guitar and a mountain dulcimer, is lots of fun to play. It is a diatonic rather than a chromatic instrument, so it's like playing only the white keys on a piano. But that limitation is part of the charm of both the mountain dulcimer and the Merlin. The Merlin is surprisingly loud for such a small bodied instrument. Dulcimer players note: you will have to reverse chords that you know, because on the Merlin the bass string is closest to your face when playing, while on a dulcimer the treble strings are closest to your face.

My only concern is that the fit and finish leave something to be desired. My instrument had a few rough edges of wood around the sound hole. There are no side position markers on the neck. I also found that I had to choke up my grip on a pick to avoid hitting the top of the Merlin, because the strings are so close to the body.

Those minor quibbles aside, it's hard to play a wrong note and it's a blast to pick out old time music tunes. I also bought the optional gig bag, which is high quality and fits the Merlin perfectly. I haven't had this much fun for the money spent in a long time.

Addictive little instrument

By Marble River from New England on November 20, 2016 Music Background: Acoustic string band and rock cover band

I can't put this thing down! It is limited to the key of D (if you use standard mountain dulcimer tuning), but that just tests your ability to improvise. I have the spruce top model, and it is amazingly loud for it's diminutive size; the tone reminds me of an open-back banjo a little, but it has it's own voice. I took off a half-star just because of a slight blemish on the upper bout, but it doesn't affect the tone or playability at all. If you're considering getting one, just do it. Only $, you can't lose. Sweetwater service is 5 stars, as usual.

Merlin Magic

By Candyman from California on October 25, 2014 Music Background: guitarist

I love Seagull/Godin products. I was looking through the Sweetwater catalog and ran across this interesting item. I have an old lap dulcimer so thought this would be cool alternative.

It sounds amazing, it's fairly simple to play, and the quality is great. I can play this thing forever and have a strong desire to watch Deliverance! The maple instrument is twangy and sounds a bit like a banjo.

What would be nice is if it had a few more frets and there was more of a protective finish. I kind of want to put a clear coat protective layer on it.

I love my Merlin.

This is just plain fun

By Sweetwater Customer on September 30, 2016

For the price, which is pretty cheap for a quality instrument made in Canada, I debated giving it 4.5 stars. This is just plain FUN to noodle around with. You can work out the melody to common songs pretty easily and even chord of course.

The reason I gave it a lower rating is that I'd like to see more frets to expand the playing range of the instrument. That's no knock on it and you can do a lot with it, but it could be even more. It's still great and hence I gave it a great rating. It's a quality instrument not cheap unlike the price. You could bring it to jam with friends and play around. Not sure how "serious" anyone will be with these but man they are fun!

Merlins

By Sam from Indianapolis on April 15, 2016 Music Background: Indy Indie musician

This instrument is a lot of fun and hard to put down. Haven't had the opportunity to travel with it yet but that was the main reason I bought one. The sound is bright and not overly bold. All that being said I give it a 3.5 out of 5 for a few reasons. The finish is non existent, and the open face tuners give it a nice look but they aren't very good.

Whenever you pay 129 dollars for an instrument that's the sort of thing you'd expect. Overall it's worth adding to your collection and is a fun time to play. Buy the Merlin gig bag for 20 bucks through sweetwater like I did to protect the little guy!

Seagull Merlin

By Mike from Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin on May 6, 2015 Music Background: Hobbiest

Nice sound and easy to make music with. I ordered the Merlin this past Saturday and it was delivered the following Tuesday which is great service from Sweetwater. I used the instrument last evening to play duets with my wife as she played the mountain dulcimer. It had a nice sound, good action and was easy to play using tablature in my wife's dulcimer music books.

I would have given the Merlin five stars except for the misleading information on the finish. Parts of the Merlin appear to have never gotten close to finishing sandpaper and it is advertised as having a "satin" finish. It definitely doesn't have a gloss finish. IN fact, it appears to have no finish on it. I have several ukuleles with satin finish on them. The Merlin's finish is an embarrassment to a fun little instrument.

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