Seagull Mini Jumbo Vs. Dreadnought Guitars

Seagull makes good guitars of all shapes and sizes, from small Parlors to dreadnoughts to mini jumbos. If it's a common guitar body style, Seagull makes it. Two of Seagull's more popular styles of guitars are their dreadnoughts and mini jumbos, according to SeagullGuitars.com. Both styles have a rich history in country and rock music, but the differences between the two styles is often unclear to the naked eye.

The word "dreadnought" was coined in early 20th century and referred to a large battleship, also used to describe these "oversized" dreadnought guitars. In the early 1900s, dreadnoughts were by far the biggest guitars on the market and took over the industry with their full and booming sound, according to MartinGuitar.com. Guitar players were used to the treble and balance of smaller guitars, but when dreadnoughts were introduced to country musicians, they began to catch on, often taking the place of a bass instrument because of their deeper sound. The guitars have been popular ever since.

Crafted in Quebec, Canada, Seagull's dreadnought guitars receive precision and balance in the manufacturing process. Seagull crafts most dreadnoughts with a 19.8-inch body length, 10.54-inch waist and a 4.9-inch body depth, according to Musician's Friend. The dreadnought, by measurement, is smaller than the mini jumbo, but by appearance, it is bigger because of its body length. While the dreadnought used to be the biggest and loudest guitar on the market, it has since been surpassed by jumbos and mini jumbos.

Mini jumbo guitars were derived from jumbo guitars (which were invented around the time dreadnoughts were). Jumbo guitars were even bigger than dreadnoughts and projected a large, round and tonal sound. Mini jumbos are built similarly but smaller. They have since become the modern jumbo guitars and still maintain their size advantage over the dreadnought, even though they aren't as big as the original jumbos were.

Seagull crafts its mini jumbo guitars with a Tusq nut that makes finger picking much easier. With an extremely tonal mid-range, it cuts through even the muddiest of recordings. Most Seagull mini jumbos have a 9.53-inch waist, 2-foot body length and a 5-inch body depth, according to Musician's Friend. With a deeper body, the mini jumbo wields a deeper sound than dreadnoughts.

If you play rhythm country music or want to replicate the sound of many of the classic American country music singers, a Seagull dreadnought is the best option for you. If you do a lot of finger picking or play folk music that requires a more prominent acoustic guitar, the mini jumbo is the guitar for you, according to VidGuitars.com.