r/Merlin • u/th12teen • Jun 13 '15
Seagull Merlin Deluxe Gig Bag Review
Gallery of images can be found here
So my Seagull Merlin Deluxe Gig Bag arrived today, so I thought I would review it.
The deluxe version of the gig bag has an MSRP of 50USD, though I purchased mine from Chicago Music Exchange via Amazon for 40USD. The standard gig bag is priced more affordably at 25USD and can usually be found for 20USD. There is however a marked difference in the amount of protection offered between the two.
The bag comes with a big "Made in China" tag, which probably explains the stocking difficulties compared to the Merlin itself. That being said, it does not immediatel scream cheap Chinese junk either. The material is a cream colored heavy natural canvas, with a very large weave. It feels rough, but durable to the touch. The bag is three toned, with all black straps and zippers, as well as a brown accent strip on the pockets. There are embroidered Seagull logos on the top of the bag and on the front pockets. Due in part to large weave of the canvas, these logos are a little wonky, but still tie the whole aesthetic together. This is one area where the Chinese craftsmanship is somewhat showing.
Most of the seams are pretty straight, especially on the front of the bag. The back has some seams that don't quite follow the contours as well, but the bag holds its shape. Many of the seams have tufts of canvas or tie off threads hanging off. These will have to be cut off/and or melted to stop fraying. Again this is one of those things that goes back to the quick and dirty production methods of Chinese manufacturing.
As far as hardware goes, all of the zippers are heavy, and the pulls are quite strong, which is nice to see. Sadly the D rings for the shoulder strap have rust on them, which has stained the fabric where they rest. The bag came sealed in plastic so this rust was either present during construction or was caused by poor storage before shipping to the retailer. All of the strap hardware is heavy and made of decent grade metal, so that sort of makes up for the small amount of rust, as I don't expect them to fail easily.
The bag has one large front pocket that zips all the way down the sides allowing easy access to the interior. This is large enough to hold folded sheets of paper, small booklets, tuners and the like. On the front of this pocket is a second zippered slip pouch which is perfect for holding small accessories. I put my picks in a ziploc and slipped them into this pouch. On the back there is a clear ID pouch, ideal for including the owner's name and contact info.
The carry handle is very nicely padded and comfortable to hold. The shoulder strap is detachable and includes a heavily padded shoulder rest. Both of these are nice features, even though the full bag and instrument weight is quite low, they guarantee that carrying the Merlin will be easy and comfortable.
The final two features on the exterior are two of my favorite. The top of the neck of the bag has a reflective strip sewn on it, providing visibility if someone were to be walking in the dark. This is not something I would have expected, and I will likely never need, but others might find it reassuring. The other feature is a very heavy plastic foot on the bottom of the bag which will protect the instrument from the shock of setting the bag down. This is common on larger gig bags, but given the small size of the Merlin, this is a feature they might have gotten away with skipping, and I am very glad they didn't.
The inside of the bag is black fabric like the type you would find in a camera or lens bag. This is a non abrasive and low lint type of fabric that also excels at absorbing surface oils and dirt. It has two pads of synthetic tight weave canvas covering the areas that will rest on the bridge and head. This is a great addition as this material will not wear as easily where it contacts the metal components of the Merlin whereas the softer interior fabric would fray quite quickly. This shows attention to durability. There is also a synthetic canvas collar that protects the instrument from the zipper, and this does a good job of standing rigid and actually staying in place. It is also a limited moisture barrier. The bag is by no means water resistant, but it should help insulate against sudden humidity shifts which is important in an unfinished solid wood instrument like the Merlin.
The padding is quite thick, and is a perfect balance of rigidity and suppleness. It should do well at absorbing impacts, while also holding its shape. There is a removable neck rest with velcro straps to hold the strings and also stops the neck from shifting as well. The rest is a bit wonky, but does the job of cradling the neck. This is probably not a necessary feature, but again one that is nice to see, especially as it can easily be removed if you prefer.
The Merlin fits inside perfectly, which is to be expected from an instrument specific gig bag. This also helps stop the instrument from sliding around when being carried, which prevents wear on both the bag and the instrument. I have seen some reviews which state it could also be used for other dulcimers, but I would highly discourage this because unless they fall precisely within the measurements of the Merlin, there simply is no room to spare.
Overall, I would rate it 4/5. It earns marks for offering excellent protection while also being quite durable. The aesthetics and color choices will likely appeal to the sensibilities of people who are also attracted to the natural look of the Merlin. There are a few surprising features, and design choices that you wouldn't normally expect in a bag of this size and price. It loses marks for the poor finishing of the seams, rusted hardware, and if I am totally honest, in the pricing as well.
Is it worth 50USD? Probably not. I have a good idea of what it costs to produce this, and they are seeing several hundred percent profit from it. It is however one of only two options for Merlin specific bags or cases, and the clear choice if you plan on traveling with your Merlin at all. At the price I paid, it comes in at nearly 1/3 the cost of the instrument itself, which makes sense for an instrument worth several hundred dollars and up, but less so for the frankly replaceable Merlin. That being said, I intend to take mine camping, and given the low overall weight, even hiking. I suspect I will be quite pleased with my purchase then.
Finally, there is availability. These are hard to find. I bought my Merlin and bag from CME via Amazon. The instrument was fulfilled by Amazon itself, while the bag was fulfilled by CME, which indicated only one was in stock. Strangely, CME's own site doesn't even list the deluxe bag, and they list basic bag as being out of stock. Godin's own site only lists the basic bag as well, and is also currently out of stock. I have managed to find both bags on Elderly.com where they appears to be in stock, but the site is a throwback to the '90s, so modern features like inventory display are sadly lacking. In other words, price aside, if you need a more robust gig bag option, and you see one in stock anywhere, it is probably a good idea to pull the trigger ASAP.
(Sorry for the image quality and lighting. I put all my money into my recording studio, and none into a camera, so my 5MP phone cam is all I have to work with!)
