Seagull 039227 Merlin Spruce SG Dulcimer 4-String Diatonic Instrument

Beautifully made in Canada by Godin Guitars, a highly regarded maker. Tons of fun: portable packable, unique sound, and easy to play. Perfect for beach /campfire. Plenty of volume even without a pick. Fun way to work on chord theory with a e-tuner. If bass string is quite a stretch for you on 3-finger chords, you can use barre, inversion, or 2-finger partial. Before putting aside for long time, loosen tension on strings to preserve neck for years to come (no truss rod). Older models on eBay (risky) may have bowed necks, high action. Enjoy

Love my Merlin! Super easy to play. Plenty of videos on YouTube to learn different tuning, chords, and full songs.

This is simply an amazing sounding instrument. I was surprised when I opened the box and picked the Merlin up out of the box, it is extremely light weight. When I strummed the strings I couldn't believe that this size of a instrument could have such a loud sound. The strings were very close to already being tuned just a little twist of the peg heads and it was tuned and ready to play. It holds tune very well. It is made very well. The neck is smooth and your fretting hand slides easily. It's fun to play because just about anything you do sounds good. I think anyone would enjoy playing the Merlin.

For the price, this is a fun instrument to have at hand.

Thank you very much. Please keep up the good work.

Just the most fun to play around with. I’m a guitar/string player and this little instrument is really fabulous! All the reviews of all the happy people saying to buy it- yes- buy it! It’s the most fun you can have for less than 150 bucks!

Hard to sound bad with this thing. If you know what you’re doing you’ll have a ball. If you don’t, you’ll think you’re better than you are. Great instrument to discover the joy of making your own music. String a few words together and head to Nashville. Worth the price.

I am extremely satisfied with my Merlin. It is very well made. I love the unique sound it offers. I have been playing ,and enjoying it every day, it has been a great addition to my collection. The only downside was the quality of the factory installed strings which I quickly replaced.

Well made and very nice to hold. Fun and comfortable to play. Would highly recommend this instrument to anyone who loves making music.

War ein Geschenk für meinen Mann. Wunderschöner, spezieller Klang, sehr schön verarbeitet. Ein Schmuckstück! Schnelle Lieferung, riesiges Parket, also gut verpackt ;)

Having tried one out at a family gathering my son saved for six months to buy this for himself. It's really easy to get to grips with, sounds much pleasanter as a learner than some of the other instruments we have. Lovey quality instrument

This was an impulse buy I won't regret. So much fun to play... Hesitated between spruce and mahogany, and finally picked the spruce top. I think this was a good choice for me. Bright distinctive sound can be heard on top of other instruments. Surprisingly loud for such a small instrument. Tried it with a neck pick-up, mixer with pre-amp and small keyboard amp, and sound was great. Strings are new so frequent tuning expected in the first little while. Instrument is very light so small paracord string can serve as strap. Great to take camping or on the road. The only negative thing would be the size of the neck which could have been a bit more generous width-wise (larger string has a tendency to roll-off the edge - but that could be my "technique" or lack thereof). Also, limited range (2 octaves). But adding range could result in a larger instrument which may not be as easy to play... Of course, you are limited in the keys in which you can play, but that is inherent to the design of this type of instrument. Altogether, I would recommend this product to anyone who wants to experiment with rythms and sounds, from beginners to more advanced musicians, and anyone who wants to learn a string instrument and finds a guitar too intimidating. I was not paid or provided any consideration for this review. I just wanted to share my views to help other potential buyers make a purchasing decision.

The trouble is finding a suitable tuning app that isn't expensive and charges by the month. Overall, the instrument sounds pleasing and is very lightweight, which can be ideal for someone who travels and/or weight is a burden. It comes with a booklet that 'explains' the chording and has several 'simple' tunes, but I cannot understand it. I cannot read music, so I just play the M2 as 'experimental,' rather than trying to play 'Mary had a little lamb'.