User:Llee259/sandbox

= Seagull Merlin M4 = The Seagull Merlin is a four-stringed instrument inspired by the Dulcimer, which is a type of stringed instrument that is beaten with small hammers rather than plucked. The Merlin M4 is only made by Seagull, a Canadian acoustic guitar manufacturer located in Quebec, Canada.

Background
The Merlin M4 is made in La Patrie Quebec, Canada by Seagull Guitars. Seagull is a sub-brand of Godin Guitars, another Canadian guitar manufacturer. The company was founded in 1982 by Robert Godin and his friends. Seagull is known for their unique style and shape of guitar – they are also one of the few well known Canadian guitar brands. It is an instrument designed and created by Seagull, though there are some companies that make similar instruments. Seagull designed this instrument with the intention that it be user-friendly, and stand out from other stringed instruments on the market. The Merlin M4 was first released in 2016 and has been in steady production since. The instrument has been successful not only in Canada, but worldwide.

Design
Though the Merlin M4 was inspired by the Dulcimer, it is designed based on the structure of a guitar. It resembles a guitar both in appearance and structure; it has a body, neck, and headstock. The body is short and flat, with the bridge at the base which supports the strings, followed by the neck that has 8 frets. Last is the headstock, which contains four tuning pegs that hold the strings.

The Merlin is tuned diatonically, meaning that each fret is a whole step apart. When played after one another, it creates a scale. The four strings are tuned to D A DD — the bottom two strings are doubled and tuned in unison. This is different from the standard tuning of guitars, where the stings are tuned to E A D G B E as well as different from the tuning of most other four stringed instruments such as ukuleles, where the strings are tuned G C E A.

The body can be made with various types of wood including Spruce, Mahogany, and Rock Maple. Each type of wood comes with a unique look. Spruce and Rock Maple are light in colour whereas Mahogany is much darker.

Playability
The Merlin is very easy to play; it was designed to be played just like a guitar. It can be played while sitting or standing, however there are not any knobs to attach a strap to. Because of this, it is easier to play while sitting, though it can still be played while standing. Due to its size it can be a bit difficult to find the best, most comfortable resting position. However, it is still very small and manageable to play.

It is possible to play the Merlin M4 using chords, though the chords are different from guitar chords. The chords used to play the M4 are more similar to a Dulcimer. Fingerpicking is the easier way to play, and it allows for more freedom.

Sound
The sound of the Merlin M4 is folky, resembling the sound of a Banjo or Mandolin. It has a warm, bright, and twangy sound that can also be very loud. Much like a guitar, it can played using fingerpicking styles or chords. When played using chords, the sound projects more than when played using fingerpicking styles.