The Seagulls are sold under other names: Norman, Art & Luthery, Simon & Patrick. The vp of manufacturing, Brian McConnel told me he they had corrected the problems they had a few years ago with bridge placement. They sent me a sample. The bridge saddle was in the wrong spot. It needed to be moved back 1/8inch and canted at a steeper angle. Other friends of mine who are dealers for this company aren't troubled by this situation. Their repair people don't even notice. Our specs are kinda strict, but we have no trouble with guitars from C.F. Martin including the Sigmas they import from Taiwan. Regarding the soft tops, this can lead to many nicks and dents that would not occur on guitars with a better finish. The world's finest guitars have lovely finishes. In terms of long life we think of the Seagulls, et al as disposable guitars. We have one customer who is on his third one in only 5 years. We are used to thinking of guitars as lifelong friends that should last for 50-100years. If you already have one, maintain it carefully. Replace the saddle with bone and improve the tone and intonation at the same time. If you are shopping, keep looking. They may fix some of the deficiencies, but they don't seem to be hurrying to do so. Elderly is one of the best, but even they sometimes have new or used products that represent lower value than many of us are looking for. Ask them about the repair record on Seagulls they've sold over the last several years.