Are Collings worth the extra $$$ ?
 

I played a Collings D-2H today. It was used but not too beat up. The tone and playability were exceptional and I came very close to buying it, but I got to thinking that for the same price I can get a nice new Taylor 814CE or that Custom Shop blue 614CE with upgraded maple I've been thinking about.

I have 3 Taylors and a Larrivee. A Collings would be a nice tonal addition (to my ear they out-Martin Martins). On the other hand Collings are really pricey and dealers only give tiny token discounts on them.

Arghh - there are too many nice acoustics out there and not enough dollars in my bank account.

You last sentence says it all! I own several guitars from different makers and love them all for different reasons. The fact that they sound and play differently is, to me, a real plus. Any one can be my favorite on any given day. I like Collings guitars a lot and am toying with getting one. As far as whether they are worth the money or not, well, I guess that depends on you and your likes and dislikes. If it plays and sounds really good to you and you find yourself thinking about it A LOT and wishing it was in your house instead of the music store, then it probably is. It would be a nice tonal variation for you since you have 3 Taylors and a Larrivee now. I have a Larrivee D-10 and like it a lot and also have 2 Taylors and like them too, but I still cruise the music stores and play other makes and body styles. Life is short. Enjoy them all(just don't keep food from the family to buy one! There are limits!)

Variety is the spice of life. What you like is what you like, that is, until you open yourself up to the possibilities of tone that are out there right now.

These wonderful independent luthiers are working hard to be unique: Breedlove, Collings, Goodall, Flammang, Traugott, Laskin, Wingert.

And there is something to be said for an instrument made by hand by one pair of hands. Is it better than CNC perfection? No, just different, and that's the point. The never before seen options of this new Golden Age of Guitars is there for you to enjoy. So, enjoy.

Marc Durso

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Goodall / Thompson
http://communities.msn.com/Handmadeguitars for pics of my guitars
www.acttrue.com

By the way, a few months ago, Bob Taylor, in the Acoustic Guitar forum, said he plays a Collings.

I am new to this discussion group. I couldn't help reading the comments about Collings Guitars. I recently purchased
a Collings Maple SJ. (Patterned after the Gibson J185 I believe) This one has a cutaway and absolutely incredible maple, neck and all. I can tell you that it is indeed, worth every penny extra that a guy has to spend to get a Collings. This guitar is just what I have searched for, for many years. Clean, crisp, but very warm and with ample bass without getting the least bit boomy. It plays and feels like an archtop, but with all the advantages of an acoutsic. I am a finger player and find that this guitar plugged in (Fishman saddle pickup) is the best I have had my hands on. I teach elementary music and use "Chet" style to get the kids the melody and chords simultaneously, and find the maple/spruce to be the best I have found for my needs. For me it is awesome. I have been lucky thru the years to be able to own some really great guitars. Currently, I have 2 Goodalls, a rosewood jumbo, and a wonderful wanut/cedar Concert Jumbo. Both of these I will keep forever. I also am fortunate in owning a Santa Cruz OM. This is also great. I went thru the "guitarded" stage in my life of having to own them all. I was buying and selling (much to my regret) like a crazed fool. One day a good friend challenged to me to keep what I had for 2 years. I needed to check my buying and selling and took his challenge. The four guitars mentioned above is where I have stopped. The more I play them, the more I realize how great they are, and how lucky I am. I have owned 6 different Taylors, 2 additional Goodalls, and even a very rare
and now, highly collectable Gibson LeGrande
Archtop, and many electrics, all of which I greatly regret selling. Oh Well....sorry to go off on a tangent. It truly is a wonderful time to be a guitarist isn't it???


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Collings OM 1s, and 2s and 3s
Collings D 1s and 2s
Collings C10 Deluxe
Collings SJ

Played 'em all. Loved 'em all. But the C10 Deluxe is my favorite. Both the punch and warmth. Loved it.

Marc Durso

Mr. Durso summed it up well.
No one, no one, has ever had anythying bad to say about a Collings guitar.
The most important thing to do is play whatever you can whenever you can at any store you can.
When you find one that you must have, well...