Hi everyone, Thank all of you for you input! I've been wanting a collings AT 16 for several years and I've found a used one at Cotton Music in Nashville and Kim has it on hold for me until after the first of the year. The video recordings she has sent me are not very good so it's hard for me to tell how good it sounds. To me it sounds a little to bright but that might be because of the room where it was recorded and the probably not so good mic on the video camera. This AT 16 is one of 4 that somehow were shipped to authorized Collings dealers without any stamped serial number or any other identifying marks. Kim has got a letter from Collings that will come with the guitar stating that these guitars were made between Nov of 2005 and Feb of 2006 but they don't know the exact date of each individual guitar and what dealers they went to. At that time Collings would sign his name and the date the guitar was made in pencil on the inside back of the guitar. These guitars would be the 14th to 17th AT 16's built. Starting with number 18 Bill started writing the serial number in them so number 18 would have AT16-18 hand written inside the guitar. This will all be documented in the letter and they will also send a label with Bills signature.
I've played on one several years ago here in Denver and liked the sound.
My problem is that I found this video of Eric Schoenberg playing "The Good Ship Lollipop" on a 1929 L-5 and that's the sound that I'm now wanting but I don't think the Collings will sound like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRjtkXq-uus
The Trenier's come pretty close to that sound I think. But I don't want to wait 3 years to have one made. There are 2 or 3 used ones for sale for around 5K but they have 1 3/4" nuts which I don't like.
On the other hand I think the lower serial number At 16's will become more valuable once the news gets out that Bill is no longer making them himself. For the last 4 to 5 years Aaron Huff has been the one building them. Bill first started making the AT 16 in the early 90's but discontinued the model in 96 and reintroduced them in 2004. I don't know how many he made in the 90's but I do know that there have been 74 made so far.
So I think I'm going to go ahead and get the Collings and I can send it back if I don't like the way it sounds.
Thanks again for all your input and let me know if you think the serial number issue is a positive or negative to the AT 16's future value? I'm from Austin originally so I go back often and I can take the guitar next time I go and have Bill sign it for me.
jebsong