Anyone have a Collings with Adirondack Spruce top?

mschlack · #1 03-18-2007, 04:36 PM

I've been trying different guitars and played a couple of Collings OM2H's with Adirondack Spruce tops. I like their clarity and projection, a tad better than traditional Sitka top. Anyone have experience with these? Not sure if it makes a different, but these were cutaway models.

Jeff M · #2 03-18-2007, 04:41 PM

Most folks will agree that cutaways will not make an appreciable difference in tone.
Adirondac "tends" to have a bit more definition of tone and clarity then Sitka...though there are exceptions.

Taylor007 · #3 03-18-2007, 05:09 PM

I've got two in my possession.
I think the adi top makes a huge difference esp. in terms of headroom on OM models. I did extensive a/b-ing between the OM1 and the OM1A - I owned both, but one had to go. I ended up selling the sitka top.

Big Eric · #4 03-18-2007, 05:12 PM

Some of the recent guitars from Collings have been really good. (Not that they were ever bad. Just the new ones seem to be even better than before). The Adirondack seems more to be icing on the cake.

In the past, at different times, had a D1 and a D1A. Same style guitar but for the Adirondack top. There was some difference, but not a ton. In fact, for my flatpick style, the sitka topped guitar worked better.

Got rid of mine in a seemingly endless GAS quest.

Fngrstyl · #5 03-18-2007, 05:51 PM

I have an OM1AC, and I Love it!! I will NEVER sale that guitar!! That is a BOLD statement for someone like me, that has a Vacillating mind.

I have a Martin Juber Model too, and that Adirondack Guitar kicks butt as well.

mschlack · #6 03-18-2007, 06:38 PM

Well, several of you had the same reaction to the sound. Is Adirondack Spruce about the same as Sitka in terms of stability? And how have you found your Collings, in general, as far as not needing to be tweaked all the time?

Quake17 · #7 03-18-2007, 10:57 PM

Mschlack,

I have a Collings CJ (Mahogany/Adi) and I love it! I liked every CJ I played in Mahogany/Sitka but the Adi just seems to add a little something else. I'm generally a rosewood guy but Collings has a real special way with Mahogany.

Big Eric · #8 03-19-2007, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Well, several of you had the same reaction to the sound. Is Adirondack Spruce about the same as Sitka in terms of stability? And how have you found your Collings, in general, as far as not needing to be tweaked all the time?

I'd say they're about the same. Maybe Adirondack is a touch more stable. Impossible for me to judge, since I never seem to have a guitar really long term. But Collings guitars seem to be really stable.

Never found the need to tweak any of the Collings I owned. Had a D2H for over a year. Never needed an adjustment. And that was played at a number of indoor and outdoor festivals. And I kept everything stock on the ones I had. No swapping of saddle or bridge pins. Everything sounded right as is.

Billy Boy · #9 03-19-2007, 08:04 AM

I've had my D2HBaA for about two years now...and, I love it...I had read many times that Adirondack takes a while to work in...but, the guitar I purchased was a used one (1997) that had been owned by quite a good guitarist, so it was broken in very well...I had not even gone in to the guitar store to purchase a guitar...I had gone in to get a chromatic tuner, and while there thought I would A/B guitars with the same tops but different back-n-sides...I was A/Bing Collings D1s and D2Hs...really wanted to hear the difference between the rosewood and the mahogany...then...well...you know what came next...the salesperson pulled out the D2HBaA, and...well...that was it...a definite difference to my ear...more sustain...crisp without being brittle...rumbled...gave it back...thought about it overnight...walked in the next day with a trade-in...and have loved it ever since...

surfoxy · #10 03-19-2007, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mschlack

Well, several of you had the same reaction to the sound. Is Adirondack Spruce about the same as Sitka in terms of stability? And how have you found your Collings, in general, as far as not needing to be tweaked all the time?

Not sure what you mean about stability, but suffice it to say that if it comes out of that factory...you can count on that guitar. Top wood doesn't enter into it.

One of the defining characteristics of my D1A is that it always sound good and holds it's tune wonderfully. It is rugged, responsive, balanced, big, loud and toneful. Best guitar I've ever had.

Get ye one, and don't worry about D1 or D1A. They will both deliver. I've heard great players who (always slightly) prefer both.

Jim · #11 03-19-2007, 09:06 AM

I don't own a Collings yet - it is just a matter of time - but I've played about a half a dozen over the years with about half being Sitka and the other half being Adirondack. My sense is I could not tell the difference in such a way as to be able to ascribe it to the purported Adirondack-Sitka difference rather than the individual piece of wood in the particular guitar difference. I would try several Collings and just pick the one that sounds the best rather than go by which top wood it has.

As for long-term stability, my expectation is that the Sitka would be the better choice by far. The reason is all of the decent quality Adirondack spruce was logged out 50 years ago and all that is left are low quality trees. Even for high end makers such as Collings, there just isn't any first quality Adirondack to buy while there is still a plentiful supply of Sitka from which makers can pick and chose really superb boards. A luthier can look through countless thousands of Sitka boards to find the really excellent ones or they can look at a small handful of Adirondack boards and take the ones that are okay. The Adirondack you see these days typically has runout, may not be perfectly quartersawn, often has uneven ring spacing, has mineral staining, etc.