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  #16  
Old 12-08-2014, 07:42 AM
s2y s2y is offline
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They are nice, but I think there are builders with a better value, mostly guys who cut out the middle man.
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  #17  
Old 12-08-2014, 08:39 AM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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They are nice, but I think there are builders with a better value, mostly guys who cut out the middle man.
I won't disagree but had quite a few discoveries in a period of a around 5 years of GAS-crazy. Probably normal for many players but crazy for someone who thinks a guitar is a guitar.

First, being able to try guitars from some small builders is a challenge but sometimes one you can address with super dealers near. I happen to be a reasonable road trip from Dave's, and 15 min from a local Collings dealer.

Unfortunately the value from many small builders disappears if you try to sell what you bought.

My Collings purchase was the end of a few years wanting a super humbucker and ES-type guitar. It included an acquaintance with a resale shop letting me try his real 1958 and early 60s Gibsons with new ones next to them, and a few trips to Dave's. One might only comprehend Dave's with an actual visit.

In that shopping time I saw used Collings electrics generally sold fast and kept value like top Gibsons. It made me think a purchase could be a safe bet. Visiting Dave's with 26 Collings electrics in stock and 30+ ES-335s made it pretty clear Collings was making a better vintage Gibson style than Gibson! The Lollar pickups in mine are not as hot or high output as the historic type and several Gibsons I tried with it, and more like the vintage ES-335 my acquaintance has.

FYI on the Collings semi-hollows. The 15 in I-35 and smaller Socos handle very nicely, but playing back to back with ES-335s I found that 1 inch larger body does something to the low notes to make it sound more like the big Gibsons. It's subtle but there.

Sure it was a premium over a Gibson, but for the OP, a TV yellow 290 I played at Dave's was just WOW!

Have fun shopping.
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  #18  
Old 12-08-2014, 09:05 AM
s2y s2y is offline
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Unfortunately the value from many small builders disappears if you try to sell what you bought.
Depends. With a normally spec'd T-style, S-style, LP-Styled, or 335-styled instrument by other builders are somewhat popular. One thing about value and resale is that at certain times something like Collings or other small builder will both probably lose about $2k when driven off the lot. Is it better to lose ~$2k on a $5k Collings or lose ~$2k on a small luthier's $4k guitar?
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  #19  
Old 12-08-2014, 10:55 AM
DesolationAngel DesolationAngel is offline
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[...] but for the OP, a TV yellow 290 I played at Dave's was just WOW!
So my story arc went like this; played a 290 in Germany and was blown away by it. Came home, researched them and found out more about them. Went to California and played a couple of different 290's, one with a Bigsby and one with humbuckers over P-90s. Wasn't blown away by them. Came home and played a Gibson LP Junior Special in a store and really liked it. Didn't like it's 'store used-ness' and asked if they had another. They did. Played it. Liked it. Realized it had a lot of potential with a good set up. Realized also that I could, at some point, put some Lollar's into it. So I bought it.

I took that to the guitar tech who set it up a treat. It plays and sounds fantastic. I thought it might be a bit of test bed for a Pigtail wrap around (or a TonePro) and maybe for the Lollars but, as it is, right now, I love it. Sounds great, plays well and cost me two grand less than the 290. Is the 290 a 'better' guitar? Probably. Is it two grand better? I don't think so.
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  #20  
Old 12-08-2014, 11:23 AM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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So my story arc went like this; played a 290 in Germany and was blown away by it. Came home, researched them and found out more about them. Went to California and played a couple of different 290's, one with a Bigsby and one with humbuckers over P-90s. Wasn't blown away by them. Came home and played a Gibson LP Junior Special in a store and really liked it. Didn't like it's 'store used-ness' and asked if they had another. They did. Played it. Liked it. Realized it had a lot of potential with a good set up. Realized also that I could, at some point, put some Lollar's into it. So I bought it.

I took that to the guitar tech who set it up a treat. It plays and sounds fantastic. I thought it might be a bit of test bed for a Pigtail wrap around (or a TonePro) and maybe for the Lollars but, as it is, right now, I love it. Sounds great, plays well and cost me two grand less than the 290. Is the 290 a 'better' guitar? Probably. Is it two grand better? I don't think so.
I get that. The Gibson offerings against a 290 look much more competitive. My SoCo 16 was less money or close to price of the better ES-335s. I was totally focused on the models that don't have the skinny neck, and Gibson charges WAY more for those.

It was tangential, but I also caught the leaders of Collings and Gibson in news and some public demonstrations of personality after my purchase. I know it was in retrospect, but one came off as an interesting and class act guy, while the other not. I think it would have been even harder to spend big money on a Gibson if I knew more or saw that guy some more before my purchase.
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  #21  
Old 12-08-2014, 11:36 AM
DesolationAngel DesolationAngel is offline
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It was tangential, but I also caught the leaders of Collings and Gibson in news and some public demonstrations of personality after my purchase. I know it was in retrospect, but one came off as an interesting and class act guy, while the other not. I think it would have been even harder to spend big money on a Gibson if I knew more or saw that guy some more before my purchase.
Absolutely. As I posted on the 'Gibson price increase' thread, I have a deep love for Gibson and it's history but Henry pushes all of my buttons in a bad way. When he launched his ridiculous 'government series' guitars I pretty swore off the modern day brand... so I did have to overcome that gnawing feeling in my stomach about the modern era company. But, I did. On the other hand Bill Collings seems like a darned decent bloke that runs his company very well. It's interesting how personalities DO play a role. I really like everything I ever see or hear from Bob Taylor, too... and yet I still haven't found a guitar of his that I wanted to buy. Fender is completely faceless but that doesn't stop me loving so many of their guitars. I quite like Chris Martin, too.
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