Collings Factory Tour
 

I took the tour this past Friday. It was my first of a guitar building/manufacturing
type and a few things stood out.

1. They are currently quite focused on their electric guitar business being surprised at the accelerating demand. Made mention of Paul Simon and Edie
Brickell recently picking their custom electrics in person.

2. Every instrument has been sold before it is produced. Nice business model if you can pull that off.

3. Running the length of their necks are two parallel metal inserts about 1/4"
deep. They look like metal banding strips used to secure bales. They are there for tonal reasons, not for support.

4. All everyone could tout about their products was their precision quality control and how Bill was such a gifted engineering genius. Heard this over and over in each section of the factory. Not one person ever referred to the quality of their instruments sound, voice, or tone. I found that quite surprising.

5. In the two hours I was there I never heard a single musical sound. To this day I still have never heard a Collings guitar in person. That was disappointing.
Maybe there's a reason some people describe Collings as being "sterile".

I have been playing Collings guitars since 1999. I've seen people call them "bright" here and elsewhere, and many say that they prefer the Martin tone compared to similar models, based on Martin designs, but I have never read or heard the term "sterile" used, nor do I see how it could apply.

I take it that you didn't get to see Bruce Van Wart - the man who hand selects and carves the tops - he would have spoken to you long and with inspiration about tone.

Of course, if you don't care for the precision of Collings, that's fine. If you don't care for their approach to clean, balanced tonality, that's fine, but surely there is no need to append negative terms to a wildly successful, and highly appreciated brand that has forced many, including Martin, to raise their game.

Sure, I have been known to comment negatively about a couple of brands for their poor quality, and/or customer services, but I'm a little bemused to see a brand diminished because of their precision and purity of tone.

Why don't you listen to a Collings before you come to your conclusion: which it seems to me to be based on your projections of what the tour should be?

And, well, I've never heard a Collings I thought was anything like sterile. For me, at least, they are expressive and beautifully balanced guitars.

Easy Silly...easy

Don't let you fanboi feathers get ruffled.

Some folks just hear Collings tone differently than you do. I'm not a fan of it, and I do find it sterile sounding...but...I also know that most folks think they are great. I just prefer Martin's warmer, bass strong timbre...but that is just me.

And yes Andy, you have slagged a couple of brands, one it particular, pretty good over the years, and many people love that brand and those guitars and don't understand quite why you feel as you do about them. So you can understand both sides of the coin....yes?

I don't think the OP was slagging the precision work they do either...just the atmosphere of the plant, how it felt to him, when he toured through it.

No worries...Collings is doing just fine with many many very fine and devoted players like you.


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

I took the Collings tour this past summer, and it was a blast. Our group actually did get to hear one of the techs play a little diddy for us at the very end, but it was because someone asked if we could hear one of the guitars. I've never owned a Collings, but have played a bunch. "Sterile" is NOT a word I would ever use to describe one. "Lush" maybe. Or just simply "Awesome". I did find it curious that Collings has no opportunity (by design) at the end of the tour to either hear or play one of their guitars. That would seem to make sense, and "complete" the tour a bit better.

The OPs review doesn't surprise me. Many times I've read about Collings being largely about the engineering. He even explained himself in that vain. So the review matches the impression I've already had. I never did find the connection Collings had with guitars. I have a vague impression of him starting to build guitars and the rest is history. It wasn't like he was a luthier and ending up with high demand and went into manufacturing allot of guitars. I don't think Martin is a luthier either. If you like their guitars great. If not that's the way it goes.

I took the Collings tour nearly 20 years ago. I got to play a guitar they had just completed. The guy was a little hesitant to let me play it but he did. It was a $40,000 Brazilian dread with the Name LYLE LOVETTE inlaid in the fretboard. Needless to say, I was very careful.

The OP makes me glad I was so close and took the taylor tour. Never have I been in a finer atmosphere to geek out over guitars.

Highlight being a SPOTLESS showroom which I believe had every current production model out. It was like walking into the Guitar Center of dirty dreams. Just all taylors of course. But if one had a smudge I didn't see it. And I defy you to find a dusty or rusty string. Staff was wiping down guitars between pre and post tour. Nobody was in a rush and I was allowed to play until my fingers hurt.

Would love to find that Collings did the same.

I've never played a Collings that was anything less than superb.

I'm not a fanboi, just a guitar afficianado who recognizes acoustic excellence, disregarding the headstock emblems.

Collings are consistently excellent, not hit and miss to the point that one out of 10 you might find one excellent example. Goodall can do that, McPherson and Bourgeois can as well, and they can charge for that level of excellence and consistency and if that's your objective, they deliver.

That's not for everyone. There are other guitars they can buy. Each camp will employ words to try to describe what they don't like about the other brand.

I admit "sterile" isn't a word I understand as it applies to a beautiful wooden work of art. It just doesn't fit the subject for me. Poor workmanship, too bassy, too thin and trebly, those are words that I understand and can apply to guitars.

Just not to a Collings acoustic.

Disclaimer: Although I've never owned a Collings acoustic, I am the owner of what I consider the best electric guitar I've ever played, a first year Collings City Limits Deluxe.

This post is a bit absurd IMO. Never heard one, but has an opinion about the Collings tone? Huh? And... “Every instrument has been sold before it is produced. Nice business model if you can pull that off.” ... Huh? Must be a bunch of strange musicians standing in line for sterile guitars. BTW, I recall taking a tour of the Bourgeois shop and... In the two hours I was there I never heard a single musical sound. However, I was not disappointed.

I've played a number of Collings guitars in Austin. One of them in particular, an OM1A, was super delicious, one of the best guitars I've played, very alive and responsive, fantastic. Others were clearly fine instruments but lacked that extra oomph, for me. "Sterile" isn't a bad word to describe my feeling about them.

I just think, that's guitars. Each one is different. The brand name alone doesn't guarantee it's going to be a great guitar; you have to play them and find the one that scratches your itch.

Yes. Collings guitars aren't all that hard to find; a lot easier to find than the factory, which isn't even marked by a sign. So, just find one and listen. I think the point of all the engineering and precision in making them is that if you happen to like that sound, you can be pretty confident that you will get the exact sound you expect. If you let the strings on a Collings go pretty dead, it will sound like a Martin anyway, so there's that...

edit: I'm not being sarcastic--that's actually what it will sound like.

Never met a Collings guitar I didn’t love! I have three in my current stash (‘99 D-1, ‘13 D2H, and ‘14 D2HA) and hope to add more.

No one would ever confuse Collings tone with that of any other maker. It's a tone only THEY deliver. I happen to love it.

I know little about them. I do know a local shop here in my area that considers them to essentially be the top shelf brand in the store...Other brands they have are Boucher, Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Seagull, Godin.

Actually, I can understand why someone could describe Collings guitars as being sterile, but in the same way you could describe any factory made guitar this way. They are very well constructed, no doubt, and beautiful indeed, but I have owned four Collings guitars and played many more and I have never been overwhelmed by one, as I have been for example with a Goodall or a Froggy Bottom.