I was reluctant to post in a 10yr old thread, since many members here know where I stand with Collings, but the latest comments confirm my own impressions. I've owned 3 Collings and played dozens in various shops. With the exception of 1 dread, an 8yr old at the time D2HG Varnish that I briefly demoed from an AGF member which was smooth sounding and easy to play, virtually every other Collings required an unusually careful attention to fingering and technique to sound their best. This less than forgiving responsiveness, especially when new, is what some refer to as 'playing stiff.'
Collings are loud, projective, and articulate sounding guitars with a modern, piano-like voicing and a build quality second to none. They play like a coiled spring, outputting ~ 125% of what you put into them. But they are not instruments you can play relaxed or loosey goosey like a typical Martin or Santa Cruz. If you finger a note in the middle or well behind the fret for example, you will get a nasty squawk and everyone will hear it. Perhaps older Collings are different, but I doubt it.
Last data point... one of the Collings I once owned was a CW Indian (Adi over EIR). This is a flatpickers guitar advertised as built with a stiff Adi top and Adi bracing for maximum volume and projection. After two setups, a switch to Light strings, and then the AO1 treatment from Frank Sanns in Pittsburgh, it still never played anywhere near as easy as an off the factory floor Martin, and I sold it shortly thereafter.
I'm not going to fight a guitar to enjoy it, no matter how much I like the tone. Feel and playability are paramount, and I expect a guitar to respond appropriately with minimal fingering pressure and a large degree of forgiveness in player technique. Sadly, I will need to stick to other brands.
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