I've had customs from both Collings and H&D, but I've had a few more with Collings. I like their attention to detail, craftsmanship and clean, distinct sound. Their customer service for me has been unmatched. It helps that I've been to the factory so many times, I have a good feel for their process. But I think the best factor may be the help I receive, and the input I'm able to provide, ahead of time.
I've read a lot of comments that we don't know what we're getting when we place an order, but I have found that to be false. There are several people at Collings over the years who have provided me endless information about guitars, sound, wood, construction, etc. That help gave me a lot of guidance in shaping the guitar. Best of all, I've always been able to share as much information as I liked about what type of end product I wanted to receive. And I knew the more opinion and information I provided, the more likely I was to get the guitar I desired. And it worked every time.
