My first Collings experience - not a good story

[catndahats]

these thread titles always pique my interest, regardless of brand. If it is one that I play and am partial to, sometimes it causes a cringe (kinda like someone else talking bad about my kids).

I will say that most of us have experienced this same letdown at one time or another, and not just with guitars. It's like online dating---> pretty pictures, details sound just right, but in person something is just missing.

The happy ending is the OP found a guitar that he liked. Some of the best guitars that I have ever owned started out from a similar quest. Drive hours to see brand "A" and walk out with model/brand "B".

It's all part of the journey.

Originally Posted by SJ VanSandt

I've had exactly the same thing happen to me with . . . countless brands. Bourgeois, Froggy Bottom, Gallagher, Huss and Dalton, Martin and Gibson (many times), Lowden, etc. etc. Even Collings. It's usually dead strings. If you were serious about buying the guitar and you don't get the shop to put fresh strings on for you, either you or the shop are remiss: it's no reflection on the brand, whatever it may happen to be.

[jdrnd]

Originally Posted by wvblues

It took one strum and a lick to look at my wife and say "It is terrible."

It was lifeless, dull. It just felt off. I returned the guitar to the worker and stated it wasn't for me and they all agreed that it was not worth the high price tag it commanded.

I know every guitar is different and some better than others, but when it comes to an instrument demanding the amount of money a Collings demands - I suppose I anticipated it to at least hold its weight above lesser counterparts. I would dare say lower end Martin's and imported instruments could have had its way with this particular Collings on its best day.



Harsh reality that not all guitars are created equal.

That is why it is important to play a guitar before buying it.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by dbintegrity

I've had dozens of Collings guitars.... 1 or 2 Duds, but for the most part they are extremely consistent..... Usually a good set up and strings makes ALL the difference....

I own a couple of guitars (a Collings D2HG and a Webber jumbo) that i bought online, and was disappointed when i first received them. The Webber was WAY off, and the Collings had a high E string that didn’t sound or feel right.

A good set up and some new strings made the Collings sound and feel perfect, and the Webber went from “definite dud” to one of the best sounding guitars i have come across (it had an improperly intonated saddle, and slightly negative relief...clearly someone was trying to do there own set ups without enough experience or knowledge).

I would ask to talk to the tech at the guitar shop and see if they know what they are doing, and ask them what they have done with it (and why).

[wvblues]

Oh wow. I didn't expect so many responses.

To answer a couple responses - I used to be a bluegrass player exclusively and dreadnoughts were the only guitars I owned. I have since bought and sold more guitars than I wish I had.

That said, It was more than just a strum and some picking that led to this post. I was a/b/c'ing this guitar next to some others at a similar price point and also some at a lesser price point. The fit and finish of the Collings was greater than all the other instruments. By comparison there was no comparison in this regard.

The tone was the driving factor of disappointment. It felt and sounded muted. The only way to describe this is it were as if I had a drum set and it had muting pads on it to practice quietly. Caged. Most dreadnoughts I've encountered in my life were unabashedly "in your face" and lively. This particular guitar felt very - reserved. Perhaps I should have taken it out for dinner and drinks to loosen up - but that's a pretty big risk with several thousand dollars.

Perhaps my expectations were too high? That's also highly plausible.

All in all, it makes me want to try another Collings. I truly believe this was the exception not the standard. I just wanted to share an experience and see the responses. The holy grail hunt marches forward.

[jrb715]

Been awhile since one of these threads. It's hard to ignore. What I find odd was the walking off with the $700 guitar. Why didn't you try to hunt down a guitar with a similar reputation to the Collings--a Bourgeois, Huss and Dalton, Froggy Bottom, Goodall?

The message seems to be that not only are all Collings overpriced duds but so must all the other high priced small shop guitars.

But they're not. And Collings and the others make consistently great guitars--that like other brands aren't to everyone's taste. The brands have earned their reputations with fine guitars. I'm betting most folks would instantly prefer one of those overpriced duds to the $700 guitar you ended up with.

If that Collings was really lifeless, and not just set up miserably with dead strings or broken, that guitar was a rare one off. It happens.

[catndahats]

Keep on truck'n!
Have had the same experience many times, and across many brand names....even the same model/builder.

Be glad you tried it before you bought it.

Originally Posted by wvblues

Oh wow. I didn't expect so many responses.

To answer a couple responses - I used to be a bluegrass player exclusively and dreadnoughts were the only guitars I owned. I have since bought and sold more guitars than I wish I had.

That said, It was more than just a strum and some picking that led to this post. I was a/b/c'ing this guitar next to some others at a similar price point and also some at a lesser price point. The fit and finish of the Collings was greater than all the other instruments. By comparison there was no comparison in this regard.

The tone was the driving factor of disappointment. It felt and sounded muted. The only way to describe this is it were as if I had a drum set and it had muting pads on it to practice quietly. Caged. Most dreadnoughts I've encountered in my life were unabashedly "in your face" and lively. This particular guitar felt very - reserved. Perhaps I should have taken it out for dinner and drinks to loosen up - but that's a pretty big risk with several thousand dollars.

Perhaps my expectations were too high? That's also highly plausible.

All in all, it makes me want to try another Collings. I truly believe this was the exception not the standard. I just wanted to share an experience and see the responses. The holy grail hunt marches forward.

[rllink]

Sometimes our expectations of a particular instrument that we've desired for a long time gets unrealistically high. Then when we get our hands on one and it doesn't magically blow out socks off we are disappointed in it. Then we play a three hundred dollar guitar or a seven hundred dollar guitar that we don't have high expectations for and it plays better than we thought it would, then that is one great guitar. I've been there.

[gmel555]

After ~50 years playing now I can say that I have played "less than inspiring" guitars from almost every big name; big, medium, smallish sized shops (including some considered boutique luthiers). Some were QUITE disappointing. Luthiers I haven't had that experience with is probably just because I haven't played any or too few of those names. Sometimes despite the luthier's best efforts, it just doesn't work. (Also, possible the shop didn't make an effort to replace dead strings, etc.)

[Kh1967]

Originally Posted by wvblues

Oh wow. I didn't expect so many responses.

To answer a couple responses - I used to be a bluegrass player exclusively and dreadnoughts were the only guitars I owned. I have since bought and sold more guitars than I wish I had.

That said, It was more than just a strum and some picking that led to this post. I was a/b/c'ing this guitar next to some others at a similar price point and also some at a lesser price point. The fit and finish of the Collings was greater than all the other instruments. By comparison there was no comparison in this regard.

The tone was the driving factor of disappointment. It felt and sounded muted. The only way to describe this is it were as if I had a drum set and it had muting pads on it to practice quietly. Caged. Most dreadnoughts I've encountered in my life were unabashedly "in your face" and lively. This particular guitar felt very - reserved. Perhaps I should have taken it out for dinner and drinks to loosen up - but that's a pretty big risk with several thousand dollars.

Perhaps my expectations were too high? That's also highly plausible.

All in all, it makes me want to try another Collings. I truly believe this was the exception not the standard. I just wanted to share an experience and see the responses. The holy grail hunt marches forward.

I am sorry to hear this was your experience, and from someone who has owned a number of Collings, “reserved” is not a common descriptor of the brand. Not impossible, but odd for a Collings.

I hope you get to play some more examples. Not all Collings builds will appeal, but they are generally excellent guitars with a lot of output.

Good luck down the road!

[Glennwillow]

When I bought my Collings OM1A deep body from Gryphon Instruments, I had played it at their shop when I was down there in Palo Alto for a wedding and fell in love with it. So did my wife. I later called them and ordered the guitar over the phone and they shipped it to me in Washington State.

When it arrived at my house the strings were totally dead, and it sounded fairly mediocre. I instantly put some new D'Addario EJ16 strings on it and it totally came alive and sounded just like it did when I played it in their shop.

Strings can make a huge difference.

- Glenn

[mivaldes]

I still remember the one time I've ever been to Carter's vintage guitars. They have high dollar stuff EVERYWHERE on cheap stands. I started getting paranoid about knocking one over. I picked up a $6k Santa Cruz. One strum. WOW! Sometimes thats all it takes.

I mean, I couldn't afford it, but---WOW!

[mivaldes]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

When I bought my Collings OM1A deep body from Gryphon Instruments, I had played it at their shop when I was down there in Palo Alto for a wedding and fell in love with it. So did my wife. I later called them and ordered the guitar over the phone and they shipped it to me in Washington State.

When it arrived at my house the strings were totally dead, and it sounded fairly mediocre. I instantly put some new D'Addario EJ16 strings on it and it totally came alive and sounded just like it did when I played it in their shop.

Strings can make a huge difference.

- Glenn

SO true about the strings. And I really do think the nicer the guitar, the more important it is. Or maybe it's just certain guitars that are more sensitive to it.

[mivaldes]

Originally Posted by wvblues

Oh wow. I didn't expect so many responses.

To answer a couple responses - I used to be a bluegrass player exclusively and dreadnoughts were the only guitars I owned. I have since bought and sold more guitars than I wish I had.

That said, It was more than just a strum and some picking that led to this post. I was a/b/c'ing this guitar next to some others at a similar price point and also some at a lesser price point. The fit and finish of the Collings was greater than all the other instruments. By comparison there was no comparison in this regard.

The tone was the driving factor of disappointment. It felt and sounded muted. The only way to describe this is it were as if I had a drum set and it had muting pads on it to practice quietly. Caged. Most dreadnoughts I've encountered in my life were unabashedly "in your face" and lively. This particular guitar felt very - reserved. Perhaps I should have taken it out for dinner and drinks to loosen up - but that's a pretty big risk with several thousand dollars.

Perhaps my expectations were too high? That's also highly plausible.

All in all, it makes me want to try another Collings. I truly believe this was the exception not the standard. I just wanted to share an experience and see the responses. The holy grail hunt marches forward.

Reading this REALLY makes me think it needed new strings.

[rollypolly]

Okay this is not the same exact experience because it was with an Eastman, but two weeks ago I ordered a used HE322CE and I was disappointed with the sound. The strings were old so put on some new 80/20 lights. I was still not pleased - way too thin sounding. I was ready to do some Eastman bashing, but thought I’d try some Martin PB lifespans. Man it was like night and day. The guitar immediately came to life and has been getting better ever since. It is now sounding on par with my other guitars after several days of hard pickin. I believe there is something to the instrument “coming to life” theory.

[wvblues]

Originally Posted by jrb715

Been awhile since one of these threads. It's hard to ignore. What I find odd was the walking off with the $700 guitar. Why didn't you try to hunt down a guitar with a similar reputation to the Collings--a Bourgeois, Huss and Dalton, Froggy Bottom, Goodall?

The message seems to be that not only are all Collings overpriced duds but so must all the other high priced small shop guitars.

But they're not. And Collings and the others make consistently great guitars--that like other brands aren't to everyone's taste. The brands have earned their reputations with fine guitars. I'm betting most folks would instantly prefer one of those overpriced duds to the $700 guitar you ended up with.

If that Collings was really lifeless, and not just set up miserably with dead strings or broken, that guitar was a rare one off. It happens.

I bought the 700 dollar guitar because I know I will find the right guitar and 700 dollars on this particular day didn't seem like much and it was a fantastic guitar. My wife really liked it too and who am I to say no to making my wife happy.