Are Collings guitar... inconsistent in terms of quality-wise?

[shakejfran]

Thanks for replying guys. And cheers to the person who gave me a warm welcome(I'm fairly new to this platform).

I read a lot of 'different environment, different sounds'. Well, the sunburst was outside for a pretty long time(2017), while the other one being somewhat new(2019), if that helps. But the tone was definitely different. Both being same guitars but sounding so different made me confused. The strings were in equal condition(I think, but I may be wrong, both guitars did not have a sign of rust).

I haven't mentioned this earlier, but the sunburst guitar sounded muddy, although it was from a shop where they have the whole floor air conditioned, keeping it in optimum condition for the guitars that are outside. That place is pretty famous for luring enthusiasts, since they have top notch repair service and I had no problem playing other guitars there.

One thing I shoud've noted before, before playing the Sitka sunburst I played the Engelmann spruce version of the same guitar, which sounded nice, but not really what I was looking for. The Engelmann had a very clear voice while the sitka one sounded muddy. It was my first time every trying an Engelmann spruce guitar and both guitars sounded very, very different from one another. I'm guessing the clear sound of the Engelmann guitar made the Sitka guitar sound muddy by comparison, can anyone provide me with an insight about this?

The latter one was in an okay conditioned environment, had a huge boom, with a punchy feeling. I remember that the Adirondack spruce gives much punchy feeling to the sound (which I am looking for currently), should I just order an Adirondack guitar?

I do have to say, the vast options, with the help of a hefty price tag, makes me think twice of buying a guitar. Usually I'm a guy who would buy the guitar right on the spot if it sounds perfect for me, no matter how much it costs(I'm no investment banker, I usually save money for 'recreational purposes' and spend them for such occasions). One thing for sure is that the vast options are making me patient enough to try every single version of them before making a commitment. This journey looks like to become a long-term experiment, but one thing for sure I'm definitely enjoying it every moment.

[warfrat73]

You say that the one you liked better was in a "just ok" controlled environment, while the "muddy one" was in carefully humidity controlled environment.

That might be part of the answer right there. I find that when my guitars get a bit over humidified they do get a bit muddy sounding, and when the dry out a bit the sound much punchier and pretty much better in every way.

I think many of us prefer the tone of our guitars just on the dryer side of acceptable RH. Maybe that particular example is especially sensitive to it, or maybe it's just an oddball.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

I would say that Collings has a reputation for being about as consistent as you could possibly get

Hi warfrat…

That's been my experience in playing dozens of them too.

I've never played one that seemed marginal nor less quality than the rest.

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi warfrat…

That's been my experience in playing dozens of them too.

I've never played one that seemed marginal nor less quality than the rest.

My experience too and I’ve played a lot over the years, currently owning three. They might not all sound the way the player prefers but that’s taste not quality. I’ve never ever seen or played a Collings with even the most minor quality issue.

[Kh1967]

As many have posted, Collings are about as consistent in build quality as you can get, and by that, I also mean exceptionally well built.

But, the rub about this is sometimes expectations can be out of line with their consistency. Is it somehow expected then that every single guitar they build will be pleasing to every one that plays them?

I am a big fan of Collings guitar, have a couple, and have owned many over the years. Some spoke to me more than others, but even with Collings' consistency, that does not mean every one I play, is one that I want to take home.

In the end, they are all wooden boxes....

Good luck to the OP...I hope you find one that speaks to you. If you do, you might just find love!

[lar]

Originally Posted by shakejfran

no tongue bracing,

Collings makes their instruments with or without the tongue brace. From their site:

There are a few reasons why people order guitars without tongue braces or remove them:

1) Some players believe that the absence of the tongue brace allows the top to vibrate more freely, and therefore produce a subtly more open sound.
2) Some players like to try and duplicate pre-war bracing designs as much as possible.
3) Clarence White's 1935 D28 didn't have a tongue brace. Many builders offer "Clarence White-style guitars" like our CW model in which we leave out the tongue brace.

In the past 25 years that we've been building the CW model, we've never had a problem with the top cracking along the edges of the tongue. In the long run, a tongue brace is a good safeguard against tension cracks, however if you would prefer to have it left out it should not appreciably affect the structural integrity of the guitar for many years.

[cdkrugjr]

That’s going to be your experience with any guitar maker, with the possible exception of Yamaha, who seem to be dead-on consistent.

You go to and big shop and pull down say and three Standard series D-28s you’re still looking at three completely different guitars.

You can find Dozens Of threads here saying pretty much “I bought a....but it didn’t sound like I thought it would.

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

I would say that Collings has a reputation for being about as consistent as you could possibly get in terms of reproducible quality from unit to unit when creating objects out of wood.

That said, each guitar is individual and there will be some variation in tone. There are also lots of factors that effect tone that have nothing to do with build quality, like humidification and strings.

I would also add another big factor: the room in which you played it. Some make anything sound great. Others can do just the opposite. It's best to play everything with new strings and in the same room. Which is impossible most of the time, but if you play a series of them in the same place and they all sound bad or good - that tells you something.

[varmonter]

I dont think collings is any more
consistent than any other major
maker. Ive played lots of d28s and d18s
and they are all different. lots of taylors
same results. Just reinforces that you
should play before you buy. Collings
makes a quality guitar. Just find one
that speaks to "you"..
That said if the premise of your
question is predicated from you desire
to buy a guitar online sight unplayed.
Well your kind of on your own there
With any maker. from recording king
to boutique 50k builders.

[shakejfran]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

Good luck to the OP...I hope you find one that speaks to you. If you do, you might just find love!

Cheers sir! I'm still on a long journey to find a good guitar and I'm enjoying it every moment!

The moment I hold a Collings guitar was the most refreshing moment I have ever experienced in my life. I've decided to wait for an Adirondack spruce top to show up, then decide which guitar to buy.

That leads to another question, should I get an Adi spruce top? I'm mostly into fingerstyle and I see a lot of 'Adi spruce needs to be played hard to get the full potential' comments. I just want an OM body guitar that punches my heart hard. If you play a good classical guitar you could feel every note loud and clear, and that's what I'm currently looking for.

[shakejfran]

Originally Posted by varmonter

Ive played lots of d28s and d18s
and they are all different. lots of taylors
same results. Just reinforces that you
should play before you buy. Collings
makes a quality guitar. Just find one
that speaks to "you"..

I'm trying to find a 'good' Collings guitar since I've experienced somewhat similar what you've mentioned when I bought my D-28. I so loved the D-28 that was in the shop. When I finally got enough money to buy that guitar it was gone. I ordered D-28 and the first one was a disaster(at that time I realized Martin guitars were having huge QC issues), and the second one, which I ended up getting, lacked the sound for some reason I still have no idea why even to this day. I asked so many luthiers and they all agreed it had a nice sound, but was very weak, and they all said the same thing 'maybe you've chosen the wrong one'. I'm not saying I've chosen the wrong one because it still sounds great, but then again, I do miss the D-28 that sounded great and has a huge sound, just like the one that I wanted to buy.

Collings guitars are very expensive and I don't want to make that mistake again.

[gwlee7]

I wonder if the actual room acoustics played more of role in your perception of the sound of the guitars than the humidity. Just throwing it out there for consideration.

[shakejfran]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

I wonder if the actual room acoustics played more of role in your perception of the sound of the guitars than the humidity. Just throwing it out there for consideration.

Oddly, come to think of it, both rooms were pretty identical to each other, similar space, similar walls(both wooden, don't know if that makes a huge difference). I usually play the guitar facing the wall to get a better sound. But the acoustics were just so different. The first one, the sunburst one, sounded muddy, whilst the second one sounded super punchy just like how I wanted(but I'm not buying anything until I get to try other variants).