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  #16  
Old 10-28-2019, 07:21 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by llew View Post
Not trying to hijack the thread but my luthier/tech just texted me. Seems he has a '92 J-200 Rosewood model he's trying to move for a friend. Looks like I finally get to play one...tomorrow!

Sorry...just excited to try one?
Rosewood jumbo's can be monsters - in some ways I find maple the better balanced tonewood for that big body.
Let us know how you find it.
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2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200
2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird

Last edited by Brucebubs; 10-28-2019 at 09:06 PM.
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  #17  
Old 10-28-2019, 07:37 PM
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justonwo justonwo is offline
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I guess it would depend what you’re going to use the guitar for. I’ve never felt the J200 was particularly good for fingerstyle. Many like it for strumming, but it’s not my favorite guitar for that either. If you’re a fingerstyle player, it’s very, very hard to beat a good OM. You will not her the same clarity or response from a J200.
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  #18  
Old 10-28-2019, 07:42 PM
donlyn donlyn is offline
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I fingerpick all my instruments using my nails. I also own a rosewood J-200 and it is a great fingerpicking guitar. I'll just let Mark and Chet give you a taste of that with their '85 Gibson rosewood J-200s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wTVLIZaxMk




Don
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*The Heard:
85 Gibson J-200 sitka/rosewood Jumbo
99 Taylor 355 sitka/sapele 12 string Jmbo
06 Alvarez AJ60S englmn/mpl lam med Jmbo
14 Taylor 818e sitka/rosewood Grand Orchestra
05 Taylor 512ce L10 all mahogany Grand Concert
09 Taylor all walnut Jmbo
16 Taylor 412e-R sitka/rw GC
16 Taylor 458e-R s/rw 12 string GO
21 Epiphone IBG J-200 sitka/maple Jmbo
22 Guild F-1512 s/rw 12 string Jmbo

Last edited by donlyn; 10-28-2019 at 08:33 PM.
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  #19  
Old 10-28-2019, 07:42 PM
llew llew is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
Rosewood jumbo's can be monsters - in some ways I find maple the better balanced tonewood for that big body.
Let us know how you find it.
I'm just happy to be able to finally get my hands on one. But like you, I think maple might be the better choice for back and sides...we'll see?
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Last edited by llew; 10-28-2019 at 07:50 PM.
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  #20  
Old 10-28-2019, 07:55 PM
donlyn donlyn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
Rosewood jumbo's can be monsters - in some ways I find maple the better balanced tonewood for that big body.
Let us know how you find it.
Hey Bruce, how u doon?

* * *

My 2 cents is that a rosewood J-200 is a much different sounding beast than a maple J-200. A difference that I enjoy with either wood.

As I mentioned previously two posts ago (post #18), I fingerpick with my nails. But it also sounds great when combined with some hybrid thumb and strum.

Don
.
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*The Heard:
85 Gibson J-200 sitka/rosewood Jumbo
99 Taylor 355 sitka/sapele 12 string Jmbo
06 Alvarez AJ60S englmn/mpl lam med Jmbo
14 Taylor 818e sitka/rosewood Grand Orchestra
05 Taylor 512ce L10 all mahogany Grand Concert
09 Taylor all walnut Jmbo
16 Taylor 412e-R sitka/rw GC
16 Taylor 458e-R s/rw 12 string GO
21 Epiphone IBG J-200 sitka/maple Jmbo
22 Guild F-1512 s/rw 12 string Jmbo

Last edited by donlyn; 10-28-2019 at 08:04 PM.
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  #21  
Old 10-28-2019, 08:41 PM
Joe Beamish Joe Beamish is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tele1111 View Post
As much as I appreciate a good J-200, the Collings is in a different league.
One poster said he played some that were “meh”, just like some others.
I’m not inferring his experience was anything but what he said it was, but I’ve never heard anyone I know say anything about Collings being inconsistent from guitar to guitar. In fact, just the opposite.
My vote is for the Collings. I just don’t see any comparison.

Mark
I live in Austin and have played tons of Collings because they're made here and are easy to find...and because I was in the market for an OM. And yep, I played an OM1A that was jaw dropping. I also played a whole bunch of others by the same brand that were "meh". Same goes for Martins. Same goes for Santa Cruz.

Guitars are individuals. I wouldn't buy one sight unseen unless I knew I could return it if it didn't live up to all the brand rah-rah.
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  #22  
Old 10-28-2019, 08:53 PM
dbintegrity dbintegrity is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donlyn View Post
I fingerpick all my instruments using my nails. I also own a rosewood J-200 and it is a great fingerpicking guitar. I'll just let Mark and Chet give you a taste of that with their '85 Gibson rosewood J-200s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wTVLIZaxMk




Don
.
That Video was The Trump Card....
Though ANY guitar in the hands of Mark Knopfler or Chet Atkins will sound GREAT.
OM guy here.... Like the other forumite mentioned.... the rosewood jumbo could be monstrously tough... I had a few Gibson J200's in rosewood as well. MEH
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  #23  
Old 10-28-2019, 09:10 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
Rosewood jumbo's can be monsters - in some ways I find maple the better balanced tonewood for that big body.
Let us know how you find it.
Just to clarify my earlier post - when I say 'monsters' I mean that in a good way.
Powerful, warm and responsive.
Impressive guitars!
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  #24  
Old 10-28-2019, 09:18 PM
zmf zmf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donlyn View Post
I fingerpick all my instruments using my nails. I also own a rosewood J-200 and it is a great fingerpicking guitar. I'll just let Mark and Chet give you a taste of that with their '85 Gibson rosewood J-200s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wTVLIZaxMk




Don
.

They're amped. Sound like the nylon strings strings Chet and Jerry played back in the day. That doesn't count.
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  #25  
Old 10-28-2019, 09:32 PM
Russ C Russ C is offline
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I think you need to be clear about what you love and what you hate in the J200 because there's no guarantee a Collings OM will live up to what you love - then you may have bought a different love/hate issue.
I also think a Collings small body and a decent J200 are about as opposite as you could hope to find tonally, and that's not an insult to either of them, so I have to agree with those who caution about buying anything unplayed .. and by that I mean having at least both of those instruments with new strings together in a quiet place.
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  #26  
Old 10-28-2019, 10:09 PM
donlyn donlyn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zmf View Post

They're amped. Sound like the nylon strings strings Chet and Jerry played back in the day. That doesn't count.
Mark and Chet always count.

Don
.
__________________
*The Heard:
85 Gibson J-200 sitka/rosewood Jumbo
99 Taylor 355 sitka/sapele 12 string Jmbo
06 Alvarez AJ60S englmn/mpl lam med Jmbo
14 Taylor 818e sitka/rosewood Grand Orchestra
05 Taylor 512ce L10 all mahogany Grand Concert
09 Taylor all walnut Jmbo
16 Taylor 412e-R sitka/rw GC
16 Taylor 458e-R s/rw 12 string GO
21 Epiphone IBG J-200 sitka/maple Jmbo
22 Guild F-1512 s/rw 12 string Jmbo
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  #27  
Old 10-29-2019, 06:00 AM
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SprintBob SprintBob is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
The Collings is literally, a "precision instrument" for precision playing... the SJ200 is a perfectly fine rhythm guitar but despite being used by Rev. Gary Davis, there is no real comparison.
This. The Collings should be good all around but don’t expect the bass to rumble like a SJ200.
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  #28  
Old 10-29-2019, 06:32 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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These are pretty different instruments. Given that choice I would go with the OM, but that's really useless information.

You need to play a couple of Collings guitars. You're going to use it for many, many hours and it's worth taking a day to drive to a store that stocks them.

If you're so far from a store that you can't manage that you might see if there is a member with a Collings within driving distance.
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  #29  
Old 10-29-2019, 06:46 AM
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BrunoBlack BrunoBlack is offline
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Wow, you couldn’t have picked more different guitars. Having played both this would be a no brainer for me. Give me that great sounding, easy playing, consistently well-made Collings OM3 any day of the week. But, that’s me and not you. Get one in your hands and then decide.
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  #30  
Old 10-29-2019, 06:57 AM
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Kh1967 Kh1967 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Haasome View Post
Wow, you couldn’t have picked more different guitars. Having played both this would be a no brainer for me. Give me that great sounding, easy playing, consistently well-made Collings OM3 any day of the week. But, that’s me and not you. Get one in your hands and then decide.
Agreed. Very, very different guitars!

But, a Collings OM can be and most likely will be, a wonderful instrument. I love a Collings OM. And, yes, they are precise, but with time, the tone becomes more blended. You can always play with string and pick combinations, to dial it in to what your ears like.

Adi/Rosewood in a Collings OM is a wonderful pairing. I don't believe I have played a bad one, yet.

Good luck!
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