Santa Cruz vs Collings - Page 5

Guitar Forest · #61 02-25-2018, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bldrguy

I’ve owned several collings om’s, including a 11k Brazilian one. The are precise but unforgiving unless your really good. I bought a Santa Cruz om and it’s woody, easy to play, lighter, and just an all around joy. Tone is more vintage like a Martin to me which I love. I’d describe my Santa Cruz as a Martin cousin but much mi h clearer tone.

What do you mean by unforgiving? If anything, I find the playability of Collings guitars to be excellent, at least when compared to brands like Martin and Taylor, where I sometimes feel like I need to fight their necks to get my chord fingerings as perfect as I'd like (obviously, that may be due to several factors, such as my hands and their neck shapes, that may not necessarily be related to the quality of the guitars themselves). On a Collings guitar with the equivalent setup, it is an absolute breeze.

Kh1967 · #62 02-26-2018, 05:56 AM

Owned several of both and still own one of each. Both Collings and SC build excellent guitars and it will come down to preference.

I don’t find Collings to be bright. Rather I find them articulate and kind of high fidelity. If you want more bass, pick one with rosewood back/sides. Warm it up? Sitka is a great choice for the topwood. And, some will be tighter when new than others. Some of my favorite Collings after owning many, are the most basic...OM1 and OM2H. There is a reason Collings sells a lot of both models.

And, as for SC...they are warmer and more lush to my ears. Not as articulate as Collings but, still have a lot of clarity. One of the most versatile guitars I have played is their OM with plain ole’ sitka and rosewood back/sides. Fabulous.

musicman1951 · #63 02-26-2018, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imwjl

There are two correct answers for this old question.

1. Both.
2. When considering a new or used guitar play lots of them and get the one that knocks you out. It also has to be one you're sure you can live with forever.

Exactly. They are both fine guitars. All the ones I've played have been impressive, but you can see by my guitar list that they didn't make my cut.

Tone and feel are obviously very personal things, and the reason we keep insisting that investing in travel before selecting expensive guitars is worth the money.

When I purchased the Lowden my second choice was a beautiful Bourgeois - so there's two that didn't make your list.

BrunoBlack · #64 02-26-2018, 06:46 AM

Since my last post over a year ago I have played SCGC & Collings side by side every day. I believe that Collings and SCGC are equals in many ways. I own 2 SCGC (OM & H13) and 2 Collings OMs. While the quality of build and tone are equal, they have different sounds. I find the Collings & SCGC are both among the easiest guitars I’ve ever played. The SCGC is slightly more dry with a more fundamental tone. The Collings have a wonderful balanced tone that is more complex. Collings do not suffer from lack of bass or harsh trebles that some people report IMO. I have found that both have required a play-in period that is a little longer than some other brands, but they both start out good and get better with time. They are terrific brands. As others have said, it’s a good idea to audition these guitars.

bldrguy · #65 03-10-2018, 03:08 AM

I didn't mean unforgiving to play, they play excellent. I just meant collings are very "precise" without as much overtones as other guitars, so you better be a good player because it can show every flaw in your playing. No reflection on Collings at all. Amazing guitars, although personally I prefer the sound of them recorded vs in person. I know that's weird.

bldrguy · #66 03-10-2018, 03:11 AM

I just found a 1999 Santa Cruz OM hanging in a shop in Nashville. Had bad strings on it and it still called my name. Have sent it to Santa Cruz to look it over and plek it. Fell in love with this one.

bldrguy · #67 03-10-2018, 03:16 AM

You nailed it in 2 sentences. SC seem more warm and woody (my preference) and in person Collings seem more plastically to me? I know Ill get crucified for that statement, but in person I get that. Exception to that is the varnish finish really opens them up, but I know exactly what you meant.

musicman1951 · #68 03-10-2018, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeInBethesda

Hi everyone, many thanks for the excellent comments and thoughts. I plan to get out and play as many SCGC and Collings OMs as I can, and will try to take a look at some of the others mentioned here. Greatly appreciate the info!

Always your best bet, or at least a return policy.

It's so hard to describe tone with words. Of the guitars I've played recently Collings were incredibly well build, beautiful guitars - but I couldn't find one I wanted to take home. But that's just my ears, plenty of fine players love them.

I would second the suggestion of adding the Bourgeois OM. That would be my first choice of the three.

DrJamie · #69 03-10-2018, 07:53 AM

In my experience, I've played more SCGC's that wowed me, than Collings. The Vintage Jumbo, and the Vintage Artist are 2 guitars I would love to own someday. That said, all of the older Vintage Artists showed fretboard dive at the body. Doesn't effect playability on a non-cutaway, but it kept me from buying a VA I really liked, just the same.

imwjl · #70 03-10-2018, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imwjl

There are two correct answers for this old question.

1. Both.
2. When considering a new or used guitar play lots of them and get the one that knocks you out. It also has to be one you're sure you can live with forever.

At 5 pages and growing, and with reading some comments I really think my earlier post here is most accurate.

Overall I'd add consider other makes too. I've played Bourgeios, Huss & Dalton and Goodall guitars that have been amazing. Some factory guitars are amazing.

Full disclosure: I do own one each of a Santa Cruz and Collings. I've tried a lot of others they've made and many different types. That makes me feel a lot of the comments made are kind of silly. My proximity to Dave's, Madison Music, Chicago and Milwaukee stores means I do road trips and see more of these brands in stock than some places even have guitars let alone decent ones.

Even though my playing's amateur, Dave of Dave's and some acquaintances in my area bluegrass association have let me play true holy grail 1930s Martins and some other guitars made in 1930s - 1950s. Years of going to the bluegrass and old time music association stuff plus time with two instructors has been countless hours of sitting across the sound hole of the vintage, Collings and Santa Cruz guitars. From that I would agree with comments that a most Santa Cruz models are an easy way to get vintage or classic tone.

All that said, remember that I have both, love them equally, and you really need to find your own special guitar.

One observation I have that might offend is how fast you get into diminishing returns after the standard level offerings from these two companies. Another is these makers seem to hit the target with super guitars nearly all the time compared to offerings I've tried from some very small makers that get a lot of recognition.

If you concentrate on my point 2 you might get as lucky as I am. I love the one guitar so much and it's so versatile that I'm several years GAS-free.

Dirk Hofman · #71 03-10-2018, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bldrguy

I just found a 1999 Santa Cruz OM hanging in a shop in Nashville. Had bad strings on it and it still called my name. Have sent it to Santa Cruz to look it over and plek it. Fell in love with this one.

That's the best way. Find the one that grabs ya!

HFox · #72 03-10-2018, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

That's the best way. Find the one that grabs ya!

I found my first SC guitar about 5 years ago, the DA-1. it was hanging way up on the wall at the Ft Myers Guitar Center. I asked if I could play it..the salesman said "I don't know anything about that brand...it's a trade ".
!0 minutes after playing it I negotiated a price and took it home. Sent it out to Santa Cruz for reconditioning and neck reset .
What do I think of SCGC instruments ??....See Below

jrb715 · #73 03-10-2018, 01:25 PM

My experience with Collings is certainly at odds with the criticisms of others in this thread. I don't understand most of the criticisms. Mine are easy to play, in no ways bright, and as a group are the most interesting sounding of all the small builders' guitars for me. I do agree that they are articulate--in the sense that there is a definition to the sound that, by contrast, makes most other guitars sound either vague or slow. I do believe they need to be set up well; and I'm guessing that, in some cases, Collings set ups that are slightly off fuel some of the responses in the thread. (It is not unusual in my experience for a store to have every Collings on display set up just a little askew.)

As to the initial question of the thread, I easily prefer every like model of Collings to the many Santa Cruz guitars I've auditioned. I can't say that with both Huss and Dalton and Bourgeois guitars: very different sounding, but with virtues that have had me slightly preferring them in the occasional model to the same Collings offering. (I prefer, for instance, the H&D sinker mahogany dreads to the Collings D1.) As to Collings having a "hi-fi" sound: as I've written before, this makes no sense to me. There is no "fidelity" to compare it to other than some other guitar. Collings are simultaneously rich and articulate. If they are "hi-fi" then some others, I suppose Santa Cruz in the case of the initial comparison, must be "low-fi." (But that's not of course they way it works.)

hifivic · #74 03-10-2018, 01:51 PM

After playing over 50 years and owning several Collings in the past my experience has been that they need to be broken in unquestionably. This is what some of the critics in this thread are really saying with terms like hi fi or bright. Typically a Huss & Dalton, SGGC or Bourgeois is already broken in sonically whereas as again the Collings are a bit tight sounding for their first year or two.

Dirk Hofman · #75 03-10-2018, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFox

I found my first SC guitar about 5 years ago, the DA-1. it was hanging way up on the wall at the Ft Myers Guitar Center. I asked if I could play it..the salesman said "I don't know anything about that brand...it's a trade ".
!0 minutes after playing it I negotiated a price and took it home. Sent it out to Santa Cruz for reconditioning and neck reset .
What do I think of SCGC instruments ??....See Below

Love it! Good story!