Collings C10 vs C10-35

[Hey_day]

I’m sure there is a thread about this that I seem to be unable to find, but anyone have thoughts on the difference play and tone wise if the C10 compared to the C10-35?

[Kh1967]

I very much like the 35, as it just sounds much more open to my ears than a standard C10. My ears hear a boxy quality in the standards, which does not appeal to me.

All that said, many folks love their C-10s. I think I am the odd duck on this one.

[boombox]

I'd love to try a C10-35, but my sitka/hog C10 Deep Body is not boxy at all - could be a variant worth looking at.

[chopinhauer]

The C10 and C10-35 have pretty different specs including

- long scale v short scale
- 1 11/16 v 1 3/4 nut width
- ebony v wenge fingerboards
- 2 3/16 v 2 5/16 string spacing
- thinner v chunkier neck
- different bracing and tone bars

So, bottom line, they are technically quite different which is intended to translate into a different tone. Personally, I opted for the C10-35 because I'm sort of after a Gibson L-00 on steroids (or that's what I hope it will be). I'm after a more traditional, fundamental sound, especially as I've only been playing Martins most of my life. Haven't got the guitar yet so can't say if my speculations translate into reality.

[buddyhu]

I bought a used C10-35 back in the early Fall of 2020. I really like how it feels and sounds, and my wife likes its aound too.

I was seeking something that was reminiscent of a Gibson L-00, but a bit different than most old Gibsons. Also, I didn’t want to open myself up to a lot of old guitar problems that i would need to address, like cracks, loose braces, poorly done repairs from earlier years, etc. Further, I had had trouble finding an old Gibson that I could play before buying...with the significant variability in tone and condition that characterizes old Gibsons, i wasn’t going to buy one sight unseen off of Reverb, or from a distant shop that i have never dealt with).

I came across a new c10-35 with torrefied Sitka top in a local shop, and liked how it felt and sounded (not really an old Gibson tone, but a Collings that kind of leaned in the direction of an old Gibson, or other older guitars. I decided that the C10-35 was a good choice for me: not an old L-00 Gibson or an old Martin 00, but a guitar that i could easily afford (unlike most old Gibsons or old Martin 00’s) that has the Collings balance and articulationl, and which is really loud, and which cuts through. But, in that day, I wasn’t willing to pony up the new guitar price. So i wnet home with out any new guitars that day.

When a used c10-35 showed up in the AGF classifieds a couple weeks after I played the new one in the local shop, i decided to buy it. I love the tone, the look of the Collings sunburst, the thicker neck, and the fact that is a relatively new Collings means that i wont need to put a lot of money into it anytime soon.

[godfreydaniel]

I used to have a C10 Deluxe G (long scale, German top, maple b&s). I also had a 1937 (best guess) Gibson L-00 for almost 35 years. The C10-35 is louder and punchier than both my C-10 and the L-00. I’m extremely impressed with my C10-35.

[bobster7]

Both great guitars but I prefer the C10-35. The C-10 has a more modern tone tone to my ears and arguably the more versatile instrument. The C10-35 has more dry punch but retains Collings clinical tone and balance. Neither get particularly close to the tone of a Gibson L-00. When I was looking for a Gibson L-00 I ended with with a Dave King L-00 replica built following the early 1930’s L-00 guitars he was repairing. Vintage tone without the uncertainty of a vintage instrument.