Huss and Daltons sound better than Collings or Bourgeois. Change my mind?

[boombox]

I don't know whether H&Ds sound better than the others mentioned in the thread title, but I do know that both my H&D and my Collings each sound better to me than any of the Martins or Gibsons I've played. Have yet to see/play a Bourgeois so can't comment on that.

[Dwight]

I'm lucky to have a TOM-R with a thermally cured top. It's a great guitar that sounds sweet when fingerpicked and can't be over driven with a pick. Wonderful guitar all around!

[BigOrangeBox]

I enjoy H&D. It is more lively - sustain, overtone, sensitivity compared to the Bourgeois I've owned. Less clinical that the Collings. If you consider martin on left one spectrum with the traditional american sound and collings on the right with the american modern sound. H&D in my view would be in between to the right of Bougeois.

My 2 cents based on playing about 4 each of collings / bourgeois and a couple of H&Ds.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by LoveWins

Good Morning!

It seems like Bourgeois and Collings get a lot more love than Huss and Dalton.

Every Huss and Dalton I’ve played has sounded better. When I say better, I mean the lows sound warmer and fuller, and the highs sound crisp and clear.

Every TDM I’ve played has sounded on par if not better than Martin Authentics.

I guess I’m just writing this post (my first one at that!) to give a shout out to Huss and Dalton.

If you ever get a chance to play a H n D, I highly recommend it. I think they are finally catching on and guitarists are seeing it. Maybe I should shut up before they start raising their prices

LW, I've been impressed by the handful of Huss & Dalton guitars that I've had a chance to play, and - guitar by guitar - I'm probably closer to your opinion of them than not.

But those of us who live in the western part of the United States only see Huss & Daltons very, very rarely. None of the three guitar brands that you mentioned have dealers in Alaska where I live, so far as I know, and even though there are lots of dealers for Collings and Bourgeois in the western states of the Lower 48, I don't think the same is true for Huss & Dalton. Most of them that I've had a chance to play were either on consignment or owned by other players that I met at one guitar event or another.

So I suspect that one reason, perhaps the MAIN reason you haven't read as much praise for the Huss & Daltons as you have for those other brands is simply because many, many players have never even been in the same room with one.

Since I have played a few, I do have a high opinion of the limited number of Huss & Dalton guitars that I've had a chance to play. All six or seven of them that I've come across in my travels were very fine instruments.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[mlr1122]

I own this t00-14 in Adi/Coco.

https://youtu.be/cke3opzvHz0

It’s everything it sounds like on the video and more. Matt Chulka’s description is also spot on. It’s the finest 00 I’ve played. The fit and finish is incredible. Very cool guitar.

In contrast, I owned a CM in Engelman/IRW that just didn’t do it for me at all. Could be I’m just not into Engelman.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by LoveWins

Good Morning!

It seems like Bourgeois and Collings get a lot more love than Huss and Dalton.

Every Huss and Dalton I’ve played has sounded better. When I say better, I mean the lows sound warmer and fuller, and the highs sound crisp and clear.

Every TDM I’ve played has sounded on par if not better than Martin Authentics.

I guess I’m just writing this post (my first one at that!) to give a shout out to Huss and Dalton.

If you ever get a chance to play a H n D, I highly recommend it. I think they are finally catching on and guitarists are seeing it. Maybe I should shut up before they start raising their prices

Hi LW

First of all, Hello and welcome to the forum! Glad you jumped in with a thread.

I've played multiple examples of all three 'brands' you listed, plus several SantaCruz, and FroggyBottom guitars. I listed the brands I did because of all being small-factory producers rather than solo builders.

I would not have judged the Huss&Dalton better than any of those, but certainly on a par with them.

I'd say my opinions of Huss&Dalton are mixed. The Dreadnought I played was the best D-28 I've ever played. But when I played one of their smaller bodied guitars, it was actually no better than most Martins I've played in my 55+ years of playing guitars.

Similarly, I've played Collings which gave me similar results. I've played some really stellar Collings OMs, and a couple which were ho-hum.

And I've played a couple SantaCruz I would have been proud to have added to my 'herd' and another one which about the same quality as a typical 800 or 900 series Taylor.

Small factory instruments - in my limited experience - have been in the category I call 'play-before-pay' guitars.

This is in contrast to Olsons, Bashkins, Somogyi, Applegate, Sheppard, Wingert, Kinnaird etc. guitars. They have stood above the small factory instruments I've sampled.

Again - welcome to the forum.

[memphis1]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

I have a lot of love for H&D guitars after owning a few over the years. I would not say they are better than any of the other boutique builders, rather they have a different voice than others.

We all like what we like and that is great. May we all end up finding ones that make us smile!

I’m with Kori on this one, and couldn’t have said it better myself. I personally have preferred Bourgeois and Collings over H & D and Santa Cruz in the examples I’ve played. That’s not to say I have anything negative to say about them-just that my ears, hands, eyes, and soul have preferred Bourgeois and Collings this far.

[Methos1979]

Like just about everyone else has said, 'better' is subjective to each person. So I won't beat that one to death. I will say for me, the 'big four' as I like to call them rate like this:

Santa Cruz
Huss & Dalton
Collings
Bourgeois

I've only owned a few models of SC and H&D and one Bourgeois but I spent a several days a few years back playing dozens of each at TME which is how I came upon my personal rating above. The funny thing is that I went in there sure that Bourgeois was going to be my jam and if not then surely Collings would be next on the list. Santa Cruz wasn't even on my radar before that and I ended up owning 4 over the years. That said, and again for me personally, Martin guitars I still find I like better than any of the boutique brands and I always end up going back to them.

Of course then there are the exceptions or maybe just the 'exceptionals' that you run into from time to time. Two instances jump out for me. One was from one of those visits to TME where I played what still to this day is the very best sounding guitar I've ever played which was a used Froggy Bottom H14 in spruce of some kind over Brazilian rosewood back and sides. The $14k price tag 'cured' me of that love though!

The second exception was a guitar I took in trade for a Santa Cruz 1929 00 that I had ended up with two identical models. It was a Huss & Dalton MJC in cedar over EIR that was nothing short of sublime in tone. Had it been a short scale model I might still have that one!

[SpruceTop]

I'm fortunate in that my favorite local music shop is a Huss & Dalton dealer from which I've purchased three H&Ds.

[madison]

I'm now looking for a Huss & Dalton, partly because I've read so many good things about them, partly because they offer a good choice of short-scale, small-body models (if you can consider 24.9 to be short scale), and partly because their Shenandoah Valley shop in Staunton VA is just eight miles from where I grew up in Waynesboro. I was first interested in their FS fingerstyle model until I found that the FS body is nearly as large as a dreadnaught body. Now I'm looking at their T-0014 traditional 14-fret model with 18-7/8 body length, 14-1/4 width, 4-1/8 depth, and 24.9 scale. For me, that model hits the sweet spot in comfortable playability and traditional looks.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by LoveWins

Good Morning!

It seems like Bourgeois and Collings get a lot more love than Huss and Dalton.

Every Huss and Dalton I’ve played has sounded better. When I say better, I mean the lows sound warmer and fuller, and the highs sound crisp and clear.

Every TDM I’ve played has sounded on par if not better than Martin Authentics.

I guess I’m just writing this post (my first one at that!) to give a shout out to Huss and Dalton.

If you ever get a chance to play a H n D, I highly recommend it. I think they are finally catching on and guitarists are seeing it. Maybe I should shut up before they start raising their prices

Great you found the sound you like and nothing wrong with promoting the sound you like....

Being new here,(welcome BTW) perhaps a couple thoughts for you to consider on your guitar journey through life.

"Better" is totally subjective and often confused with simply different.

Objectively according the laws of physics related to how acoustic sound propagates and is perceived by humans , it is not possible to accurately judge the tonality of two different guitars, in two different places, at two different times.
One can only guess

[archerscreek]

If I play guitar 1 better than 2 and 3, it will sound better than 2 and 3. If I play guitar 2 better than 1 and 3, it will sound better than 1 and 3.

Based purely on potential, however, I think Collings Traditionals have thicker trebles and a hotter midrange than other available offerings. My next guitar will likely be a Collings D2HA Traditional because of this.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by madison

I'm now looking for a Huss & Dalton, partly because I've read so many good things about them, partly because they offer a good choice of short-scale, small-body models (if you can consider 24.9 to be short scale), and partly because their Shenandoah Valley shop in Staunton VA is just eight miles from where I grew up in Waynesboro. I was first interested in their FS fingerstyle model until I found that the FS body is nearly as large as a dreadnaught body. Now I'm looking at their T-0014 traditional 14-fret model with 18-7/8 body length, 14-1/4 width, 4-1/8 depth, and 24.9 scale. For me, that model hits the sweet spot in comfortable playability and traditional looks.

I've played two at my dealer, and for its size, the Huss & Dalton T-0014 is a great sounding, highly responsive, and loud guitar. I think you'll love it!

[warfrat73]

Is it just me, or have there been a lot of these "Why do H&D guitars fly under the radar" threads lately.

Almost like they're not flying under the radar at all, at least amongst us guitar nerds.

[LakewoodM32Fan]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Is it just me, or have there been a lot of these "Why do H&D guitars fly under the radar" threads lately.

Almost like they're not flying under the radar at all, at least amongst us guitar nerds.

I think it's a confluence of a few things, some of which you note:
1) they're not truly under the radar for those who are into small builders
2) they have a smaller guitar output and dealer network than Bourgeois, SCGC and Collings.
3) due to #2, by definition, even if you are aware of H&D, chances are you haven't been able to play one due to scarcity of dealers and low guitar output

As such, when someone finally gets to play one, they wonder why they aren't as ubiquitous as Collings, SCGC and Bourgeois. That I think is what is meant by most when they say "under the radar". H&D isn't unknown, but I think they're underappreciated mostly due to the small output and dealer network.