Help! Collings OM2HA or OM2HG DB?

[HerpDerp]

I'm currently trying to buy a Collings OM, but I got stuck between these two choices: OM2HA or OM2HG DB.

Could I get some feedback on which guitar you would personally choose? I know the adirondack versus german will ultimately be a preference thing, but I'd still like some input on those that have spent some time playing them. Also, input on the deep body in general would be great!

Thank you so much in advance!

[buddyhu]

I have an OM2HG, and I like the sound of it...a bit warmer and sweeter than what I consider to be the typical Collings tone. I use it for fingerstyle. I can't really comment on the deep body portion of your question, as I don't have experience with that.

[boombox]

Easy answer is either will be special guitars!

Can't comment on the Adirondack/German top differences, but based on my own experiences of an 8 year old 'regular' OM2H and a 2012 C10 Deep Body, I might question why you need a deep body rosewood OM. My OM2H threw out so much bass she could rival almost any dread. My C10 is a hog deep body and sounds just about perfect to my ears - perfectly balanced. If you go EIR deep body, as your guitar matures, make sure you are prepared for that bass which will develop!

You might post this over at the Collings forum too - lots of very knowledgeable players there - especially ones who favour German tops for fingerstyle.

[HerpDerp]

That deep body option on the OM2HG is exactly why I'm so confused on what to get. It's making me consider so much that I can't sleep.

Here's the input so far at Collings forum.

http://collingsforum.com/eve/forums/...176#6800087176

To clarify, I am buying used guitars, and hence the specific custom options. They are both near the same price range.

And thank you guys for taking your time to write something!

[taylork24ce]

my 01 german has more of a high end sparkle,my 01 sitka has a stronger mids and bass.Right now my dream guitar would be a om2hg ss

[brencat]

I'm not sold on the whole idea of a deep body OM, and the point made by an earlier poster regarding a deep body rosewood is valid.

There is also an issue of resale. Deep body OM Collings are harder to move than their standard sized siblings, should you end up not liking it.

[devellis]

If you can't play before you buy, it might be safer to go with the more "standard" model -- the OM2HA. Collings has built a lot of those and has things dialed in really well. I'm sure they do a great job with the HG DB as well but it strikes me as a more specialized guitar that is addressing some specific characteristics that the player wants. If you're not sure you want those specific characteristics and can't take it for a test drive, then the more standard configuration may be safer. It's likely to be more classically Collings in its tone profile. If you know you want a bit more fullness and perhaps a less aggressive voice, the HG SB may do that for you but without hearing it, the exact impact of those changes would be hard to guess. Both are probably absolutely great guitars.

[Kerbie]

Both are superb guitars. I wasn't sure how to vote because I prefer some aspects of both guitars. I owned an 0M1G deep body which was an outstanding guitar. I strongly prefer the deep body option with Mahogany rather than EIR. Just seems to me that the EIR doesn't need it. The deep body produces more low end and the EIR already has a lot of bass. I think the regular depth provides a lot more clarity in sound, even in Mahogany. So, it kinda depends on what you want.

I prefer German to Adi because I play almost all fingerstyle and German is a little sweeter a sound. But if you're going to play bluegrass with a pick, Adi is probably your choice.

My guess is that there isn't a bad choice here. Good luck. Great guitars.

[Glennwillow]

I own a Collings OM1A DB and I like it a lot. I have never taken a flat pick to this guitar; I play almost all fingerstyle; I have never had any trouble getting a good response from the red spruce top. I had the chance to compare the OM1A standard depth to the dread-depth body and both my wife and I agreed that we liked the deep body better.

As Kerbie notes above, the OM2 with rosewood has more inherent bass than the mahogany OM1. I have never had a chance to play a dread-depth OM2 but I have played standard versions and thought they sounded good. I read some stuff on the Collings forum about the dread-depth OM2 where some people thought this was a sound more like a dreadnought, while others thought there was too much bass.

I like bass and I never seem to get enough from an OM, so I suspect that I would like a deep body OM2. But in the end, it's going to be about preference. If you want an OM that sounds as much like a good dreadnought as possible, the OM2 DB might well be for you. If you are the kind of player who hungers for clarity, however, then I suspect you wouldn't like the dread-depth body.

- Glenn

[HerpDerp]

Thank you all for the input!

I will be dreaming about this decision every time I go to sleep.