Collings disorder

  • Thread starter Thread starter antichef
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antichef

antichef

pornk rock
Sort of a vacuous post, but we could use some threads in this forum, so here goes:

I played a Collings dreadnought at a store a few years ago, and ever since then, I've been subconsciously (and often consciously) fixated on getting one - they're not cheap, of course, and whenever I start to save up, the money goes other places, like house remodeling.

I should be happy - I've got a great 6 string dreadnought (~40yo Martin D-28), that plays and sounds really good. Something about the way the notes jumped off the Collings guitar is still resonating, though. To make matters worse, I sometimes wind up driving past the Collings factory outside of Austin (TX, USA) as I go to relatives' houses for the holidays. I took the tour of the factory a couple of years ago, and that didn't help either.

Any thoughts on this? I'm sure some of you all have one these guitars - should I keep saving?
 
do they have a scratch and dent outlet at the factory???
 
I wish. I remember handling a mandolin when someone in the tour group asked how much it would sell for - the guide said he thought that one would go for about $18k - I gingerly handed it to the next guy... Fortunately, the guitars are cheaper. Maybe he was kidding. Anyway, no sign of a scratch and dent outlet.
 
Well, you could look for a Mossman, or one of the other handmade guitars from the '70's, most of them are cheaper than a Collings. That's if you just want another flavor of rosewood dreadnaught.

I like my Gurian S3M, I bought it for $325.00 w/hsc in 1973, I need to do some fretwork, but it's still pretty good.
 
c7sus said:
Are you using both your kidneys???
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You know, not really, no. Can you get DIY removal kits on ebay?

dervish riff said:
Well, you could look for a Mossman, or one of the other handmade guitars from the '70's, most of them are cheaper than a Collings. That's if you just want another flavor of rosewood dreadnaught.

I like my Gurian S3M, I bought it for $325.00 w/hsc in 1973, I need to do some fretwork, but it's still pretty good.
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Thanks - I'll check those out. My uncle bought the D-28 I have in 1972 for I think about $600. sigh.
 
interesting ly there's one on stlouis CL right now... never seen one till you mentioned them... dont remember the model but was$3.5k...
 
Try finding an Eastman guitar... My wife got a 320B which really comes close to Collings and high end hand made guitars by all the big players... Not your typical cheap Chinese guitars for sure! I think the list price for a 320B is around $995 and they really do sing well!
 
I had a Collings D2H. Sweet guitar. Sold it for $2k and bought two used super clean $500 Stanfords...one mahogany and one Indian rosewood. These Chinese manufactured guitars are solid back, sides and top guitars with spliced heel/kneck. I have zero remorse. The rosewood Stanford beats my old Collings hands down. Don't be discouraged. I don't know if you can plug other forums around here, but the Unofficial Blueridge Guitar Forum has a lot of info on less expensive quality guitars that sometimes will go toe to toe in sound with Martins, Collings, etc. Play before you buy. For $700 or less, there are some wonderful guitars to be had.
 
Hi - my first post here. I'm a Collings owner (a 2003 OM2H and, formerly, a C-10 Deluxe). I've owned literally dozens of instruments - Guild, Martin, and Larrivee - and I have never played a guitar which Iliked better than my OM2H. That being said, if you are looking for something a bit less pricey, you might check out the Larrivee 3 series. They can be had for around $1k and are really nice guitars for the money (actually, they are nice guitars, period). But - as a fellow sufferer - it sounds as if you may not be satisfied until you have what you want. My experience: if you know what you want, save and get it if possible. You probably aren't going to be satisfied otherwise.

Ken
 
agreed. Truthfully, with the D-28, I have what I want (and definitely don't need anything else) - but those Collings's that I picked up and played still haunt me. I'll check out those other brands when I have a chance, too. Thanks everybody.
 
I will dare add something strange here :

As far as I'm concerned, guitars (or maybe any kind of music instruments for the matter) are fascinating me in the fact that one day I can play a great instrument and it sounds fantastic and the next day I'm not that thrilled. Also, I may be turned upside down by the sound I'm getting from a cheap toy guitar and I can hardly reproduce that sound elsewhere with any other instruments. I've played expansive guitars which I thought I'd fall on the ground and the experience proved to be....just plain normal.

All this to say that I think every guitars are unique, they all have some kind of a soul and it's a matter of if your soul merges well with the guitar's. Way to speak.

You fell in love with that Collings, I can understand, but I am tempted to think you could also fall in love with another, way less expansive, given the right circumstances.

But....when we have a dream......I fully understand your Collings Syndrom....but please keep your organs intact and as pairs (ref. kidneys) !! ahahahaah
 
yup - particularly with acoustic guitars, what we players hear is greatly influenced by the room we're in, including the furniture, etc. and even other people (dampening water bags that we are). Also, what other people are hearing (including microphones, depending on where they're placed) is probably different from what we're hearing.

Could that be it? I know there are places in my house where my guitar sounds thin and others where it sounds much larger than life.
 
Well, Antichef, the obvious example to what youre saying here is the Bathroom with all its tiles and ceramic and mirrors. Dont we get a cool reverb there hey ?

That remionds me of an anecdote where in my youth, I was in a metal band and we used to have our rehearsal studio in a former medical kinda room where thanatologists remove organs from the dead prior to burial. The whole room was in ceramic tiles.....just to remember the sound we had there still hurts my ears !!

But anyways, not only the rooms, but your mood of the day too ! At least that's an issue with me ! When one's doomed to practice his art in the dinning room near the kitchen nearby a stressed out wife cooking and constantly asking to come and help....that's not the ideal set-up ! ahahahahaha My guitar no matter if it's a Collings or whatever will surely sound crap !
 
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