The Collings Forum

I was always skeptical of baked-top guitars. I played a bunch of Martins back in the day when torrified tops first came out. I found them to be "frighteningly efficient" but not necessarily an improvement. Back then I liked the natural tops a bit better. Today I see an advantage to a baked...

Yea, I've got that very guitar, playing it right now, and what a guitar it is. Just tremendous depth and punch. There's a smoothness, I guess I would say, to these Traditional models that goes right to the bone, something deep and authentic and old school. Enjoy!

I wouldn't have such concerns about baked-top Collings guitars. If one doesn't tend to take care of one's guitar related to proper humidification, then any top will likely run into cracking problems sooner or later. But, also, I'm absolutely confident that Collings has done a massive amount of recen...

Hey, There--I have a D2H Torrified Sitka, not a Traditional Series, mind you, but I'll still hazard a comment. I described this guitar on another forum, another post as the Great White Shark of dreadnoughts. It's a big, bold, ballsy guitar, nothing subtle or mistaken about what it's trying to do. Th...

Hey, Bluesandswing--Thanks for the post on the 0000. I'm going to write the folks at Collings a letter, just to say I gave the idea the good old college try. If you're hankering for a great OOOO, I can highly recommend a luthier by the name of Pat Foster; he builds traditional Martin-inspired instru...

Hey, Slowlearner--Funny you should mention this. Would be a great guitar, for sure. I love the OOO 12-fret presentation. Another interesting model I doubt we'll ever see developed by Collings is the OOOO, which I think would round out the Traditional Series lineup really well. Didn't use to see many...

Hey, Wproffitt--Thanks for the shout out. Yea, I get everything you mentioned concerning the guitar. A quite understated and subtle presentation. The bling is "under the hood" so to speak. I think word that comes to mind in describing the sound is "purity." Nothing is really goin...

Hi, Greg Y--Thanks for the clarification on the history of mahogany OM guitars. It's great to learn new things about guitars and guitar history. In any event, I think Collings is truly on to something with the Traditional series. I'm also itching to try the new CJ45, about which I read such glowing ...

The guitar has arrived, and I've been playing quite a bit. When I watch the Collings video of Bill Collings and friends discussing the Traditional line--how the idea was to let the fundamental note hold true without the coloring of overtones--I think that's exactly right, from my experience. This gu...

Hey, There--I think the spruce top is beautiful, can't see how one could go wrong there. Myself personally, I've never been a big fan of walnut. I'd just as soon have a good set of Honduran mahogany or, even better, a good set of Cuban mahogany. Walnut is a beautiful wood, no doubt, but I always ass...