First Post here, and IC-35 versus IC-35 LC thoughts...

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MA Pete
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:44 pm
Real Name: Pete

First Post here, and IC-35 versus IC-35 LC thoughts...

Post: # 2537Post MA Pete
Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:08 pm

Hey guys! I have recently gotten into Collings Guitars, and I came across this Forum in my searches. I used my "MA Pete" moniker as that is what I have used for the past many years on the PRS Forums (Birds and Moons, Vintage Rocker and the official PRS Forum), The Gear Page and other Forums. (I lived in MA until 2010, and actually reside in IL these days.)

I have been primarily a Les Paul-style guitar guy, mostly PRS over my last 12 years of guitar obsession and collecting, but also many Gibson Les Pauls, and Knaggs, Patrick James Eggles, b3's, etc. I also went through a Strat phase and owned several Custom Shop Fender Strats and some other S-Type guitars. I am a pretty mediocre guitar player, but it is my main hobby and obsession outside of family and work. I did manage to pull off being in a great band from 2009 to 2015, we had some really great experiences and gigged all over the US, because we were associated with my company at the time and leveraged the band to promote the company.

I had never owned an ES-335 style guitar, although I have really wanted to. I toured the Gibson Memphis Factory in 2010 when I was in Memphis and Nashville for a cool gig my band did in Nashville, and ever since then I have wanted an ES-335 or ES-339. I ordered and ES-335 from Sweetwater and didn't love it, and I have visited CME and other shops several times and played many, but none felt or sounded right enough to take home.

I had always heard great things about the Collings line of guitars, but I never tried one mostly because I was more so into the shorter scale PRS and Gibson guitars, and at that time I wasn't into the 25" PRS Guitars as much and thus didn't think I would be into the 24 7/8" scale of the Collings Guitars. I went through a Strat phase, which I think "broke me" of that scale length closed mindedness. I took a couple of years off playing guitar, and when I got back into it earlier this year, I dug the PRS 25" McCarty, so by extension I thought I would be fine with the 24 7/8 scale. My favorite "modern-day" guitarist is JD Simo, and that got me focused on trying an ES-Style guitar again. With the COVID-19 lockdown, guitar shops have been closed, so I decided to try a Collings through mail order. Got one in, an I-35 LC - and LOVED it!

I spent a couple of weeks scouring the internet and YouTube to get better educated on the Collings Lineup. One of the first big questions for me in figuring out the I-35 line was the difference between the Carved Top I-35 and the I-35 LC. This video from Collings was very helpful:

https://youtu.be/egddyURgrew

Although BOTH sounded great, so I am not sure it was that helpful! ;)

That's okay, for me when a guitar choice is tough, the best answer for me is usually "both" anyway. I have both now, and love both models equally.

I will post belated NGDs here of my collection (all are very recent), and circle back here with regards to my thoughts between the two versions of the I-35.

What do you guys think on this topic? Please provide your opinions as well.

MA Pete
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:44 pm
Real Name: Pete

Re: First Post here, and IC-35 versus IC-35 LC thoughts...

Post: # 2538Post MA Pete
Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:38 pm

I will post proper NGD threads with pics, but in the meantime here are two videos of the *actual* guitars that I now own, that I would compare to compare a Carved Top I-35 to an I-35 LC. Both have the ThroBak SLE-101+ MXV pickups, which I find to be awesome!

https://youtu.be/d9RJtH39fCQ

https://youtu.be/pO_gKIyXtzw

I bought the Carved Top one new from the Austin Guitar House this week, and the Black one used from a friend, also this week. I hadn't even seen the video for the Black one until I came across it last night.

Both killer guitars!!

fstrat76
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 1:53 am

Re: First Post here, and IC-35 versus IC-35 LC thoughts...

Post: # 2543Post fstrat76
Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:50 pm

Also live in IL.

Great guitars! I own a custom order Sherwood Green I-35LC with the throbaks sle-101s, great sound and I was surprised the throbaks were as aggressive as they were.

I haven't played that one too much though as I have been recording with my Parker Fly, PRS's, and 2 Collings City Limits and 290 lately.

My 290 with the Lollar P-90's are so crystal clear with great tone, I use that mostly for cleans and slight crunch. Sound 3D through a Carr Rambler or JC-120. The CL's I use for higher gain. Very smooth.

I'm anxious to record with the I-35LC hopefully soon.

MA Pete
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:44 pm
Real Name: Pete

Re: First Post here, and IC-35 versus IC-35 LC thoughts...

Post: # 2544Post MA Pete
Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:11 am

fstrat76 wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:50 pm Also live in IL.

Great guitars! I own a custom order Sherwood Green I-35LC with the throbaks sle-101s, great sound and I was surprised the throbaks were as aggressive as they were.

I haven't played that one too much though as I have been recording with my Parker Fly, PRS's, and 2 Collings City Limits and 290 lately.

My 290 with the Lollar P-90's are so crystal clear with great tone, I use that mostly for cleans and slight crunch. Sound 3D through a Carr Rambler or JC-120. The CL's I use for higher gain. Very smooth.

I'm anxious to record with the I-35LC hopefully soon.
Cool, thanks for the comments!

I have a City Limits coming in tomorrow, I am looking forward to checking it out! ;)

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biblebound
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:12 am
Real Name: Britt Williams

Re: First Post here, and IC-35 versus IC-35 LC thoughts...

Post: # 3478Post biblebound
Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:37 am

I have a SoCo 16 LC Deluxe arriving in two days. This is my first Collings, I'm very excited!

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