New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

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jwills57
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:54 pm
Real Name: Jack Arthur Wills

New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4643Post jwills57
Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:23 pm

Hi, Collings Friends--Just bought an OM1 Traditional Satin Finish from The Music Emporium. I wanted a Julian Lage but couldn't quite justify the extra $1,000 or so. Plus the guitar I ordered has a 1 3/4" nut width, which I enjoy. I'm hoping this will be fairly close to the Lage OM, but in any event I'm sure it will be a great guitar. I'm really sold on the Traditional Series from Collings. Whatever the magic, the Traditional guitars seem to have rolled off a bit of that brand new guitar feel and sound and just seem marginally more vintage and more solid, if that's a description. I have a D1 Traditional Sunburst which is just an unbelievable guitar, and it was unbelievable right out of the case on the first day. I have a Martin OM-18 Vintage which is twenty years old and which has developed into a wonderful guitar, so it will be interesting to compare the two instruments, both mahogany and sitka OMs. Life is stressful sometimes but guitars and music sure help. Hope you all are having a good day and a good week.

GreatWestern
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:30 am
Real Name: G Wenner

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4648Post GreatWestern
Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:28 pm

Congratulations on the new OM :D

The T series and the JL are similar, but you have the wider nut width and also wider string spacing at the bridge with the T.

Each instrument is unique but overall the JLs I’ve played are a bit drier and more reserved than the regular T series.

Now you get to play in a new Collings, one of the best things on Earth!

Jklotz
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:35 am
Real Name: James

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4651Post Jklotz
Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:00 am

I know where you are coming from. I played a JL in Nashville and it blew me away! Everything about it was just amazing except I have to have a 1 3/4" nut. Otherwise it would have followed me home.

Congrats on your new guitar. If you don't mind, please do post your thoughts and maybe a pic or two after you've had some time with it. I'd imagine it's going to be a great guitar.

Greg Y
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:35 pm

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4652Post Greg Y
Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:11 am

The JL is available with the same 1 3/4" nut width neck as the T. Julian has one of each.
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jwills57
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:54 pm
Real Name: Jack Arthur Wills

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4653Post jwills57
Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:09 pm

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 guitar is extremely fundamental and dry, punchy and assertive. I would say it lets the notes do the talking and not the overtones. My wife commented that this guitar seems rather plain for an expensive instrument, which I guess is an accurate take from her point of view, but then we had a discussion about the engineering "under the hood" so to speak, the countless hours of R and D that went into fulfilling Bill's vision for the Traditional series. I don't think it's easy to build a guitar like this; so many little things that the player never sees have to be paid attention to in order to get this sound, like trying to capture the sound of good mahogany OM from the 1930s or 1940s. It's a great guitar now, for my playing, and I'm excited to see how it matures as the years go on.

Greg Y
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:35 pm

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4654Post Greg Y
Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:09 pm

JW, Congratulations on a great new guitar. The 'traditional' is definitely another development from Collings. Jim Baggett (of Mass St Music and a close friend of Bills) had long discussed with Bill the idea of making a guitar that would appeal to those who were accustomed to the vintage guitar tone (less overtones, less forward midrange presence). The traditionals and the JL have gained good acceptance.
On a side note.... "trying to capture the sound of good mahogany OM from the 1930s or 1940s. The original Martin OM was a really short-lived guitar, only being produced from 1929-1933. There was no long scale, wide nut /wide string spacing guitar that size until fingerstylist Eric Schoenberg and Dana Bourgeois partnered with Martin in '83 to reintroduce the OM model.

jwills57
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:54 pm
Real Name: Jack Arthur Wills

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4655Post jwills57
Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:53 pm

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 reviews. Collings is sure making a lot of tremendous guitars these days.

Wproffitt
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:01 pm
Real Name: Scott Proffitt

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4658Post Wproffitt
Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:10 am

Congratulations on your OM1-T! I picked up one last November and am delighted every time I pick it up and play it. I kind of like the simple appointments and the fact that it doesn’t scream “I’m a boutique instrument!” :D The sounds it makes and the way it brings the best out of me are so satisfying. Enjoy it in good health! Any chance we could get some pics?

jwills57
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:54 pm
Real Name: Jack Arthur Wills

Re: New Collings OM1 Traditional Satin Finish

Post: # 4664Post jwills57
Mon Sep 20, 2021 11:32 pm

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 going on but that solid fundamental note and I guess, in a way, that's everything. Of course I've have played and still own several guitars that might be described as more "modern" in sound, lots of overtones, lots of chimes, very rich, wet kind of tone. But as I've gotten older I've definitely found myself gravitating toward the more traditional, more vintage sound, which this Collings Traditional series really seems to capture. Not much for pictures, unfortunately, but I think you can still see the actual guitar I bought up on the TME website.

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