Varnish finished Dreadnought

[Georgelange]

What are the thoughts on varnish finished guitars from a Collings? There is one for sale at n excellent shop in Waterloo. It sounds quite good. It has a mahogany body and Adirondack top. The finish makes the top look darker.

[Greg Y]

George, The varnish Collings are something special. I had a D1aVvarnish that I parted with to get my old D18. They're warm and open-sounding. They're everything a great Collings sounds like and then some. If it's the one i think you're looking at....that's a great deal. If I were right-handed, that would be the one i'd go for.....I've heard a handful of them and all were a cut above.

[FreeBlues]

Certainly not all varnish guitars are "better" than their non-varnish counterparts, BUT my own personal experience is quite positive. I compared a Standard (used, well played) D1A with a similar (used, well played) D1A Varnish. In this case the Varnish was noticeably better: louder, bigger, less steely, better balance, generally more of everything. When I bought the Varnish from Artisan they too commented on how much more they liked it compared to Standards they had on hand.

Just yesterday my D1A Varnish was with my local luthier for some minor adjustments. He does not have much experience with Collings guitars, so he didn't have many preconceived notions of the Collings "house sound." Said luthier also had a regular D1A in for some work and he had the chance to play them both (I didn't). Said luthier said mine was "much better" than the Standard and, in fact, he had been playing mine all morning just because it "sounded awesome." Nice.

On the old forum there was a long thread (or threads) debating the advantages and sonic differences between lacquer and varnish. Opinions were decidedly mixed, some preferred lacquer, others varnish. Opinions also varied quite a bit depending on the model, dreads vs. OM's, etc. Plus, varnish is a very significant upgrade in terms of cost, so that too factored into people's opinions. Meaning, there is no right answer!

In my case I thought the Varnish was "better" than other D1A's I was considering at the time. Plus, buying used mitigated the cost difference. If I were buying now, sight unseen, I'd likely take the Varnish. BUT, as always, individual guitars will all vary, playing first, if possible, is always best. If you have the chance to play the specific guitar you're considering and it knocks you out, buy it! Might there be another, non-Varnish model out there that is as good? Well possibly, but who cares? If it sounds good and plays well, don't delay.

[collingsnyc]

I have owned a couple of them, and loved them. They were great. If memory serves, Collings braced the varnish dreads somewhat differently as well, which likely contributes to the sonic distinctions.

The Traditional Series is yet another flavor, which I have liked a lot too. Hard to go wrong. Standard, varnish, traditional. All great. I do find that on the used market, you can end up with the “higher end” instruments at a more significant discount.

[Greg Y]

I'm a big fan of Collings varnish guitars, but I never heard a word from Bill, Bruce, Steve, or Mark that they were braced differently....

[Peanut73]

I recently played a varnish that I thought was one of the best Collings I've ever touched. I'm still thinking about buying it over a traditional model.

[Salmosalar]

I was going to chirp in, as I've owned "regular", traditional and varnish D1As. Then i noticed - hey, that's my guitar you're talking about! So take this with a grain of salt. FWIW, it's a strong guitar, bigger and slightly warmer sounding than my "regular", more focused than my traditional. IMHO, a noticeable sonic improvement from my "regular", but not better or worse than the traditional, just a different flavour. All in all, i guess I slightly prefer the varnish, but that's just me; your ears may hear things differently.

[FreeBlues]

I recently played a varnish that I thought was one of the best Collings I've ever touched. I'm still thinking about buying it over a traditional model.

I can't understand why you're "thinking about buying." "Best Collings ever touched." C'mon, do it already, bests don't come along every day. Please post your impressions after you get it!

[Peanut73]

I recently played a varnish that I thought was one of the best Collings I've ever touched. I'm still thinking about buying it over a traditional model.

I can't understand why you're "thinking about buying." "Best Collings ever touched." C'mon, do it already, bests don't come along every day. Please post your impressions after you get it!

Hi Charlie - It's honestly come down to deciding whether or not I want to work with a store that I'm not entirely comfortable patronizing.

[elambo]

Hi Charlie - It's honestly come down to deciding whether or not I want to work with a store that I'm not entirely comfortable patronizing.

Yeah, that could be uncomfortable. Dealers often act as your voice to the manufacturer when you need service or correspondence of some sort, but with Collings you can deal directly with the factory itself -- no need to work with the shop.

If the guitar speaks to you, do the deal. Don't let the dealer's small profit keep you from a great axe.