Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

dadgad6strings
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:48 pm

Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5306Post dadgad6strings
Sat Feb 19, 2022 2:53 am

I've been looking for an OM1 off and on for quite some time. I'd never actually played a Collings but read so many great reviews about them and was completely enamored by how they are built and the integrity of the company that I had to try one.
After missing a number of opportunities, I was contacted by someone on the Acoustic Guitar forum who had one he wanted to sell. An OM1 with Flamed Red Mountain Cedar back and sides and a sitka top with adirondack braces. We came to terms and it arrived this week. I must say that I'm am very impressed. The guitar more than lives up to the reputation.

Down Home originally sold it and this is the guitar.
https://downhomeguitars.com/instruments ... ka-spruce/

I had not heard of Red Mountain Cedar before but I figured if Collings used it, it must be good. To my ear it is really an excellent tonewood. Very similar in tone to mahogany but maybe a bit more lively. I spoke to Steve at Collings and he said that they had a number of sets and probably built in the neighborhood of 40 guitars with it.

I'm curious if anyone else here owns or has owned a Collings with this wood.
Last edited by dadgad6strings on Sat Feb 19, 2022 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

dadgad6strings
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:48 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5309Post dadgad6strings
Sat Feb 19, 2022 2:40 pm

I forgot to mention that it came in the coveted Collings hand-made case! Very nice indeed.

armdog
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 2:13 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5311Post armdog
Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:40 am

Looks like an outstanding guitar, never heard of Mtn Cedar as a tonewood. best wishes, bert

dadgad6strings
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:48 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5312Post dadgad6strings
Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:41 am

Thanks!

Hokiebob
Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2018 1:22 pm
Location: Mint Hill, NC

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5313Post Hokiebob
Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:30 pm

Congratulations on a great pickup. There is something special about a guitar that has been especially made from carefully selected tonewood.
Working with special materials seems to bring out the best in skilled craftsmen.
I hope that you enjoy your new guitar for many years.
Bob

dadgad6strings
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:48 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5314Post dadgad6strings
Sun Feb 20, 2022 6:47 pm

Thanks Bob -
It does seem to me that the staff, luthiers, and misc personal at Collings strive to go above and beyond in building some of the finest instruments in the world.

backdrifter
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:43 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5316Post backdrifter
Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:20 pm

I’m not on this forum as often as I used to be, and I have to thank my good friend Eric Jones for bringing this thread to my attention.

I have a very similar guitar - Collings OM1 with Sitka spruce top and Mountain Cedar back and sides. And like you, I also have the gorgeous Collings custom case for it. I received mine last September in a trade involving an OM1A JL that I wasn’t bonding with. Funny how that works - I’m a huge Lage fan and love his tone and thought the OM1A JL could be the end all be all OM for me. I could even hear Julian’s tone in that guitar while I had it, but in my hands it just didn’t sound good to my ears. It had been a while since I had owned an OM, and I was wondering if I just didn’t appreciate OM’s any more. But I was willing to take one more chance and I posted the OM1A JL up for trade for a standard Collings OM and ended up working out the deal for the OM1 MC.

And boy, am I glad that I did! I was fortunate enough to have both the OM1 MC and the OM1A JL in my possession at the same time for a brief period. I still remember picking up the OM1 MC, inspecting its beauty (Mountain Cedar is simply gorgeous in person), and then holding my breath while I hit that first chord - and immediately smiling. THERE was the Collings sound that I’ve come to love so much! I got to play both guitars back to back for the rest of the day (before shipping the Lage to its new owner), and came away incredibly happy with the swap. The OM1 MC is a gorgeous sounding guitar and sounds amazing to my ear.

I would agree with your assessment that Mountain Cedar is similar, but maybe a tad more lively than, mahogany. It definitely lives in the same “more fundamental” zone as mahogany. I hear a wetter tone with more natural reverb in mine than I remember in mahogany OM’s. And perhaps a tad more “sparkle” in the high registers. But, I’m going off of memory and I’ve been known to be wrong. Whatever is there, I really like it, and even more so after owning one of the few Collings guitars that I couldn’t bond with. I’ve owned (and sold) many Collings guitars - I think the count is up to 24 last time I checked - and the Lage was only the second that I couldn’t bond with. I still own a handful, and all the rest were moved on in some fit of GAS for another piece of gear and not because I didn't like them.

Again, it’s tough for me to really put into words what I hear in this guitar, but I know I like it quite a bit. I hope you like yours as much as I like mine and enjoy it in good health for many, many years!

Here are a few photos of mine with the OM1A JL before I shipped it off:

Image

Image

dadgad6strings
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:48 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5320Post dadgad6strings
Tue Feb 22, 2022 4:12 pm

Thanks for the post backdrifter -

Glad to hear your confirmation that these are a separate breed of Collings OM1 and not just a fluke on the one I have.
Your description of "wetter tone with more natural reverb" describes it exactly. I've owned all contemporary style guitars over the last 25 years or so and I would say this OM falls somewhere between a traditional sounding guitar and a more modern guitar tonality. A modern OM1!

One of the tonal attributes that I wasn't expecting but appreciate is the open airiness that I'm hearing. The sustain is really nice, even on the bass notes - no thud.

Thanks for the pictures as well. You don't see many of them.

backdrifter
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:43 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5324Post backdrifter
Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:40 pm

My pleasure, and I'd love to see some current photos of yours as well! I'd also be interested to hear what you settle in on for strings. Mine arrived with Elixir Nanoweb 80/20 bronze strings. They sounded good to my ear and really seemed to increase that natural reverb. I swapped them out after a few months for Straight Up Strings medium phosphor bronze string. This was my first experience with SUS and I have been very impressed. They sound great, have lasted months, and have noticeably less tension that other mediums without feeling slinky or sloppy. They don't highlight the reverb quite as much as the Elixirs did, but I still think I prefer them overall.

Again, congrats on the beauty and enjoy it!

Flakyfoont
Posts: 62
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 5:27 pm

Re: Collings OM1 - Red Mountain Cedar/bs & Sitka

Post: # 5326Post Flakyfoont
Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:26 pm

Each of these MCs seem to have nicely figured necks to go along with their beautifly figured b&s as well. Likely just another tasteful pairing decision from the fine folks from Austin for this particular series.
Enjoy them!

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