I played a selection of guitars new and vintage. They carry the entire Bourgeois line. I got to play some of the new near east series and there was a all koa GA with a cutaway that sounded better than some of the american Bourgeois. The Bourgeois standout for me was an american hog top dread, if it wasnt for the collings i probably would have taken it home because i have always wanted a US Bourgeois and that hog top sounded phenomenal.
Some other standouts were a 68 square shoulder Gibson SJ with adjustable bridge that had the great gibson sound. There was also a 58 J45 that had the J45 sound you hear when you think J45.
The winner for me was a Collings i had never heard of a C100 in sunburst. When i picked it up i thought it was an SJ because the size is really similar. Next thing i knew i was going back and forth with the C100 and the hog top Bourgeois. Then i played the C100 for the better part of 2 hours without realizing the time had passed.
I have been saving for a superflous deluxe guitar for about 3 years, and had no plan on buying a guitar or even going to a guitar shop due to the nature of the trip.
Anyway went back to the hotel and packed up and decided to swing by the shop on the way out of town. Played for another 15 minutes and knew. I asked if there were any repairs etc. I found out that they just got a large collection from a collector that sold a bunch of nice guitars for cheap rather than take them with him on a move to California. Apparently the collector had let the guitar dry out, which led to a bridge reglue and some fret work. There is a small stable crack from about the x brace area to the bridge. Due to the sound and the incredible full profile neck i didnt really care about any of this because it was obvious the guitar had been repaired well, had i not asked i doubt i would have even known.
We made a great deal and i took it home. An excellent companion to my Iris AB.
So essentially the guitar is a NOS basically unplayed guitar that was a victim of a neglectful guitar collector but was repaired very well and settling in well to its new home in Austin.
For the price i was able to get this for even if something comes up, i could spend $1000 in repairs and still be ahead of what similarly used C100s are going for. But to me the main thing is the guitar sounds and plays great. I don't think I've owned a guitar that took to strumming so well and seemingly never reaches its limit.
I didnt look at any of the specs until i just recieved a spec sheet from collings. Sitka top, mahogany b/s, unscalloped bracing, 1 11/16 nut. And i thought i needed rosewood and scallopes braces to be happy. Good thing i bought with my hands and ears instead of buying to spec.
Specs from collings:
Top
Sitka spruce
Back & Sides
Honduran mahogany
Neck
Honduran mahogany
Body Binding
Ivoroid with rope purfling
Fingerboard Binding
None
Peghead Binding
None
Bridge
Ebony belly-style with 2 3/16" spacing
Fingerboard
Ebony with MOP long dots
Fingerboard Radius
14" - 26" compound
Bridge Pins/End Pin
Ebony with MOP dot
Nut
Bone, 1 11/16"
Saddle
Bone, drop-in
Neck Profile
C-shape
Peghead Profile
Haircut
Neck Joint
Mortise & tenon hybrid
Truss Rod
Fully adjustable
Frets
Medium 18% nickel-silver
Peghead Veneer
Ebony with MOP Collings logo
Tuners
Nickel Waverly
Backstrip
1-style (Walnut)
Rosette
Ivoroid with b/w purfling
Scale Length
25 1/2"
Brace Material
Sitka spruce
Brace Pattern
Pre-war non scalloped X-brace
Body Finish
High-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
Neck Finish
High-gloss polyester resin
Pickguard
Tortoise
Strings
D'Addario EJ-17 (.013"- .056")
Case
Deluxe hardshell case
And pics or it didnt happen.
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