The Collings Forum

Do dreadnought Collings guitars make good fingerpicking instruments and if so, what gauge strings should be on them? I like the smaller guitars but sometimes they lack the bottom end sound that a good dreadnought offers.

I love my D2H for Finger Picking. It has a very clear, articulate tone up and down the scales. A friend who is a much better player than I borrows it often when he is laying down a Finger Picked track in the studio. Having grown up as a Blue Grasser he does most of his work with a Martin 00-18 or a D-18 but likes my Collings more for Finger Picking.

I string mine with John Pearse New Mediums #710.

George, I guess it depends if you're using picks or playing with bare fingers. With picks, you can drive any top, if you're playing with bare fingers, the German tops that Collings uses are wonderful, and respond to a light touch, without giving up headroom.

Do you think a varnished dreadnought with Adirondack top would do well as a fingerpicking guitar?

A varnished dreadnaught would sound great.

Georgelange wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 10:43 am Do you think a varnished dreadnought with Adirondack top would do well as a fingerpicking guitar?

Heck yes! Mine sure does. Caveat, my D1A Varnish is strung with mediums - I use a flatpick about as much as I use fingers - and I use finger picks. Bare fingers and medium strings don't work for me, nor can my bare fingers really drive the top of a dread (any dread, not just my Collings). But, my D1A has become my go to for fingerstyle, I just love the tone, dynamics and richness I can wring out of this guitar.

The D1A makes for a very good fingerstyle guitar. As for varnish, my only experience with it is a 000-1A Varnish that I own. The varnish makes a big difference in terms of sound. To me, it gives the guitar a much warmer tone, but it will still have the typical Collings volume and projection.

I love to play fingerstyle blues on my D2HG. I think it is a very versatile guitar. I do have strong fingernails and play hybrid style with a pick and fingers. I have a 00 12-fret slothead that would seem to be better suited to fingerstyle, but greatly prefer my D2HG.

Georgelange wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:59 am Do dreadnought Collings guitars make good fingerpicking instruments and if so, what gauge strings should be on them? I like the smaller guitars but sometimes they lack the bottom end sound that a good dreadnought offers.

Here is a clip I recorded back in 2007 Fingerpicking on my 2000 D2HSB.

Very versatile guitar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifuqgDyE_ck