NGD I-35LC
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:07 pm
Hi all,
Newly acquired I-35LC, in a merlot finish and Ron Ellis humbuckers (LRP) set. My first Collings electric!
I've owed a D2H since '97, and an OM1A varnish since 2008. I've longed for a Collings electric since they began. I tried an I-35 Deluxe 12 or more years ago, but at that time, I didn't really "know" what to do with it. I've been primarily a Strat-type player for decades (and more recently discovered the joys of various ASAT Tele-types), and I don't play much jazz, so (factoring the cost) I put that idea to rest.
But I've been practicing, and last year bought a 1980 Yamaha SA-2000. Really well made, and plays beautifully all over the neck. I discovered that it could do everything, whether country-jazz ("This Old Cowboy"), blues, Neil Young dirt ("Powderfinger," "Change Your Mind"), Led Zeppelin ("Sick Again," "Ten Years Gone").... I've really enjoyed having that guitar in my palette. Although I really liked the LC concept, I thought I could put to rest the need for an I-35.
But more recently, the ToneQuest Report hepped me to Ron Ellis humbuckers. So... when I saw the listing for an I-35LC with Ron Ellis humbuckers, it was too good a combination to pass up.
Of course, the construction, fit, and finish are Collings flawless. The playability is sublime, and forcing me to up my game again—no hiding sloppy technique with this guitar! The pickups are clear and bright—the neck has round trebles, and the bridge has such smooth top end. It can be Tele-like in its brightness, without a trace of harshness. I've plugged in mainly to an Electroplex Rocket, which has a fantastic (preamp) overdrive tone that sets my gold standard for overdrive. I finally tried it through a Matchless Chieftain, and it sounds astounding there—such thick tone. Clean or dirty, all three positions excel on this guitar. Just a joy to play!!
Newly acquired I-35LC, in a merlot finish and Ron Ellis humbuckers (LRP) set. My first Collings electric!
I've owed a D2H since '97, and an OM1A varnish since 2008. I've longed for a Collings electric since they began. I tried an I-35 Deluxe 12 or more years ago, but at that time, I didn't really "know" what to do with it. I've been primarily a Strat-type player for decades (and more recently discovered the joys of various ASAT Tele-types), and I don't play much jazz, so (factoring the cost) I put that idea to rest.
But I've been practicing, and last year bought a 1980 Yamaha SA-2000. Really well made, and plays beautifully all over the neck. I discovered that it could do everything, whether country-jazz ("This Old Cowboy"), blues, Neil Young dirt ("Powderfinger," "Change Your Mind"), Led Zeppelin ("Sick Again," "Ten Years Gone").... I've really enjoyed having that guitar in my palette. Although I really liked the LC concept, I thought I could put to rest the need for an I-35.
But more recently, the ToneQuest Report hepped me to Ron Ellis humbuckers. So... when I saw the listing for an I-35LC with Ron Ellis humbuckers, it was too good a combination to pass up.
Of course, the construction, fit, and finish are Collings flawless. The playability is sublime, and forcing me to up my game again—no hiding sloppy technique with this guitar! The pickups are clear and bright—the neck has round trebles, and the bridge has such smooth top end. It can be Tele-like in its brightness, without a trace of harshness. I've plugged in mainly to an Electroplex Rocket, which has a fantastic (preamp) overdrive tone that sets my gold standard for overdrive. I finally tried it through a Matchless Chieftain, and it sounds astounding there—such thick tone. Clean or dirty, all three positions excel on this guitar. Just a joy to play!!