My first Collings experience - not a good story

[TennesseeWalker]

Came across a Collings D2HMRA some time back - beautiful guitar that sounded like it was made out of wet cardboard and stuffed with cotton.

Despite that first impression, I took it home, gave it new strings, a good setup, changed the nut and saddle,
truss rod adjustment and waited a few days for the humidity in the area to clear out.
Pulled the guitar off it’s stand, started quietly with some soft simple tunes and ended up playing away with some big, loud open strumming chords that sounded glorious.

Kept that guitar for many years and was sad to see it go to a good home when it was simply time for a change.

Collings builds top of the line guitars and their customer service (especially Mark Althans) is first class.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by mivaldes

I still remember the one time I've ever been to Carter's vintage guitars. They have high dollar stuff EVERYWHERE on cheap stands. I started getting paranoid about knocking one over. I picked up a $6k Santa Cruz. One strum. WOW! Sometimes thats all it takes.

I mean, I couldn't afford it, but---WOW!

This is what should happen, Collings guitars are very expensive and they should sound extremely good from the first strum.

[Jwills57]

I have purchased three Collings guitars in the last 16 months, each an incredible instrument. But I can say that, to my ears, these guitars are improving in depth and warmth and ambiance almost monthly. So I think we have to be a bit patient with our guitars, especially new-to-newer guitars, play them a lot, treat them kindly, monitor their humidity, change their strings. I really think, as I've owned and played guitars for forty years, that humidity control is not just a key feature in keeping a guitar structurally sound but also sonically sound. I've noticed that when I neglect to empty the dehumidifier in my guitar room and the humidity has a chance to climb, say, to somewhere in the neighborhood of 55%, the guitars all sound duller and heavier, for lack of a better explanation.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

Collings guitars are very expensive and they should sound extremely good from the first strum.

Absolutely…as long as they have been properly maintained after shipping. Poor humidity control, dead strings, etc…that’s on the shop, not the manufacturer.

[TOPDOGJIM]

The few that I have played were used at GC. I enjoyed them all.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

Absolutely…as long as they have been properly maintained after shipping. Poor humidity control, dead strings, etc…that’s on the shop, not the manufacturer.

Of course I agree with this, I'm not knocking the brand at all.

[hamburg325]

Originally Posted by wvblues

So I embarked on a journey 2 plus hours away from home with the intent of spending more than I had ever spent on an instrument.

I had a few instruments in mind but there was a used Collings D2H that the price was more than fair.

Upon arrival I immediately asked for it and it was in the back on a stand and I immediately thought "I bet everyone wants to play it."

I had high expectations.

It took one strum and a lick to look at my wife and say "It is terrible."

It was lifeless, dull. It just felt off. I returned the guitar to the worker and stated it wasn't for me and they all agreed that it was not worth the high price tag it commanded.

I know every guitar is different and some better than others, but when it comes to an instrument demanding the amount of money a Collings demands - I suppose I anticipated it to at least hold its weight above lesser counterparts. I would dare say lower end Martin's and imported instruments could have had its way with this particular Collings on its best day.

I know this is an anomaly, but it leads me back to a particular thought I have always maintained for many years of playing. The law of diminishing returns.

I really wish this had not happened because I wanted to be blown away - almost to prove myself wrong and that I've been missing out on so much more....tone.

Harsh reality that not all guitars are created equal.

I walked out of the store with a 700 dollar guitar that made this particular Collings wish it had stayed part of a tree.

I've had plenty of strong opinions about various builders and their guitars, but this feels like a pretty harsh judgment based on only one guitar and playing experience.

Glad you loved the cheaper guitar. But, trust me, someone else is going to hear why the Collings cost $5K as opposed to $700.

In guitars as in most things: you do get what you pay for.

[Dwight]

Not a good story? You took a ride to try a guitar, you didn't like it so you bought another guitar. That sounds like a pretty good story.

Maybe try a Traditional, same build quality with a different voicing.

[SingingSparrow]

I am pretty sure the person who ends up buying the guitar will think it sounds sweet.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by wvblues

So I embarked on a journey 2 plus hours away from home with the intent of spending more than I had ever spent on an instrument.

I had a few instruments in mind but there was a used Collings D2H that the price was more than fair.

Upon arrival I immediately asked for it and it was in the back on a stand and I immediately thought "I bet everyone wants to play it."

I had high expectations.

It took one strum and a lick to look at my wife and say "It is terrible."

It was lifeless, dull. It just felt off. I returned the guitar to the worker and stated it wasn't for me and they all agreed that it was not worth the high price tag it commanded.

I know every guitar is different and some better than others, but when it comes to an instrument demanding the amount of money a Collings demands - I suppose I anticipated it to at least hold its weight above lesser counterparts. I would dare say lower end Martin's and imported instruments could have had its way with this particular Collings on its best day.

I know this is an anomaly, but it leads me back to a particular thought I have always maintained for many years of playing. The law of diminishing returns.

I really wish this had not happened because I wanted to be blown away - almost to prove myself wrong and that I've been missing out on so much more....tone.

Harsh reality that not all guitars are created equal.

I walked out of the store with a 700 dollar guitar that made this particular Collings wish it had stayed part of a tree.

I have a friend that has a Collings. Fresh out of the case it sounds pretty good.
Not special or spectacular in any way.
After about ten minutes playing it, you can almost hear the “flip of the switch”.
But that thing wakes up and becomes something way more than the sun of its parts.
I had an Alvarez like that as well.
Love at first strum may be a thing. But every now and again you will run across one that simply takes its time “waking up”.

[frankmcr]

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=618026

[Slothead56]

I first glance I thought the thread title was “My first college experience - not a good story” and I thought it was going to be about something completely different!

[sehnsucht77]

Originally Posted by wvblues

It took one strum and a lick to look at my wife and say "It is terrible."

not all Colling's guitars are great and I've played a few duds. tough to validate the cost of Collings nowadays now that I am seeing the go for 7-8K new. its a ridiculous price when you are looking at some single luthier builds for around that price too.

[JC.]

Plenty of people dislike the Collings tone ( I love it) but I have never before encountered anybody who described a Collings acoustic as "terrible."

They are VERY expensive. And their electrics are, for some reason, even more expensive (for a plank and two magnets!).

Plenty of handmade luthier guitars are "meh." I'd say the proportion of Collings acoustics that are "so so" is way lower than the proportion of luthier made guitars that could be described in the same way.

[Dr356]

A couple of months ago, my Collings just sounded dead. Nothing a neophyte like me could do would bring the B string back from the dead. Took it in for a setup and different strings. All is fine now.....