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View Poll Results: Collings vs. Santa Cruz
Collings 86 33.86%
Santa Cruz 113 44.49%
Not Sure 55 21.65%
Voters: 254. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 05-23-2010, 07:34 AM
mmasters mmasters is offline
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Default Collings vs. Santa Cruz

Know they are both great shops but if you had to choose which would you choose and why?
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Old 05-23-2010, 07:43 AM
HHP HHP is offline
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Coin flip. Depend on the individual guitar.
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Old 05-23-2010, 07:49 AM
drbluegrass drbluegrass is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HHP View Post
Coin flip. Depend on the individual guitar.

I have 3 wonderful Collings guitars which have made me a die hard Collings fan. However, I agree with HHP 100%. Collings, Santa Cruz, Bourgeois, Huss & Dalton, Froggy Bottom, Goodall, Merrill, Martin Authentics...flip a coin. They all make outstanding, superb, guitars.



Tom
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Old 05-23-2010, 08:06 AM
leftync leftync is offline
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Both nicely built and great sounding, although I've heard guitars as good as either for less money. I vote Santa Cruz b/e they don't upcharge for lefties.
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Old 05-23-2010, 08:13 AM
Frosty Frosty is offline
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It's so obvious... just like choosing between Coke and Pepsi!
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Old 05-23-2010, 08:36 AM
rmyAddison rmyAddison is offline
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I agree, different individual guitars, different answer.

I still prefer Martins and now own a Collings, and add Bourgeois to the Martin/Bourgeois/Collings/Santa Cruz/H&D lineup, they all make great guitars.

The problem these days isn't finding great guitars, it's finding too many................... Just ask my wife!
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Old 05-23-2010, 08:44 AM
roberts roberts is offline
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Slight nod to Collings dreads, SCGC OMs.
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:00 AM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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I own a Collings OM1A deep body that I really enjoy. However, I have recently played some outstanding examples of Santa Cruz guitars, too. I think it's a toss-up and depends on the particular guitar and your playing style.

- Glenn
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:05 AM
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I voted not sure b/c I really think it comes down to how the individual guitar lines up with individual tastes.
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:06 AM
tadol tadol is offline
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Have to give the nod to SC - they're alot closer.
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:11 AM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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They're both makers of impressive instruments. I gave the nod to SCGC because more of their instruments I've played seem balanced or not having spikes in some tones, because some of their standard models have been so impressive thus being relative bargains, and some pre-sales queries to the firms yielded impressive responses from SCGC that included Richard himself.

I still go with the instrument more than the maker and will now confess that my SCGC OMS has stopped GAS and initiated sales of other guitars like no other.

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Old 05-23-2010, 09:31 AM
Benoit Trow Benoit Trow is offline
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I own and travel w/ my "little" SCGC 00-28, that being said and in my experience, I've found more consistency in the SCs.

Traveling for work, I always made sure I was able to check-out the high-end acoustic dealers throughout the States. Everyone from Dream Guitars in North Carolina to Eric Schoenberg's beautiful, quaint shop in Tiburon, CA. I have been fortunate to play many exceptionally fine guitars, luthier built, boutique shops and larger builders. For example, I have found the consistency amongst Martin's to be outstanding, in fact, the most consistent! As for Collings, they are almost always beautiful to look at, but rarely match their visual splendor when played, the exception being when you do find a "good one" it's not simply good, it's bloody stellar! The Santa Cruz's, while not as visually striking, always seem to deliver the sound/feel/tones that I'm looking for (consistency), I would describe it as a "working man's" instrument.
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:34 AM
Brackett Instruments Brackett Instruments is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mmasters View Post
Know they are both great shops but if you had to choose which would you choose and why?
Santa Cruz. Both companies make really nice guitars, but Santa Cruz supports the AGF.
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:44 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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...i like Santa Cruz guitars for their light open build which gives them a more played in sound right out of the box.....i have played only a few Collings guitars but i have ab'ed them in shops with SC's and a find them to be a bit stiffer and more strident in comparison...i'm sure there are exceptions to the rule in both directions...as for fit and finish as well as playability i'd give the edge to Collings...
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Old 05-23-2010, 09:49 AM
cke cke is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HHP View Post
Coin flip. Depend on the individual guitar.
I have played more SCGC gits that I like than Collings, but when I run across an outstanding Collings it's very impressive.

But I would vote SCGC in the end: It's made in California where all the best guitars are made
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Last edited by cke; 05-23-2010 at 12:20 PM.
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