black_doug
Poster Extraordinaire
Electric or acoustic - are they really worth the money?
Educate Me on Collings Guitars
- Thread starter black_doug
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mandoloony
Tele-Afflicted
"Worth the money" is always going to be a personal decision. There are plenty of folks who believe that no guitar should ever cost more than $200, and others that anything under $2K is a waste of time if you can afford otherwise.
They are certainly excellent guitars, electric or acoustic, and there is a good reason why they command the prices they do. I have yet to hear anyone seriously complain about their build quality or the fit-and-finish quality with regards to the price. Will they meet your criteria? I can't say.
They are certainly excellent guitars, electric or acoustic, and there is a good reason why they command the prices they do. I have yet to hear anyone seriously complain about their build quality or the fit-and-finish quality with regards to the price. Will they meet your criteria? I can't say.
Not IMO.
They are good, BUT they are egregiously overpriced.
Crazy egregiously overpriced.
They are well made.
The acoustics all sound bright, and hard.
Every one I ever heard or played.
The electrics, even without neck binding (a must for me), are priced well over $3,000.
I’ve never been impressed with them.
I’m a hometown boy, and I wish I could root for the home team.
I simply can not.
To be fair, there are fans on the forum here, who have many, and will tell you they’re the best.
I’d really go with anything else.
Gibson, PRS, Duesenberg, etc.
For acoustics, I prefer James Goodall, Froggy Bottom, Santa Cruz, Huss & Dalton, or Bourgeois.
They are good, BUT they are egregiously overpriced.
Crazy egregiously overpriced.
They are well made.
The acoustics all sound bright, and hard.
Every one I ever heard or played.
The electrics, even without neck binding (a must for me), are priced well over $3,000.
I’ve never been impressed with them.
I’m a hometown boy, and I wish I could root for the home team.
I simply can not.
To be fair, there are fans on the forum here, who have many, and will tell you they’re the best.
I’d really go with anything else.
Gibson, PRS, Duesenberg, etc.
For acoustics, I prefer James Goodall, Froggy Bottom, Santa Cruz, Huss & Dalton, or Bourgeois.
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black_doug
Poster Extraordinaire
Looking at this used Collings GoldTop CL City Limits, 2012 got me wondering. I haven’t played it, just looking, but C$5000. Really?
Collings GoldTop CL City Limits
Nuts, IMO.
willietheweirdo
Tele-Afflicted
As an impartially judgmental outsider, they are all ugly as sin. If you want to sling a shiny modern status symbol, get an Anderson. 
(electrics, of course)
(electrics, of course)
fretbuzzard
Tele-Holic
Their quality (and pricing) is up there with the best production acoustic guitars in my opinion - Santa Cruz, Huss and Dalton, Bourgeois, etc. Like @brookdalebill I do not love their voicing generally, but that’s a matter of taste.
I can’t wrap my head around the pricing on their electric line.
I can’t wrap my head around the pricing on their electric line.
black_doug
Poster Extraordinaire
The store in the link above is a Collings dealer and I used to live within walking distance so I’ve probably been there more than any other store. They stock all the top-tier acoustics, too.
I bought three guitars from them that I still own, and taken a few lessons upstairs. That includes the sunburst Am Std Tele in my avatar pic, and two Martins, the Steve Earle M21, and the 000-15M Streetmaster. Not one was more than C$3000 new.
I bought three guitars from them that I still own, and taken a few lessons upstairs. That includes the sunburst Am Std Tele in my avatar pic, and two Martins, the Steve Earle M21, and the 000-15M Streetmaster. Not one was more than C$3000 new.
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ElvisNixon
Tele-Afflicted
The older ones are more consistent and they were MUCH less expensive when they were just starting to build electrics.
They basically had to keep raising the prices due to the length of time it took dealers to get them. I waited for a year and a half when I got my DC290 and and DC290S. Which are the double cut LP Special and LP Junior style guitars.
I heard from my dealer about how the wait list growing longer and longer when they came out and Collings were simply trying to slow things down by raising the prices.
I’m sure they must have expanded their electric guitar building capabilities and that cost them $$.
I think they are comparable to a CS Gibson and cost less and my two electrics feel absolutely identical to each other and the serial numbers are more than 100 guitars apart.
Gibson is not as consistent IME. You can definitely run across a dog in a Gibson more easily than a Collings
I haven’t tried any of the newer ones. Mine are close to 10 years old now.
I wouldn’t pay for a new one or for a Gibson for that matter. Just my.02
They basically had to keep raising the prices due to the length of time it took dealers to get them. I waited for a year and a half when I got my DC290 and and DC290S. Which are the double cut LP Special and LP Junior style guitars.
I heard from my dealer about how the wait list growing longer and longer when they came out and Collings were simply trying to slow things down by raising the prices.
I’m sure they must have expanded their electric guitar building capabilities and that cost them $$.
I think they are comparable to a CS Gibson and cost less and my two electrics feel absolutely identical to each other and the serial numbers are more than 100 guitars apart.
Gibson is not as consistent IME. You can definitely run across a dog in a Gibson more easily than a Collings
I haven’t tried any of the newer ones. Mine are close to 10 years old now.
I wouldn’t pay for a new one or for a Gibson for that matter. Just my.02
Stubee
Doctor of Teleocity
I don’t know their electrics but the acoustics are very highly thought of and have their own thing going. They seem to be very finely built. When I bought my 2003 Gibson AJRI brand spanking new the only other guitar I was really considering was a Collings CJ, but my AJRI wasn’t shy about being a better sounding guitar to me and the guitar buddy I took with me.
The prices do seem to have climbed quite a bit.
The prices do seem to have climbed quite a bit.
I have no regrets buying my OM1AT. Worth every penny. IMO, Collings and Santa Cruz are on another level than most.
Don't know much about their electrics. They're reportedly supposed to be good. The offset one (360?) looks really cool.
I've tried quite a few of their acoustics (dreadnoughts, OM, 000, 0) and never liked them. Consistently well-built, sure, but they always sounded metallic, cold, and tight (almost boxy) to my ears -- even the larger bodied ones. Maybe they warm up or open up over time, but I'd rather have an acoustic that sounds good up-front and gets better than that over time.
I bought a Collings OM once on a friend's recommendation saying it was better than a Martin (after trading in a Martin I had that had been broken and repaired but never was the same). After playing it for a day I realized it wasn't for me. Took it back to the store (who told me they offered a 14-day grace period for new guitar purchases) to try to get a refund and they insisted on holding on to it overnight to "appraise" it. Got a phone call from them later that day to say they had to knock $1k off the refund because of a scratch on the top -- which was not there when I brought it back to the store earlier that day but was very obviously new and visible the next day when I went to check for myself. Tried to argue but they were insistent (and also very dismissive as to why I didn't want to just hang on to the guitar rather than argue over the refund). Finally bit my tongue, took whatever money I could get back, and swore off that store (and Collings acoustics in general, for better or worse).
I've since tried a friend's Waterloo WL-14, which I thought was way better than any Collings acoustic I ever tried in terms of tone and feel. Guess I just don't like "modern" acoustic guitars.
I don’t think they’re worth the money but that’s just my $0.02 (pun intended). YMMV.
I've tried quite a few of their acoustics (dreadnoughts, OM, 000, 0) and never liked them. Consistently well-built, sure, but they always sounded metallic, cold, and tight (almost boxy) to my ears -- even the larger bodied ones. Maybe they warm up or open up over time, but I'd rather have an acoustic that sounds good up-front and gets better than that over time.
I bought a Collings OM once on a friend's recommendation saying it was better than a Martin (after trading in a Martin I had that had been broken and repaired but never was the same). After playing it for a day I realized it wasn't for me. Took it back to the store (who told me they offered a 14-day grace period for new guitar purchases) to try to get a refund and they insisted on holding on to it overnight to "appraise" it. Got a phone call from them later that day to say they had to knock $1k off the refund because of a scratch on the top -- which was not there when I brought it back to the store earlier that day but was very obviously new and visible the next day when I went to check for myself. Tried to argue but they were insistent (and also very dismissive as to why I didn't want to just hang on to the guitar rather than argue over the refund). Finally bit my tongue, took whatever money I could get back, and swore off that store (and Collings acoustics in general, for better or worse).
I've since tried a friend's Waterloo WL-14, which I thought was way better than any Collings acoustic I ever tried in terms of tone and feel. Guess I just don't like "modern" acoustic guitars.
I don’t think they’re worth the money but that’s just my $0.02 (pun intended). YMMV.
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I sold Collings guitars for 27 years….no one makes a better guitar than Collings…whether you care for them or not is another issue.
I have a first year (2006) Collings City Limits that I am very partial to…right down to the Brazilian Rosewood head stock overlay.
At one time we were also dealers for Santa Cruz…we decided to cease doing business with them….I’d better not go into details on a public forum….but the end was pretty ugly.
I agree that Collings tend to be overpriced….but after a few price increases Tom Anderson is pretty much out of control these days also….it’s pretty much impossible to buy a new TAG guitar for less that $3200 to $3400.00…unless you find a dealer who needs to dump some stock for financial reasons.
The Gibson and Fender Custom Shop guitars are priced pretty crazy too….best bet is to buy used methinks.
I have a first year (2006) Collings City Limits that I am very partial to…right down to the Brazilian Rosewood head stock overlay.
At one time we were also dealers for Santa Cruz…we decided to cease doing business with them….I’d better not go into details on a public forum….but the end was pretty ugly.
I agree that Collings tend to be overpriced….but after a few price increases Tom Anderson is pretty much out of control these days also….it’s pretty much impossible to buy a new TAG guitar for less that $3200 to $3400.00…unless you find a dealer who needs to dump some stock for financial reasons.
The Gibson and Fender Custom Shop guitars are priced pretty crazy too….best bet is to buy used methinks.
kuch
Poster Extraordinaire
D28, 00028EC, and 000-18.... all bought used for less than $2k each
the sound and quality of these guitars are way more than what my talent and abilities warrant....
If you got the money to burn, have at it.
the sound and quality of these guitars are way more than what my talent and abilities warrant....
If you got the money to burn, have at it.
black_doug
Poster Extraordinaire
Why do you say that no one makes a better guitar? What makes them better than the rest?
I didn’t say they were “better” than the rest….my point is that as far as fit, finish, and attention to detail, they have no peers….their build quality is as good as it gets
From the few I have played (and the one that I owned) I would agree: Collings electrics are outstandingly well made. People talk (rightfully so) about PRS build quality but Collings is a few steps beyond PRS.
They do have their own thing going on; they aren't quite a Gibson - probably due to the scale length being 24 7/8" (which I believe is an historic scale length for some Martin parlor-sized guitars).
I was fortunate enough to have a Collings 290 for a while about 13 years ago - got it in 2010 and kept it until 2013. Beautiful guitar - their take on the Les Paul Special - so mahogany body, 2 P90s, simple guitar. At that point in time the 290 was $2,300 MAP, so it was a couple hundred than a production-line Gibson Les Paul Standard or a Gibson Historic reissue LP Special so I didn't think it was too out of reach. Plus for me that I got the dealer to knock a couple hundred off of it. Now it looks like the MAP on a 290 is $4,575 - compared to the MAP on a Gibson 1957 Historic LP Special at $4,199 (and never mind that you can get a really nice production-line LP Special for $1,799).
A great guitar; probably the last guitar I owned from my "playing and collecting - but maybe a bit more collecting" phase and simplified down to the guitars that I enjoyed playing the most (at that point in time Fender American Standard Strat and American Standard Tele). As I mentioned outstanding build, some cool tweaks compared to the traditional Gibson design. Great Lollar P90s too. The entire package made it a more "polite" LP Special. Here was my old 290:
I wound up selling the guitar to a guy I knew back in Kentucky; he had been after me about it so when I decided to sell it I gave him the first shot.
Wooly Fox
Tele-Afflicted
Been offered a 2007 built 290, they're asking C$3900 but says he wouldn't go lower than C$3500.
I think it's a good deal but need to try it out first. I don't think it'll get any lower value than that in the future.
I think it's a good deal but need to try it out first. I don't think it'll get any lower value than that in the future.
teletail
Poster Extraordinaire
There are two questions. First are they worth what they cost and second are they worth what they cost to you. The market sets what something is worth. People can argue all they want, but that’s just a fact.
They second question only you can answer.
They second question only you can answer.
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