
Review: Collings Debuts New Series with the Striking OM1A Hill Country
Designed to be "just a guitar—simply in its purest form, open and woody,” every inch of the OM1A HC speaks to lutherie at its finest.

Designed to be "just a guitar—simply in its purest form, open and woody,” every inch of the OM1A HC speaks to lutherie at its finest.

With the new CJ-45 T, Collings has delivered a new guitar that shows how much can be achieved with a mix of CNC manufacturing, handcrafting, and vision.
ADVERTISEMENT

A visually striking custom OM made from reclaimed old-growth Sitka that spent much of the 20th century floating in Alaskan waters.

This tune is played in the key of E minor, with a judicious combination of fretted notes and open strings creating beautifully textured harmonies.

By DAVID LUSTERMAN Like all 12 custom guitars in Acoustic Guitar magazine’s 10th Anniversary Collection, for many years we displayed our Collings D41 on an office wall. I called it ‘Il Cannone’ – The Cannon – the nickname Nicolò Paganini bestowed on the 1743 Guarneri del Gesú violin he played…
ADVERTISEMENT

By DAVID LUSTERMAN Like all 12 custom guitars in Acoustic Guitar magazine’s 10th Anniversary Collection, for many years we displayed our Collings D41 on an office wall. I called it ‘Il Cannone’ – The Cannon – the nickname Nicolò Paganini bestowed on the 1743 Guarneri del Gesú violin he played…

In this video from the the 2019 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Peter Shults of Collings Guitars shows the company’s new C100 model, along with the Traditional Series Parlor Deluxe, which was introduced in 2018. Check out a full review of the C100 here, and get more NAMM coverage…

When you think of the Collings guitar company, one of the things that stands out is nonpareil workmanship. The new C100 is certainly no exception. Although it’s not a fancy guitar by any means, everything about it shouts “quality.” The mahogany back, sides, and neck and Sitka spruce top are…
ADVERTISEMENT

Throughout the history of guitar making, collaborations between luthiers and guitarists have influenced the discipline and produced spectacular instruments. A brilliant example of this practice is the new Collings Julian Lage Signature OM1 JL, based on a deep exchange of ideas between the late builder and company founder Bill Collings and contemporary guitar phenom Julian Lage.

At the 2018 NAMM show in Anaheim, California, Collings Guitars showed off some expansions to its Traditional line. They added the Single-0 line, which includes 14-fret and 12-fret models, made with light builds, thin nitrocellulose finishes, animal protein glue, and different appointments (wood purfling and tortoise-style bridge pins). Mark Althans from Collings shows off…

Bill Collings was one of the world’s most respected names in acoustic guitar making
ADVERTISEMENT

Mark Althans of Collings Guitars introduced a new baritone model at Winter NAMM 2017: the Baritone 1A. Built with the body of Collings’ classic DS slope-shoulder dreadnought, the scale length is extended from 25.5 to 27.5 for that baritone feel. The neck joins the body at the 13th fret, has a modified v-neck shape,…

In this video from Winter NAMM 2017, Steve McCreary introduces two new Collings models, a parlor and a baritone.

At Winter NAMM 2016, Collings displayed its tastefully sunburst single-O body 12-string model, complete with a European spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides, and mahogany neck. Watch the video for more info from Collings.

A lovely little songbird, the 01 12-Fret is easy to play, responding to the lightest touch with a voice that’s sweet and complex