“There are no shortcuts”
In the world of hand-crafted, high-end acoustic guitars, Collings are a brand spoken of with reverence. Boutique-grade acoustic guitars are a large market these days, with teams of luthiers across the planet all putting out incredibly made instruments that look and sound like a million dollars.
So why do Collings inspire this extra level of awe? Today, I’ll run through some of the facts and backstory of this brand, and maybe the truth will materialise. Are you with me?
Contents
Where are Collings Guitars Built?
What Instruments do Collings Make?
Who are Collings Guitars?
Collings are a guitar brand based in Austin, Texas. The ‘Collings’ was Bill Collings, who began building instruments in the mid-70s. His home made guitars and mandolins caught the attention of pros like Lyle Lovett and Rick Gordon. This led to a larger premises in the mid 1980s, more guitar sales and a growing reputation for building the best acoustic guitars around.
As the reputation grew, so did the brand’s ambitions. 1999 saw the first Collings-branded mandolins offered for sale, and in 2005, the first of many quality electrics.
Bill Collings sadly passed away in 2017 but his spirit lives on in the company, with dedicated staff, builders and artisans continuing to build world-class instruments for discerning musicians.
Where are Collings Guitars Built?
Collings Guitars are based in Austin, Texas. They’ve been there since the mid 80s, with the premises expanding several times to cater to demand for their instruments. Prior to that, they were made in Houston, where Bill Collings had moved from his native Ohio.
All Collings and Waterloo instruments are designed and built in Texas.
What Instruments do Collings Make?
Collings made acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops and mandolins. For a time, they created ukuleles too, but they discontinued those some years back.
Undoubtedly, Collings are most famous for their flattop acoustic guitars. Dreadnought and Orchestral models are very popular, in a variety of wood combinations.
Collings also hand-make a range of wonderful archtop acoustics, which are considered to be the pinnacle of the brand’s output. Based on antique styles, models in the Collings AT range are built for precision, responsiveness and clear projection.
Collings electric guitars have proven to be as popular and successful as their acoustics. Without mincing my words too much, Collings electrics are definitely based on examples from Kalamazoo, if you get the implication?! From semis to hollowbodies, solid singlecuts to offsets, there are a number of high quality electric guitars available.
Waterloo guitars are a brand of acoustic guitars made by Collings but marketed separately. They are designed specifically to reference Depression-era guitars in both tone and character.
Are Collings Guitars Good?
Collings guitars are widely considered to be amongst the best in the world. This is a viewpoint held by professional musicians and other guitar builders alike. The brand’s skill and attention to detail is legendary, but even more so is their reputation for sounding incredible. Lyle Lovett has this to say:
“The first and best reason to play his (Bill Collings’) guitars is that they sound great”.
Part of the secret behind the Collings approach is an openness to the woodworking side. Bill himself led the way in this regard:
“There are no shortcuts. There is no ‘proper wood’, so you have to learn to manipulate the wood that you have”.
Collings use the best timbers that money can buy, so the whole idea that it still needs work just shows you how dedicated they are about tone. What they actually do to manipulate the timber is never made clear, so it could be as simple as using specific types of bracing to properly harness the inherent power of the wood.
Who Uses Collings Guitars?
Early users of Collings guitars included Lyle Lovett and Rock Gordon, before the brand became established. By the early 90s, Collings were being played by Pete Townsend, Joni Mitchell and Brian May.
Since then, the list of notable Collings artists has risen considerably. Here’s a short list, along with their preferred Collings guitar…
- Keith Richards (OM2H)
- Tyler Childers (DS1A)
- Audley Freed (I-30LC)
- Doyle Bramhall II (I-30LC)
- Nels Cline (360LT M)
- Jeff Tweedy (Baritone 2H)
- Bill Frisell (D1)
- George Strait (D42 A Custom)
- Julian Lage (470JL)
- Ryan Bingham (CW Indian A)
- Andy Wood (MF5 Mandolin)
- Brad Davis (CW Indian)
Now that is not a bad list! Many of those musicians come from the country and jazz genres, where extra emphasis is placed on clean articulation and quality tone. You’ll be in some good company if you choose Collings!
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