If you ask Bill Collings what makes his Collings guitars so special he will tell you that the key to building a great guitar is precision. It's hard to make a great sounding guitar. And it's even harder to replicate that great sound over and over again. Precision is the science of building great guitars. The art comes in the wood. Tone woods are fickle to say the least. Not every piece of wood is the same, even from the same tree. Finding just the right combination of woods to make a great sounding guitar is an art form. Collings focuses primarily on two wood combinations for its guitars. Sitka Spruce tops and Mahogany back and sides are the most popular combination. The other most common tone wood combination is Adirondack Spruce for the tops and Rosewood for the back and sides. Adirondack tends to produce the loudest volume.
In addition the major components of guitar construction, the small stuff also makes a huge difference in world-class guitars. From the amount of finish to put on a guitar top to what material to use as a finish can make a major difference in quality. Even the glue holding the guitar together makes a difference. Collings uses different glues for different parts of the guitar. Harder glues are used to secure the bridge and braces. Collings uses softer glues to attach bindings. All these factors add up to making a difference in how a guitar sounds, plays, and feels.
Perhaps, the greatest factor in making Collings guitars so special is that the hands of living humans build them. Having all the small details gets you down the road but what makes the guitar come together to produce an outstanding instrument is the person actually building it. At Collings Guitars, they understand that specially trained people are necessary to craft an instrument with great sound and quality. Building a great sounding guitar is still more art than science and you need people to make the small adjustments in the process to make all the details come together and make a great instrument. A trained ear knows which wood samples will make the best sounding guitars. Not all parts of a tree produce great tone for guitar. It takes years of testing and hearing wood before it gets cut and shaped into the parts of the guitar. It really takes an expert to determine if it will make a great sounding guitar.
While the previously mentioned factors make Collings guitars special one cannot overstate how much of Bill Collings expertise and passion goes into making his custom guitars. Try one out for yourself and see just how special a Collings guitar can be.
In addition the major components of guitar construction, the small stuff also makes a huge difference in world-class guitars. From the amount of finish to put on a guitar top to what material to use as a finish can make a major difference in quality. Even the glue holding the guitar together makes a difference. Collings uses different glues for different parts of the guitar. Harder glues are used to secure the bridge and braces. Collings uses softer glues to attach bindings. All these factors add up to making a difference in how a guitar sounds, plays, and feels.
Perhaps, the greatest factor in making Collings guitars so special is that the hands of living humans build them. Having all the small details gets you down the road but what makes the guitar come together to produce an outstanding instrument is the person actually building it. At Collings Guitars, they understand that specially trained people are necessary to craft an instrument with great sound and quality. Building a great sounding guitar is still more art than science and you need people to make the small adjustments in the process to make all the details come together and make a great instrument. A trained ear knows which wood samples will make the best sounding guitars. Not all parts of a tree produce great tone for guitar. It takes years of testing and hearing wood before it gets cut and shaped into the parts of the guitar. It really takes an expert to determine if it will make a great sounding guitar.
While the previously mentioned factors make Collings guitars special one cannot overstate how much of Bill Collings expertise and passion goes into making his custom guitars. Try one out for yourself and see just how special a Collings guitar can be.
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