Collings Sweet 16

[JohnW400]

Anybody see the new Collings Sweet 16 jazz box? I came across it while surfing for guitar porn

Collings Eastside Deluxe LC "Sweet Sixteen" - The Music Emporium


Looks real nice. I'm gettin' GAS.

S7100 list


Looks like their answer to the laminate Benedettos, Buscarinos, Molls etc.

[NiAg]

Indeed it looks like an obvious hole in the lineup now filled with this guitar.

I suppose we'll hear the usual comments about $$$ vs. "tone" (and Youtube demos,...), but the guitar market is (gasp) pretty much like any other, with customers and sensibilities for all price points. For a high end product, Collings surely does dot all the right "T"s and cross all the right "I"s.

It has all the Collings touches, and I am sure the workmanship is at their stratospheric level (I never noticed this guitar on the wall at the Music Emporium.) On the other hand, it is sort of just another 16" laminate thinline. (Nothing against this great configuration - just nothing amazing here in my opinion.)

Now, I found the CL Jazz from them to be so cool a concept, and so great a sound, that I have started making woodchips and hacking away at a 14 1/2", carved spruce X-braced top on a fully routed out Honduran Mahog' body. The CL Jazz was inspiring in my opinion.

[Jake Hanlon]

very pretty guitar

[JohnW400]

Originally Posted by NiAg

Indeed it looks like an obvious hole in the lineup now filled with this guitar.

I suppose we'll hear the usual comments about $$$ vs. "tone" (and Youtube demos,...), but the guitar market is (gasp) pretty much like any other, with customers and sensibilities for all price points. For a high end product, Collings surely does dot all the right "T"s and cross all the right "I"s.

It has all the Collings touches, and I am sure the workmanship is at their stratospheric level (I never noticed this guitar on the wall at the Music Emporium.) On the other hand, it is sort of just another 16" laminate thinline. (Nothing against this great configuration - just nothing amazing here in my opinion.)

Now, I found the CL Jazz from them to be so cool a concept, and so great a sound, that I have started making woodchips and hacking away at a 14 1/2", carved spruce X-braced top on a fully routed out Honduran Mahog' body. The CL Jazz was inspiring in my opinion.

Yeas the CL Jazz gave me GAS and I was lusting after it for a while, but it's too small for me. I'm used to big 17-18" boxes. The smallest thing I have (besides solid bodies) is an ES 350T at 17 x 2.25".

[NiAg]

>>> it's too small for me.

Yeah. I know what you mean. My accidental height/girth ratio makes it pretty easy to reach around a big box, and I likewise took a while to get used to even a Bendetto Bravo - it felt small.

But I am still gassing huge for the CL Jazz feel and interesting sound, so "small" it is,...

It is fun to poke into less explored corners of guitar configurations. We have big boxes made to resonate less via thick (or even laminated) tops, so why not small (even way-small) boxes designed to resonate as much as practical?

[Jazzpunk]

Gorgeous guitar but way out of my price range!

[Jazzpunk]

Originally Posted by NiAg

On the other hand, it is sort of just another 16" laminate thinline. (Nothing against this great configuration - just nothing amazing here in my opinion.)

All laminate top guitars are definitely not equal. I'd have to actually play the guitar before dismissing it based on specs alone.

[NiAg]

>>>laminate top guitars are definitely not equal

Oh, certainly agreed. I would hardly dismiss the guitar. I have not seen it in person, but it likely looks fantastic, and probably sounds right down the middle of what makes this configuration so popular.

I do not mean to dismiss the spec at all, just to say that Collings does put out a mix of superbly executed predictable specs, and a few surprises that really work well.

I guess I would never make a 16" laminate guitar since you can buy so many that are really fine. But an unusual config' such as the CL jazz makes me want to make some wood dust to try to capture the sound (and maybe save $7,000 as well,...).

[Soco]

I hope this will be my next guitar, it would compliment my Collings Soco Deluxe nicely!

[Jazzpunk]

Originally Posted by Soco

I hope this will be my next guitar, it would compliment my Collings Soco Deluxe nicely!

That would be awesome! You could definitely do it justice too.

Finally played a Soco Deluxe the other day. Killer guitar!

[Soco]

Originally Posted by Jazzpunk

That would be awesome! You could definitely do it justice too.

Finally played a Soco Deluxe the other day. Killer guitar!

Very cool! What where the specs?
How did you like it compared to the I-35 you tried long time ago?

[Jazzpunk]

Originally Posted by Soco

How did you like it compared to the I-35 you tried long time ago?

I liked it better than the I-35 though that was a really nice guitar as well. The Collings neck carve is so nice!

[M-ster]

Nice comparison of four of the Collings models:
http://www.youtube.com/collingsguita.../4/CJh6FMenVrY