Collings Eastside LC

**Jazz_175** · 12-13-2012, 12:57 AM

Nice guitars Soco. From that angle the Soco seems much smaller than the Eastside. Did you have a chance to play other high rank laminate archtops and compare them with Eastside, I mean Sadowsky, Painter or others.

**Soco** · 12-13-2012, 01:16 AM

Hi thanks,
I have played a few sadowsky's like the Jim Hall, Jimmy Bruno and their semi-hollow. I also recently played a couple of Dale Unger american archtops that where laminated(at least partly as well as the Benedetto bambino. I have also played many 175's as well as some really high end solid woods archtop's like Steve Grimes.
I have a lot of experience with Collings, I have played pretty much every model they make including the cl jazz and many of their acoustics.
They do make a lot more then 5-8 guitars a week as Jan stated.
They make over 1000 acoustics a year as well as mandolins, ukuleles and hundreds of electrics. I think they have over 70 employees.
It is my favorite guitar company.I am a HUGE fan.
The eastside is very acoustic sounding even more than some high end solid woods archtops I have tried. I feel like they are in a different league than sadowsky in terms of sound and craftsmanship. I also prefer the necks on colling to sadowsky(Sadowsky's are thinner). This is just my own preference, all the guitars mentioned are very fine instruments.
I am still getting used to playing this guitar mainly because of the heavier strings, but I really like it. Everyone that has heard it so far commented on have great it sounds. I think it will sound even better after it opens up more.

**Jazz_175** · 12-13-2012, 02:18 AM

I put D'Addario 11-49 in my 175, but I replace the high E string with a 012
to have a fatter sound from that particular string.

**shawntp** · 12-13-2012, 01:31 PM

Has anyone who has played the Eastside also played a Collings CL Jazz? I know they are drastically different builds

Eastside: Laminate, 24 7/8th" Scale, 16" Bout, 2.5" depth
vs
CL Jazz: Carved Spruce/Mahogany, 25.5" scale, 15" Bout, 1 5/8" depth

Just curious as I have found the collings Laminates to be very acoustic in nature (more so than anything else I've played in depth/tone/sustain). I have lots of experience with the I-35 models and some with the Soco. The carved I-35 is really not that far off from the I-35 LC. The carved top being sweeter and more articulate where the laminate was more warm and hollow sounding (in that vintage "sort of muddy" vein) thought I would never call a Collings muddy. In all they were more like one another than they were like a Gibson 335. I have heard similar contrast between the Soco and I-35 in that the Soco is a little bigger/sweeter and the I-35 perhaps more ...aggressive or focused?

**Soco** · 12-13-2012, 03:42 PM

Hi, I played a CL jazz, great guitar. It is quite small but acoustically it sounds like a flattop almost. Plugged it sounds sweet, maybe it bit more sensitive to feedback than the eastside. The eastside can work with overdrive not so sure about the CL jazz. Both great guitars.

**Soco** · 12-19-2012, 08:47 PM

I just got this guitar a few weeks ago, and finally got around to making a little clip of it(I also got a new zoom Q3 HD today).
I really like this guitar, I have used it on 5 gigs already and getting used to it. I switched to Thomastic 12' roundwounds and lowered the action a bit, it plays great. No issues with feedback either on those gigs.

Pic

**Jonathan0996** · 12-19-2012, 09:04 PM

Beautiful guitar, beautiful sound and beautiful playing.

I think you hit the trifecta. Congrats!

**Philco** · 12-19-2012, 09:10 PM

Sound beautiful Soco........and it looks great as well.

I know you have also played the City Limits Jazz.

Surely that guitar cannot sound as big acoustically or plugged in as the East Side you have.

What is your impression of the difference in sound between the two?

**Soco** · 12-19-2012, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by Philco

Sound beautiful Soco........and it looks great as well.

I know you have also played the City Limits Jazz.

Surely that guitar cannot sound as big acoustically or plugged in as the East Side you have.

What is your impression of the difference in sound between the two?

Thanks so much for the kind words,I had a little bit of sound from my polytone on this clip, but you can still hear how much acoustic character the eastside has. I did lower the action a little bit, before that it was even more acoustic sounding. Sounds great at higher volumes too. The City Limits jazz is smaller, but just as loud or probably even louder than the eastside(never compared them side by side). Acoustically the City limits sounds almost like a flattop. Very impressive guitars.

**Jazz_175** · 12-20-2012, 09:36 AM

I don't remember if you already said that.
Does your guitar have rosewood or ebony fingerboard?

**Soco** · 12-20-2012, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

I don't remember if you already said that.
Does your guitar have rosewood or ebony fingerboard?

Hi,mine has rosewood, but I also tried one with ebony. Both great guitars.
Personally I prefer rosewood(unless I am playing classical guitar) in terms of feel and I think it works the best for this guitar. Ebony seems to be slightly brighter and I think the warmth of the rosewood fits really well for this guitar.

**helios** · 12-20-2012, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Soco

Hi,mine has rosewood, but I also tried one with ebony. Both great guitars.
Personally I prefer rosewood(unless I am playing classical guitar) in terms of feel and I think it works the best for this guitar. Ebony seems to be slightly brighter and I think the warmth of the rosewood fits really well for this guitar.

A skilled musician such as yourself deserves such a fine instrument! I've read that Collings pays attention to detail, and the Eastside sounds great in your video.
I wish their prices were a little lower though, as I see the I-35's (Collings take on a ES-335 style semi-hollow) on Ebay going for north of $5000. I will follow by saying that I have no doubt that the I-35 has superior fit and finish to any ES-335 however.
On a side note, what do you think about the Zoom Q3? The audo in you clip sounds just fine, but I noticed that the picture was a little dark--was it just insufficient lighting? Best wishes, Jeff

**Jazz_175** · 12-20-2012, 03:27 PM

I am wondering which one are reliable and serious music shops in the USA where one could find a Collings Eastside to be shipped in Europe.

**David B** · 12-20-2012, 08:16 PM

When I was last in Ivor Mairant's in London last month, they had a beautiful Collings guitar in stock. I'm pretty sure it was an Eastside model. Price was somewhere about the £4000 mark.

**shawntp** · 12-20-2012, 10:12 PM

Sounds great Soco! The guitar is so versatile. I haven't played my Solid bodies or my Collings flat top in a month because this Eastside is so much fun.

This guitar (and a few other similar high end models from equal builders) are really pushing tonal boundary of laminate construction.

I know from reading that Collings spent a really long time honing in the laminate construction process for all the LC models.

I secretly hope they release this model in a 17"x3" form factor with a carved top under $10K someday. I love my Eastside but now I can't help but also want a carved top to have more unplugged tone. The Eastside has an utterly surprising amount of acoustic tone for a 16"x2.5" Laminate guitar.

In the next few weeks I plan to compare it to a carved top Benedetto 16"x2.5" Bravo Elite at 3x the price just for kicks.

I literally play my Eastside unplugged 50%-75% of the time when I practice and its more than adequately enjoyable for self monitoring.

**Soco** · 12-21-2012, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by helios

A skilled musician such as yourself deserves such a fine instrument! I've read that Collings pays attention to detail, and the Eastside sounds great in your video.
I wish their prices were a little lower though, as I see the I-35's (Collings take on a ES-335 style semi-hollow) on Ebay going for north of $5000. I will follow by saying that I have no doubt that the I-35 has superior fit and finish to any ES-335 however.
On a side note, what do you think about the Zoom Q3? The audo in you clip sounds just fine, but I noticed that the picture was a little dark--was it just insufficient lighting? Best wishes, Jeff

Hi thanks so much!
At first the Collings might seem expensive, but after you play one and own one I am pretty sure you won't feel that way.
The I-35 lc which is a great guitar is 3960 new(Bill Frisell plays one), the
I-35 standrar is around 4680, the I-35 is around 5490(more with inlays and quilted top). A Gibson Historic 63' reissue is 4999.
I am 99.999(actually 100)% sure any of the Collings mentioned is a better guitar in terms of build quality and woods. It is a different sound, but it is a great sound. Getting my first Collings 4 years ago is the best thing I ever did.T
This is the first video I uploaded with the Zoom, the reason it is so dark is because of the lighting in the room(was a bit tired so didn't want to show my face).

**Soco** · 12-21-2012, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by shawntp

Sounds great Soco! The guitar is so versatile. I haven't played my Solid bodies or my Collings flat top in a month because this Eastside is so much fun.

This guitar (and a few other similar high end models from equal builders) are really pushing tonal boundary of laminate construction.

I know from reading that Collings spent a really long time honing in the laminate construction process for all the LC models.

I secretly hope they release this model in a 17"x3" form factor with a carved top under $10K someday. I love my Eastside but now I can't help but also want a carved top to have more unplugged tone. The Eastside has an utterly surprising amount of acoustic tone for a 16"x2.5" Laminate guitar.

In the next few weeks I plan to compare it to a carved top Benedetto 16"x2.5" Bravo Elite at 3x the price just for kicks.

I literally play my Eastside unplugged 50%-75% of the time when I practice and its more than adequately enjoyable for self monitoring.

Hi, thanks-I have to admit this guitar is addictive.I took a while before I got it set up the way I want it, but not it plays like a dream.
Of course it is nice to dream about a hand carved Collings like the 17' and Benedtto's but I think in real life(gig situations. recording, rehearsals) the eastside is as good as it gets. I played a great D'Aqustio(original), but the eastside is a more versatile and handy guitar(plus for the 100K D"Aquisto you could get 20 Eastsides). I seriously think the Eastside is a bargain, and as a working musician in NYC commuting by subways, buses by cab and by horse it is a perfect guitar. It doesn't feedback easily(a carved top does), it handles effects and even some gain, it plays great, it is super light and beautiful size is perfect(very handy) and it sounds great acoustically. I had almost given up finding a hollowbody I liked, but now the search is completed. A prefect guitar for me.

**Jazz_175** · 12-21-2012, 03:36 AM

Another question for Eastside owners is how much prone to feedback the guitar is.

**shawntp** · 12-21-2012, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

Another question for Eastside owners is how much prone to feedback the guitar is.

I find it pretty resistant - its hard to qualify. I have played with a Two-Rock Studio Pro (loud and overdriven) and it was pretty resistant though I did have to be cautious of where I aimed it or it would feed back. I have been playing jazz though a Henriksen JazzAmp for a couple weeks now and its perfect. I would say the instrument is very resistant to feedback being a 2.5" deep and of laminate construction but the top is still pretty resonant (and it only has a single pickup route).

In my experience you just have to watch where you point it and feedback is not an issue. I have never gigged with a carved top so I can't compare but I know they can be hard to manage even auditioning in a music shop.

It feeds back less than an ES-175 in my opinion.

**Soco** · 12-21-2012, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

Another question for Eastside owners is how much prone to feedback the guitar is.

On the 5 gigs I have used it on, I didn't have any feedback problems. It depends how close you are to the amp sometimes, and if you are muting or not. I had an Ibanez pm20 that was feeding back like crazy.

**shawntp** · 12-24-2012, 12:40 PM

I would agree that the difference is feel mostly. Ebony has a little more hardness and snap but you really would have to compare a collings eastside in ebony to rosewood to really understand the nuances as they pertain to this build.

If like I had an I-35 or a Soco (as Soco does) I would probably want Rosewood just to make the switch more close. I have a Collings flat top with rosewood but its hard to compare to the Eastside so I personally would be fine with either.

**Soco** · 12-24-2012, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by shawntp

I would agree that the difference is feel mostly. Ebony has a little more hardness and snap but you really would have to compare a collings eastside in ebony to rosewood to really understand the nuances as they pertain to this build.

If like I had an I-35 or a Soco (as Soco does) I would probably want Rosewood just to make the switch more close. I have a Collings flat top with rosewood but its hard to compare to the Eastside so I personally would be fine with either.

At the end of the day each guitar will sound a little different regardless of the fretboard. You could have two guitars with ebony and they wouldn't sound exactly the same. I was decided on getting an Eastside even before they started offering rosewood fretboards, but when they did it was an easy choice since all my other electrics have rosewood boards so it is a more familiar feel. I like slightly darker sounds too so, the eastside is pretty lively so a rosewood fretboard might tame it a bit. Go for the feel you like best. They all sound great.

**kris** · 12-24-2012, 02:03 PM

Hi Jostein,
I am interesting how it sound with the live band.What about feedback?
and how it sound with flatwound 13"...:-)?
Happy Holidays
Kris

**Soco** · 12-24-2012, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by kris

Hi Jostein,
I am interesting how it sound with the live band.What about feedback?
and how it sound with flatwound 13"...:-)?
Happy Holidays
Kris

Hi, as mentioned I didn't have a problem yet with feedback. I have a gig tomorrow, still haven't decided which of my Collings' I will use, but I might record some of it with my new zoom video recorder. I do have some audio recording from some previous gigs with it but I haven't had the chance to edit it yet. I have no idea how it sounds with flatwound 13's. I won't go heavier than 12's and don't like flatwounds.
Merry Christmas to you Kris!

**shawntp** · 12-24-2012, 11:44 PM

One thing I feel like I need is a rubber friction "stopper" for the tone control. The tone range is nice but there are some really nice sweet spots you want to dial in to the room and amp. I feel like once I get the tone set I want it locked. I think I have seen rubber discs you put under knobs on pedals that hold the settings in place.

I like lollar imperials but they are a bit aggressive full on so you need to dial them back for a mellower tone. This aggressive tone (which is a tough thing to describe with that single adjective) might also be in part from the ebony and strings. I am 90-95% satisfied but there is still something I need to tweak.

I lowered the pickup a hair and that moved things in the right direction. All of my guitars have either had WCR or Lollar PAF style humbuckers. I really would like to try a WCR Darkwood pickup in my Eastside (and I happen to have a few WCR's on hand including a neck wound Darkwood) but I am hesitant to do anything that would lower value/modify the build (though it could be undone).

I often felt the same way about my I35 when I had it (swap to WCR's). Lollar imperials are awesome for their clear articulate tone with slight forward and an aggressive bite. The WCR's are similar but rounder and warmer.