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I played them side by side up at CR guitars the time I went up there. The soco 16lc has a slightly bigger sound do to the bigger body. It is probably the closest thing they have to a 335 in sound(not in looks).
Originally Posted by Jazz_175
Somehow I remember liking the I-35lc a bit better, the one I tried up there was a blonde one. It was perfect.
I have also tried a red and a sunburst one, all great but the blonde stood out. I have a crazy theory that blonde laminated guitars sound better! That's why I went with a blonde eastside lc!
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12-28-2013 12:33 PM
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Today I played a Collings I35 Deluxe for the first time, and was well and truly blown away. Before trying it, I must have played about 8 Gibson 335s, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Either Gibson have let their standards fall, or this was a bad batch. Then I thought I'd try the I35 Deluxe, even though it was way beyond my imaginary budget - and now I feel sick. Literally. I came home two hours ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. It just blew those particular Gibsons away. I don't like saying that, as many people here just adore their Gibson. I'm just saying, in this store, on this day, with these guitars, the Collings was WAY above the others. I definitely want one. I definitely can't have one. Damn!
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To be fair, I prefer the way Collings guitars are built, because of the superb (and superior) craftsmanship.
As for the sound, I think it is more of a subjective matter. Sometimes I am in the mood to "hear" the reassuring Gibson sound so I just grab a Gibson.
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Thinking about getting into Collings. What's their resale value like?
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...Good heavens to Bettsy!!!!!!! They must be made of solid gold!!!! I've owned several Collings acoustic guitars and I know they're very well made, but...Good heavens to Bettsy!!!!!!!!! Six grand ++ and up to $9000 for a 335 based guitar??!!! Good heavens to Bettsy!!!
Seriously, it's really difficult for me to grasp the concept of the "price span" on 335 based guitars (or any other guitar or accesories). From under $300 to around $9000. And many of the owners of $300 335 based guitars swear by the sound and quality. I can't help but wonder how revealing a blind comparison would be, if it could be done. I'm betting there are 335 based guitars in the $300 to $1000 range that have every bit the quality and tone that far more expensive 335 based guitars possess. I think it's a cold, hard, reality. If I had the money, would I prefer one of the much more expensive American made versions? Yep. Go figure?Last edited by jumpnblues; 04-19-2020 at 11:12 AM.
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I agree. As much as I long for a Collings I35-LC with Throbaks, even if I had that kind of money to spend on a guitar, I don't think I could. It just seems silly to me. Well- if it were my ONLY guitar (like for life), OR if I were making a living playing it, then maybe.
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In the US we just printed several trillion dollars. Inflation is coming. Two years from now we may all wish we had bought Collings guitars at today's outrageous prices.
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Whenever I think about buying a Collings 335 all I need to do is record 20 seconds of my playing, listen to it, then realize "I'm not worthy". I save lots of $$$ this way.
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I had a Collings SOCO Deluxe that I got "used" but virtually unplayed from a local seller for a reasonable price. (The guitar would have been over $6000 new)
It had the most beautiful woods, perfect craftsmanship, and it felt great to play. Perfect in every way. It had my favorite pickups.
Compared to every other electric I had, it was consistantly the least good sounding guitar. I say "least good" because it sounded OK, but lacked depth and sweetness in the tone. No character. Sure was pretty, though.
Also, I was scared that I was going to scratch it or ding it! I've played other Collings guitars and they've been nice, but you can get the same or better functionality for way, way less. I don't know a single working musician who has a Collings....they can't afford one!
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The basic construction of semi-hollow 335-ish guitars hasn't changed much in over 50 years. They still have laminated back, sides and top. Even the Collings I-35LC is laminated constructed, but they claim that their R&D has somehow come up with a special formula to maximize tonality, etc., blah, blah, blah. But $5k - 6k for a laminate semi-hollow?!
When you move up to their carved solid wood (mahogany back/sides and carved top) semi-hollow models (I-35 and I-35 Deluxe), then you've moved into their ultra-high pricing stratosphere ($6k -$7k - ??).
No thanks. I'll take a $2,800 Heritage H535 or a used H555 with its solid maple rims and laminate back and top construction any day over a Collings. It's a shame that Heritage stopped making the upscale H555 as part of their Standard Collection, but it is available as a very expensive custom order, but I bet it is nowhere near $5k -$6k.
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I couldn't see spending that sort of money on a guitar unless I'd come into a sizable sum and the guitar was vintage.
The only Collings I've ever played was a dreadnought that was superb in sound and playability, so I've no doubt they can and do build great semi-hollows and archtops. I'd still balk at a $7000 pricetag.
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Ill add my 2 cents,lol! Ive played quite a few of the Collings I 35 models both laminate and solid versions. Excellent Guitars and top notch all the way!
That said I actually prefer my Gibson 1958 Historic ES-335 to them overall. Maybe because of the larger neck shape, or just from an aesthetic perspective.
While I understand labor is expensive, it does seem a bit too much for these guitars
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Two cabs, one guitar, one amp and several pedals later:
A Collings Soco Deluxe. The Lollar Low Wind Imperials are rocking and jazzing really well. So far all the amps like it.Last edited by medblues; 05-23-2021 at 11:18 AM.
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Wow. Gorgeous!
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Damn! Nicely done.
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Great trade! The Collings are beyond good in every way! They are perfection in every aspect. Enjoy, but realize you are ruined forever with a new standard of excellence that will be very hard to duplicate.
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Gorgeous! Love the cream accents.
What guitar did you trade for it, if you don’t mind me asking?
(FYI when you are posting a pic from an Apple device, make sure it has been edited and saved. That will preserve the orientation info.)
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Thanks for the advice Dr Jeff ! I was wondering about that and now fixed it. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
I traded a blonde Yamaha SA2100 (reportedly previously owned by Sheryl Bailey) for it. They have not put it up for sale on Reverb yet so maybe someone local snatched it since it is a wonderful guitar. In fairness to Yamaha, for the price, the build quality and consistency was the same as the Collings. But in terms of the individual parts of the Collings and extra care given to them (for instance the ivoroid pickguard, the nitro finish, plekked frets and carved solid top) put it in a different league (with a much higher price). I was happy to pay some extra cash to cover the difference.
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Absolutely stunning! Congratulations, and play it in good health!
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It’s a cutie! Enjoy
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