Collings CL Jazz / long-term review

[bluejaybill]

Congrats! That’s a beauty! Some time ago I sold mine without losing any money. It’s an incredible guitar but it didn’t really suit me in the end. That’s all on me, not the guitar, and mostly had to do with the Kent Armstrong pickup that I couldn’t really come to terms with. BTW, TFOA in Holland has a used one for sale right now with a floating Lollar Johnny Smith mini humbucker.

That's interesting. I was going to post my opinion on these two pickups- then in looking back I see that I did that earlier in the thread.

Anyway, I have a Campellone with two pick guards, one has the Lollar Johnnie Smith, and the other with the Armstrong 12 pole, both floaters. Both terminate in an RCA plug so that I can switch back and forth.

Since I got them back and tried the Armstrong, I really haven't been tempted to go back to the Lollar. I was unable to get the strings to balance with that pickup. BTW, that pickup is a true JS pickup construction, not a typical mini humbucker, and the only one that I know of. And I suspect that JS himself had the same problem, he had the first two screws removed and filled with a plastic dot. I tried removing the E and B screws, but it didn't help that much.

I do wish it sounded better to me, because I much prefer the way it looks on the guitar, much more traditional. But as was said, form follows function.

Getting back to the original post, 10K+ on that guitar seems a bit high to me, but they are beautifully crafted!

[enalnitram]

The sad thing is that they have a lovely headstock for their electrics and electric archtops. They could have just dressed this up with some really nice inlay and had a whole lot less weight at the end of the neck.

Agree! I wish they would use that peghead you posted on some of their acoustics.

Really nice informative review. That being said Collings to me are just way overpriced compared to other builders out there.

I picked up an ic35lc over here in the midwest, used, for much less than half of list. If I could afford it I would pay for this.

+++

This was a wonderful review and I really appreciate it.

[Prossi@cozen.com]

I had one bought brand new from Rainbow guitars in Az. Since sold. Gorgeous guitar, impeccable workmanship I used to just open the (also very nice) case and stare at it. However I disagree regarding acoustic voice. Sounded, to me, like an unplugged electric guitar similar to an unplugged Strat. I’m an old guy and play usually unplugged. In my opinion the CL does not measure up to a Comins carved or an ES 165 laminated acoustically. Again one of the most beautiful guitar ever.

[Oscar67]

Interesting. I had mine strung with roundwound TI 12s and the acoustic sound was incredible. Different from an acoustic archtop like an L5, had its own thing going. But incredible nonetheless.

[Prossi@cozen.com]

Flatwounds but as I recall TI’s would not fit through the tailpiece without enlarging the holes which I did not want to do with this guitar.

[Oscar67]

Oh, I’d forgotten about that. That was a real hassle. Like you I didn’t enlarge the holes so instead I removed the felt around the strings.

[RJVB]

Nice, there should be more of this kind of reviews!

The considerable string length (not much spare length is left on the D and G strings) and the scale length both add tension to the strings.

Just to nitpick: string tension is determined by pitch, gauge, density and scale length. How much string there is on the opposite sides of the nut or saddle doesn't enter into the equation. More string length there makes it harder to bend (by a specific number of semitones) but the consensus seems to be that it improves playability.

[Jabberwocky]

The Collings CL Jazz was a guitar I always thought I wanted. It débuted at an MSRP of $8000. Dealers were allowed to sell it for $7200 back when Collings allowed dealers to discount 10%. Over the years I have seen the used price creep up over the original $8000.

I nearly bought jazzgtr14's CL Jazz. It had a 2-piece flamed mahogany back and neck, if I recall. Most CL Jazz guitars have a 1-piece solid mahogany back but non-figured. This guy in Australia who used to post here wanted it more and was willing to pay $6000 for jazzgtr14's CLJazz so I let it go to him; I had made an offer of $5500 on it which was accepted. It was a good outcome for both seller and buyer. I was not willing to pay more than $5500. Note that one could buy a used 20xx Gibson L5CESN for under $6000 in those days. The same Australian guy also asked me about prossi.cozen's CLJazz. The sales terms were wrapped up in some very legal language. And I thought he was courting trouble and dissuaded him from buying prossi.cosen's CLJazz. Note that that was before prossi started posting here and had no history I could find. Sorry, prossi.

Anyway, the Australian guy wanted to sell his CLJazz on a few years ago. I made him the same $5500 offer that I made jazzgtr14. I had helped him to find a way to get it shipped from Palm Springs, CA to Australia by the now defunct Borderlinx-jazzgtr14 was not willing to ship it to him in Australia. He declined and asked for $6500. He sold it to someone in Japan instead.

So my love affair with the CL Jazz ended. It has a CNC-carved top and its 1.5" rim depth was its chief attribute. It was said to be loud for a 15" thinline carved top archtop. Guess I'll never know. Well, I bought a 2012 LeGrand with the $5500 I set aside for jazzgtr14's CL Jazz plus $300. I think the LeGrand is a better buy and a better guitar. Of course I would say that; I hate sour-tasting grapes.

[Prossi@cozen.com]

The Collings CL Jazz was a guitar I always thought I wanted. It débuted at an MSRP of $8000. Dealers were allowed to sell it for $7200 back when Collings allowed dealers to discount 10%. Over the years I have seen the used price creep up over the original $8000.

I nearly bought jazzgtr14's CL Jazz. It had a 2-piece flamed mahogany back and neck, if I recall. Most CL Jazz guitars have a 1-piece solid mahogany back but non-figured. This guy in Australia who used to post here wanted it more and was willing to pay $6000 for jazzgtr14's CLJazz so I let it go to him; I had made an offer of $5500 on it which was accepted. It was a good outcome for both seller and buyer. I was not willing to pay more than $5500. Note that one could buy a used 20xx Gibson L5CESN for under $6000 in those days. The same Australian guy also asked me about prossi.cozen's CLJazz. The sales terms were wrapped up in some very legal language. And I thought he was courting trouble and dissuaded him from buying prossi.cosen's CLJazz. Note that that was before prossi started posting here and had no history I could find. Sorry, prossi.

Anyway, the Australian guy wanted to sell his CLJazz on a few years ago. I made him the same $5500 offer that I made jazzgtr14. I had helped him to find a way to get it shipped from Palm Springs, CA to Australia by the now defunct Borderlinx-jazzgtr14 was not willing to ship it to him in Australia. He declined and asked for $6500. He sold it to someone in Japan instead.

So my love affair with the CL Jazz ended. It has a CNC-carved top and its 1.5" rim depth was its chief attribute. It was said to be loud for a 15" thinline carved top archtop. Guess I'll never know. Well, I bought a 2012 LeGrand with the $5500 I set aside for jazzgtr14's CL Jazz plus $300. I think the LeGrand is a better buy and a better guitar. Of course I would say that; I hate sour-tasting grapes.

no problem jabber. It sold for lots more. While I am a retired lawyer I didn’t think my ad included unusual legal language.

[SoftwareGuy]

Just curious to why they chose mahogany for the back as opposed to more traditional maple on Gibson longer scale guitars?

They make two archtop guitars with laminated maple; the Eastside CL and Eastside Jazz CL. They both have lollard charlie pickups.

They also are nice but different.

[Oscar67]

Just to nitpick: string tension is determined by pitch, gauge, density and scale length. How much string there is on the opposite sides of the nut or saddle doesn't enter into the equation.

It does. Getting the same pitch from a longer length of string requires more force compared to a shorter length of string. The CL has a 25.5” scale length and on top of that has lots of string length beyond the nut and bridge. It’s the total string length that matters, not the scale length. (On top of that, because you need to stretch your fingers a bit more on a 25.5” scale length, it may feel even harder to play certain chords and passages.) I have some issues with my hand and the high string tension on the CL Jazz is one of the reasons I eventually let it go, the other one being the Kent Armstrong pickup.