Collings D-1

2008 model,maybe 2007,bought new 5/2008,standard d 18 type features,straight grain mahogany,straight grain sitka spruce,very contemporay build but guitar has a vibe completely reminiscent of old tradition,99.9% flawless work,very well designed and built.wood,hardware,features,would rate a solid 8.

sound is subjective,but this d1 is on a whole other level than most mahogany guitars,i will assume if anybody is reading this far into these user reviews they want some specific info,this is hard to translate but i will try to give you the best idea of what to expect about it,the d1 is almost perfect for my style,keep in mind this is a mans power guitar,its not an om,cj,000,or other such rinky dink instrument,i play hard with heavy strings,i want to sound better than everybody else and you should too,my style is mostly cross picking,melodies,rhythm,solos,etc.the d1 does all this well with almost cannon volume,good projection and a balanced sound across the strings,bass is crisp,midrange is there and not flat,treble is not harsh at all,i cant emphasize the balance enough because its so completely equal its an almost an unnoticeable dynamic until you think about it carefully,the sitka top d1 has a warmer sweeter sound than the d1a which is 1k more money,the adirondack spruce has a dry woody sound very unlike sitka,while shopping i played 2 d1a's that were kinda lemons and 1 was a varnish one for 9 million $,played a 1 3/4 d1 also in the lemon category,collings are hit and miss like any other guitar company,this was a painstaking purchase for me but if you are spending 3k+ take you time and get one that suits you.overall soundwise i'd say 8,

action:factory high,nut was cut too shallow and my string bends would pop the high e out,had to get the slot filed down slightly at the shop,bone saddle has gap on end in ebony bridge and will move side to side without strings,it clicks either way you move it,also skyscraper high on bass side slanted across to treble side with cutback intonation for the gbe side,didnt like it and reshaped it to a 22 radius,had to glue and clamp shim on the bottom though,no big deal,has factory tall frets that take a lil getting used to,fret ends are perfectly beveled,all collings necks are underset for some reason and even more so on the bass side,fretboard lines up under the bridge on 20-25 different collings i sighted,this is no mistake but standard for them,why?,dont know but i wish it was slightly higher where it supposed to be,these are lightly braced so theoretically if the top sinks and bellies it will just make the alignment better,finish is expert but tiny flaw where heel meets the body,they didnt fine sand and buff the inside corner completely,keyhole slot on bridge g string not quite wide enough,i'm rating this category an 8 but every new collings i have seen has been tip top and world class detailed,i'm being critical of this guitar in particular only and all these are not an issue for me.

i cant speak longevity for this one but the d1 seems like it will hold up well,it already has some fretware and checking on it in 2 months since new,notably the older collings i've seen for sale have looked good and i've never seen a really beat up collings for sale used,from what i'm told the back and sides are thin sprayed poly based and the whole guitar is then oversprayed with nitro laquer although top is nitro only,my main concern is not having the wood crack anywhere and i hope it wont,from what i've seen another 8 here.

customer support was exceptional i must say,my guitar had a lil check about 2 days after i bought it and thought it was a crack,turns out it wasnt but steve the manager was helpful in assisting me the same day with the premeir repair expert in my area,he looked at it and i asked if i owed him anything for his time and he said no,all good and convenient all the way around,in closing i will say collings is complete stand up company with integrity,i definitely appreciate the sincere effort they make for their customers,rating 10.

overall rating 8 because i'm guitar jaded,otherwise higher,if you buy a good d1 you wont regret it,i look at different collings models all the time now just being curious and trying to find information,rumor has it eddie v.h. has a collings but i forgot to ask which model he had when i was on the phone with them,

It's a stock D1 so...see the other reviews, mine is the same, I give it a 9, I'll reserve 10 in case god starts building guitars.

What can you say about the sound of Collings guitars that hasn't been said. And yes, it's all true. As the guys that work at the music shop in town here say about them.. "They all sound good". A lot of high end guitars can and do vary in sound quality, you play some and think, "wow" but then others, "ah it's ok". But with Collings the sound quality seems so consistently good, I mean great. To be honest though after, about 10 years of Collings going thru the local guitar shop, a used one came in one time, and eveyone agreed, it's sound wasn't quite up to par, not that it was bad, but hey 1 guitar in how many and it sound only good, not GREAT....
I'm a bluegrass flatpicker, Collings hold their own in a jam, something you can't say about a lot of guitars.

Funny thing about my guitar, I got it used, from a very close friend. I had played it before, told him I'd buy it if he'd ever sell it. So he let me take it home before buying it, After a week I was considering not buying it, it just didn't play right, I check the releif on the neck, it need ajustment. Into the shop we went, after some ado, it's abit strange how you get to the truss rod on these guitars, but once we got it set right........It went from nite to day, I wouldn't have beleive such a slight truss rod adjustment could make such a difference, but it did. There are reasons for that I've since learned, but that is another story. Anyway I went from "I might buy it" to "Let's get to the bank and I'll write you a check NOW"
So the action is great, but feel/shape of the neck is what it is, like it or don't like it, some do, some don't, I do. I might add though that the edges of the frets are a bit sharp. and the frets seem to be a bit squarer (is that a real term?) than other guitars, as such if you slide you finger up a string, like e or b, you'll fell the fret hitting your finger....so what, it's slight and no big deal, just different than, my Martin for example.
Oh the finish.......ok ok I'll give it a 9 just in case god decides to get into doing finish work.

Not really sure what's going on in this department, the guitar feels really solid, infact I'm surprise that it physically feels as heavey as it does.

Haven't had to deal with it, but I hear it's pretty good, but they get a little whinney, but hey if they can make a guitar this good, they can whine all they want.

OK here's the deal, I've been playing over 40 years,for fun and profit over the years. I own some nice old vintage stuff, and some decent new stuff, But this is it, the end of the road, when you hit Collings you've hit the end, buy it, play it and forget about the rest.
I have friends into the vintage thing, they spend BIG bucks for what are mostly old beat up Martins, that for the most part don't sound all that good, don't get me wrong, some them i'd kill for, but that's only some of them, and when you consider the 10's of thousands they get for them...well it's not my idea of having fun. Beside I wouldn't say they sound better they sound different.
When I first came across Collings, my thoughts of dumping big bucks into 'vintage over-priced Martin disappeared and I haven't looked back since, I realized how silly that whole vintage thing was $$$$, I got a great,excellent,outstanding,fabulous guitar, it's new beautiful shinny. And sounds FANTASTIC.
Now I can say "take your over priced beatup piece of vintage and shove it where......you know where"
But I know people who just have to have an old guitar, go figure, and some of the ones they own, old martin or not, sound like shit. It's all part of the image, get over that image stuff. Get a reall guitar.
Years ago you didn't really have a choice, you had to seek out those old Martins, you ain't gotta do that anymore folks, they are making them better than ever......... and their name is Collings.
But I'm still only giving them a 9 rating..........just in case, just in case god himself decides to get in the guitar making business.

Collings D1 made in 2000. I'm the second owner of this masterpiece instrument based on the flatpicker's favorite - the mahogany sided, spruce topped, essentials only D-18. Top o' the line Waverlys, an ebony endpin and a "vintage Geib" style harshell case round out the AAA+ quality wood selection. Add-on features aren't what this instrument is about - this instrument is all about simplicity and splendour of tone. I give the rating a 9 because of the atttention to the highest quality for the few elements that comprise this guitar, but leave room for those folks who might like the different response or look of rosewood or the visual appeal of herringbone trim.

I can honestly say that this instrument has the greatest power and complexity of tone, coupled with an amazingly even response across all registers of any flat-top guitar I have ever played (I've played 'em all - new, vintage, small shop, big company, etc). Let me state that in my tone aesthetic I prefer mahogany to rosewood in a flatpicking machine. Also let me say that this guitar is already four years old at the time of this writing and the tone has begun to mature. The notes seem to "bloom" out of the soundhole with a sparkle enveloped in a warm glow. This is also a loud guitar that respondes well to dynamics - playing with a medium pick attack gives full-on volume and punch but you can still lay in to it for a bit more power for solos, etc without crapping out (lots of headroom). This guitar gives it up! I give a 9 again because tone is so subjective and because a mahogany guitar is really a different animal from a rosewood guitar - each with their own quirks, weaknesses and strengths. I feel mahogany sided guitars like this are best for solo flatpicking and bluegrass lead and wouldn't be the best choice for a strictly (or mostly) rhythm player or a fingerstylist.

The level of workmanship and attention to detail on this instrument is staggering. Collings is legendary for their meticulous workmanship and subtlty in the minute details of glue joints, brace shape and weight, fretwork, nut and saddle work, a thin laquer finish etc. I string the guitar as per factory spec (D'Addario phosphor bronze 13's) and have found the action to be just perfect for me (as setups are so personal, YMMV). I know this is shaping up to be a gushing review overall but let's face it, the action, fit & finish SHOULD be tops with a $3000+ guitar.

This instrument feels very solid - I feel confident enough to bring it to the gig without a backup. This is not a lightweight, flimsy guitar but one DOES need to take the necessary precautions. I keep the guitar in its case when I'm not playing it (and I bought a Small Dog case cover to add a little more protection), I keep (and monitor) a thermometer and hydrometer in the case and humidify if necessary. Collings indicates they build and store guitars at 49% relative humidity at 75 degrees. I try to keep this in mind.

Not dealt with Collings directly and I'm not the warranty holder since I'm the second owner. It seems from the other reviews that Collings is a stand-up company that supports their products and customers.

I spent a day at Elderly Instruments (in Lansing, MI) and played nearly every flat-top in the store, including new and vintage Martins (GE's and D-18'), other Collings', Huss and Dalton's, Santa Cruz's etc. I was there to buy my lifetime guitar and was prepared to spend more but his D1 was clearly the standout. In fact, the guitar caused a bit of commotion as the other customers and employees heard this "plain jane" ring out. Everybody agreed it was a very special instrument. Yes, I'm a VERY happy customer and though I feel special instruments are irreplaceable, I would seek out another Collings if...oh, I can't bring myself to say it...

Bare Bones Flat Top: Spruce top, Mahagony Back and sides, Little Frets, big wide neck, Waverly Tunners (which may add to the tone, but why these are top of line tuners for acoustics I will never know; frankly they are hard to use and not very accurate), Nitro finish and an unrivailed Attention to detail. The Bridge pins on these guitars are not Sloted (which adds to the tone they tell me), but if you not VERY carful will pull the ball end off your unwound strings as you are changing them. Its a pain to get used to I dont want to take awy from this rating, because the attention to old school building is directly related to the sound of the guitar. But the Pin and the tuners are hard to get used to, and are also the 2 conection points for the strings, Collings knows much more then I what is important here and what is not.

Man oh man...this is it in a dread. The D1's to me are one of the best flat pickin guitars to be had. While I am not a fan of this very wide neck Collings put on his guitars, I have to say I am sure its a large factor in the tone. The Mass of the neck does add to the sound, or at the very least its not taking anything away. With a pick one gets a Huge, very textured woody tone with lots of Punch and cut that makes playing with a Banjo possible. With the fingers...well its flat. Finger Picks are a must, but its a Flat-Pickin guitar and is best played that way. The balance of these guitars is fantastic. I have played 2 Olson Guitars (10k+)in recent years and I can say with honesty that The Collings tone and build quality is as good if not better then those that I have seen from Olson, Huss and Dalton and other great builders. Kills Taylor whose mass production, bracing and Poly-finishes really hold back what should be a better sounding guitar. I Recently Recorded this guitar with some very good mics and It was as good of a bluegrass sound as anyone has every laid on tape (not that the playing was worthy of the tone). I sat there wasting studio time just listening to the Chords ring and that ever elusive guitar tone come true across 2" tape with NOTHING but a tube preamp between them. Even the Engineers were amazed. This guitar has since been requested for several session from other players in a very professional market, quite a compliment. The Collings sound is nothing new, its just the sound that most of use have been looking for.

AMAZING!! It is hard to believe there could be a level up from this. The Nitro is perfect the bindings without a flaw and some of the best fret work I have ever had on a guitar. Only a master could build a guitar like this. Also all the Collings I see have fantastic Wood. Just about flawless! How long can the good wood last?

This is not a tank....I believe guitars like this must be treated very carefully, especially during the first few years as the mature. I hear huge tonal difference in this guitar depending on the weather. The Humidity is a factor (though kind of overstated I think), so is the finish as Nitro is rather fragile in and of itself. However, The case provided by Collings (*which is only a step down from a flight case) and the classic construction methods are time tested and mother approved. Treat it as an acoustic guitar should be and it will out live the player by years and years. Ask me in 5-10 years and that will be the test

They have been helpfull...but not accesable, I guess they are busy building guitars. You have to call them and leave a message, there is no email support; for what ever reson. The Bridge pins on these guitars are not Sloted and if your not VERY carful will pull the ball end off your strings. Its a pain to get used to but I am learning

I have had my D1-A for about four years now. It bought it from the Factory in Dripping Springs, TX. Just Southwest of Austin. Went down met Bill Collings and Steve McCrary took a tour of the joint and and did business directly with them. No less expensive but nice folks .. I saw the thing on the floor as pile of Mahogany just getting ready to go into the aging chanber. The A version is a special type of spruce top that I had them make and it was extra bucks.

I had them not put any markets on the fretboard and to use the dark binding on box and they use ebony on the fretboard binding in a way that you can not tell they are really there. I'm not into fancy more function and sound.

The neck is remarkably accurate and workmanship flawless. It really has no outstanding features .. it is a flatop. But plays, feel and sounds the way it really suppose to.

I play Bluegrass, Swing and Jazz .. on stage a lot. I do it all acoustically and the guitar has to be right in sound and playability to make it work. We do use a sound system ... and generally our owm mikes .. I mike it on Stage with a AT Pro 37R and in the studio with a AKG C1000 or a CAD variable pattern mike. It is the easiest guitar to mike and make sound good I have ever heard. Sound crews at festivals talk about it all the time. The guitar sound gets better reviews that the picker does.

The sound is a lot more mid range than most flatops ... but still we have to cut the bass back some on the mix. I has a very sweet and a bell like sound at any postion ... and the volume is very well ballanced across the fingerboard. The volume at the 13 fret is almost the same as the open string. The overtones are awsome .. it drives tuners crazy ... I have to tune the high strings with my finger as a pick generates too many harmonics for my Seiko tuner deal with.

There are no dislikes at all .. it is unquestionably the finest instrument I have ever owned.

When I got it it was perfect .... I've had it four years and nothing has changes. I tune before we go on stage ... and it stays put ... unless the strings are shot. It will change some with temerature but once it stabilizes it stays put. All the hardware details .. the waverly tuners the bone bridge saddle and end pins are perfect. The frets are the right size and feel really good on the hands. I am beginning to get some fret wear ... but I play a lot and it will probably be another several years before I need to file them.

I guess there is one thing I have done ... cut the saddle down a bit ... to make it a bit easier on my left hand. Collings gave me anoter bone bridge in case I messed the original up too bad. But I have had not problems I took it down about .001 of an inch at a time when I did string changes ... til I got it where I wanted it.
They were concerned that it would change the tension on the top and lower the volume ... if it did I can't tell it ... but it is really just one of those set up things that is more personal.

Well I've about said all this ... I play all the time without a backup ... if we do three or four day festival I take a second guitar to play in jams to keep from having to change the strings on the D1.

The dudes at the factory are cool and I'm sure if I ever had a problem they would fix it.

However they did faied to give me a T-Shirt.

I been playing music for 50 years. I play bass, mandolin and fiddle. And I own some very nice insturments that are all equal or above in price to the D1 .. a Kolstein Double Bass, a Flatiorn (Boseman) signed by Webber, and a Szander violin and 100year + french fiddle.
For other guitars I own a SGSC OM/PW, A segull 12 string, a seagtull classical, a Heritage 157 (a Les Paultype), a 77 Telecaster and a Earnie Ball Sterling 4 string Bass.

Music to me is my sport, hoby and passion. The Collings is my prize above all the other nice instrument I have

I ask all the right question before I bought it, I had playued less desireable insrument and knew what I wanted when I ordered it .... and they made it the right way.

While it was expensive ... I would do the same thing if I ever had to replace it.

I like the insrument a lot ... I dislike nothing about it ... my favorite feature is the sound ..nest the playability.

I played and Martin HD 35 befoe I got the Collings ... I traded it off on a fiddle. I chose Colling D1 for the sound. The first D1 I ever heard belong to Bob Amos, lead vocalist for Front Range. I got to pick on his a bit one time and simply could not get the tone of the instument out of my mind ... a couple of years later I bought mine.

If I wanted anything I would buy it.

I like all the Collings guitars I have played, and that is a number of them, the D2s they are clean and very nice tones but I prefer the Mahogany boxes over the Rosewood .. but that is a style thing.

Jim Hurst(who plays a Galligher manogany) played mine and I thought I would not get it back. We opened for Steve Kauffman last week and he is now playing a Collings 000 model. I believe mine sounds better than his ... of course his has a few more notes comming out than mine. but I can blame all that on the D1.

Email me if you like .... but I'm obviously a bit biased .. but I play one every day .. and I'll try to help you any way I can.

it was born in august of 2001. the usual top-notch mahogany appointments: spruce top, mahogany everything else. (ebony fretboard?)old-style open face tuners (waverly?). hardshell case is equally impressive; it would make a suitable home for any ultra-valuable D-size guitar. i bought it dry, but will add a mcintyre pickup later for practical reasons.

i have always lusted for an early 60s d-18--to my thinking, the benchmark for a mahogany dreadnought sound. this guitar is what i wanted. it's still a baby, and it sounds fabulous. i shudder to think what it will sound like in ten years. "cannon" would likely be an understatement. i'll always hope to use it with microphones exclusively of course, but i am going to play this guitar, not let it sit on a wall, so a pickup will help for the occassional bucket of blood gig.

the set-up, and the workmanship is absolutely flawless. honestly, i cannot think of anything negative to say. even the interior purfling is completely flawless-not a speck of errant glue anywhere. the action is ungodly low, but it still has a huge sound.

i have just had it a few months, but the reputation is solid for collimgs. i don't anticipate anything happening to change that reputation.

have had no dealings, so i don't know. don't think i will need to contact them for any reason other than to rave to them about the quality of this instrument.

you want perfection? look no further. i own, love and play two martins, but this guitar is a notch above.

25 1/2 scale length dreadnought model built in 1992. Mahogany back & sides & neck, sitka spruce top, ebony fretboard and bridge. Waverly tuners. The D1 has the prewar scalloped bracing! The woods that Bill Collings and his crew chose for this guitar are simply excellent.

I loved the sound of this guitar the moment I first played it. It reminded me of my 1929 Martin 00-18 that I was forced to part with 15 years ago. This D1 has that open airy quality of tone found in vintage Martins. It has a bell like sound on the high end with marvelous sustain. The bass is deep and rich but not boomy. I cannot overstate the sound quality of this guitar. Truly magnificent! My favorite spot in my house to play is in the stairwell. When I play with my eyes closed I feel like I'm in a cathedral. This instrument has unbelievable clarity and perfect note separation. Simply terrific balance of tone.

The guitar has a nice medium low action. The mahogany neck is just right for my hand and the fretboard is silky smooth, plays like butter.

I purchased this guitar used and it is one finely built instrument. The previous owners played it hard, evidenced by the wear around the pickguard. It also has a few scratches and dings that I feel add to the guitars character. This guitar has shown no weaknesses and has held up nicely.

I've not had any dealings with the Collings people.

You other lucky Collings owners who are wondering what your guitars will sound like after they are 10 years old are in for a thrill. They do get much better with age. I have been playing guitar for 20 years and have owned Martin, Gibson and Taylor guitars. I played this guitar along side Goodall, Santa Cruz and Huss & Dalton and it easily in my mind blew them away.

This is a 1997 mahogony dreadnaught with a spruce top, tortoise shell binding, mahogony neck with ebony fingerboard, wavery tuners, 1 and 3/4 inch width neck (an option you can add for $75) and gloss nitro cellulose finish (including neck and headstock!) It has forward shifted x-bracing like the 30's martins with a 25 1/2 scale length. Also comes with a nice hardshell case. Basically a very pretty guitar reminicent of a 1930's Martin D-18

This guitar sounds fantastic! It is very crisp-- the treble strings really sparkle, good mid, and the base is smooth and punchy with good sustain-- a very loud nice sounding guitar. I bought this guitar primarily to play bluegrass, and it fills the bill (and then some). I can't wait until it really starts to open up!

The fit, action (undoutedly set up at the store where I bought the guitar), and finish are absolutely flawless. The binding and inlays are understated (like an old Martin D-18) but nicely done. The gloss nitro finish is perfect. This guitar is a real beauty! Not one thing wrong that I can see anywhere.

I've only had it a couple of weeks, but doubt i will have any problems. it seems exceptionally well made.

I've heard good things about Collings, but have not had to contact them (knock on wood).

I've been playing for over 25 years. This is the finest made dreadnaught I have ever played. I've owned Martins, Taylors, Guilds, Ovations, etc. This is the guitar for me. Collings is definitely a cut above the competition. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I still enjoy my HD28 which is a little sounds a little richer because it has rosewood sides and back, but the Collings is gaining on it as it opens up with play. Sounds better (and louder) than the new Martin D18VM (which I have also played). Also, the wide neck (1& 3/4 inches) makes it that much easier to play and fingerpick. Plays as easily as a Taylor. If you want a screaming bluegrass guitar, you can't go wrong with a Collings D1. I would definitely replace it if lost or stolen