Collings D-2

This is a 6 month followup review. I play twice weekly, one small venue (100), one large (2000).

The sound keeps getting better as they age. I now own two D-2's as my first was stolen, then recovered by the police (believe it or not, some bozo, now in jail, pawned my 3 week old Collings for $60).
The sound of the first one is a bit more bassy, yet loaded with the fundamental frequency of the note. It has a Fishman Matrix Natural I, thru the board it's mellow, yet defined, and works with vocals to produce an extremely full sound.
The second one is has a bit more mids, is fitted with a Fishman Matrix Natural II. It's unbelievable, but (thru the board) this guitar cuts through a loud full band mix so well that I can play slow (or fast) solos on top of the mix. The sustain is litteraly unbelieveable. The tone is bright, yet very full, and absolutely loaded with the fundamental frequency of the note. With light compression, playing a lead feels alot like playing on a Les Paul through a driven tube amp, yet sounds crystal clear acoustic. It's litteraly unbelievable. I think the fact that Collings somehow captures alot more of the fundamental frequency of the note is what separates them from the Taylors, Martins, Larivees, Bourgeois, etc. These guys all offer some very nice stuff, but Collings is a definite stand out among them.
Having two D-2's, one set up for solo work, the other for band work, is great. When I do gigs requiring alternate tunings, using a board channel for each guitar allows the sound guys to EQ and compress the mellow D-2 to work well for a band mix (or the bright one to work for solos).
These comments are all based on using Martin SP phospher bronze light strings. These strings are excellent on the Collings, the tone, sustain, strength and longevity are superior.

As good as it gets in all respects. The action and overall playability are superior. The intonation is fantastic and it will stay in tune for an entire set. Collings does not install pickups, but will drill for them when you order. The bridges are routed nicely and it was fairly easy to get really great string balance out of the Fishmans on both D-2's.

They have both proven to be very stable in varying temps and humidity. I always gig without a backup, even though I own two D-2's. However, I would only do this using Martin SP strings, they use a much higher grade steel than most companies and I've never broken one though I play brutally hard at times. I get 2 to 4 weeks out of them, and they're more than worth the slightly higher cost (about $5.50 in bulk). The tone of the SP's is easily the best I've heard.

The guys at Collings are easily the most helpful I've encountered in the music business. They apparently love what they do and they care about their product, their customer, and your individual situation.

Both of my Collings D-2's are superb in all respects. My experience has been that if you want to go into the bedroom and jam by yourself, you'd better set aside a few hours, because you won't want to put it down. And if you're playing in front of a bunch of people, you'll have one of the most expressive acoustics available, with the playability and reliablity to allow you to play with complete freedom. If you have the bucks, this is definitely the way to spend them.

Well - this is my second Collings D-2 in as many months. Some jerk stole my first one (ser# 4857), so I got to actually test just how consistent Collings are from one guitar to the next... See my previous review dated 5/1/99. This guitar, as the first one, is spectacular in ALL respects. They each have their own distinct personalities, but they are definitely peers, one is not better than the other.

Sounds as good as my first one and will even improve with age. Definitely the Holy Grail of accoustics. A note for stage performers - I had a Fishman Matrix-I in my first one and it sounded rich and full, but a bit too mellow. I put the Matrix-II in this one and it's also rich and full, but has a more balanced top end (i.e. more highs) giving it more punch and a truer reproduction of the lush Collings sound. The highs it adds are not the tinney presence that has no musical value, but rather the fundamental frequencies of the higher notes, accentuating the gorgeous sustain of the Collings. As a result, the Matrix-II is more musical than the Matrix-I in this guitar, no matter the style of play. I use an ART Tube-MP as a direct box and go into the board where EQ is set flat - the sound is superb!

The first one was just spectacular in all respects and this one is as well. Collings produces true works of art that draw every bit of your playing ability out of you.

This thing should outlast me - I just have to keep it away from the thieves...

These guys are the absolute best. I called them with the bad news of my first one being stolen and they managed to get me another one in two weeks, delivered to my office. And as with the first one, they called several times as the guitar was in the final stages of production. They even called the week after I got it to see how I liked it.

The downside of these guitars is that you bond with them immediately, so if it gets stolen, you're really bummed, even if it's fully insured. The up side is that they're very consistent and if you have to replace one, you won't get a clone, but you'll get one that's just as spectacular as the one you lost.

Made in Austin, TX, It's a n interpretation of the '30s Martin D-28. Rosewood sides and back, spruce top, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, bridge, herringbone binding on body. Collings doesn't install pickups, but they did drill for the endpin jack and sent an extra bridge saddle and installed a strap button at the heel of the neck. The woods are all spectacular.

I play mainly christian-edge and some alternative type stuff. But this guitar is the holy grail of acoustics no matter the style. Full, balanced, crisp and clear, dynamic, extremely expressive. It sounds head and shoulders above anything in a retail store - I played several of Martin's reissue D28's - no comparison. I just ditched my Taylor for the Collings, and as nice as my Taylor is, believe me, I'll NEVER go back! The only guitar I've heard that sounds marginally better, is a friend's three year old Collings D-3 (same guitar - dressed up a bit). This one will sound the same when it's three years old. I've worked with the Collings on both sides of the snake - it has no peers, both on stage, or at the mixing board. I've played a hand full of Collings, and they're EXTREMELY consistent, one guitar to the next.

The guitar is spectacular in all aspects. I've been playing for (gulp) 30 yrs, and have grown extremely demanding of an instrument. Collings is the ONLY place I would even consider going to for ordering a guitar, sight unseen. THEY SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATIONS.

Again, the guitar is spectacular in all aspects. Built to last. Great case with this gorgeous green crushed velvet interior.

Since they don't currently have a dealer in my city, they let me order factory direct, COD'd it to my office. We talked several times on the phone while they were still building it, great folks. I called after I got it to ask who supplies their fret wire (it's great, and I need to refret my Taylor) and asked for a sample. The next day a package shows up at my office with enough wire to refret my Taylor and a Collings shirt. Need I say more?

If you have the bucks, this is the ONLY way to go. If you're on a $1100 budget, check out the Guild D-55. If you're on a $600 budget, check out the latest from Larrive.