Collings D1A

2002 model D1A-SB (sunburst) looks great - subtle colors in burst - very classy, great craftsmanship

I'm a composer and player... let's put it like this... two of the best session players I know in NYC have said this is the best sounding acoustic they've played. It records like a dream - none of the boominess of rosewood back & sides... the mahogany it soooo the way to go if you're recording.

I had to have the action adjusted a few times but now it seems to have settled in nicely. The finish is beautiful, and the wood is top quality all over... the neck, front, back & sides are excellent.

I hardly ever have to tune it more than a tweak or two (of course after new strings settle in)... I also have an OM3, they both have a remarkable way of staying in tune... although I paid so much I wouldn't want to take it outside of my house. ; )

great - very quick responses and excellent support.

Other guitars I own:
'94 Collings OM3
'84 Michael Gee (classical)

Love the guitar - the only thing is be prepared for the sound difference, it's not boomy like a rosewood guitar - although it's very clear with great separation and excellent volume - THE BEST FOR RECORDING - (can I say that any clearer?) ; )

2002 collings d-1a, 1 3/4" neck bought new

Is not a feature rich guitar, basic design, simple dots on the fret board, unless you count powerful sound that cuts through any jam session even with 3 loud banjos and 4 out of tune mandolins, can you actually tune a mandolin?

I am a flatpicker and this guitar is the best i've ever played when it comes to flatpicking and i've owned a bunch, I currently own a 1978 doc watson gallagher...great guitar with a warm tone and quite loud but can't compare to the volume the D-1a puts out, plus can you imagine how warm and powerful the d1-A will be in 25 years, Also own a 1969 brazilian martin d-28 also a great warm sound but doesn't put out the volume of the d-1A, and I am in the process of selling my 1998 santa cruz vintage artist, a pretty sounding guitar but doesn't have the power to be a great flatpicking guitar. The D1-A has amazing intonation and response all over the fret board, I found myself playing phrases I had never thought of in my 25 years of flatpicking the first day I owned the D1-a and the new ideas and inspiration keep on pouring out, It's like the guitar is channeling the ghost of Clarence White, I Love This Guitar

I've only owned this guitar for 2 weeks and it came with light strings, I haven't switched to mediums yet, I tend to play with high action, but the action on this guitar when combined with the 1 3/4" neck is high for my standards, when I put the mediums on I'll play with the truss rod to see if that gets it to my ideal height but i suspect I'll also have to shave the bridge a little. Other than that
the guitar was perfect, I knew from the first note I was buying it but played it in the store for an hour because I couldn't put it down. This guitar has a beautiful specimin adirondack top

This guitar will out last all of us which based on the way the worlds going these days doesn't say much any more

I haven't dealt with the company but anyone who cares enough to build the greatest flatpicking guitar on the planet surely will provide excellent service

been playing 25 years

Other gear...1969 brazillian rosewood martin d-28
1978 gallagher doc watson model
1999 santa cruz vingage artist
1976 gibson les paul custom
2002 american standard telecaster
2002 buddy guy stratocaster
1970 fender vibrolux amp

1996 model, Adirondack top, Quartersawn Honduras Mahogany back, sides, and nack, Waverly tuners, 1 and 11/16 neck width at the nut, no fretboard markers. I use a Fishman blender, microphone and piezo system. This is a Plain Jane instrument. Features are the ones that give you the sound. It looks plain but sounds fantastic.

The sound has taken some time to come out. I would compare it to the sound that Norman Blake used to get when he played a D-18. I did some recording recently, and listening to the sound reminded me of Norman's old records. It has a definite pop, short sustain, quick decay, very focused sound. The sound is definitely for flatpicking, for a person who wants every note to be distinct. I have a D-2H Collings as well. In contrast, I use the D-2H when I want to strum and give a more melodic tone. I use the D-1A when I want to flatpick. The combination of Adirondack and Mahogany is so different than Sitka and Rosewood that you have to hear it to describe it. I would say loud, distinct, with short decay (D-1A) versus loud, rolling, and sustaining (D-2H). This guitar is not for a person who wants just to strum or play rhythm. I use a Fishman Blender with dual input on the guitar. I play it weekly for church worship. The sound engineer runs it through monitors and a PA.

The only flaw on the guitar was a bit of glue bubble showing next to the bridge on the soundhole side. I asked my local luthier about it. He said he had seen the same thing on Martins, and that it would take removing the bridge to touch up what was a very minor cosmetic detail. So I left it alone. Set-up is subjective. I have a nearly flat neck with about 6/64" on the bass side (12fret) and 5/64" on the treble side.

I play the guitar hard. My style is such that I tent to wear a hole in the finish on the sound hole just in front of the pickguard. Other than that, the guitar is bulletproof.

I have called Collings (Steve) about the guitar. I bought it used, barely. It was less than a year old. I have the feeling that if something went wrong, they would fix it as if under warranty. But what could go wrong?

I have been playing for over 35 years and have owned all kinds and makes of acoustic guitars. I currently own two Collings (D1A and D2H), three Taylors (912, 355 Twelve, and BabyM), 1925 Martin 2/17, a Gibson tenor, Gretsch 6120, Heritage 576, and G&L ASAT classic. The Collings guitars are the best I have ever owned. I have had Martins, Gallaghers, Gibsons, etc. Without a doubt, Bill Collings is building the best of them all. The D1A screams at me, "Play me!" It has, as David Wilcox once said about his Olson, "more songs in it." I would cry a river if it were lost and then make tracks to the nearest dealer and buy another just like it.

Basically this is a reproduction of a late 1930s Martin D-18, except it has an adjustable truss rod. The "A" in D1A denotes that the top is Adirondack or "red" spruce.
I don't know how to rate it for "features" - if you want a mahogany-bodied dreadnaught, it's got every feature you'd want.

I bought this guitar in order to be heard in acoustic jams. It was supposed to be loud. Well, it is, but whether I play it loud or soft, with fingers, fingerpicks or flatpicks, the sound is gorgeous. Near-perfect balance from open low E to the high E string fretted as high up as I can go. This thing sounds like God coming over the hill. It is a cannon that cuts through a jam well, yet can sound sensitive and lyrical on soft fingerpicked tunes. Very nice in open D, open G, and DADGAD tunings too.
A friend of mine has a 1937 Martin D-18, pretty much the Holy Grail of flatpicking guitars. We played his and mine together for a solid weekend, A/B;ed them, traded them and compared again many times. They feel identical. The sound is very very close, but we agreed the Collings has a slightly more pronounced midrange - not a bad thing at all as far as either of us is concerned. I play bluegrass, folk, Celtic and singer-songwriter stuff on the D1A. As far as I'm concerned, it's the one guitar to have if you could only have one.

Workmanship on the D1A is flawless. I can't tell how it was set up at the factory since I got it used, but the action didn't need any adjustment when I got it.

This is my main gigging guitar. I use it without a backup and unless somebody sits on it, I expect it won't self-destruct within the next 60 to 70 years. It deserves a good case, of course, which it has.

I've never dealt with Bill Collings but his company has a golden reputation. As a used instrument, it has no warranty, but I'm not worried considering the build quality.

I've been playing since 1963. I own lots of other high-end guitars including an Olson, a Martin, and a National. This is the best guitar overall. No question about it. It sounds great, plays great, looks great, and is $6000 cheaper than the equivalent prewar D18. A best buy even at $2400 or whatever they go for new.