Collings I-35

2008 I-35 Deluxe, quilted maple top, body is made from one block of mahongany (actually two pieces joined down the center) -- in other words, no separate side and back, they're all the same solid wood. ES-335-like pickup setup w/Collings' custom Jason Lollar PUPs. Top of the line everything. As far as gadgetry, none in the way of fancy switches, etc.

As with other owners, this is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever played. Only rivals in my experience would be 1950ish L5 or Epiphone Emperor. Has one of the most usable neck sounds you'll find in dual humbucker config: I use it all the time for jazz. Bridge gets you more of the LP sound, Allman Brotherish if you use a Marshall-like amp. I play jazz and blues on my Rivera Fandango 55W 112. People LOVE the sound, even when recorded they comment on it. It's rich, got enough harmonics to be interesting w/o muddying up jazz chords. Sustains forever -- if you use a little tremolo in the left hand, you have the equivalent of Sarah Vaughan holding a note. For days! Seriously, the notes ring for more than two measures (I never really7 counted, it's always enough).

What sets this guitar and other really great ones apart is that you can hear every note in every chord clearly all up and down the neck. You will hear things you never noticed before in tunes you've been playing for years because inferior guitars don't always do justice to the music.

You can be funky and bluesy and ballsey with this guitar. It is not, however, going to give you punk or high-thin Strat surf guitar. It will give you most anything else as well as you have ever heard it.

These guitars are hand made by one or two people (Bill Colllings sets the neck himself). The tops are tap tuned and highly carved. Anything you wouldn't like about this fit and finish would be a matter of taste, not execution.

Factory setup was perfect. After a year, I took it to a local luthier who does a lot of touring pro jazz players (you'd know his clients) who is very critical of almost everthing and he gave it a thumbs up on workmanship and finish.

In two years, I have never had a single problem. PU switch always works, tuners are impeccable. Time will tell, but this on looks built to last.

I've had no issues and can't really offer an opinion. The guitar has a lifetime warranty and I've heard they definitely stand behind it.

This is a $6k instrument. You can buy ES-335s for less, but they won't sound as good. Most have thinner maple necks that can warp if you're unlucky. This has a comfy, beefier mahongany neck, similar in shape to certain 335 models from the late 50s. Those guitars start at 3k for a reissue and you could pay more than 6k for a used one. I think this is a better value: it's solid wood, not laminated, much better finished.

You know what this is, mine is Tobacco Burst nice flame but not too much. Bought this from Rudys in NY and after picking it up there was no way it was not coming with me. Be careful what you try.

The sound really is just wonderful, it does just about everything from jazz tones to blues and so much more. It just makes you smile every time not a bad sound in it. I have the usual collection of guitars but every time I plug this in I swear I could sell the rest and be happy with this.

What prompted me to write this is that I just do not know what the reviewer below is talking about, this thing has character oozing out of every pour and glorious tones.

I don't want to gush too much but there is just nothing wrong with it. The nitro is so thin but flawless but its the neck that gets you really excited, its just the best I have played, no buzz, low action that Gibson just dream of an compete joy. Fantastic fret job every other guitar that I have had needed to go to the tech first to set up but this was just 100% out of the box.

This will out live me by a long way.

Emailed Collings about the fret board to know if was Brazilian or Madagascan Rosewood, got an email back from Bill asking for a picture and where I got it, its Madagascan, and hopes I enjoy it.

Best guitar I have ever played and Guitar Buyer magazine said "Electric Guitars don't get better than this" 'nuf said.

I have a 2008 I-35 Deluxe that is amazing. It is probably note only the best electric guitar I've ever owned, but have ever PLAYED! And I have an original 1961 Dot-neck and a '63 block inlay 335! The two Jason Lollar humbuckers are great. They have an almost natural chorus effect to them that adds great dimension to the guitar. I guess if you're just looking for a dry, stiff sound, they may not be right for you. The carved maple top on mine is three dimensional and looks fantastic. I will say that this is not a forgiving guitar like a stratocaster. It will expose and magnify any shortcomings in one's guitar playing.

I primarily use vintage fender amps. This guitar sings with all of them. From soft and sweet to thick and dirty, it will do it if you ask it right! It doesn't have a great sound unplugged---and it shouldn't! It's a semi-hollowbody! It's not a thick bodied arch top with F-holes. You are supposed to plug this thing in, and when you do, it is hard to beat. A semi-hollow body isn't the most versatile of guitars, but this would get a passing grade for almost any style music.

I have looked closely trying to find some type of imperfection on this guitar, but there just isn't one. Let's face it, this is what Bill Collings is known for. The inside of his guitars have a nicer fit and finish than most manufacturers could achieve on their exteriors.

This guitar is built like a tank, but I would still be reluctant to play it at a bar gig. It's too nice. If you are doing a pro level touring act, it would be great because you wouldn't have to worry about some drunk messing with your gear. don't like the Sperzel Tuners. There is too muck slop in them. Some Gotoh 510's would have been perfect.

I play music for a living and it has paid the bills for me for almost 20 years. I have mostly vintage gear, but that stuff is worth too much to travel with these days. This Collings is perfect as long as you won't have a fit when this pretty of a guitar gets a few battle scars on it!

Features are on the Collings website.
http://www.collingsguitars.com/electrics-i35dlx.htm
I had a 2007 T'burst I-35 Deluxe with parallelogram 'board inlays. The Deluxe has a flame top, more binding, etc. The Sperzel tuners, which looked great, had more play in them than Grovers, and about the same as Klusons. I found that I had to retune more on the I-35 than on my Gibson CS-336.

This aspect is what prompted me to write this review. Or restated, my disappointment with the sound of the I-35 prompted me. My go-to semi-acoustic has been a Gibson CS-336. I also have a vintage L-5CES... nothing approaches the L-5 for jazz tone, but its body plays you instead of vice versa. So I had this gnawing doubt that the I-35 would give an L-5 tone in a much smaller package. I finally bought an I-35, and here's what I found: vanilla tone, no wood. Playability is perfect, but what comes out just did not connect with my muse. Maybe it's the Lollar pups, but I don't think so. The tone is very clean, bell-like in the upper registers, but the overtones lack character. In a nutshell, the I-35 lacks personality. The bridge pup has plenty of bark, like a good 335, but a good 335 sounds richer, has personality beyond barking on the bridge pup. Where the I-35 sound really fell apart for me was on the neck pup. The bass fundamentals are not there like they are on my CS-336. I have a unique test... a pair of AT ATH-M40 headphones with a left coil that strong bass will cause to scratch. Through the same preamp, same settings, the neck pup of my LPC, the L-5, and the CS-336, playing the low E string near the nut will send the headphone into scratching. My Strat won't, and the I-35 wouldn't. I can't play jazz without plenty of bass from my neck pup. I could never zen out with the I-35. YMMV.

Fit and finish are near perfect. Mine had a small bubble in the top finish. Uncharacteristic of Collings. The perfection of the action, fit, and finish of the I-35 as a whole overwhelms a tiny bubble in the finish in this category. To me as a player (40 years). A collector might reach a different result.

My I-35 came with Schaller locking buttons, a nice touch. The I-35 is so gorgeous, I wouldn't gig with it. With a finish like that, it's studio guitar. As for reliability, the Sperzel tuners should have been more stable.

Is an I-35 worth three times the price of a Gibson CS-336? Both are "unibody"... tonally carved single piece mahogany back/sides and a maple top. The I-35 Deluxe street price is ~$5800, a few used appear around $5K. The Gibson CS-336, flame top, street price is $3100, I bought a used mint 2006, flame top, for $1800. The I-35 looks better, no doubt, but the CS-336 sounds much better, a distinctive sound with plenty of wood. Playability is about the same.... the I-35 has a wide nut, medium chunky neck; the CS-336 has a narrow nut, "thin LP" neck. I enjoy both neck styles. It's funny, overall, how the fit and finish of the I-35 make me want to rate it high.... but to me, guitars are to be played first, and works of art second, so I weight "sound" as equal to all the other attributes combined.

Just purchased, manufactured in Sept.,2007.
American made, carved top, Lollar custom designed pups(unwaxed), flamed top, nitro finished, Tone-pros bridge.
This guitar is probably the same size as the Gibson 336, it weighs right at 7lbs.
I would estimate the neck to be close to a PRS wide fat. The scale is tad longer than a Gibson's, I can't remember the exact spec.

I play 70's rock mainly, this guitar is exactly what I was looking for. It's replacing my treasured 66 ES335 and although it's not exactly the same tone, it very much satisfies me as a replacement.
There have been reports of squealing pups, I suppose enough gain and volume it might do so, I don't have that problem. Collings offered to wax the pups if that was a problem.
I play through Mesa RK II and really don't use the high gain of the last two channels that much, still the second channel set to EL-34s, Brit, with Barber Direct Drive is very old style Marshall ass kicking.

Perfect,just custom made type perfect. Almost bores you with the lack of issues.

I still play my 42 year old ES 335, this guitar seems just as good as that one was new.
I replaced the strap buttons with strap-locs. I'm getting too old to catch guitars!

When you call Collings, you might get Mr. Collings himself. The warranty paperwork is not present in the case, almost like you have the guitar custom made. My inquires about the pups left me satisfied that Collings will be there if there's a problem.

Been playing since 1965, still don't feel I'm worth a flyin'flip, but I know good guitars, this one is one of the best I've seen straight out of the case. It's expensive, but if you love fine guitars like I do, it's worth every penny.