Collings: I get it

pdxuke · Jan 29, 2011

For those of you who own a Collings, I get it now. A local shop has a tenor and concert, both model 1s. Love the concert.

I've been looking to purchase a really high quality mahogany concert in the old style. This is in the running.

Collings owners, count off!

cletus · Jan 29, 2011

Too rich for my blood, but man, are they sweet. Acoustic Vibes has a few beauties, and the ones I have played are wonderful, very resonant and clear, and lightweight.
eugeneukulele has a nice Collings concert uke in one of his videos that sounds heavenly in his hands.

Good luck in finding yours. Hopefully the "haircut" headstock, it's a great look.

AzMichael · Jan 29, 2011

cletus said:
Acoustic Vibes has a few beauties...

Yeah, he has one that he just brought back from NAMM...yellow-ish, orange sunburst spruce top, with (I think) flamed maple back and sides: DAMN! Clear bell-tone, and gorgeous!

I get it too...

~Michael

Doublefuji · Jan 30, 2011

Brah, I just played one today at a shop in Seattle. So cherry..HIGH gloss finish, all mahogany . But for 1600$ i think they can throw down for some geared tuners and not violin style friction pegs?

spots · Jan 30, 2011

Sake1one said:
Brah, I just played one today at a shop in Seattle. So cherry..HIGH gloss finish, all mahogany . But for 1600$ i think they can throw down for some geared tuners and not violin style friction pegs?

Those violin style friction pegs are probably "Pegheds" geared tuners. If so they are a geared turner with internal planetary gears in a 4:1 ratio. They are not cheap.

Doublefuji · Jan 30, 2011

spots said:
Those violin style friction pegs are probably "Peg Head" geared tuners. If so they are a geared turner with internal planetary gears in a 4:1 ratio. They are not cheap.

very interesting, never seen those before.

spots · Jan 30, 2011

Sake1one said:
very interesting, never seen those before.

I spelled the product name incorrectly (I corrected it). Here's a link to the product website: http://www.pegheds.com/features.htm

pdxuke · Jan 30, 2011

Sake1one said:
Brah, I just played one today at a shop in Seattle. So cherry..HIGH gloss finish, all mahogany . But for 1600$ i think they can throw down for some geared tuners and not violin style friction pegs?

Yes, these are pegheads and they are vintage looking but actually really, really great geared tuners. I was totally in love!

dkcrown · Jan 30, 2011

I have a UT-1 mahogany and a UT-3 spruce top with quilted maple back and sides with a tangerine sunburst finish. Just beautifuly crafted instruments. They both are perfectly balanced. I love the peghead tuners.

pdxuke · Jan 30, 2011

dkcrown said:
I have a UT-1 mahogany and a UT-3 spruce top with quilted maple back and sides with a tangerine sunburst finish. Just beautifuly crafted instruments. They both are perfectly balanced. I love the peghead tuners.

I want the UC-1 and I also liked the UT-1. Which surprises me as a soprano guy. Maybe I just like well crafted instruments!

Hippie Dribble · Jan 30, 2011

pdxuke said:
I want the UC-1 and I also liked the UT-1. Which surprises me as a soprano guy. Maybe I just like well crafted instruments!

g'day pdxuke

also try having a look at the Artisan Guitars website. They usually stock a number of Bill Collings' ukes and their service is top top class.

iDavid · Jan 30, 2011

I think they are very well made and quite stunning. I got the concert a while back and it played like butter. However, it could not compete with my KoAloha pikake concert, so it had to go back.... I was really surprised. I thought it would be a keeper. Funny thing, I much preferred the look of the Collings.

peterp · Jan 30, 2011

I've owned a Collings UC-1 over a year. Beautiful fit and finish. It's true to the old Martin designs. Truth be told, I'm not a big fan of the old Martin designs. I like the ukes coming out of the Hawaii right now. I play my Kamaka and Ko'olau more than my Collings. As always, YMMV.

spruce · Jan 30, 2011

Have you folks seen the Collings archtop uke??

If I could only have one uke....

JoshFromTallGrassUkes · Jan 31, 2011

cletus said:
Hopefully the "haircut" headstock, it's a great look.

The Collings haircut headstock is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. If I didn't think Bill Collings would personally whup me senseless (and then sue me), I'd steal his design exactly.

peterp · Jan 31, 2011

JoshFromTallGrassUkes said:
The Collings haircut headstock is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. If I didn't think Bill Collings would personally whup me senseless (and then sue me), I'd steal his design exactly.

Santa Cruz Guitar Co has done this recently. They're using the haircut headstock, but they put the part on the other side.

hmgberg · Jan 31, 2011

Has anyone played both a Martin concert and a Collings mahogany concert? I'm wondering how they compare. Obviously, I can compare on Youtube, and have, but would love to hear from someone who has played both.

pdxuke · Feb 1, 2011

hmgberg said:
Has anyone played both a Martin concert and a Collings mahogany concert? I'm wondering how they compare. Obviously, I can compare on Youtube, and have, but would love to hear from someone who has played both.

I've played both. A Martin is a Martin and a Collings a Coliings--both great instruments. The Collings certainly does a very good job of giving you the traditional mahogany uke experience.

hmgberg · Feb 1, 2011

Thanks pdxuke: They sound similar online, and I heard that Collings styled theirs after Martins. What differences did you note? If you wouldn't mind.

scottie · Feb 1, 2011

The model 1 costs $1,080. . . they're plain jane but they play and sound just wonderful. I have a UT1 and a 0001G (guitar, 000 12 fret slothead, special figured mahogany/German spruce.)

Collings does so much cool stuff. My 0001G is made of reddish brown figured mahogany with a back strip of mahogany turned 180 degrees. The result is this wildly understated back strip. . . it's just gorgeous. I like the wood to come through so I like plain instruments with really nice wood.

My advice to you would be to get a Collings uke if you can.

Collings: I get it

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