Anyone have a Collings?

Does anyone have a Collings uke? Would you recommend one?

Great question.

Fine to post the question. If you advanced search UU and select only title search from drop down and search Collings, you'll see several pertinent threads on others asking your same question and wanting ideas about Collings ukes. Good reading i was going to paste the best threads here, but there were so many with 15 or more replies I thought I'd just point you that way.

Bottom line is Collings is a good uke, expensive but good, although for reasons unexplained, many people resell them. The build is impeccable, Damon. If you have more questions that are specific, perhaps others could give you a more specific answer. Sort of like asking: Toyotas, you recommend them.? Lol. Too broad, answers will be less than specific for you. I don't think anyone will tell you not to get a Collings, except that they are expensive ukes.

I don't own one, but have encountered quite a few, and - I find them to be just as inconsistent as any other factory uke. The good ones I've encountered have been absolutely stellar, but for every good one I've encountered there's been one that was far less impressive. So, the advice I'd give you is try before you buy, or buy from a seller with a generous return policy.

Many people resell every uke ( Moore Bettahs aside) so I don't know why this comes up every time on a Collings thread. As janeray said, there are good and not as good ones. That has been my understanding with EVERY guitar/uke I've tried. Watch the market place, all sorts of brands you will see flipped, sold, exchanged and sometimes they go in waves of the brands.

Build quality on Collings, impeccable everyone agrees on.

Best bet with any uke is to try it out if possible.
I have a UT-1 Collings and it sounds excellent.

I just sold a Collings myself, which brings me down to three . Over the last couple of years, I have owned several of their higher end ukes, and I think they are superb. I have sold a few, but almost always to try a different one, whether it be an upgrade or just different woods. I have found myself drawn particularly to their concert size, which captures more of a traditional ukulele sound, almost has a vintage quality to it. Anyway, I currently have a tangerine burst spruce/maple UC3, and a walnut UC2. I have also owned a figured mahogany UC2, and a UC2-K previously. If I had to list them in order of preference, the maple UC3 wins hands down, followed by the koa, then the walnut and mahogany are for the most part equal. Out of those four concerts, not a one would I call bad. Not even close. Although I prefer the concerts, the tenors I have played were some of the easiest to play ukes I've seen. Just pure butter.

All that said, I have never owned or spent significant time with a UT1 or UC1, and I have heard there is more variability in that line. For the higher end models, though, I am a huge fan.

-Steve

I have a UT2 K, and it was at the end of my quest for the perfect uke. Spectacular, in my very humble opinion. The closest uke I have to it in quality is my Kanile'a Super Tenor, which is good, but the Collings is another level.

Having said that, I still play my other ukes, probably more than the Collings. The Collings is so responsive that it isn't appropriate for everything I play. But every time I come back to it, it's joy all over again. Gonna go pick it up now.

Yes, I have a UC3K-SB-L............full body sunburst and left handed. Great instrument in all respects. Highly recommended.

Add my name to the list of happy Collings owners. My UT2K has helped me stay away from buying additional ukuleles. (I've bought a couple of guitars but no more ukuleles. lol)

I don't think one can go wrong with a Collings. I used to change ukuleles depending on the style of music I was playing. I find that the Collings can be played with nearly any style of music. It's very expressive as a solo instrument....and it both sings sweetly and provides a good 'chunk' sound for playing rhythm.

They are beautifully built ukes and feel great in the hand. Whether you like the vibe and the sound - that's totally a personal thing. i have a UC1K; it's a great uke but it's not my favorite. It is resonant and responsive, but I have other ukes that are less perfect that for some reason I like better.

I have a new UT-2 which is very pretty, very light, very balanced both in body and tone, clear and ringy with lots of sustain, love the neck and the radiused fretboard. Impeccably crafted. Very airy mahogany sound which was what I wanted. Well what I wanted was a brand new vintage Martin tenor and I thought this would fill the bill and believe it does so very nicely. Crisper than my koa Kanile'a and my Pono Pro Classic RTSHC but with as much resonance and sustain as both, and has a bright crisp snappy chunk. Setup is perfect. Very pleased. I wish the cases were bigger and had more padding though, I feel like it's got a submachine gun inside... Didn't like the stock strings, put on Southcoasts. Will know better in one to two weeks how they will sound when settled but there's more volume and brightness.

I was told Collings are built tight and take around 6 months to open up. If it ends up doing that it will be a bonus, it sounds good now. Not sure how much I believe in the whole opening up thing.

I have a UC1 (concert mahogany) that is beautifully made, light, well balanced and very responsive. I play tenors more now, but still pick up the UC1 because it's my only mahogany instrument and it's easy to play and fun. Like all ukes it's best if you try before you buy. And the more different ukes you try, the more you'll know if a Collings will work for you.