I first met Bill Collings in Houston around 1979 or 1980 when I had a small guitar shop in the Montrose area. I also repaired instruments and got to know Bill when he came into my shop one day. I was also good friends with Rick Gordon, a Houston-based guitar player, and Bill had made an extraordinary acoustic for him. Shortly after seeing Rick's guitar, I ordered three guitars from Bill: two rosewood dreadnoughts and a mahogany 000. There was no Collings label or inlay on these guitars. I asked Bill to sign them so the signature could be seen in the soundhole, which he did. I sold the two dreadnoughts and kept the mahogany 000, which I play to this very day. Concidentally, in 1989, I bought a house between Dripping Springs and Oak Hill on a street call Rim Rock Trail. One day, I was driving around the other side of the street to go to the store and noticed an office warehouse with 'Collings' on the mailbox. Not believing it could be Collings' workshop, I stopped and went in and there was Bill. He gave me a quick tour of his (then) new digs. Bill would ride his motorcycle around Rim Rock Trail and, if I was outside working in the yard, he would stop and chat for a while. His newer factory is located across the street from Rim Rock Trail. Rest in peace, Bill. I feel honored to own an instrument that you made, personally, and I will always treasure your memory with every note I play.
I'm the happy owner of an I-35 LC. IMO, best semi hollow body there is. The acoustic played in this video sounds awesome: so balanced ! RIP Bill, your legacy goes on !
I'm lucky enough to own three of Collings' excellent Waterloo guitars, which are right up there in terms of playability and sound with the Collings main line. They are replicas inspired by Gibson's depression era guitars, and thus are finished more simply, without a lot of inlay, purfling, or heavy lacquer; they are also featherweight instruments, much like the early 1930s Kalamazoos, which are what initially inspired Bill Collings to do the Waterloo line. I almost bought a Collings Parlor 12 string a few years ago (for around $6k), but the dealer sold it out from under me to make an extra couple hundred bucks; - and I have no regrets - as I'm loving the Waterloos.
beg and borrow and/or work 2 jobs or alot of overtime.. they are worth the $$$ though they sure have gotten more pricey in recent years... I have an LC and a I35 deluxe that I bought a few years ago at prices far below what they are going for now..
I first met Bill Collings in Houston around 1979 or 1980 when I had a small guitar shop in the Montrose area. I also repaired instruments and got to know Bill when he came into my shop one day. I was also good friends with Rick Gordon, a Houston-based guitar player, and Bill had made an extraordinary acoustic for him. Shortly after seeing Rick's guitar, I ordered three guitars from Bill: two rosewood dreadnoughts and a mahogany 000. There was no Collings label or inlay on these guitars. I asked Bill to sign them so the signature could be seen in the soundhole, which he did. I sold the two dreadnoughts and kept the mahogany 000, which I play to this very day.
Concidentally, in 1989, I bought a house between Dripping Springs and Oak Hill on a street call Rim Rock Trail. One day, I was driving around the other side of the street to go to the store and noticed an office warehouse with 'Collings' on the mailbox. Not believing it could be Collings' workshop, I stopped and went in and there was Bill. He gave me a quick tour of his (then) new digs. Bill would ride his motorcycle around Rim Rock Trail and, if I was outside working in the yard, he would stop and chat for a while. His newer factory is located across the street from Rim Rock Trail.
Rest in peace, Bill. I feel honored to own an instrument that you made, personally, and I will always treasure your memory with every note I play.
I'm the happy owner of an I-35 LC. IMO, best semi hollow body there is. The acoustic played in this video sounds awesome: so balanced ! RIP Bill, your legacy goes on !
Right on!
I'm lucky enough to own three of Collings' excellent Waterloo guitars, which are right up there in terms of playability and sound with the Collings main line. They are replicas inspired by Gibson's depression era guitars, and thus are finished more simply, without a lot of inlay, purfling, or heavy lacquer; they are also featherweight instruments, much like the early 1930s Kalamazoos, which are what initially inspired Bill Collings to do the Waterloo line.
I almost bought a Collings Parlor 12 string a few years ago (for around $6k), but the dealer sold it out from under me to make an extra couple hundred bucks; - and I have no regrets - as I'm loving the Waterloos.
Finest Martin & Gibson rip of`s(after Eastman?
Collings Guitars have a Quality that neither Gibson or Martin can achieve…
@@j.schaefer5622 As nice as Collings guitars are, all they're doing is copying Gibson and Martin and charging twice the price
@@american_psycho1147 But Collings Guitars are also twice as good…
@@american_psycho1147 sure, they’re using those designs. But they’ve definitely got a sound that’s all their own.
@@american_psycho1147 The comparables would be Custom Shop guitars. Very similar in price to Collings.
How are collings guitars better than gibson guitars, if so then why copy Gibson's look and shape?
If only I had the $$$
beg and borrow and/or work 2 jobs or alot of overtime.. they are worth the $$$ though they sure have gotten more pricey in recent years... I have an LC and a I35 deluxe that I bought a few years ago at prices far below what they are going for now..
@@RichusRkrWhy did they increase in price?
@@jamesreeves4600 made in us, need to compensate workers fairly, pay health insurance, supply chain issues, price of raw materials went up
Look for used ones on The Gear Page