Any Collings I-35 Owners Here?

DanWessonValor

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I have a PRS McCarty 594 HB II but have kept an eye out on a Collings I-35 but I do not know whether to go with the LC (laminate) or the Deluxe (solid). I don't want another guitar that sounds like the HB II so I'm curious which guitar (LC vs Deluxe) would sound different.
 
I've played them , Collings makes great instruments , either way you can't go wrong. They are more on the 335 side of tone than the HBII's .

If you can swing it go solid . The SoCo deluxe is also worth a look
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All but the CS 356 in Gibsons line, all of Gretches and most other non PRS are laminates in their semi's.
The lams are sturdier ( solid tops historically have cracking issues , I've repaired a few over the decades) The carved tops have a crisper tone ( less subtractive in Paul speak) .

For reference
I have and HB II, PS Santana Semi , Special, CS 356,H 575 custom Heritage, Jaros Gatlinburg all carved , as well as 335, 339, H-535 ltd Semi's
 
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I had a Custom Shop 335 in 2006 for about a week. Playing it was like driving the 1956 Oldsmobile that Arrow Driving School had for student drivers to learn on after the car was well on its way to oblivion. At 15, I was more than happy to drive anything at all.

However, I was not more than happy with the 335, and since I couldn’t drive it, and didn’t want to light it on fire just to watch it burn, I sold it.

Nonetheless, I think lighting it on fire would have been a delightful memory that would have lasted a lot longer than the money I got from selling it.

Always light guitars on fire instead of selling them. Memories are priceless!

Look! I found a crab emoji. So here’s some useful advice: Try to avoid getting crabs. 🦀
 
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I'd love an I-35LC, but I just can't justify the cost. I'm sure they're great instruments, it's just too rich for me (even my DGT 10-top was pushing it). I HAVE the money, I just don't think any guitar is worth that, sorry.
 
I'd love an I-35LC, but I just can't justify the cost. I'm sure they're great instruments, it's just too rich for me (even my DGT 10-top was pushing it). I HAVE the money, I just don't think any guitar is worth that, sorry.
The cost is quite high when you now have some guitars in the $1,000 range that sound just as good.
 
The cost is quite high when you now have some guitars in the $1,000 range that sound just as good.

Well, one thing that makes the I35LC a little unique is it's size: I believe it's an inch narrower (in the lower bout) than a 335. So it's in-between a 335 & 339. But yes- I've considered buying a 339 and putting some great PAFs in it.

I will also say, sometime the more expensive (handmade) guitar do FEEL better; my DGT certainly felt better out-of-the-box than any other guitar I had bought up to that time; the fit and finish was simply perfect. I can say the same thing about my EBMM Luke III. I can't say that about any Fender I've owned, nor my Proline Gretsch Hot Rod (altho it was really good).

The only thing I did with the DGT and EBMM was make a small adjustment to the action (my preference), and they were perfect.
 
I am taking delivery of an I-35 LC with Ron Ellis pickups tomorrow. At first, I was puzzled by laminate which meant cheap to me but it appears I am completely wrong. If someone can explain why laminate is used and why it is better, I would love to hear from you.
Greywolf and others know a lot more about this stuff than I do, but from what I understand, laminates are stronger and more stable than solids especially in thin wood products. One of the advantages of making a laminate is you have several layers of wood, and you can have the grain running one way for layer 1, layer 2 you could have the grain turned 90 degrees from layer 1, layer three, wood grain same direction as layer 1, etc. In so doing, you make it more difficult for the wood to expand/contract and also pretty much eliminate the possibility of a crack in the wood. Makes it much stronger than a thin piece of soIid wood could be in most cases. I too classically view laminate as "cheap", but it is not always the case ;~))
 
Greywolf and others know a lot more about this stuff than I do, but from what I understand, laminates are stronger and more stable than solids especially in thin wood products. One of the advantages of making a laminate is you have several layers of wood, and you can have the grain running one way for layer 1, layer 2 you could have the grain turned 90 degrees from layer 1, layer three, wood grain same direction as layer 1, etc. In so doing, you make it more difficult for the wood to expand/contract and also pretty much eliminate the possibility of a crack in the wood. Makes it much stronger than a thin piece of soIid wood could be in most cases. I too classically view laminate as "cheap", but it is not always the case ;~))
Thank you for the explanation. My view is twist cus cheap acoustic guitar use laminate construction so naturally I assumed this to be the case...but I have realized that I am completely wrong. I also went for an I-35 Deluxe (solid wood) because of my misconception.
 
Thank you for the explanation. My view is twist cus cheap acoustic guitar use laminate construction so naturally I assumed this to be the case...but I have realized that I am completely wrong. I also went for an I-35 Deluxe (solid wood) because of my misconception.
I likely would have gone with the solid myself as well even knowing what I know. I just like the idea that it is a top piece built by nature, not by nature and glue ;~)) I look forward to playing a Collings someday, congrats and enjoy!
 
Thank you for the explanation. My view is twist cus cheap acoustic guitar use laminate construction so naturally I assumed this to be the case...but I have realized that I am completely wrong. I also went for an I-35 Deluxe (solid wood) because of my misconception.
Can’t go wrong with that! The laminate vs solid is a much bigger issue with acoustic guitars…on a hollowbody electric, you’ll notice less of a difference. Just take extra care with swings in humidity to avoid cracks.
 
Lots of players would say that about a Core PRS.

They’d be wrong.

I can honestly say I'm still not convinced my DGT 10-top is worth the $5000+ I paid for it. I paid of course, but worth? Eh... I'm honestly not sure if any solidbody is worth that much. It's no doubt on of the finest instruments I've ever played, but $5000.... yeah just not convinced. Maybe if it was my only guitar or if I was a professional musician making my living with it, then yes it could be "worth" 5 grand. Otherwise, it's a stretch. It's more than TWICE as much as I've paid for any instrument up to that point.

I can say my EBMM Luke III is every bit the guitar the DGT is, and better for me in some ways, at only $3000. I think it has has far more VALUE than the DGT does.

I still prefer my old '93 American tele in every way, various mods through the years of course. The DGT sure is prettier to look at LOL.
 
I can honestly say I'm still not convinced my DGT 10-top is worth the $5000+ I paid for it. I paid of course, but worth? Eh... I'm honestly not sure if any solidbody is worth that much. It's no doubt on of the finest instruments I've ever played, but $5000.... yeah just not convinced. Maybe if it was my only guitar or if I was a professional musician making my living with it, then yes it could be "worth" 5 grand. Otherwise, it's a stretch. It's more than TWICE as much as I've paid for any instrument up to that point.

It’s a fine distinction, of course, but ‘worth the money’ varies among individuals. It can be a question of satisfaction, or a question of whether one can make a buck with it, or anything else the buyer feels is important. So the same item can be ‘worth it’ or not ‘worth it’ to different people.

I don’t think we really disagree. I’d just put it differently, and say ‘wouldn’t be a good buy for me’.

Just as an example, in my case a Fender at any price point wouldn’t be ‘worth it’ because it’d sit around unplayed. I might as well light the dollars I would spend on a Fender on fire, for all the good having one would do me.

But Fenders are - objectively - excellent guitars, and any one of them might be a great value for someone with different tastes; my son, for example, plays Fenders, loves ‘em, and endorses them. They’re his thing.

This leads to my comments on Collings guitars.

Given my taste - an important qualifier - the two Collings acoustics I had were, hands down, the nicest sounding acoustic guitars I have ever owned until I played (and bought) my Core and PS PRS acoustics. I loved playing and recording with them, and they served me well for a decade.

I also made very good money playing them, but that wasn’t the sole qualifier. Here it’s a question of being satisfied with the sound. It’s the same with a PRS or any instrument here in my studio.

If I ever truly wanted to play a 335 style guitar, I’d immediately buy a Collings. The I-35 (especially the carved top model that suits me a little more) is a wonderful instrument. As with my PRS’, one would indeed be ‘worth it’, and not just because I’d make dollars using it, but because I’d get more satisfaction playing it.

At what price glory?

I can say my EBMM Luke III is every bit the guitar the DGT is, and better for me in some ways, at only $3000. I think it has has far more VALUE than the DGT does.

For you, that’s obviously true. For me a Luke would be a total waste of money because it would never get used. Yet it’s a really nice guitar, nicely made, and sounds great for the type of guitar it is.

I like my WL DGT so much that when I recently decided to downsize (I moved two of my PS models) so I could invest more in some classical recordings, I kept it. The guitar was a lucky strike, one of those magic guitars, and makes my day when I use it.

There’s no objective standard. ‘What I want to play’ is 100% subjective. Always was, always will be. It’s a question like, ‘Who do I want to marry?’ A very personal choice, though I might be pickier about guitars…(Just kidding, dear, really!).

Once again, I think we really agree, and just express ourselves differently.
 
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I got this I-35LC in 2018, when they were significantly less expensive.
Mine has Lollar Imperials, it is a terrific instrument in every way.
If there is one shortcoming, it is highest fret access, if you have larger hands, as the lower horn
gets in the way a bit.
Looks fantastic
 
For you, that’s obviously true. For me a Luke would be a total waste of money because it would never get used. Yet it’s a really nice guitar, nicely made, and sounds great for the type of guitar it is.

Well, I'm not talking about how much I would or wouldn't use them. I'm talking objective quality. The Luke is every bit the guitar the DGT is, in quality. They are both "perfect", basically. There's no way a Collings has any more quality than them, because they are already perfect in that regard: how well they are made. Anything beyond that comes down simply to what someone "likes" more.
 
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