Perhaps we spend too much time splitting hairs arguing the various species of Spruce. Maybe we forget the top wood itself is sometimes less important than the bracing that guides how it moves and makes sound. A well-voiced, well-braced top will sound fantastic, regardless of what it's made of. With Adirondack Braces and No Tongue Brace, this Collings D1 (serial #34290) is a persuasive example.
This Collings D1 features the standard wood complement of Sitka Spruce and Honduran Mahogany, but with Adirondack Spruce braces and No Tongue Brace, its tone is anything but standard. Adirondack Braces are stiffer than Sitka braces, so this dreadnought has almost endless headroom, and because it has less material dampening the upper bout (i.e., no tongue brace), the top moves and responds effortlessly with a light touch. The result is warm and powerful dreadnought tone with a wide dynamic range, sweet sustain, and notes that bloom and flourish.
With this D1, the idea was to construct a guitar with tone that sounds a cut above the standard, so why not style it out? We ordered it with Tortoise fingerboard and peghead binding, which is subtle—refined elegance. The result is a guitar that looks every bit as a good as it sounds. We also requested a prewar-appropriate 1-3/4" nut width.
- Top: Sitka Spruce
- Back & Sides: Honduran Mahogany
- Brace Material: Adirondack Spruce
- Brace Pattern: Pre-War Scalloped X w/ No Tongue Brace
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany
- Neck Profile: Modified V
- Scale Length: 25-1/2"
- Nut: Bone, 1-3/4"
- Bridge: Ebony Belly
- Saddle: Drop-In Bone, 2-3/16" string spacing
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Fingerboard Radius: 14" - 26" Compound
- Peghead Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl Collings logo
- Fingerboard Binding: Tortoise w/ White Purfling
- Peghead Binding: Tortoise w/ White Purling
- Case: Deluxe Hardshell
This Collings D1 is a substantial dreadnought that will push your playing to the next level.