Collings 290 Faded ‘59 Cherry

You can't visit the Collings shop in the outskirts of Austin without traveling through the Texas hill country on Highway 290. Named after this highway, the 290 boasts amazing versatility in its tonal spectrum. Fit with two hand-wound P90 pickups from Jason Lollar, the 290 is a modern day tribute to the original working man's rock'n roll guitar.

We have many great guitars here at CR Guitars, but perhaps the most straight forward design platform is the Collings 290. This may be the finest remake of the 'original' set neck guitar of this type. The beauty of this guitar is in its simplicity. Body, neck, two pickups, no extras, no carved areas, no flamed figured wood: a complete thought. This guitar is purely about tone, vibe and performance. The finish is deep and extraordinary, and no corners were cut. It's an organic design steeped in deep guitar history and executed to the ultimate perfection by Bill Collings.

This is our second 290 with a faded Crimson '59 nitro finish. The pickguard has been upgraded to tortoise shell, as well as an upgrade to the optional Collings wraparound tailpiece. The wrap tail piece gives a clarity and articulation to this guitar, like you drove a spike into the center of the body wood and said "this is where ALL the tone is coming from..." And the tone just bleeds out of the guitar, with clarity and voice that is stunning.  The tone is visceral, and you can feel the notes vibrating through your body, so you get maximum responsiveness from the instrument. This is yet another example of Bill Collins taking a beloved historical guitar, capturing the essence of what we love about vintage guitars, and bringing it into the modern world with stability, incredible playability and finish....

The body cut allows the guitar to lay perfectly when you are playing sitting down, and the Collings full C neck and perfect fretwork made this guitar play like a dream. I love the 290 DC with the single pickup, but the two Lollars in this guitar won me over immediately. There is something about a great P90, warm and fuzzy with super articulation even when you are in full bloom. P90's blister when pushed, yet are able to maintain the true character of the guitar they reside in. They speak the truth and rarely lie.

To sum up, the 290 is a guitar with a vintage heart built with the finest materials and attention to detail. It's Collings all the way.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT COLLINGS GUITARS
Bill Collings moved from Ohio to Texas in the mid 1970’s. Spurred by a lack of interest in medical school, this move enabled him to combine lifelong interests in both guitars and tools into the challenge of stringed instrument building and repair. After a couple of years in Houston, several guitars and a few banjos later, he headed west to southern California. Making it only as far as Austin, where he shared shops with fellow luthiers Tom Ellis and Mike Stevens. From there, he set up his own small shop in a wooden "one car" garage. His reputation for outstanding quality and meticulous attention to detail quickly spread. In 1989, he rented a 1000 square foot space and hired two helpers. Fast forward to present day where Collings craftsmanship is respected by professional and amateur musicians alike…anyone on the quest for quality. Some of these include artists; Keith Richards, Lyle Lovett, Pete Townshend, Emmylou Harris, Andy Summers, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Joni Mitchell, Don Felder, John Sebastian, Lou Reed, John Fogerty, Tim O'Brien, Pete Huttlinger, Kenny Smith, Brian May, Joan Baez, John Prine, Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap, and Steven Spielberg to name a few. You owe it to yourself to try one.