Collings OM1 Mahogany Top

'OM' stands for "Orchestra Model," but 80 years after this body shape was first designed it has become the most popular 14-fret model with fingerstyle guitar soloists who choose to play on steel strings, yet flatpickers also find it appealing. The compact shape makes the Collings OM equally easy to handle onstage or when sitting on the couch, and the relatively shallow body (barely over 4 inches deep) results in balanced tone and an immediate response.

There is a certain quality of woody wonderfulness to this mahogany top version of this Collings OM. It's a bit warmer in the midrange and has a rounder sounding treble than the spruce version. I guess I would describe it as slightly less glassy sounding and more "woody chunk" sounding.

I could imagine Eric Clapton doing his unplugged session on this guitar. It would be perfect for that bluesy slapping finger picking style of his. When you attack a string all the notes and tone come out at you at once, coupled with a certain rich papery quality that only mahogany has.

This guitar is also incredibly beautiful, maybe one of the most stunning guitars Collings makes. Nobody, and I mean nobody, creates a more luscious sunburst finish than Bill Collings. Combined with the tortoise binding and black/white purfling, well, this guitar is ready for a night out. A really tremendous instrument.

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.