Collings Torrefied Birdseye Maple Custom SoCo Deluxe w/Throbaks SLE101+

Description

"Every day we try to make a better guitar, every day. You're trying to reach for more, trying to do better, not trying to do the same. A lot of companies are trying to do the same, and that's okay - that's their deal. We're trying to stretch that. Our goal is a little more." - Bill Collings

We recently asked Collings to pull some woods from their stash for a few builds - something exceptional, unique, and beautiful. Anyone who knows Collings knows their guitars already fit that category - they always deliver gorgeous instruments, so for them to select something special...well, you know it's going to be great. 

You can imagine the ooh's and aah's happening at the shop when we opened the case and saw this exceptionally beautiful torrefied Birdseye Maple Custom SoCo Deluxe loaded with a set of Throbak SLE101+ humbuckers staring back at us! Elegant, understated, but undeniably beautiful...exactly what we were looking for. 

Being a Collings, the attention to detail is exceptional. The grained ivoroid/custom made knobs, pickup surrounds and binding blend beautifully with the birdseye maple top and add a level of subtle sophistication to the build. The setup yields a slightly taut feel, part of the Collings magic, and the action is low.  

Tonally this guitar is a monster. The bridge pickup is full of Les Paul bite - midrangy (in a wonderful way) but the semi-hollow construction adds that ES335 "air" to each note. The neck pickup is full, articulate, and gets very close to the coveted Allman Brother's Fillmore tone. The torrefied top just makes the overall tone and feel a bit more broken in. It's hard to pinpoint, but it adds that extra 5-10% extra, on top of an already stellar instrument. We like it and definitely feel it (ie, it's not just a marketing angle, it does what it's advertised to do). 

If you've been back and forth about whether or not you'd like to let go of either your Les Paul or ES335 in favor of the other, this guitar will end your dilemma - it's like having the best of both worlds! Priced with hardshell case.