Two new Collings guitars compared - ladder and x

[Dave Bagwill]

Fun - I like 'em both.

http://youtu.be/zs-bsseq7YQ?t=4m23s

[John Parchem]

That was an interesting video. I found this ladder braced guitar really twangy, I though it was the player until I heard the same player play the x braced instrument. In some of the pieces the middle strings jumped right out of the harmony, very percussive. The X braced guitar had the resonance and warmer sound that I like.

I guess the interesting thing is that they had very different voices. I could see that some could like the ladder braced sound, but if these two guitars are at all representative the ladder braced guitar is not an alternative bracing patterns if one likes the more typically x-braced guitar sound.

[Dave Bagwill]

True, and vice-versa as well. :-)

I found them to both be pleasing, the ladder is louder, the x more 'refined' - you could play any kind of music on either guitar, but obviously they each have their strengths. I would take either one...

[John Link]

I really don't like the playing, especially that overdriven PLUCK that slaps the strings back down on the frets. While I therefore found it hard to like either instrument (as played), I had a preference for the X-braced.

I looked up "Waterloo Guitars" and apparently it is a line or actual brand being brought out by Bill Collings. They are to be "simple instruments" inspired by the depression era - "plain Jane all the way." (The pre-war Martins came from the depression era too, but I've never seen that touted as one of their positives.) The street price is about $1,900 for either version.

[Tim Benware]

I really don't like the playing, especially that overdriven PLUCK that slaps the strings back down on the frets. While I therefore found it hard to like either instrument (as played)

+1 I found it hard to get by the style sound to get at the guitars sound. Both sounded the same to me.

[ken cierp]

Not sure I get the whole idea? I guess I don't understand it musically? To me it/they sound like many Kay's, Silvertone's, Harmony's that came to me for set up or repair -- $50 to $100 or so guitars. In a nut shell, these are not pleasing to me because I am hearing way too much of the "string sound and fretting noise" as opposed to the mellow "woody" quality that I've come to like best. Its all subjective.

[Dave Bagwill]

"Mellow" is not everyone's choice, for sure - as you said, it's all subjective.
I really like the smoothness of say, a Lowden.
But there is a place for, and a LOT of people who love to hear, some percussive, slappy, raggedy blues too!

I wonder why Collings chose to use a T-bar rather than a truss rod in the x-braced version?

BTW - I would take a Lowden anytime!!