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NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 6:44 am
by wproffitt
Hello All!
For the last year or so, I’ve been dreaming (and saving up for) what I hope to be my “forever” acoustic. I looked at Gibsons, Martins, Huss and Daltons, and Guilds. Ultimately, I ended up happening upon a YouTube video featuring this instrument and the sound of it spoke to me.
I like the plain overall aesthetic. The neck is perfect for me (kind of a slender C tapering up to a beefy soft V) and for the life of me, I cannot find a single note on the neck that isn't equally as beautiful as the last. I've never experienced this level of balance in an instrument. It makes me approach the guitar differently and use (gasp) playing dynamics. Also, I love strumming it but can now see why so many people like finger style with OM sized guitars.
I got a bass right before lockdown in March and played nothing but that for months. When I came back to guitar, the bass had made me re-examine my approach to that instrument too. This is kind of doing the same thing for my guitar playing now. I’m definitely playing differently with this and it’s already given me the beginnings of a new song, so what more could I ask for? Sorry for the crappy pics. I’ll try to get more in natural light in the next few days.

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Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 7:17 am
by marqueemoon
That is dream guitar material for me. Hot damn! Enjoy!

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:05 am
by Larry Mal
Wonderful guitar. I don't think it looks plain at all, it looks like what a guitar looks like.

Congratulations!

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:28 am
by Jonesie
Gorgeous!

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:29 am
by Scout
Beautiful top on that guitar, it’s been a while since I played a Collings and really enjoyed them. Quality for sure.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 1:20 pm
by wproffitt
Thanks for the kind words! It IS a dream guitar. I can't get over how responsive it is to playing dynamics. I'm having quite a bit of fun with it in drop D tuning. Here's another (not so great) shot of it in the afternoon sunlight.
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Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:44 pm
by windmill
Collings are highly spoken of , it is good to hear you confirming it.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 3:19 pm
by marqueemoon
Just checked out a demo video. Sounds just as good as it looks. Speaks to a microphone really well.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 6:38 pm
by BoringPostcards
They're greqt guitars. I have only played a few and loved the sound.
Did they change their headstock? I've not seen this one before.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 7:52 pm
by wproffitt
I think that all of the OM and Dreadnaught models have this headstock and some of the others have the “haircut” headstock, but I could be wrong. They’re definitely going for a vintage Martin thing here. It doesn’t sound like a Martin, to my ears, though.

Here’s a vid of this model

https://youtu.be/RtUOdWwWYCY

Here’s a vid of this very guitar

https://youtu.be/lhO8UJVwxDs

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:37 pm
by mediocreplayer
This is one of those end-game guitars. It is hard to see where to go from here.

I used to have a Santa Cruz OM/PW, and I had a seriously intense and long period where I obsessed about selling it and getting the OM-1 that I used to play in my guitar shop. I was in grad school and I still remember sitting in class thinking about the OM-1 like a forlorn lover. I never did buy it. Then I sold the OM/PW and now play a carbon fiber guitar :ph34r:

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:36 am
by wproffitt
mediocreplayer wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:37 pm
This is one of those end-game guitars. It is hard to see where to go from here.

I used to have a Santa Cruz OM/PW, and I had a seriously intense and long period where I obsessed about selling it and getting the OM-1 that I used to play in my guitar shop. I was in grad school and I still remember sitting in class thinking about the OM-1 like a forlorn lover. I never did buy it. Then I sold the OM/PW and now play a carbon fiber guitar :ph34r:
That was the idea for me. I’m not saying I’ll never buy another acoustic, but I instantly realized with this one that there was a universe of playing possibilities that had just opened up to me that hadn’t occurred to me before. If I were a better player, perhaps it wouldn’t take an instrument like this to speak to me in that way. :D
In any event, I’m playing differently already and kind of don’t WANT a to look elsewhere as I still have so much to discover with this OM1. There is a lot of subtlety to it.
Tell me about that OM/PW! I forgot to mention it in my first post, but that was one of the main contenders before I chose this one. They seem lovely. Also, once you had that, what took you toward carbon fiber? I have no preconceived notions about those. I’m just curious.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:29 am
by Larry Mal
wproffitt wrote:
Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:36 am


That was the idea for me. I’m not saying I’ll never buy another acoustic, but I instantly realized with this one that there was a universe of playing possibilities that had just opened up to me that hadn’t occurred to me before. If I were a better player, perhaps it wouldn’t take an instrument like this to speak to me in that way. :D
In any event, I’m playing differently already and kind of don’t WANT a to look elsewhere as I still have so much to discover with this OM1. There is a lot of subtlety to it.
I think you hit on it right there. Any acoustic guitar shaped object will do some of the stuff that an acoustic guitar does but when you move up to a certain level you become rewarded with a lot more. You've mentioned the dynamic range and that's one of the big things, a quality acoustic sounds present and clear at quiet volumes as well as broadcasting loudly. This is why it seems you can do more on a great acoustic because you actually can do more, subtleties of playing that didn't amount to much on a cheaper guitar all of a sudden become much more rewarding so you have more to strive for.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 11:42 am
by mediocreplayer
wproffitt wrote:
Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:36 am
mediocreplayer wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:37 pm
This is one of those end-game guitars. It is hard to see where to go from here.

I used to have a Santa Cruz OM/PW, and I had a seriously intense and long period where I obsessed about selling it and getting the OM-1 that I used to play in my guitar shop. I was in grad school and I still remember sitting in class thinking about the OM-1 like a forlorn lover. I never did buy it. Then I sold the OM/PW and now play a carbon fiber guitar :ph34r:
Tell me about that OM/PW! I forgot to mention it in my first post, but that was one of the main contenders before I chose this one. They seem lovely. Also, once you had that, what took you toward carbon fiber? I have no preconceived notions about those. I’m just curious.
I bought the OM/PW because I wanted a guitar that will suit my ambitions/delusions of wanting to be John Renbourn and Neil Young at the same time. You can play something like Judy from Renbourn and follow it up by digging into Don't Let it Bring you Down by Young and it sounds perfect in both. Much like the OM-1, these are guitars that reward subtlety but do not shy away from heavy playing. I also liked that it has vintage specs but not the Martin V neck which I just cannot play.

Fast forward many years I was in Rudy's in NYC and saw a Composite Acoustics guitar. I had tried a few Rainsongs but they did nothing for me. I picked up this guitar and it sounded every bit as good as the OM/PW. By that point I was (and still am) living in the midwest and having a quality wood instrument is like having a dog -- you have to take care of it and humidify it etc. This one presented none of these problems and had great sound and the best neck of any acoustic I had played, so it was easy. Sadly, I think this company --bought by Peavey-- is almost dead now. I haven't kept up with acoustics after because this guitar gave me all I wanted.

If I ever get another acoustic guitar though, which is highly unlikely at the moment, it will probably be the Santa Cruz Otis Taylor.

Re: NGD: Collings OM1 T

Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:41 pm
by wproffitt
Your reasons for the carbon fiber guitar make really good sense, especially if it sounds as good as the OM/PW. Thankfully, I’m in the Mid-Atlantic, where the climate isn’t too extreme in any direction. Also, the family that owned my house before my wife and I bought it had a humidifier installed in the HVAC system so my guitars don’t change very much in the colder months.
I also thought about the Santa Cruz H-13, but fell under the spell of the look of the OM shape. FWIW, I’ve been playing “Harvest Moon” on it quite a lot. You can get those 12th feet harmonics really easily on this guitar.