With a shape inspired by the slope-shouldered flat tops of the 1930s, the Collings C10 delivers the clarity, balance, and rich harmonic content that define the company's modern boutique approach. Its silhouette recalls the small-body guitars of the Depression era, but the C10 has always been its own instrument—versatile, refined, and unmistakably Collings in both feel and voice. Well, the brand new C-00 takes a different path, embracing the raw, dry, and unapologetically punchy character that make prewar small bodies so beloved by blues players, folk musicians, and fingerstyle traditionalists. It's a distinctly different voice within the Collings lineup, and it captures the grit, immediacy, and honky midrange bark that made those vintage instruments legendary.
This C-00 (serial #36879) is the first of this new model to land in Telluride, Colorado. It features the standard Sitka Spruce top and Honduran Mahogany back and sides. Finished in Collings' dark "closed-in" sunburst, the C-00 captures the appropriate vibe, especially with a Tiger Stripe pickguard. One note—on the C-00 prototype, there is a white film underneath the pickguard, intended to make the Tiger Stripe stick out on top of the dark finish. But for this C-00, we requested Collings leave the pickguard translucent, which makes the Tiger Stripe much more subtle. It also makes the Sunburst look more balanced in our opinion. Maybe not for everybody, but we think this detail pushes this guitar to the next level!
The C-00 combines the graceful slope-shoulder, 14-3/4"-wide body with a 24-7/8" scale length. With a bracing pattern unique to this model, the voicing delivers a drier, more fundamental sound—a step away from the polished, detailed, and shimmery voice typical of standard Collings acoustics. It has a prewar-appropriate 1-3/4" nut width and a C-00-specific neck profile that has a full-feeling V shape. The next feel matches the '30s-inspired tone and aesthetics, but the compound radius, Medium 18% nickel-silver frets, and PLEK deliver a top-notch, 21st century playing experience.
If you’re drawn to the raw character and old-school mojo of a 1930s mail-order guitar—but if you also want the precision, playability, and build quality of a top-tier boutique guitar—the Collings C-00 strikes an uncommon balance.
- Top: Sitka Spruce
- Back & Sides: Honduran Mahogany
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany
- Body Binding: Ivoroid
- Bridge: Rosewood Straight-Style (2-5/16" String Spacing)
- Fingerboard: Rosewood with Mother of Pearl Dot Inlays
- Fingerboard Radius: 14"–26" Compound
- Bridge Pins/End Pin: Ivoroid
- Nut: Bone, 1-3/4"
- Saddle: Bone, Cutthrough
- Neck Profile: C-00 Full V
- Peghead Profile: Haircut
- Neck Joint: Mortise & Tenon Hybrid
- Truss Rod: Fully Adjustable
- Frets: Medium 18% Nickel-Silver
- Peghead Veneer: Ebony with Gold Mother of Pearl Collings Logo
- Tuners: Nickel Waverly with Oval Ivoroid Buttons
- Backstrip: Style-1 Walnut
- Rosette: Ivoroid with Black/White Purfling
- Scale Length: 24-7/8"
- Brace Material: Sitka Spruce
- Bracing: Custom C-00 X-Bracing with Abbreviated Soundboard Graft (Tongue Brace)
- Body Finish: High-Gloss Ultra-Thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Neck Finish: High-Gloss Polyester Resin
- Pickguard: Tiger Stripe