Carved Maple top on a solid mahogany body with a single cutaway—sound familiar? This design is an American icon. We all know where it came from, and there's no denying a lot of brands do a great job with this '50s template. But no one achieves the same level as Collings! Crafted from the finest tonewoods available (seasoned solid Eastern Maple and lightweight Honduran mahogany), the Collings CL is built for tone.
The Collings CL (short for "City Limits") is constructed from all solid woods, and that maximizes acoustic resonance, yielding wide dynamics and a touch-sensitive feel. A carefully hand-set mortise and tenon neck joint brings tonal complexity and sustain. This CL Deluxe (serial #181212 was made in 2018, and it features Collings' Pelham Blue finish with the Aged Finish and Aged Hardware option. With the Deluxe details, Ebony knobs, and Split Parallelograms, this is a classy Collings. It weighs in at 8 lbs 7.1 oz.
Instead of the catalog-spec Lollar humbuckers, this CL Deluxe was ordered with a set of Haussel 1959 Neck and Bridge humbuckers. Handwound in Germany, the Haussel 1959s are known for authentically recreating the legendary PAF sound. They are made with the original wire, properly sized and charged magnets, and optimally matched winding for silky, smooth tone. The Haussels give this Collings powerful tone that pushes the amp of a cliff. Harmonic overtones, feedback, and richness at any time without effort.
This 2018 Collings CL Deluxe shows some minor signs of play and use, but it is in nice shape all around. There are some bumps around the edge of the headstock and two dings worth mentioning: 1) On the bass side of the top, just a few inches from the bridge pickup; and 2)On the body contour of the back (see photos). Relative to other Aged Finish Collings, this CL Deluxe has yellowed binding that matches the intense finish checking. Even though it's only a few years old, it captures some of the vibe and character of an old vintage guitar. It is set up with excellent low action, and fret wear is not an issue. This CL Deluxe rips! It is a rock n' roll machine that delivers a wide palette of tones.