In many ways, the Collings 14-fret 00 body finds the perfect "sweet spot" between a small-body and a mid-size guitar. But at the same time, it brings something entirely new to the table: a couch-friendly guitar that sounds and looks like a million bucks.
We ordered this Collings 002H 14-Fret (serial #33808) with a Baked Sitka top, and its back and sides are East Indian Rosewood. It's a lively, bright-sounding guitar that is still not lacking in bass content and mid-range balance. The Baked Sitka top helps in that regard, too, but like any torrefied top, it also gives the guitar a more open, played-in feel. Plus, it's a sweet size that sits comfortably on your lap. The refined tone it produces shows off the nuances and subtleties of your playing style.
Since we knew it would be such a fantastic-sounding instrument, we had to dress it up a bit, too. We ordered this 002H 14-Fret with Ivoroid binding on the fingerboard and peghead, and Flowerpot inlay on the peghead veneer. Perhaps a little flashy, but we wanted this guitar to look as good as it sounds!
As for playability, the only customization is a 1-3/4" nut width. That extra sixteenth of an inch may not seem like much, but we find it gives you just enough room to stretch out. It's a great fit for a guitar like this, especially with the prewar-inspired Modified V neck profile.
- Top: Baked Sitka Spruce
- Back & Sides: East Indian Rosewood
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany
- Body Binding: Ivoroid with herringbone purflin
- Bridge: Ebony belly-style with 2-3/16" spacing
- Fingerboard: Ebony with abalone short diamond & squares
- Fingerboard Radius: 14" - 26" compound
- Bridge pins/End Pin: Ebony w/ Mother-of-Pearl dot
- Nut: Bone, 1-3/4"
- Saddle: Bone, drop-in
- Neck Profile: Modified V
- Peghead profile: Square w/ volute
- Neck Joint: Mortise & Tenon hybrid
- Truss Rod: Fully adjustable
- Frets: Medium 18% nickel-silver
- Fingerboard Binding: Ivoroid
- Peghead Binding: Ivoroid
- Peghead Veneer: Stained Exotic Ebony
- Peghead Inlay: Abalone Flowerpot
- Tuners: Nickel Waverly
- Backstrip: 2-Style (Zipper)
- Rosette: iv/tort/iv & b/w purflings
- Scale Length: 24-7/8"
- Brace Material: Sitka Spruce
- Brace Pattern: Prewar scalloped X-brace
- Body Finish: High-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
- Neck Finish: High-gloss polyester resin
- Pickguard: Tortoise
- Case: Deluxe hardshell by TKL
Overall, this 002H 14-Fret is hard not to like! Its short-scale, small-body feel is a natural choice for fingerpicking, but you may be surprised how much you can dig in with a pick, too.