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 #35977) with an Old Growth Sitka top, and its back and sides are East Indian Rosewood. Old Growth Sitka possesses a high stiffness-to-weight ratio, which provides exceptional warmth, headroom, and resonance. We've liked the "Baked" torrefied tops from Collings, but torrefaction is an unnatural process. In this case, decades of natural aging—combined with the high quality of the wood itself—results in a soundboard with more "character" and richness than new Sitka tops. Similar to the goal with Torrefied tops, the concept is to build a new guitar that already sounds broken-in and captures more of the tonal potential that develops over time. Due to the natural aging process, the color of the wood also has a darker, redder hue that we think is absolutely beautiful.
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 42-Style Snowflake inlays. A little flashy without over the top—we wanted this guitar to look every bit 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: OId Growth Sitka Spruce
- Back & Sides: East Indian Rosewood
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany
- Body Binding: Ivoroid with herringbone purfling
- Bridge: Ebony belly-style with 2-3/16" spacing
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Fingerboard Inlay: 42-Style Snowflakes
- 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: Mother-Of-Pearl Collings Inlay
- 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
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. No matter how you approach it, it has an articulate balanced sound, and it feels responsive and lively. Sustain and harmonic richness abound! Great guitar.