Nowadays, we all know Collings as an innovative influence in the guitar building industry, but in 1993 Collings was still a young brand with a lot to prove. The Orchestra Model was one of Collings' first offerings, and to this day, it is easily the most popular Collings guitar. A good OM produces balanced, complex tone that shines across many different genres. It has accurate, immediate response paired with a comfortable, small-body feel and smooth playability that appeal to a wide variety of playing styles.
This OM3H (serial #814) dates to 1993, and it's impressive to see what Collings was producing in the early days. The Collings OM3 is a dressed-up Orchestra Model with a Sitka Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides. This one was made with Herringbone top trim, and the abalone rosette, fingerboard binding, peghead binding, and gold tuners add a higher level elegance. It features a 1-3/4" nut width and the standard 25-1/2" scale.
This 1993 OM3H has a repaired crack along the center seam that shows a clear witness line, bu it is properly repaired, cleated, and 100% stable. The guitar shows wear and patina all around, almost like a seasoned vintage guitar. The binding in particular has yellowed, and the gold tuners show 30 years of tarnish. The top shows some pick wear on the bass side of strings (see photos). There is a ~1/4" crack on the top, near the edge of the lower bout. The previous owner installed a strap button on the neck heel. The current setup is excellent with low action, and the frets are properly dressed with each note ringing clear and true.
On an OM, the combination of Sitka Spruce and Rosewood is particularly appealing to fingerstyle players because of the balance, depth, and complexity. But because of its articulate sound and immediate response, this guitar sounds great with a pickers just the same. This OM3H seems to do everything well, and it sounds played-in. At thirty years old, this Collings is starting to develop refined, nuanced tone with character and vibe almost like a vintage guitar.
- Body: 14-Fret Orchestra Model
- Top: Sitka Spruce
- Back & Sides: East Indian Rosewood
- Brace Pattern: Pre-War Scalloped X
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany
- Neck Profile: Modified V
- Scale Length: 25-1/2"
- Nut: Bone, 1-3/4"
- Body Binding: Ivoroid with Herringbone Purfling
- Bridge: Ebony Belly
- Saddle: Drop-In Bone, 2-5/16" string spacing
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Fingerboard Radius: 14" - 26" Compound
- Fingerboard Binding: Ivoroid w/ w/b purfling
- Peghead Binding: Ivoroid w/ w/b purfling
- Tuning Machines: Gold Waverly open-back w/ butterbean buttons
- Case: Original hardshell case