The square-shouldered 14-fret dreadnought is easily the most popular acoustic guitar design in the world, yet somehow Collings brings this iconic template to a totally new level. With tonal clarity to match the warmth and depth of the dreadnought, the Collings D2H is cutting, robust, and powerful, but it also remains sweet and subtle when you want it to be.
This D2H was made in 2006, and it was originally spec-ed by the Olde Town Pickin' Parlor in Arvada, Colorado. In keeping with the Pickin' Parlor's typical orders, it features a bound fingerboard, bound headstock, and Waverly tuners with Ivoroid buttons instead of the standard Nickel butterbeans. Simple, yet elegant touches that class up a great-sounding guitar. These upgrades are the perfect match for Collings' gorgeous 2-Style Sunburst. All around, it's a good-looking guitar without being ostentatious or over the top.
Apart from the Sunburst, binding, and tuner upgrades, this D2H is true to the 2006 specs: Sitka Spruce top, East Indian Rosewood back and sides, 1-11/16" nut width, 2-5/16" string spacing at the bridge, etc. At some point along the way, the previous owner installed a fancy Ivoroid strap button on the neck heel, which is a tasteful match for the grained Ivoroid binding.
The current setup on this D2H is excellent. It has an after-market bone saddle, and someone fluted the bridge pin holes to improve tuning stability and increase downward pressure on the saddle. Soundwise, this guitar packs the powerful voice you expect from a D2H, and it sounds broken-in with time. Its tone is a natural fit for bluegrass or traditional music, but it's versatile guitar that can handle any genre or any playing style.
Cosmetically, this D2H shows some signs of play wear, but it's fairly clean all around. Most offensive is a bump on the bass side of the top, just by the lower bout, and there are also some scuffs around the edges of the peghead (see photos). It includes a green-lined Collings-branded TKL case that is not original. These cases were used by Collings after about 2010, and the green lining is softer on the finish than the plush used on earlier cases.