This Collings 470 JL (serial #22239) was made in 2022. It features the Antiqued Black top finish. It is gently used and shows only minor signs of play and use (see photos). This Collings plays smooth and fast with an excellent setup, it nicely balanced, and it weighs in at 6 lbs 2.3 oz. It includes its original Ameritage case. If you haven't tried a 470 JL, they not only stand up to the hype, but in fact they generally exceed expectations. Impressive model from an impressive builder.
More about the 470 JL:
The second Collings model developed in collaboration with Julian Lage, the 470 JL is a bit of a game changer. The design was inspired by the Brooklyn-made singlecut guitars of the '50s, and the result captures that essence but maximizes its potential. The 470 JL is a deeply expressive, responsive guitar that picks up and highlights all the nuances and subtleties of your playing style. The Ellisonic pickups deliver higher highs, deeper lows, and a wide range of dynamic possibilities. The 470 JL isn't like any other electric guitar on the planet.
Perhaps Collings Mark Althans described the 470 JL best. He said it's "basically a race car. You just have to know how to drive." The 470 JL was the result of years-long conversations, engineering, testing, tweaking, playing, and listening. From the first sketches to plugging in the final prototypes, every aspect of building the 470 JL is a different approach for Collings. The goal is for each one to feel like a one-of-a-kind electric guitar experience.
The 470 JL starts with a hollow Mahogany body and a laminated Maple top. This combination produces a lot of acoustic resonance, and that translates beautifully into the electronic signal. Ron Ellis "Ellisonic" pickups give the sparkle, definition, and clarity of a vintage Dynasonic, but they are quieter and have a wider frequency response with greater harmonic content and detail. Lows are lower, highs are more robust, and the midrange is well-defined, balancing out the sound across the register. Like a fine acoustic guitar, the 470 JL follow your playing and articulates every note and every touch with detail and character.
The 470 JL is a great player, too. It has a comfortable, full-feeling neck profile with a hint of V, somewhere in between the standard Collings C depth and their Slim Taper '60s neck. The Bigsby B3 tailpiece adds another dimension of expression, but it also balances the weight of the hollow body on a strap. A Delrin nut and nylon saddles on the bridge allow you dig into the Bigsby without risking tuning stability.
- Construction: Fully hollow w/ trestle block
- Body: Solid Honduran Mahogany
- Top: Maple Laminate
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany
- Body Binding: Non-grained ivoroid
- Fingerboard Binding: Ebony
- Bridge: Pinned Ebony base w/ tune-o-matic saddle top (nylon saddles)
- Tailpiece: Bigsby vibrato B3
- Fingerboard: Ebony w/ graduated pearl dots
- Fingerboard Radius: 12"
- Pickups: Ron Ellis Ellisonics (custom adjustable height)
- Pots/Caps: DiMarzio 500K / Jupiter Vintage Yellow
- Knobs: Black/Silver Reflector Top
- Pickup Rings: Black Phenolic
- Nut: 1-11/16" Delrin
- Scale Length: 24-7/8"
- Neck Joint: Extra-long mortise & tenon
- Frets: Medium 18% nickel-silver
- Peghead Veneer: Ebony w/ Mother-of-Pearl Collings Script logo
- Peghead Profile: 470 JL Haircut
- Tuners: Relic nickel Waverly with vintage oval buttons (16:1 ratio)
- Wiring: 470 Wiring (master volume, two tones)
- Guitar Finish: High-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
- Pickguard: Parchment (3-Ply)
- Truss Rod Cover: Black/Cream/Black
- Case: Deluxe hardshell case by Ameritage