Named for the scenic 290 highway that winds past the Collings shop though the Texas Hill Country, the 290 is a modern-day tribute to the original working man's rock 'n roll guitar.
This Collings 290 DC (serial #21472) features a solid Honduran mahogany body in Translucent Orange finish. Instead of the stock P90 pickups, we upgraded this 290 DC with a TV Jones Classic in the neck position and a TV Jones Classic + in the bridge. Based on the 1959 Gretsch Filtertron design, the TV Jones Classic falls in between a typical bright single-coil and a darker, thicker humbucker sound. Although they are hum-canceling, these pickups have a wide dynamic range—like a single coil—and there's a unique growl when you dig in. Clean, compressed treble and mids breath life over a tight and controlled low-end.
From there, we couldn't resist adding a Bigsby B5 tailpiece. Sure, it fits with the late-'50s Gretsch vibe, but the Bigsby helps make this 290 DC a deeply expressive guitar. Thanks to its all-solid-wood construction, it packs impressive acoustic resonance and sustain, and those qualities translate beautifully into the amplified sound. The TV Jones remain clear and transparent, and their town responded to your touch and picking attack. When you add the Bigsby, the result is a guitar that covers a lot of territory.
Since the TV Jones pickups and Bigsby give this guitar unique appeal, we thought we had to give it a little extra style. It features a three-ply Pearloid pickguard and matching pehead veneer. We also added Ivoroid fingerboard binding, too.
- Body - Honduran mahogany
- Neck - Honduran mahogany
- Fingerboard - Rosewood w/ Ivoroid long dots (5mm non-tapered)
- Fingerboard Binding - .060" Ivoroid (Ungrained)
- Bridge - Kluson ABR-1 (Nickel-plated Zinc)
- Tailpiece - Bigsby B5
- Bridge Pickup - TV Jones Classic +
- Neck Pickup - TV Jones Classic
- Pots / Caps - DiMarzio 500K / Jupiter Vintage Yellow
- Knobs - Aged Black top hat
- Pickguard - 3-Ply Pearloid
- Truss Rod Cover - White/Black/White Pealoid w/ Highway 290 logo
- Nut - Bone 1-11/16"
- Scale Length - 24-7/8"
- Neck Joint - Extra long mortise & tenon
- Frets - Medium 18% nickel-silver
- Peghead Veneer - Pearloid w/ Collings logo
- Tuners - Nickel Gotoh w/ Ivoroid Buttons
- Wiring - '50s style
- Fingerboard Radius - 12"
- Finish - Translucent Orange high gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
This Collings 290 DC includes a deluxe, form-fitting case from Ameritage. As we've come to expect from Collings, every detail is executed with a very high level of precision. It is highly-resonant and expressive, and it shows substantial build quality. This 290 DC is an impressive instrument from an impressive builder at the top of their game.