As Collings makes clear with the 290 DC S, "sometimes simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Featuring a single Lollar dog-ear P90 and unhindered access all the way up to the 22nd fret, the 290 DC S performs so well in so many applications. As expected from Collings, every minute detail is executed to a level of perfection not possible in the past. Drawing inspiration from the '50s single-pickup "junior" classics, the 290 DC remains impressively versatile, It is a superior instrument that will push you as a player.
The 290 DC S starts with two blocks of Honduran Mahogany—one for the body and one for the neck. Collings' wood selection is demanding, and for this model, they hand select highly-resonant Mahogany that maximizes the acoustic response of the guitar. With the precise neck angle, too, the guitar has resonant and dynamic response, plus lots of natural sustain, too. When you plug in, the Lollar P90 really picks up on that character. All in all, it just makes the guitar more expressive.
While the single pickup design may seem limiting, Collings uses premium components to furnish flexible electronics that provide a wide array of sounds. With both controls at 10, the guitar wants to rip your amp wide open—it is a rock and roll machine! But subtle manipulations of the volume and tone controls deliver pristine clean tones to mellower, warmer sounds and everything in between. Interestingly, even on its darkest setting, the guitar still has rich harmonic qualities because of the pickup's placement relative to the bridge.
As far as playability is concerned, Collings pushes the 290 DC S to a 21st-Century level of exacting standards. PLEK fingerboard, precise 12" radius, 18:1 gear ratio tuners, etc.—this guitar is constructed to do anything you need it to do.
We ordered this Collings 290 DC S (serial #20450) in Aged Jet Black finish with Aged Hardware and a Tortoiseshell pickguard. The Aged Finish and Hardware option is a classy touch. In many ways, this guitar feels like a Collings that has been waiting in its case since 1959.
- Construction: Solid body double cutaway
- Body: Solid Honduran Mahogany
- Neck: Solid Honduran Mahogany
- Bridge: Aged Klusion ABR-1 (Nickel-plated Zinc)
- Tailpiece: Aged Kluson Stop Tailpiece (Nickel-plated Zinc, steel studs)
- Fingerboard: Rosewood w/ 5mm Ivoroid dots
- FIngarbod Radius: 12"
- Frets: Medium 18% nickel-silver
- Pickup: Single Lollar P90
- Pots/Caps: DiMarzio 500K Custom Taper / Jupiter VIntage Yellow
- Wiring: '50s Style
- Knobs: Aged black top hat
- Pickup cover: Aged Black dogear
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Tortoise
- Truss Rod Cover: 3-Ply Tortoise
- Nut: Bone, 1-11/16"
- Scale Length: 24-7/8"
- Tuners: Nickel Gotoh 18:1 w/ Ivoroid knobs
- Case: Deluxe Hardshell from Ameritage