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.
This Collings 470 JL (serial #23345) features the Antiqued Black top finish.
- 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)T
- Truss Rod Cover: Black/Cream/Black
- Case: Deluxe hardshell case by Ameritage