Collings Guitars introduced the Custom Craft series as a platform for one-off builds that showcase the design team’s evolving ideas, materials, and voicing concepts. These are not catalog models and not available by custom order—each release is limited to just a handful of instruments, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. There have only been three Custom Craft drops to date, and the latest release was just three guitars in total. This D2 Custom Craft is part of that trio—the first Custom Craft guitar to land in Telluride, Colorado.
From Australia to Texas, the story of D2 Custom begins with Red Narra back and sides—this the only Collings ever built with this Australian tonewood. Visually striking and sonically compelling, Red Narra offers much of the complexity players associate with rosewood, but with a rounder, more controlled low end and a pronounced, present midrange. The character is interesting, somewhere in between one of the high-end rosewoods and Koa. Paired here with an Italian Spruce top—another uncommon choice in the Collings flat-top world—this dreadnought delivers a strong voice with depth and shimmer without losing focus or clarity.
Under the hood, Adirondack Spruce bracing provides headroom and dynamic range, giving this D2 the power and responsiveness you’d expect from a serious bluegrass or flatpicking instrument. The absence of herringbone trim on a 2-Style platform keeps the aesthetic clean and slightly understated, allowing the distinctive character of the Red Narra to take center stage. A custom stain on the Honduran mahogany neck has been carefully matched to the hues of the back and sides, tying the visual package together in a way that feels deliberate and cohesive.
As with all Custom Craft instruments, this D2 Custom represents a singular moment in the Collings workshop—an exploration of material and voice that won’t be repeated. For players and collectors who appreciate Collings’ precision but are looking for something genuinely one-of-a-kind within the brand’s history, this Red Narra D2 stands entirely alone.
- Body: 14-Fret Dreadnought
- Top: Italian Spruce
- Back & Sides: Red Narra
- Finish: High Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Braces: Adirondack Spruce
- Brace Pattern: Pre-war scalloped X-brace
- Neck: Honduran Mahogany w/ custom stain to match Red Narra
- Peghead Veneer: Modified V
- Fingerboard: Ebony with Mother-of-Pearl Dot Inlay
- Fingerboard Radius: 14"-26" compound
- Frets: Medium 18% nickel-silver
- Nut: Bone, 1-11/16"
- Neck Profile: Modified V
- Scale Length: 25-1/2"
- Bridge: Ebony belly-style with 2-3/16" spacing
- Saddle: Bone, Drop-In
- Tuners: Nickel Waverly (16:1 ratio)
- Case: Deluxe hardshell case