Why Did You Choose a Collings Over Another Brand?

  1. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    I don't plan to upgrade for another couple of years and hope to learn all I can in the meantime. The thing is a second mandolin player has joined our weekly jam session at the senior center. Her family owned a pawn shop in town and she has a few mandolins from that time. There's a Collings she wants me to have for a good price. She plays a Collings that her dad played before he passed away a couple of years ago. I've told her I'm not ready to upgrade and I'm not - but I do want to start figuring out what I want to do when the time comes. If her instrument is still available at that time, at least I will have done my homework.
  2. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    Every Collings I've played, whether an MTO, MT2-O, MT, MT2 or an MF, have all been consistent as regards fit, finish and playability. I've owned several Webers, and also a couple of mandolins from small shop builders over the years. All were great in their own way, but I still always had a hankering for a Collings. I've had my MTO now for about 1.5 years, got it second hand and it's just a great, reliable instrument that's also really well made and a joy to play. I also really like that they don't have a gazillion different models with different levels of appointments on them - they're good at what they do so there's no need to muddy the waters as it were.
  3. Russ Jordan
    Russ Jordan
    I have owned a number of Collings mandolins, all A models-f holes. If you like the tone (I do!) they are a dependable choice. In addition to the tone, the playability and workmanship is great, and I love the neck profile. If you buy used at a good price, your money is safe if you decide to sell later.
  4. Mark Gunter
    Mark Gunter
    "Why did you choose Collings ..."

    Collings was on my short list of dream mandolins. I'm not able to afford much, and the best I'd been able to afford new up to that point was a Washburn A and an Eastman F. Dream mandolins included Collings and Ellis.

    Like you, I cam across a sweetheart deal - and convinced myself to do whatever it took to get it. A musician friend offered his MT for sale locally for $1,500 and I told him how I wished I could afford one. He offered to a payment thing, and offered to let me take the mandolin and try it out. So I took the mandolin, and a week later gave him $500. Then he called and asked if I would be interested in building a Murphy bed for him from a kit he'd bought, and I ended up doing a little work in exchange for the other grand. So that, in detail, is why I chose the Collings. It came with a nice strap, a nice armrest, an LR Baggs pickup and of course the Collings case.

    What I found as soon as I had it in my hands was that the mandolin was much, much lighter than the cheapies I owned. It was light as a feather in my hands, the neck profile was perfect for me and the tone was great. Additionally, the action was already set up very low, just the way that I prefer, and this musician also used the same strings that I preferred on my other mandolins.

    I believe that a second-hand Collings is one of the best values to be found in mandolin world. But I am prejudiced that way now.
  5. Bob Visentin
    Bob Visentin
    I really wanted a mandola. My wife plays fiddle and at jams my mandolin was always playing the same notes as her. After much searching we took a ride up to Nashville to visit George (Gruhn). They put us in a little room with every mandola they had. All five. Two were pre 1920 Gibsons. One was a Gibson from the early 30's. One was a beautiful F style from the Czech Republic I think. A brand I never heard of. It was over $5000. Then there was the MT. It was a little out of my price range. We stayed in the room for over an hour playing them. The sales people left us alone. Very nice. In the end I bought the Collings. There was no contest. It was the best sounding and the best playing one of the bunch. Way better then the $5000 one and half the price. Every time I play it I am glad I found it.
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