New to me Collings MT

A band ate acquired a beautiful Collings MT2 which has caused me some mandolin envy. I decided to see if I could find a used Collings at a “reasonable price”. I ended up finding a used Collings MT through GC’s national website. It had languished in northern Illinois for over 3 months. I was able to wrangle a 10% “price drop” discount and took a chance, knowing the return policy

The mandolin arrived safely and was indeed in very good condition. The strings were “graveyard dead”. The only deficiencies were some some slight fret wear, a tiny pinhole nick in the top finish, and some general grime due to GC’s failure to perform cleanup. So I performed a light fret dressing, cleaned her up, and threw on a new set of strings.

My evaluation after 3 days is that this is a solid instrument. Nice woods, plain finish, excellent workmanship. Rich, throaty, resonant tone which doesn’t break up. Don’t know about bluegrass (since I don’t play bluegrass) but good for most anything else.

I picked up a Collings (2 of my friends had MT2s), I happen to stumble upon a used 09 F5 Blonde wide nut, I was specifically in the market for a wide nut but not necessarily a Collings.
Needless to say it is a wonderful mandolin with great tone and playability and that signature Collings sound, a kind of crystalline ringing haze on each pick stroke,'
We played the MT2 with the F5 and a Weinman F5, and the similarity in the tone of the 2 Collings stood out like a soar thumb.
While i wouldn't say they sound like traditional Gibson, they are in class by themselves.

Sounds like a good get! One of my favorite mandolins ever was a Collins MT I had for a while. It was really, really nice. Congrats!

What is "GC"?

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Originally Posted by Bren

What is "GC"?

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Guitar Center

Well, I ended up taking the Collings back with the return period. Although it is a very fine instrument, I couldn’t justify spending $3,000 for a mandolin I would occasionally use. I currently play guitar and octave mandolin in our group. We already have a mandolinist with a Collings MT2. I am not mandolin-less anyway, since I own a 1929 Martin style 20.

Is this the one listed in Knoxville, TN on GC’s website right now? It tempts me though I already have a Colling MT in the matte Sheraton Brown. That flame on the back is just so pretty.

Wow that IS PRETTY!

Knoxville is the place. The GC had in stock a ever so lightly used Eastman MD-815 for $1300 less than the Collings would have cost, so I brought it home. The Eastman just ticked so many boxes; less expensive, beautiful adi top, finger-rest, armrest, pearl truss rod cover, perfectly shaped neck. And the sound works for me; woody and smooth verses the clear and and precise Collings. And I’ve still got the approval period to make to make sure.

I know that an Eastman isn’t a Collings. But this one is pretty good, and at a price I’m comfortable with.

I think that’s a sensible choice. I actually have an Eastman, too, and I think that they can be great mandolins and gorgeous. Congrats on your new mandolin!