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Thread: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

  1. #1

    Default How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    Hi, rare poster here on the cafe. I bought my MT-2 back in 2004 and still like it and play it regularly. I remember that Collings started with the MT-1 early on and there were a few of those before they brought out the MT-2. When Collings brought out this model there was some variability at first (mine, for instance, is a big leaf maple instead of the Eastern flamed maple that is now standard). As I'm somewhat geographically isolated from anything but rare exposure to their instruments, I find myself wondering what they've done with it over time. Has anyone done any objective comparisons of, say earlier MT-2 to later, torrified to non-, or even any observation as to if or how they've dialed in the tone over time. Thanks!

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  3. #2
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    Default Re: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    Yes, it looks like you would have to fly/drive to Seattle or Palo Alto to get to the nearest dealer, the places in Portland and Eugene don't seem to stock their mandolins. There's been threads about Red spruce versus Engleman and European/Italian, tone bars, braces, torrefied etc

    https://www.collingsguitars.com/dealers/

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ffernent-tones

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...leman-(MT-MT2)
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    Registered User Russ Jordan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    In the 1st cafe link above, Mandobar says “ Bill purchased some maple from a violin builder several years back and has made a few mandolins with it. The A model built from this wood killed my appetite for a a Gilchrist A that I had been looking at.”

    How would one identify a mandolin made with that maple?

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    Default Re: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    I was in McKenzie River Music in Eugene about a month ago, and they said they just haven't received any Collings mandolins in months, nor did they expect to any time soon - supply chain still upended by the pandemic. I did buy my Collings MT there in 2012, and I almost bought an Eastman 515 when I was last in there. I hesitated and they sold it before I could go back. Great store!
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  6. #5

    Default Re: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    Quote Originally Posted by Russ Jordan View Post
    In the 1st cafe link above, Mandobar says “ Bill purchased some maple from a violin builder several years back and has made a few mandolins with it. The A model built from this wood killed my appetite for a a Gilchrist A that I had been looking at.”

    How would one identify a mandolin made with that maple?
    You’d have to call Collings, but the two mandolins I saw with it looked rather unique. Their backs were almost three-dimensional.

    Over the years Collings has experimented with different woods. There aren’t many mandolins coming out of Austin now, and most dealers aren’t expecting much more inventory this year, let alone torrified models or even much varnished ones.

    I was at TME last Thursday. It’s pretty lonely in the mandolin section. They have only a handful of Collings mandolins on hand.
    Last edited by Mandobar; Jul-18-2021 at 12:49pm.
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  7. #6

    Default Re: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    Quote Originally Posted by RobP View Post
    I was in McKenzie River Music in Eugene about a month ago, and they said they just haven't received any Collings mandolins in months, nor did they expect to any time soon - supply chain still upended by the pandemic. I did buy my Collings MT there in 2012, and I almost bought an Eastman 515 when I was last in there. I hesitated and they sold it before I could go back. Great store!
    I actually bought my MT-2 there back in 2004. The owner then ,Bob (?) was a super cool guy. At various times he seated me in a sound room with his Loar and Gilchrist and let me have at it. Sadly he passed away. But yeah, while I have seen Collings guitars there, haven't seen a Collings mandolin there (on my rare visits) for years

  8. #7
    Registered User Willem's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Has Collings' MT-2 Line Changed Over Time

    Quote Originally Posted by RobP View Post
    I was in McKenzie River Music in Eugene about a month ago, and they said they just haven't received any Collings mandolins in months, nor did they expect to any time soon - supply chain still upended by the pandemic. I did buy my Collings MT there in 2012, and I almost bought an Eastman 515 when I was last in there. I hesitated and they sold it before I could go back. Great store!
    Beat me to it. McKenzie River Music are a Collings dealer and were good about test drives when they had them in stock. Great store indeed. Their in-house repair guy Charlie is pretty good too though pricey.

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