Collings 470 JL

AndersonCouncil1967

Hi guys. I got mine last week and just wanted to share how truly amazing it is. Incredibly resonant and dynamic. Very light and comfortable. As an intermediate enthusiast I’m getting so much out of it. I’m a violinist originally and this feels like a similar instrument built to resonate without amplification and then you get the ellisonics working their magic when you plug it in. I put some 50/60s in my CS Strat and I must say his pickups are brilliant. Anyway, when I get some more time I’ll do a more in depth review of the Collings. But yes, away from all the hype and JL marketing (anything will sound wonderful in his hands), it really is a special guitar. 

Anyone else got one? What are your thoughts? 

Cheers

Chris 

AndersonCouncil1967

Hattigol

Wow. Gorgeous trio...

wesker123

Nice Novo. I've got black one like that.

joeW

DIBS - on the Collings.  I really like the look of them - not played one yet but hope to soon.  Not bothered about the JL branding (tho I love his playing) but think it’s just a very interesting guitar. I have an I-35 and a city limits and find their build to be some of the best. 

AndersonCouncil1967

In terms of build quality it’s superb. I have an i35 too and that’s similar. City Limits is on order. They make superb guitars! Really a joy to play.  

joeW

Is the neck smaller .85 1st fret?   My CL is normal 0.865 and 0’835 on the i35.  Actually like both a lot 

breezytele

Looks stunning !  (albeit a righty)

and you definitely like violin burst  !!

Winny_Pooh

Dream guitar, enjoy

Josh_Cosku

I managed to play one this weekend and I am totally in love. I was planning to buy a new guitar aroudn 3-4k but 470 JL killed my plans. I know that anything else won't make me happy after playing it. 

Now I am seriously considering it but it is really expesive and being scared to take it to gigs also a negative aspect of the pricey guitar.

I need some encoruagement .  

Question, you guys recommend this or a vintage ES330/335 from late 60s?

AndersonCouncil1967

100% the JL. Unless you are speculating, this will be a keeper for many many years and bring you huge pleasure. It’s that good. Just suck it up and go for it (if you are able to - I appreciate not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to). It will likely appreciate, but don’t do it for that, buy it because you fell in love. 

It amazes me how many of my friends think my guitars are an expensive waste of money but are happy to have a lease on a car that is costing them a lot of interest and the underlying asset depreciates. In the context of that, a few thousand more may not seem so bad (and I’m sure you can get out of it for pretty much what you got in). 

I can tell the quality and attention to detail that went into this and I understand why it cost more than some other instruments I own. 

Genuinely, follow your heart on this one. If you were already willing to part with a decent chunk of change, then do it right once and try not to get something you don’t like as much and might want to shift on. 

Also, you might consider buying online so you can benefit from the 14 day statutory cool off window and see if you love it through your setup as much as you did in the shop. 

My guess is that you will! We are not on this planet forever and some things are worth putting a little extra into. I consider this one of them. 

Sermon / pep talk over. Hope it’s the encouragement you’re after. I couldn’t recommend this guitar highly enough.  

Edit: one other thought that occurred to me. The quality is a Collings thing. If you’re looking for something a bit more diverse and giggable, you might consider a second hand i35 with a few dings so you’re not so concerned about gigging it. I tried a number of vintage and modern Gibson Es 335s before getting my i35 and they were very hit and miss, so if you go that route, audition them carefully. But the i35 has a similar feel of quality and moreish-ness as the JL (not quite the same but a different instrument). 

Josh_Cosku

@AndersonCouncil1967 , wow!! Thank you very much for the reply and the really effective pep talk.

This was push I was looking for . Yes, I totally agree about following th eheart on this kind of a subject. I did only very few time and I never regretted. 

I also really liked your recommendation about I35. I will check the web before giving a decision. Cheers again, very helpful indeed.

aldridgeg

I picked up a used one in black on Wednesday (I’ve made it my profile pic). I’d been watching and waiting for some time, even saw the one I now own come through my local guitar shop last year and be sold almost immediately. I was hoping to get in to try it when it arrived last year as I wasn’t sure on the neck carve, but it didn’t stay around long enough. 

Then last weekend the guy that bought it put it up for sale - and he’s only 3 miles from me. I went to try it on Monday and it was everything I’d hoped for. A truly stunning instrument. 

A little juggling and 2 days later I was back to pick it up. It’s early days with it, but I absolutely love it. To make this surprise addition I even better, Coda have just got 3 new ones in at a price that (a) I couldn’t stretch to and (b) makes me feel that I picked this one up at about the right price point. 

I am a very happy man. 

In other news, does anyone want to buy a very clean Black 87 LP Custom?

joeW

@aldridgeg - how do you like the flats on it? Or did you swap them out? 

aldridgeg

joeW said:

@aldridgeg - how do you like the flats on it? Or did you swap them out? 

The flats are fine. I think they’re Chromes so not as mellow as some, and they’re a very light gauge for flats. 

I’m living with them for now l, but when I’ve put them on anything before I like them at first but then start to miss the roundwounds. 

Next set will be 11-49 pure nickel roundwounds. I think they might give it an extra dimension. 

digitalkettle

aldridgeg said:

I picked up a used one in black on Wednesday (I’ve made it my profile pic). I’d been watching and waiting for some time, even saw the one I now own come through my local guitar shop last year and be sold almost immediately. I was hoping to get in to try it when it arrived last year as I wasn’t sure on the neck carve, but it didn’t stay around long enough. 

Then last weekend the guy that bought it put it up for sale - and he’s only 3 miles from me. I went to try it on Monday and it was everything I’d hoped for. A truly stunning instrument. 

A little juggling and 2 days later I was back to pick it up. It’s early days with it, but I absolutely love it. To make this surprise addition I even better, Coda have just got 3 new ones in at a price that (a) I couldn’t stretch to and (b) makes me feel that I picked this one up at about the right price point. 

I am a very happy man. 

In other news, does anyone want to buy a very clean Black 87 LP Custom?

Good score! Worth coming out of a 9 year lurk to post

spir4L

Josh_Cosku said:

I managed to play one this weekend and I am totally in love. I was planning to buy a new guitar aroudn 3-4k but 470 JL killed my plans. I know that anything else won't make me happy after playing it. 

Now I am seriously considering it but it is really expesive and being scared to take it to gigs also a negative aspect of the pricey guitar.

I need some encoruagement .  

Question, you guys recommend this or a vintage ES330/335 from late 60s?

Have you considered getting a Guild M-75 Aristocrat for a lot less?

Of course it's on a different league but I think it should compare quite decently with the resonance of the Collings being fully hollow, and the Franz P90s should bring in a very similar area to the Ellisonics. 

Another guitar that comes to mind is the Grez Mendocino, but of course that would get into closer prices to the real one, so not sure if worth it.

 

wellsyboy

Josh_Cosku said:

I managed to play one this weekend and I am totally in love. I was planning to buy a new guitar aroudn 3-4k but 470 JL killed my plans. I know that anything else won't make me happy after playing it. 

Now I am seriously considering it but it is really expesive and being scared to take it to gigs also a negative aspect of the pricey guitar.

I need some encoruagement .  

Question, you guys recommend this or a vintage ES330/335 from late 60s?

You only live once and the build quality on Collings guitars is second to none.

spir4L

One for sale on reverb : https://reverb.com/uk/item/78874828-collings-470-jl-julian-lage-signature-antiquated-sunburst