GUITAR OF THE MONTH: Collings I-35 LC Aged Faded Cherry

The legacy of master luthier, Bill Collings, who sadly died in July after a brief battle with cancer, lives on in the incredible instruments that bear his name. His focus was always quality first and foremost! Quality of materials and quality of craftsmanship. The highly skilled team based in Austin, Texas produce exceptional acoustic, electric and archtop guitars using Bill Collings’ deeply entrenched ethos.

Our Guitar of the Month is Collings’ take on the familiar 60’s semi-hollow thinline electric guitar. The I-35 LC obviously takes as its template the Gibson ES-335 but this is no mere copy! Everything about the materials, carving and finishing is pure Collings quality. Their custom laminate maple top, back and sides are constructed through extensive research into the woods, densities and grain orientation to produce the best tonal resonance. And you can feel it straight away when playing it unplugged. The response is bright and clear with a supporting warm sustain. The grain of the flame maple and mahogany shimmer through the ultra-thin nitrocellulose lacquer.

The ageing is subtle and inoffensive and provides the feel of a much loved and played-in instrument. The TonePros bridge, Gotoh tuners and other appointments are of the highest quality while the ThrōBak humbuckers effortlessly transmit all the natural tonal properties.

Specifications

• Colour: Aged Faded Cherry
• Top: Select figured maple semi-hollow laminate
• Back : Select figured maple semi-hollow laminate
• Sides: Select figured maple semi-hollow laminate
• Neck: Mahogany
• Neck Profile: Medium-Fat “C” neck shape
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Inlays: Mother-of-Pearl Dot
• Fingerboard Radius: 12″
• Nut Width: 1 11/16″ Bone
• Scale Length: 24 7/8″
• Frets: 22 frets, neck joins the body at the 19th fret
• Binding: Aged white top/back binding
• Pickguard: 3-ply Black Pickguard
• Tuners: Nickel Gotoh SG301
• Bridge: Tonepros AVR-II
• Hardware: Aged
• Pickups: ThroBak Humbuckers
• Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, Top Hats
• Case/Gigbag: Collings Hardshell

View the COLLINGS I-35 LC AGED FADED CHERRY here…

Learn more about the art and craft behind Collings electric guitars: