2013 Collings MT Carved-top Mandolin

September 19, 2013

2013 Collings MT Carved-top Mandolin

Update 2017: I've updated the whole blog entry with new pictures, a soundclip (it has flatwounds on it, mind you), and a brand-new description.

I originally acquired this instrument, in as-new condition in 2013, in a horse trade with its original owner. I enjoyed it quite a lot but then traded with a mandolin-maestro friend of mine to get him a professional instrument for the gigs we continue to regularly play at together. Last year, he was gifted a Collings F-style of a similar stripe by way of a curious trade-back deal with the F's owner, and so this disappeared again for a while.

It's since come back to me this year (2017) by way of another curious trade-back deal, but before it left for the world again last year I'd given it a fresh fret level/dress and setup with flatwound strings and that's where it's at now -- an absolutely perfect player with a sweet, round, full, and punchy tone.

The almost 3 years my mando-delightful friend was playing put some wear on it, however -- but good wear, as he's a primo player. It sounds better for it, for sure, but you can read the evidence of love like a book. To the treble side of the fretboard, the finish has "polished-up" from pinky-placement wear. The unbound back has finish check along its seam with the sides and there's finish-check around the neck joint's ebony details. There are a few minor nicks and dings and scuffs here and there. The finish near the nut on the back of the neck has been worn-free of its yellow tint. The original tuners were replaced with Grovers and, last of all, a twin-sensor K&K pickup was installed which turned this into a monster for use out at live events.

Still -- it's a lovely-looking mandolin that not only plays perfectly but has a great voice, too. With the flatwound strings that are on it, it has a sweet, fundamental, velvet sound to the low end that -- depending on what you're playing -- can flit between folksy, rootsy, jazzy, and bluesy. You really need roundwounds for the "bluegrass sound," however, and with them this gets an extra edge of punch and zing. It's not as barky as the average Gibson-style (or, for that matter, Colling-style) F, but the tone is forward and full.

This is a "base" MT model with satin finish all-around and a "honey amber" tint to the finish. It's colored a bit more creamy/buttery in person, but it's a really hard finish to photograph perfectly.

The pearl nut is 1 1/8" and the neck has a mild-medium, classic V-shape to it. The board is radiused and ebony and so's the bridge, headstock veneer, and truss cover. The neck is straight and the truss works well. The strings are 38w-11 D'Addario EFW74s.

My friend put a lot of wear in the frets, but after a level/dress job they're as good as new and still have plenty of level/dress jobs left in them.

I think we can admit, now, that we all enjoy seeing how incredibly crisp and cleanly-built every Collings instrument is. Every detail on this instrument is well-executed and sharp.