Collings SoCo 16 LC Baritone Deluxe, 0001 12-Fret, Redwood, Koa, 2023 Fretboard Summit Pair - NEW
(NEW) For the last couple years, Collings have been setting the guitar-obsessed internet on fire with their special Fretboard Summit guitars. These instruments are conceived and built as matched pairs, side by side, with one instrument being electric and the other acoustic, sharing the same tonewoods and appointments. Of the few pairs that they've dreamed up so far, there might be none more distinctive than this set from the 2023 show! Both instruments are true one-offs, the first of their respective models to be made from this combination of tonewoods. The results go beyond intriguing and way past collectible, all the way to spectacular!
Collings will tell you that we've been begging them for more redwood-topped guitars for years now. Possessing the strength of spruce and the responsiveness of cedar, redwood gives us a tonal palette that is different from either. It has a distinctive, brooding lower midrange, with a richness to the voice that doesn't sacrifice clarity in the highs. When we heard that it would be paired with koa on these two guitars, we didn't know exactly what to expect! In over twenty years, we hadn't put the two tonewoods together before, let alone on a Collings! Well, nothing about these guitars disappoints.
We'll start with the electric, a burly baritone beast unlike anything you've ever played before. Until now, Collings has made solid-body electric baritones and some flat-tops, but adapting the scale length and the baritone voice to a semi-hollow is some new territory for them. The sound and feel are pretty intoxicating, and the playability is uncanny! On this SoCo LC Baritone, they were able to retain the familiar "C" neck shape and 1 11/16" nut width on this model, but the scale is understandably extended to 27 1/2" to facilitate the B standard tuning (B E A D F# B). You'll find your sonic palette expanded by five notes, and you won't believe how easy it was! The pickups are ThroBak 52/54 Dogear P90s, a fine choice for retaining tonal detail in the lower register.
Appointments include tortoise binding with cross-cut ivoroid purfling, custom shop-made tophat knobs, tune-o-matic bridge with trapeze tailpiece, and Waverly tuners with ebony knobs. Weighs in at 6lbs, 12oz.
Onward to acoustic matters: we've got a 12-fret 000 with traditional 1 13/16" nut width and 2 5/16" string spacing at the saddle. Redwood is a stellar choice for this size, obviously complimentary for fingerstyle, but also adds warmth to strumming. The aesthetic of the tonewoods is pretty undeniable on this one, along with the slotted headstock it's a feast for the eyes. Long scale (25 1/2") insures ample volume and projection. Our impression of the sound? Vs spruce, there is a definite darkness, a warmth that runs deep, a sparkle that isn't strident, more an upper-mids sparkle. It's its own thing, and it's very cool. Like the SoCo, it has tortoise binding, ebony tuners, etc.
Collings has requested that we sell this dream team as a PAIR ONLY, with certificate of prominence. The price is set by the manufacturer, and we will NOT sell anonymously through the website. Interested buyers should call us directly to discuss details of the transaction. We have never had anything quite like this on offer before, and we have been trusted by Collings to connect these instruments with the right player or collector. Both instruments include hard cases.
Completion date: August 17th, 2023.
SoCo Serial #23141
0001 Serial #33844
AMW Price (Pair Only) : $30,000 (No Online Checkout, CALL)