The Collings OM1 is inspired by the classic, small-bodied mahogany Martins of the early 1930s. The OM1 has a rich, balanced tone with a clear, defined bass and strong, bell-like trebles. The standard OM1 is a great sounding guitar but in the Traditional configuration it has an even rounder, richer tone. We ordered this guitar with a torrefied Sitka spruce top, which produces a tone that is comes very close to a 1930s-era vintage sound.

About the Collings Traditional Series

The secret behind the great tone of the Traditional Series isn’t really much of secret. The trick is that Collings has revived some of the more labor intensive techniques that builders used back in the 1930s and 1940s, the decade we consider the Golden Era of American guitar making.

The Collings Traditional Series of guitars differ from their standard models in a numbers of ways. One of the the most important is something you can't see even with an inspection mirror: the use of animal protein glue. When this glue sets it dries to a very hard, almost brittle consistency that many luthiers and players feel transmits string vibrations more faithfully than more modern resin adhesives, which even when dry are slightly elastic.

Other important changes include the use of lighter, stiffer wood in the tops and bracing; a thinner all-nitrocellulose lacquer finish with no UV-cure filler or undercoats; no flat brace (sometimes called “tongue brace”) under the end of the fingerboard; and bridges with a through-cut saddle. The neck shapes also have more rounded fingerboard edges and a vintage-inspired profile and taper. While these guitars are not "distressed" or artificially worn to make them appear like an older instrument, both the sound and the feel of these Traditional Series Collings models achieve a more "broken-in" impression for the player, and the listener.