I took the CJ-45 T to a gig where a few other guitarists checked it out. It’s the sort of guitar that not only makes everything sound better but also feel better. Playing it solo, I treasured its definition, clarity, and dynamic ability in standard and open tunings. As a short-scale dreadnought with a wide neck, the CJ-45 T is a great vehicle for fingerpicking. This gave solos tremendous expressiveness along with the ability to just keep getting louder without compressing.
But as delightful as playing cowboy chords was for me, this guitar can definitely handle much more, from the punch and bounce of swing comping to fluid Tony Rice-inspired solo lines.ĭynamically, the CJ-45 T felt like it had an enormous amount of headroom on tap, ably handling the hard-hit notes with as much clarity, definition, punch, and warmth (there’s that word again) as the delicately subtle notes. Each chord’s notes rang clearly, and they worked so well together that I just wanted to play in C and G all day long. And the tone only improved over the weeks I played it. Though my tester was (naturally) brand-new, from its first notes it had an old-timey sound that was exceptionally rich with fundamentals and dreadnought warmth. The CJ-45 T’s features all add up to a guitar with robust and defined bass, clear trebles, and a thick midrange that exudes warmth when flatpicked or fingerpicked. It felt like the best of a substantial vintage neck, but with all the benefits of a brand-new guitar-like a functional truss rod, exceptional fretwork, and no capo damage on the back of the neck. I can’t think of another new guitar that felt so made for my hands, and I’m crazy for it, so count me in the “love me” crowd. In this age of vintage-correct shapes, the CJ-45 T’s neck stands out with a nearly one-inch thickness at the first fret, and for some players, its robust shape may be a “love me or leave me” feature. The neck’s large, round shape and 1-3/4-inch-wide nut are meant to capture the meaty profile of prized prewar guitars. The CJ-45 T has a Sitka spruce top with Sitka spruce bracing (and uses two scalloped tone bars), tall and thin bracing on the Honduran mahogany back and sides, a large wartime neck carve, and Collings’ exceptional finishing and setup.
Acoustica review series#
The company’s Traditional series uses select woods, different internal construction, and a thin nitrocellulose finish, among other specs, to accentuate midrange fundamentals and clear trebles in a guitar that has a more broken-in feel than those in Collings’ standard series. The result is a guitar that stands apart from anything else Collings currently offers. While the Collings CJ-45 T is not an attempt to re-create one particular vintage instrument, it channels several distinctive features of early slope-shouldered models and funnels them through Collings’ meticulous attention to materials, construction, and finishing, while adding plenty of new touches and ideas. A Nod to HistoryĬollings’ CJ series is inspired by the slope-shouldered designs unveiled in the mid-1930s in response to the introduction of Martin’s dreadnought at the beginning of that decade. With this new addition to Collings’ Traditional series, the Austin-based guitar maker reconsidered its slope-shouldered dreadnought and delivered a new instrument that shows how much can be achieved with a mix of CNC manufacturing, handcrafting, and vision. It radiated excellence from the moment I opened the case, beheld the guitar’s beautiful sunburst finish, and wrapped my hand around its ample neck. The new Collings CJ-45 T is one that I’m going to remember long after I reluctantly return it to its builders. I’ve had that feeling with a handful of vintage instruments and a few new ones over years of playing and geeking out, and each left a lasting impression. Sometimes when you pick up a steel-string, you know immediately that you’re holding an extraordinary instrument-a guitar that just seems to vibrate excellence even before you play your first note.
Acoustica review free#
This article is free to read, but it isn't free to produce! Make a pledge to support the site (and get special perks in return.)įrom the September/October 2021 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Greg Olwell
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