Collings Eastside LC | Blonde *Used*

For the jazz guitarist seeking a blend of vintage tone and modern craftsmanship, this pre-owned 2018 Collings Eastside LC presents a rare opportunity. This fully hollow archtop electric guitar, finished in elegant Blonde, offers exceptional playability, rich tonal character, and meticulous construction that Collings is renowned for. A significant factory upgrade to this particular instrument is the inclusion of a highly sought-after ThroBak SLE-101 neck pickup

Laminate Construction: A Foundation for Tone

The Eastside LC's fully hollow body is constructed from carefully selected maple laminates. Collings' commitment to research and development is evident in their meticulous selection of woods, grain orientations, and densities. This "Laminate Recipe Tone Shaping" ensures each LC model, including this Eastside, possesses a unique and responsive tonal character. The laminate construction also offers enhanced stability and resistance to feedback, making it a practical choice for live performance. Even unplugged, this guitar really does resonate with impressive clarity, volume, bass, and projection, a testament to the quality of its construction.

Electronics and Hardware: Voiced for Jazz, Enhanced by ThroBak

This Eastside LC is distinguished by its ThroBak SLE-101 neck pickup. This premium pickup is a meticulous recreation of the coveted P.A.F. humbuckers of the 1950s, known for their exceptional clarity, warmth, and dynamic response. The SLE-101 uses vintage-correct materials and construction techniques, including butyrate bobbins, vintage-spec plain enamel 42AWG magnet wire, custom-cast Alnico 2 magnets, and vintage-style baseplates and covers. The neck version of this pickup is wound to approximately 7.6k ohms, providing a warm, articulate tone ideal for jazz. It avoids the low-end muddiness sometimes associated with modern Alnico 2 pickups, offering exceptional clarity and note separation. The inclusion of this high-end pickup significantly enhances the guitar's tonal palette, offering a truly vintage-inspired playing experience. The guitar features premium DiMarzio 500K pots and Jupiter Vintage Yellow capacitors, further complementing the ThroBak pickup's vintage character.

The guitar also boasts hand-made ebony hardware, including the compensated bridge, tailpiece, and pickguard. These meticulously crafted components not only contribute to the instrument's aesthetic elegance but also play a crucial role in its acoustic properties and overall resonance. The adjustable ebony bridge allows for precise intonation adjustments, ensuring accurate tuning across the fretboard. The intonation on this particular guitar is excellent, making it a joy to play in any position.

Playability and Finish: A Player's Dream

Collings' dedication to playability is evident in every detail of the Eastside LC. The neck, crafted from Honduran mahogany and featuring a rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl long dot inlays, offers a comfortable and familiar feel. The combination of PLEK machine levelling and hand fret dressing results in a silky smooth fret feel and effortless playability. The 12" fingerboard radius further enhances comfort and facilitates smooth bending.

The guitar is finished in a high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, meticulously hand-sanded between coats to achieve a final thickness of between .005 and .007 thousandths. This thin finish maximises the instrument's acoustic response while providing excellent protection. The Blonde finish showcases the natural beauty of the maple laminate and complements the ebony hardware and amber top hat knobs.

Detailed Specifications and Appointments:

• Construction: Fully hollow parallel-braced
• Body: Maple laminate
• Neck: Honduran mahogany with extra long mortise & tenon neck joint
• Fingerboard: Rosewood with MOP long dots, 12" radius
• Scale Length: 24 7/8"
• Nut Width: 1 11/16"
• Pickup: ThroBak SLE-101 (Neck)
• Electronics: DiMarzio 500K pots / Jupiter Vintage Yellow capacitors
• Hardware: Ebony bridge, tailpiece, pickguard; Nickel Gotoh tuners with Collings logo
• Finish: High gloss nitrocellulose lacquer in Blonde
• Case: Deluxe Hardshell case by Ameritage

This pre-owned 2018 Collings Eastside LC is a truly exceptional instrument. Its combination of vintage-inspired design, modern craftsmanship, and meticulous attention to detail makes it a perfect choice for the serious jazz guitarist. While in excellent overall condition, it bears a small ding on the top back of the headstock, a minor cosmetic imperfection that does not affect its outstanding performance and tone.