2008 Collings AT-17

Not many people know that along with making some the finest flattops out there, Collings also makes wonderful archtops. The main reason they don’t know is Collings only builds a handful of archtops every year and they are usually pre-sold years in advance. You almost never see Cillings archtops in the wild which makes this nearly mint example from 2008 a real find. The AT-17 has a 17-inch wide body with a carved European or Adirondack spruce top (I’m not sure which this one has) and Eastern maple sides and back.

This example also has the varnish finish, which is popular on mandolins but is not as common on guitars. Varnish is softer than lacquer, and can be more thinly applied, which allows the instrument’s top and back to vibrate a little more freely, giving the guitar a richer, fuller tone. The trade-off is that varnish is not quite as durable as lacquer and is slightly more prone to scratching. I’ve been lucky enough to play similar lacquer and varnish models side by side and I do have to say I can hear the difference and if it were my choice, I’d get the varnish finish. But if you play a lot of gigs, lacquer is perhaps a better choice.

As you can see, this guitar was made without a cutaway, a choice that I actually prefer, but then I’m primarily a rhythm player and for me the fretboard above the ninth fret is undiscovered territory. Because Collings always brings an archtop or two to the NAMM show, I’ve been lucky enough to play quite a few of them over the years, and while I haven’t played this exact guitar, I suspect it sounds great. If you could buy it and let me know if my intuition is correct I’d sure appreciate it. Just send $15,950 to My Jazz Home. You know I’d do it for you.