#6041 – Collings i35LC – used/2021 – faded cherry

£5250

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I love this quote that I borrowed from the Collings Guitars web site  ‘There are lots of products created with no greater aspiration than to be sold to a consumer, but as consumers of expensive musical instruments, many of us value the subtle signs that tell us the builder cared more than he had to – That careful thought, superior materials and skilled hands have all contrived to create an instrument that transcends the ordinary and defines the extraordinary – This is the best reason, in our opinion, to consider buying a superior instrument like this Collings i35LC in the first place – If you simply need a guitar, you can buy one that is reasonably playable and creates a reasonably good sound these days for under £200, but you won’t be buying an instrument that has been artfully crafted from the best materials, or one that is capable of producing an extraordinary playing experience’ – Before I go into any product details, please click here to visit the Collings i35LC web site page – Excellent information and well worth reading various articles within that page – Including a couple of video clips of the i35LC in action plus a ‘built to perfection’ style factory video tour at the foot of the page – Then click here to read a copy of a review of the i35LC in Guitarist Magazine

I have pleasure in offering for sale a used Collings i35LC, from 2021, with a very lightly aged faded cherry nitro finish and featuring a couple of custom spec’d features, along with a pair of Throbak 101 PAF replica pick-ups – Barely played – Home use only and therefore just about in perfect condition – Complete with the deluxe Collings case  :-

Aesthetics and Tribute :-  There is no mistaking the influence behind the Collings i35LC, so as against trying to re-invent the wheel, the Collings approach is to simply add a few very effective yet subtle tweaks, select the finest ingredients, coupled with impeccable workmanship and attention to detail, to ensure the i35LC delivers the ultimate playing experience – The Collings method is to build one guitar at a time, hence all woods, pots, capacitors and pick-ups are hand picked to ensure that all components work in harmony – Appraise the i35LC, then you’ll fully appreciate that the knowledge, evaluation, and attention to detail that Collings possesses pays dividends in the end – The i35LC utilises a laminate maple approach for the body, in the same manner as a Gibson ES335, albeit with a  slightly smaller body, at 15″ width, on the lower bout – The Collings i35LC is not a ‘Plain Jane’ guitar, yet its simplicity is its appeal, with a subtle figured maple body to add a touch of class and character

Now onto the tonal character :-  First of all I need to point out that the i35LC is more than happy to be played with its controls wide open on 10, or with the pots ‘rolled off’ – Played with the pots ‘rolled off’ does not harm the guitars expressive character one little bit, but it does deliver a softer voice, that is silky and smooth, yet still retains its excellent articulation – So for chilled out jazz and blues based players, or rock players wanting a more subtle option, then the  ‘rolled off’ approach is the best route, with the volume pots around 6 or 7 – Trim the tone pot as required, with levels below five delivering some ‘woody’ jazz tones, that are dark without sounding mushy – For silky licks and seductive blues/jazz chords this approach works so well and delivers all the tone, emotion and soul that you’ll ever need – The neck pick-up is fat, smooth and warm with incredible string separation, plus full, tight and clear lows, plus soft sparkling highs – The bridge pick-up has enough bite to cut and add plenty of attack, coupled with enough mids to add body, with again enough bass to add depth – One of the best options is to leave the selector switch in the middle position, then just fade in/out the 2 volume controls as required to offer subtle, yet effective tonal variations  – From the fat blues tones of BB or Freddie King, to the slick and silky tones of Larry Carlton and Robben Ford, this a 335 semi based guitar at its absolute best – All this time I’ve still talked about the i35LC with the pots ‘rolled off’, so now let’s take them back up to 10, to give you that wide open boost option, that many rock players may require – Plenty of attack and dynamics but still so musically warm – Very open tone, so even with hi-gain amp settings, you can still hear the guitars tonal qualities and expression – No shortage of natural sustain, so when hooked up to your amp it will wailllllll as long as required – Overall the i35LC is a very infectious guitar, that is loaded with soul, character and expression and they are indeed great assets to be found in such a wonderful instrument

A good portion of the overall tone comes from the wood and in particular the neck – Fat neck, fat tone, thin neck thin tone, so like many fine 335 based instruments, the Collings i35LC has a medium to full  neck profile, with a flavour taken from the late 50’s Gibson golden era – Hence enough girth to enrich the tone, sustain and stability, but not to the point that it impedes the playing experience – The Collings may not exactly play itself, but you try and put it down and stop playing it

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For additional product info, to arrange a showroom visit + viewing, or indeed any other questions, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Call: 01335 345777 or email: mark@guitars4you.co.uk. Please note that showrooms visits are strictly by appointment only.

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Guitars4You is not another corporate high street guitar store - My selection of premium grade guitars is about quality not quantity. Every guitar has been selected, inspected and approved by me, with particular attention to the set-up and playing performance. Every sale, phone call, email and mail order transaction is handled by me. A journey that is now over 40 years old, has fuelled my knowledge, experience, love, devotion and passion for exceptionally fine guitars.