Collings Guitars
© Frank Ford, 11/8/99; Photos by Richard Johnston and Nancy Thomas
Yep, Richard Johnston and Nancy Thomas of Gryphon Stringed Instruments took a trip - without me. But, they brought back a bunch of good photos of one of the most sophisticated guitar building operations in the business! So, let's stroll through the Collings guitar factory with them. There's a special Collings neck reinforcement "secret" on the last page of this little travelogue.
That's Bill Collings on the right, with Nancy and Steve McCreary:
Steve's the guy who keeps the Collings shop running smoothly.
This is the obligatory photo, with Richard (third from right in front) and the entire Collings crew:
Nancy's not in this picture because she was the photographer.
A classic shot:
Its a guitar side mold with linings being clamped in place.
A batch of neck blanks and peghead overlay veneers:
Fingerboards being clamped up:
Some detail shaping of a neck heel:
Trimming and tapering brace ends:
Here's a guitar body in its mold, ready have the back installed:
Collings is known for some of the finest shaded and colored finishes in the business. Here's one secret: lots of spray guns loaded with colors:
With all these spray guns, color adjustments can be made "on the fly."
Steve again, showing off a brace of Armstrong ukuleles:
Steve's a serious fan of our favorite wacko instrument painter, Robert Armstrong.
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