I just went for a short vacation to Singapore and visited Tomcat and Charity there. While trying out their Collings OM1Koa and H & D OM, they took me to their friend Mary's place and I got to try many different high-end guitars I had never dream of playing:

Collings OM1 Koa - Charity's Collings have the signature Collings clarity/piano like sustain but also with an extra sweetness you often find on Koa guitars. It is a guitar that makes you wants to play it again and again!! The Koa back and side looks just beautiful!

Huss & Dalton OM custom- This is the first H & D I tried. It has a very nice deep bass and a very fast and easy action! The sound seems to pop out from the guitar! I love it!

McCollum Megan Cutaway with Italian Spruce top - This is the best finger style guitar of the day (everyone agrees)! It is one of the most sensitive guitar I ever tried! I just love Italian Spruce as a fingerpicker! Everyone I tried has been sweet and sensitive. It seems like it is going to explode even with the lightest touch!

Ryan Mission Concert Cutaway with ceder and EIR - The first Ryan I ever tried. I had very high expectation with this guitar given the reputation and price tag. The guitar looks very elegant and beautiful and with a very dark deep tone.

Froggy K walnut with Ad top - Mary's new addition and it sure is a good all rounder! It can handle both finger style and flat picking very well.

Santa Cruz OOO with German top - The signature 12 fret guitar’s character. Warm and full. A very delicate guitar.

Gibson J45 Mahagony - I didn't try it but Charity sure make it sing! A good strummer! (Both Charity and the Guitar)


I want to thank Tomcat and Charity again and especially Mary who invited us to her house and let us plays her wonderful collection. This is one of the most unforgettable guitar memories - the best 3 hours in my trip! I hope my OM2HAV can be there as well!

(Can you feel our joy in the attached pic? I almost couldn't let go the Ryan after taken the picture )

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ed,

Ed,
Great collection of guitars you got to try out. Was the McCollum Meghann a 12 fret or 14 fret as it comes both ways? Is it in the picture? Another guitar I will have to try some day.

Wow. You guys really look like you had a blast. I can just imagine you wanting to play all the guitars one after the other. What a great collection. I need to get a REAL job so I can have something like that. Thanks to you, Charity, Tomcat, & Mary for sharing this with us. We're having a great time just reading about it.

Question: did she have the same set of strings across all the guitars or were they different depending on the instrument?

Ed - did you wipe the guitars down after every use????

Ed...can you offer any more insights on the FB K? Looks like Tomcat is holding that in the picture. I'm really interested in that guitar, but I hear very little about them. Thanks!

Matt

quote:

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Originally posted by MaRio:
Ed...can you offer any more insights on the FB K? Looks like Tomcat is holding that in the picture. I'm really interested in that guitar, but I hear very little about them. Thanks!

Matt

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Matt The froggy K with Ad has a very responsive ring to it with and open sound( Wide spectrum) .

It handles the strumming very well and can even be fingerpick. Overall I'm surprised at the loud volume of the guitar...could be the Ad top...plus you can overdrive it too..it can handle heavy flat picking...

Nice workmanship on the Froggy too...

rick-slo,

The McCollum is a 14 fret with cutaway, its the one on the left with Mary. You should definitely give it a try. It is the guitar of the day!! More impressive than the Ryan.

Eiko,

I am not sure they all have the same strings but they were all strung with lights and tuned in standard tunings. I did not wipe the guitars down but I am sure Mary will after we all left.. we were too busy testing all the guitars one after one.

Mario,

I second what Charity said though I expected a little more power from a Jumbo body. But it handles finger style surprisingly well! I didn't try it with a pick but Charity did sound very good when he strummed it with a little force.

I think the craftsmanship of the Floggy is not as good as the Ryan or Collings, which looks almost flawless.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ed,

Wow! What a good looking group!

The people aren't too bad either!

I may have missed it or I am just not savvy enough. Can you please tell me/us which guitar each person is holding. I can guess but I'd rather get the right answer. I'm sure many here in the Forum can spot each one and know what they are. I need to be edumacated!

I agree with R-bob, great group of fine instruments and humans.

Thanks.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by eiko:
I may have missed it or I am just not savvy enough. Can you please tell me/us which guitar each person is holding. I can guess but I'd rather get the right answer. I'm sure many here in the Forum can spot each one and know what they are. I need to be edumacated![QUOTE]

Thanks everyone!

eiko, from left to right:

1. Mary with McCollum Megan Cutaway Italian
2. Tomcat with Froggy K walnut/Adir.
3. Charity with SCGC 00012 German
4. Ed with Ryan Ceder/EI Rosewood.

There's three more not in the picture, a Collings OM1K a H&D OM and a Gibson J45 Sunburst

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ed,

I must agree that Froggy is surprising responsive for a big gtr. Very nice for fingerpicking too. But I find the McCollum still shines among all & is the gtr of the day indeed.

Ed, you left out one more gtr, Thompson nylon at my place.

Yes, after we went to Mary's place, I stop by Tomcat's place to also test drive his Ted Thompson Nylon String guitar. It is a rare guitar as Ted only make 1 to 2 per year. Probably less than 30 or so ever made.

This is the best classical guitar I ever tried!