Paris,
Thanks for your great input.

ORDERING UPDATE: I have sent an updated email to Kevin to include the following specifications with my new "Retirement Guitar":

1- Lightened Fingerstyle Top (Podium Bracing)
2- Standard Belly Bridge (No Pyramid Bridge)
3- Added to my Adi Top Specs: "wide grain (straight edge to edge)".

Thanks for the nudge towards the FS/Top. I feel really good about adding those new Specifications.

I'm telling ya, the D1A Varnish is part of the Retirement Plan also. So it just makes great sense to have a Fingerstyle "Ballad" guitar, and a Tone-Monster Guitar. Just icing on the cake that they are both Adi/Hog/Varnish! Same tonewoods, but different animals!

Well, I guess I should cop to the rest of it. My new D2HA Varnish, new D1 Mh (All Hog), and probably at least one Brazilian and/or Vintage Guitar, will round out my Retirement Stable very nicely! Nice group to come home to after my Post-retirement morning stroll!

Hey, I ought to go into the Retirement Planing Business. eh, eh.

Best To All,
Michael

Just a thought: vintage-oval Waverlys?

In Ivoroid would look great.

Very Interesting....Mike

Hi Michael,
Congratulations on your "retirement" order! Should be a wonderful guitar for rockin' on the porch for hours, not a care in the world!(Sound good, huh?!)

Just a 2 cents comment on the top bracing. I own one of the German topped short scale, light braced guitars from the Podium. (Have also owned a number of regular braced Collings OMs.) I really like the lighter bracing, especially with the short scale. The guitar seems a bit livelier and responds well to even a light touch.

And now the wait-hope the time passes quickly!

PTO,
Thanks for another Positive comment on the Lightened Fingerstyle Top build. So far it is unanimous.....and I have spec'd it on my Retirement Guitar.

Thanks,
Mike

I just realized you did not order it with the deep body option, I think that is something that would increase the bass and volume.

Papi,
Collings does not offer an OM Deep Body with a Cutaway....or else I would be all over it!

Good Thinking though!!!!

Mike

Dude, its a custom/special order guitar. Got to have a Torch Headstock!

Yeah, that Torch sure does look classic on a fine instrument.

Sorry Guys,
I am a Plain Jane, Blingless Guitar Lover. To me, the Collings D1's, Om1's are Stunnigly Beautiful pieces of Subtle Art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Plainer, the better. Heck, fretboard markers, and bridge pin inlays do it for me! Opp's, I forgot...the Collings Logo on the headstock completely "Tops Off" a Collings for me. I have never understood Abalone on a Guitar!

Thanks for all your suggestions...they are good ones. But I am definitely not a connoisseur of Mother of Pearl, or Abalone.

Mike

Allow me the intrusion of reinforcing the non-bling style One. It. Doesn't. Need. It. Now, I'd go for unstained ebony on the headstock overlay (since it goes with the fingerboard. The only temptation I'd have is the ultra-subtle tortoise binding around the neck and headstock, with that tiny, almost imperceptible ivoriod purfling tracing, oh so gently, the outline of the whole guitar. Very cool, and understated to the inth degree. I'm prejudiced: that's what I had put on my otherwise CJ1 burst (pending. and pending. and pending). I also went for the tortoise soundhole ring for personal, practical reasons, not merely cosmetic. For some reason (sloppiness; lack of talent) I hit the inner treble side of the sound hole often enough my guitars get a rash there. NOt major, but the soundhole ring, for me, acts like a micro-guard. I'd skip it unless I had the same bad habit. Avoiding my bad habits is always a good call. So: straight nickel Waverlies, the customary Doppler dot fretboard inlays, no bling. the workmanship is art enough in itself. tom