I don't think it is possible to describe the open feeling of a great guitar . To me it is
like love. You know it when you feel it but
you just can not really put it into words. At
least I can't.

The closest I have come is the difference
when a racing engine goes from almost flat
out to that magic moment when the cams open
up and you hit the 7000 rpm magic spot and
maximum horsepower is reached at the same
moment maximum speed is attained down the
back straight at Road Atlanta. Now that is
music to my ears. Miss those days.

My Ds sounded that way the first time I hit a
simple drop d chord on it . What a feeling. The
difference between that and my D2H was like night and day . The dread was just choked down
like the camshaft just wasn't cut quite right
and the sloper had the high lift jobbie that
let the full engine rip. OK now you know why I
shouldn't even try to describe tone. Consider if
you will I warned you at the outset.

Hi There Stixx...I'm there with you. Norman D..my experience has been very different, and I own similar guitars to you. My first Collings D1A sounded great out of the box in 2000, and sounds better and very different now. Much more airy and big...especially on Stixx dropped D test. In 2002 when I got my D2HVbbba (lefty Clarence Clone) I was disappointed. All the notes were balanced on every string up and at every fret, but all I heard was new strings on a new top with not much depth. It sounded....new. Three years later it's a huge guitar that kills my D1AV in terms of volume. But it took a lot of playing in and for a long while I thought I had made a mistake. Kim Sherman told me she had the same experience with a BrazAd C10 and John Holman told her just to put it under the bed. My D1A played in quickly and I had to work hard on the Clarence guitar. But I'll soon let you know about the opening up soon when I can compare my 2000 D1AV with the 2006 D1AV'37sunburst that's coming in spring
Regards
Doc

Rumor has it that one of the advantages the varnish finished Collings have, besides some brace-tweaking, is that the sound has that openness right from jumpstreet. I've had my OM1A varnish for less than a month and has a maturity my 96 D1AV took five or six years to achieve...and maybe not then. But I do concur with the notion that if a guitar is not at least very very good at the beginning it's not worth the agony. There are too many good guitars now (and Kim Sherman has sold me some of them!).

I hear you doc. Same song for my OM2H. I can't
tell you guys now many times I almost traded that sweet girl. But as luck would have it
she's five years old now and makes me so glad
I did not part with it because that tight grain
Sitka matured dried out opened up , whatever you
want to call it the finish sucked into the RW and now it just wants to sing. And sing it does.

To wit , I must say maybe Collings are just like a wine. They say you can not rush a good
wine. There is just so much time at my age so
it is good that I'm already in the game cuz
I don't know how many years i may be blessed with to wait on guitars to ''open up" All I know
is the Collings some take longer than others and when the sweet spot occurrs it is not all
that subtle.

Now bubba is another matter , that old dawg come out of the box bustin my chops and ain't
slowed up much. I know it WILL get better , just not sure my old ticker can taker.

Yep, us old folks better pick 'em that knock us out from the first day. The hard part, if there is one, is balancing the fact that the guitars get better as they get older, but Bill is, arguably, making better guitars all the time.

I hear you . Bill is definitly putting out some
monsters. Ricks got a little 000 German hogg
that set a new standard for my ears. I wish I
had room for it in my arsenal but alas so many
geetars so little time. And Money

Yes, sir. I bought my D2H, #780, in the early spring of 93, and it smoked everything I'd played up until then. That's fourteen Collings ago, and the four I am priviledged to own now are all appreciably better. Stixx, I do share your warm spot for Martins, and I still intend to find one that staxx up to the four Collings and the one Blazer Henkes that clog my livingroom. And amen about the money part; although I do drive a 94 Buick that is worth far less than the least of my guitars. Sounds worse, too! My rationalization is that I still play in two bands in my 60th year, and I have grandchildren that already pantomime chord progressions with their little hands. When I see that, life is good.

Wow two bands at sixty , your a better man than
me , and more patient too. I have only been in
three bands my whole life. The Jesters/Crown Five in the sixties as a full time drummer in
a touring band based in Atlanta. Then I took
the next three decades off and came back at fifty . After study with Joe Carpenter for two
years I formed Trainwreck, a blues band, and
for a very short time a lttle band called Whitebread that did nothing. Trainwreck was fun
and we could pack them in due to a Singer we had
but playing and running a band was so frutrating
at our age , so much conflict I went into Songwriting and this has by far been the most
rewarding genrae ever. To be in complete control
of the music (except when co writing, my next favorite venue)and have an audience mouth your
words when singing out in a local cafe is so rewarding for me these days. The only thing I miss is the young gals asking me out. That don't happen any more. LOL

Don't worry about finding a Martin that burns
your heartstrings there are a few out there.
I find some of the signature models have very
special qualities, not necessarily because they
are sigs but the wood and body combos that some
times are available as a result are something to
see.

I have a little 00028MH that is just sitka, RW,
and has an inch and 3/4 nut width and a slotted
headstock with Blue Yodel inlaid instead of Martin. Trimmed with a little more Abalone around the soundhole it is elegant without
ostentatiousness. The tone is exemplary but the
playing is phenominal. I have used it for writing the last couple of years and sitting
in front of the computer in my cramped quarters
has really taken a toll on him cosmetically but
the little guitar just rocks and it sounds very
good with just a fishman matrix in it . There
are many more , my OM 18C Laurence Juber has become a favorite go to guitar and plays incredibly well with Light Medium SP PB's on it
with trebles that are to die for and rich bass for such a diminuative body style. String spacing and nut width feel on it are unique to
Martins. Arguably one of the most comfortable
neck and string spacings available. They are making a few now with Madagasgar RW back and sides, that would be a realy keeper if I just
had the room and money for another one.

And then there is the venable D 18GE's . I think I got lucky on this one . It is exceptional. They are all pretty good but in
Martins some are always better and a few just
don't ''have it'' . The D18's for dread lovers
is hard to beat.

Collings wise nothing even comes close to my
sloper but alas , i've covered that speech here.

[Dear Norman,

SIDE BAR NOTE: No disrespect meant here, please...just product info -- the CW's have a 1 23/32" nut widths. It is true they have been, and still do get mistaken for 1 3/4" nut widths. But they are 1 23/32nds. We have to measure the nuts exactly where the nut meets the neck. The string cuts on the CW nuts are cut very, very close to the 1 3/4" nuts. I truly have verified this with Collings.

Best Regards,
Mac
CW Owner]

Stixx. I noticed that there is a 00028MH on UMGF right now so I wondered what your comparison or guess would be: Do you think that a 00028HH would have about the same or better sound as a 00028SV. I have a 00028SV with an Adirondack top. The cutaway concerns me that it might take away from the sound, but on the other hand they may have taken more care in building those. What do you think? I'm also thinking about a 00028NB -- it sound like that would be a no-brainer--but I kind-of like the MH even though I don't feel the need for a cutaway. Thanks, Dan

Just to confuse the mix, if you're looking for a Martin right now, there's a OMLJ madagascar/adirondack at Schoenberg's (OM28.com). Just stunning wood, and they know OMs about as well as anyone. check it out. Or not! I was tempted, and I haven't had a Martin since '89. Someday, though, I have to find "the one", since my name is Martin and the first chords I ever played were on my friend's big brother's late 50's 00028.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike D.:
What is headroom. I've read that now several times on the forum, but I've yet to see some explanations of this term and how you use it? Thanks!

Headroom is not really defined precisely, it's not a scientific term, per se.

The term comes from the pro audio world and has been imported into other areas, such as acoustic guitars, amplifiers, etc.

The best way to explain it is the amount of increased volume you can add to a signal before distortion above and beyond the average or normal operating level of that signal source. Using audio as an example, a preamp with 20 dB of headroom with a nominal operating level of +4 dBU will be able to increase the volume by 20 dB above the normal operating level of +4 dBU.

Translated to acoustic guitars it basically means the same thing (I think). How much additional force (e.g., volume) can be applied to the instrument (above a normal playing level) before the top starts to distort the sound? The problem with the "translation" is that "normal playing level" is often different for different players, whereas in the audio world, the "normal operating level" is defined in dBu's.

For example, the normal playing level of a spruce topped dread is often higher than other instruments (because most of the players using these instruments are normally playing with much force. On the other hand, the normal playing level of a cedar topped mid-sized guiar is often lower, as the player is usually a fingerstyle player. Both guitars can easily have the same headroom above their normal playing level. However, if you compare both instruments using the same starting point, i.e., same normal playing level, the spruce instrument will (almost always) have more headroom.

Hope that helps.