I'm new here - hello. I bought a Collings OM2 deep body with German Spruce top around Thanksgiving. Lovely guitar, but after I got it home I notice that the intonation of the low E was a little off. No huge deal, but for a new guitar this expensive....annoying. I tried a few different strings - no change. So I take it back to McCabes (where I got it), and they say, it's the strings. But I tell them that it came that way with the original strings. So they file the nut a bit and say, "here". I take it home and it's the same, maybe a little worse. It sounds slightly out of tune even when it's in tune and the bottom end is kind of woofy. I wonder, is that just the way the deep body OMs are?

So I take it to a really good luthier I know (at my own expense). He calls me back a little while later and says, "Guess what - the top is split. Not easy to see if you're not looking for it. But is you hold it up to the light, it's definately split right down the middle. This guitar needs to go back. They need to give you a new guitar or your money back." It's wide grain German Spruce, and he says this is why they're almost never used on steel string guitars - 'cause it's brittle and the pressure needed to press the halves together will very often result in a split sooner or later...in this case, sooner.

So what happens now? Any of you guys know what's usual in these cases. I don't really want them to fix it. I paid premium bucks for a new guitar in new condition - I don't really want a used, repaired guitar. And even if they send it back to the factory - how long does that take? I can't be without a guitar for months. And even if they fix it, it's still wide grain German Spruce....when will it split again ('cause apparently it will)?

I guess I'll take it back to McCabes when I get the chance (it's a drive...and I'm in the middle of a few projects), and see what they say. I'm pretty bummed right now. Anybody know what's the usual in a case like this? Thanks everybody for your help.

I would call Collings direct and tell them your story, and, see what they say.

Good luck...bummer situation

Johnee, sorry to hear that your guitar left you... you know like it split on ya ;-).

But all kidding aside, I would want another guitar if this happened to me. I don't know how the top splitting would have anything to do with the low E being off. How are you checking that? Are you using your ele. tuner to determine that? I would be very suspicious of this really happening. I can say that it did happen to me, with a boutique baritone guitar (not Collings).

I had used the tuner to bring it down to a low B. I would swear that the octave on the low string was quite off to my ear, and the tuner also confirmed this. I brought it in to a luthier and he did not confirm or contest this. So later, I ended up tuning the low string by ear and finally felt that the intonation was okay at the octave. I think the low note caused a misreading with the tuner or that the tuner was not capable of really being accurate on low, low notes.

Where is your top split? IT is normal for a top to be two pieces split down the middle. Are you saying that you have a three piece top?

Seems to me that McCabe's is the responsible entity. If you can't get to them right away, I would give them a call, let them know the situation, and let them know when you will be coming.

Collings guitars have a lifetime guarantee, at least to the new owner, so I think you have reason to expect a positive outcome. The suggestion about calling them is a good one.

Bummer! Good luck!

B

Hope you have better luck with Colling's warranty then I did when I bought a new D2H about six years ago. I eventually got them to pay for the repair which they tried to blame their dealer for which may or may not have been the dealers fault but it was frustrating for me to say the least.

I have found very few acoustic guitars that
the intonation on the low E is good all the
way up the neck. I often tune my low E string
a couple of cents flat so that when a 'G'
note is fretted it does not go way sharp.

collings 000's are notorious for having dead spots as well. Kinda goes with the territory
and when a freind tried to get Collings to
address it , he had no luck or support from
Collings.

Stuctural problems though should be no problem
as a friend of mine sent his collings back to
reglue a bridge on and they didn't charge him
a penny. It was pretty old too.

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

Sorry about the troubles. I am not sure I buy what that luthier said about German spruce but in any case if the top has a split in it IMO you should be able to return it and pick out something else (sending it back for a new top is rather a rediculous thing for them to expect you to deal with).
Let us know how it comes out?
Regards, Rick

From what I've heard about Bill Collings , i'd
hate to be the guy who signed off that one.

Thanks, guys. I'm gonna make some calls today.

On most of my guitars, I will tune the low E slightly flat to get a good G, but this got pretty much unplayable. Tuned to E, a G would be rather sharp and A would be quite sharp, but the octive would be way flat. Intonation was perfect on the rest of the guitar. And the tech at McCabes did say the neck looked a little twisted.

I'll let you know how it comes out.

Sorry about your predicament. Regarding the statement about German tops, I don't know about that. I have never heard that stated - ever. I own a 000 with a German Spruce top. Anyway, calling Collings direct is a good idea for advice but I would not leave the store out of the equation since you gave them your money for the guitar.

My suggestion is get a second opinion on the split to hopefully confirm it either way. Then make your call. I myself don't think your low E intonation issue is because of the "split" (if it's really there). For one thing, some tuners do have a hard time picking it up, especially the Intelli-tuners. I always to the 12th fret harmonic when I tune the low E string.

Good luck. Let us know of future developments.
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I've been shopping at McCabes for over 20 years. Louis will take care of it, I can almost gaurantee it, unless of course he has some reason to believe there's been some type of abuse. Some of the guys in the shop there can be a little less than helpful but Louis has always been really great.

I feel confident that based on what you've stated here, you'll get in handled in a fair manner.

Please let us know how it goes.

quote:

Originally posted by rocknrollrjm:
I've been shopping at McCabes for over 20 years. Louis will take care of it, I can almost gaurantee it, unless of course he has some reason to believe there's been some type of abuse. Some of the guys in the shop there can be a little less than helpful but Louis has always been really great.

I feel confident that based on what you've stated here, you'll get in handled in a fair manner.

Please let us know how it goes.

Thanks for that tip about Louis. I will definately contact him. As far as abuse - I play it every day, but I almost never take it out of the house, it's in perfect condition.