Played a D2HG today. I initially played it about five weeks ago, and was able to get back to the store today. I really liked it the first time, and when I arrived today, I walked straight to it and was able to put in a decent amount of time with it. I'm sitting here trying to think of how to accurately describe my feelings about it.
1. Punch- TONS of punch, with sustain to boot.
2. Volume- Again, alot of volume..but the punch..wow.
I have big hands and am very partial to the big neck 1 3/4 width combination, similiar to a D-18GE, which structurally to me is a perfect guitar (but the Collings bug bit a long time ago, and we all know..
Having said that, this D2HG has a bigger than usual neck (the guys at this particular store arent exactly savvy on naming the different upgrades, i.e. vintage now, etc.) and had 1 3/4. I'm wondering if that alone was a swaying factor, because this guitar really bit me. I'm also new to german tops and wonder if thats wher the punch comes from..it was a serious flatpickers guitar!
Liked the mahogany Winfield too (but thats another thread. btw I think the hog Winfield beats its rw brother by a mile).
Playability and the factors listed above..this is a no brainer purchase for me and I am seriously considering it (played it two times and still havent pulled the trigger!). I am so hooked on red spruce, it is hard for me to go any other route, but this sure is a magnificent guitar.

Anyone else smitten with this model, or have anything to share about the red vs german tops?

I can't offer a comparison of my D2HG to, say, a D2HA or D2H. I can say though that my D2HG has a serious amount of power, volume, punch, to go along with clarity and the German tone "profile". I have what I think is a kick-ass D1A, and yet, my D2HG might be my choice if I could only own one. (Note that I said "might be" - I ain't smart enough yet to know.) So, for what that's worth...

I say get the guitar that grabs ya. We should never be allowed to know what the top wood is.

quote:

Originally posted by hawgadi:
...We should never be allowed to know what the top wood is.

...if for no other reason than to let me avoid contradicting myself. I just put down the D1A after maybe an hour+ of play, and man, it's the best guitar I've ever owned. :-)

I can only say I love MY D2HG. I have played many an Adi top, many a sitka, I know you can make your head explode trying to hear sublte nuances in the wood, blah blah blah. I can tell you for certain that I can get wonderful tones out of mine, and everyone who has played it, and believe me, some very hip cats have played it, all agree that this guitar, for whatever reason, is a really special tool. Have a buddy play it, sit in front of it and listen and then pull the trigger. It must do something for you, as you are posting about it, post some clips of it when you bring it home! I am sure I bug the crap out of Kevin at Hill Country guitars, everytime I talk to him all I can say is "this is the greatest guitar I have ever played." The subtle overtones, volume, sustain and clarity.....it records so very well, and it is brand new, I cant wait till it has a few years of hard playing on it. I think your gonna love it!

I ordered one with a German Spruce top back in February and it is supposed to arrive sometime in October. I love the sound with the German tops.

Another +1 for the D2G. I've owned one since April, and it will be a lifer. Agreed about the serious punch the guitar projects, which I think is definitely a product of the German--it's plenty stiff, but it has a silkiness that really makes those rosewood overtones extra lush.

I play with a pick (TS, about 1.5mm) 95% of the time, and I could not ask for anything more. I could ask for something DIFFERENT, but if this was the only guitar I was ever allowed to play, I'd be completely content.

It's funny how things go day-to-day. I picked up the D1A today and played it for maybe 30 minutes - it was great, as usual. I then switched over to the D2HG, tuned up, and was essentially blown away by it all over again. It's practically on steroids - hugely powerful, rich, and clear, and heck, it's got month-old EJ17s on it! What an amazing guitar.

So, would you all say that the D2's and Winfields are going to have a "rounder" neck that a Santa Cruz dread--the D/PW or the Tony Rice?
I ask because the Collings dreads I have run into seem to share the same general neck shape as my little C-10.
I know there are special orders and upgrades, but I'm just wondering about stock Collings models.
Personally, I think I like the top wood upgrades on both my C-10 and the D's I've played.

The necks on my 1 11/16" C-10 and 1 3/4" OM are VERY different. The OM has the standard profile and the "V" is noticable, as on some old Martins. The C-10 has a "C" shaped neck, more like Gibson's profile. Both comfortable and easy to play.
D2s and Winfields with 1 11/16" and/or 1 23/32", as on most Winfields, might be described as round, but I've never felt a 1 3/4" that was round.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Randy Carone,

Overall, I am not a big fan of D2's, but we're still learning at my house. I prefer the mahogany Collings models.
I almost bought a very nice CJ and it had--what I would call in rookie terms--a flatter profile neck than the C-10 I have. It was very hard to negotiate with gorilla hands.
The Santa Cruz OM/PW is more of a modified V.
It seems to me that the Winfield I played had more of a fuller neck that is not necessarily a V shape.
But, thanks for the heads-up. I will check with a dealer.
--Fred

How about this beast? Review soon..