Does anyone know what type of strings the I-35 ships with (make, model, gauge)?

Thanks,

John

I don't know, and I've had an I-35 for a couple months. They feel like tens to me, but it's a shorter scale. I presume they're D'Addarios, with the colored ball ends; and Collings uses that brand on their acoustics. When I restring, I will probably go to elevens just to check it out and see what happens. I've played elevens on a strat, and it still feels slinky compared to thirteens.

sonoman - how are you liking the I-35? What finish is yours, compared to a 335 does it feel about the same or is the body somewhat smaller? Thanks for your feedback, I've never seen on in person but do have one on order. Congratualations on your new guitar, dale.

My I-35 deluxe is quilted maple with a tobacco burst that tends toward pale gold. Parallelogram inlays. I was in trouble before I plugged the sucker in. It's been a while since I've owned a 335 or a Gretsch Country Gentleman, but this feels a touch smaller and lighter. Neck/body balance is perfect (what else would we expect). It can sound almost like a jazz box with the neck pickup and the tone rolled most of the way down; or it can sound like BB Live At the Regal, or Larry Carlton's "Last Nite", a song called BP Blues. That tone, and any other hollow body tone you can imagine, is right there. No, it can't sound like a strat or a tele. There is no such thing as a "do it all" electric, unless you run your signal through so many effects there's no telling what the original guitar sound might have been. It's the best electric I've ever played, and I've owned old Pauls (when they weren't that old!), Andersons, Grosh (still the best strat going, imho), and too many others to list. I'm old, what can I say. I try not to be influenced by the fact that it's drop dead gorgeous, but that doesn't work either, and more than it did with my wife when we got engaged after dating less than a month. That was spring 1970, and we're still together. If it's right, it's right. The I-35 is right.

Sonoman, thanks for the feedback. I just acquired an I-35 and the strings feel like 10s to me too. But when I checked the low E with a caliper, the diameter seems to be about the same as the low E on my Strat (which is strung with D'Addario XL 115W - these are light gauge strings with an 11 high E and a wound G). I have a feeling the I-35 strings may be the D'Addario XL 115 (same set as the 115W, but with a plain G). I just emailed Collings about this and I will post the answer when I receive it.

Your description of the guitar is right on - very versatile instrument, and extremely comfortable to play. The one thing I might disagree with is your suggestion that it can't sound like a Tele. I feel that the bridge pickup has some of the Tele snarl, without the edginess of a Tele bridge pickup.

John

I think that BluesWest is correct. My 290 came with D'Addario 11's on it. Which I would guess is what is also on the I-35.

The I-35's are beautiful. I look forward to getting to play one some day but every store that I have visited has sold them before they even get to the store. Probably just as well because playing one would probably just fan the flames of GAS.

MEP: GAS guaranteed. I balked at the price, after having established right of first refusal many months before the first ones came out, when the prototypes were at Mass Street for evaluation. Then, the price was thought to be in the four grand range. Nope. But, stupid me, I had the thing sent on approval and could not send it back. Just too blanking good. Be forewarned!

sonoman - sounds like you have a great guitar, ordered mine with same fretboard markers, I love those. Thanks for taking the time to describe what she'll do - happy playing!

Just heard back from Alex at Collings. As I suspected (and as MEP pointed out for his 290), the I-35 ships with: D'Addario EXL115 Nickel-wound strings (.011" to .049").

John

Yep. Elevens. But they play so easy it's like tens, even for Nashville style triple string pedal steel riffs.

Does anyone know if (light/mediums) 12-52s are a problem for the I-35? Anything special needed (e.g., nut slot widening or neck truss-rod adjustment)?

Thanks!

Actually, I was wrong (depending on the brand) that the classification would be light/medium. Most commonly, for *electric* strings they would be Heavys.

Thanks, again.