Paul: Like the rest of guitar jargon, neck profile is hard to describe, but: I'd say it's a slightly flattened "C" shape, definitely not as deep and rounded as the Gibsonesque Collings I own (a C10 and a CJA). It's quicker, certainly, than the acoustic necks, but not as greased as,say, an Anderson. I can't say if the neck adds to the girth and depth of the tone, but, whatever it is, they got it right. This strains my aging memory bank, but the I-35 neck feels like and idealized late fifties Gibson, like a Paul or a 335. I'm sure that's no accident; there's no doubt they measured every conceivable dimension of the old classics, and then did the whole thing better. Of course, feel is entirely subjective, and some folks like to play "9's" on a 1 5/8 thin neck. I prefer something in my hand, something solid to bend against. I'll bet the 290 kicks, and for lots less dough than I just set free! But I don't play a whole lot of straight rock any more, heading more into swing and jazz influenced progressions. And blues, always the blues. And this thing sounds like it was born on the south side of Chicago fifty years ago. Gotta go play now. From what I've seen on the web, these electrics are either spoken for long before they arrive, or sell in the first day or two they're in the shop. That said, I'm still an acoustic guy at heart, but that vibe makes it right into the electrics they're building. Tone, by the ton.

Maplebaby and Sonoman-
Thanks for the neck descriptions, they were very helpful and I think I have a good idea of what they may be like. Currently I play an Anderson and a Suhr which I love both. I must admit that I can get used to about anything EXCEPT a neck that is too big. This neck sounds good. I was wondering if it is finished in satin or a high gloss like the acoustics or a PRS? Sonoman, I almost bit on an I-35 but got a little weak in the knees at $6,000. I can guarantee I will get another GAS attack and re think it though. However the 290 seems like a great guitar for me. I never noticed the cutout on the bottom when you're seated. Anyway, I think I'll go play for awhile. Have a great weekend.

maplebaby,
Nice. I played a couple of the 290s at NAMM and they seem to be the perfect guitar. BTW, they are modeled after the LP Special. The LP Jr. always has one P90 and the Special has two.

Randy - you are correct - I apologize! Paulgg - the neck is finished like the rest of the body - high gloss. I also want to mention that the guitar is playable all the way up the neck with ease. The gentleman at Cotton has a late 50's LP special and he says his is difficult to play up past the 12th and was very complimentary of the 290 playability all the way up the neck, as well as the versitility of the guitar compared to his as a whole.

I"m sure the 290 is a definitive rock/country guitar, and the six g's for the I-35 sure 'nuff made me swallow hard, too. I had no intention of ever paying that much for an electric guitar, since I"m an acoustic player first and always have been. But this one.....I had no chance once I opened the case and played it. I was fork tender.

I'd have been right there with you Sonoman. When I saw the crimson quilt with all the add ons I thought it was the most beautiful electric guitar I had ever seen (and still do). This was all from a picture. I can only imagine one in my hands. I love the way Bill tightend the waist just a touch and made the bout a tiny bit smaller. PERFECT

The way it rests on the strap, beautifully balanced and amazingly light; and all the cosmetic touches- ivoroid carved knobs and pickup surrounds, even the truss rod cover, and the aged binding...ahhhhhgggg. The quilt is just jaw dropping. Those Austin guys are today's equivalent of the Cremona gang in the violin/cello pinnacle of concert instruments. And where exactly is East Gull, Minn.? I was born in Red Wing, and still have relatives there and in the twin cities area, and Wisconsin. Swedes. My daughter went to St. Olaf. We don't do lutefisk, though. That's a bridge too far.

Red Wing is a cool little town. East Gull Lake is about 8 miles north of Brainerd. The whole area is known as the Lakes Area. Although an official town and my mailing address, East Gull Lake is really more of an area. Not a store in the town. I always thought lutefisk was some sort of joke until I discovered some people actually eat it. You must have a smart daughter, St Olaf is a good school. I lived down in Austin TX for 10 years. Loved that town. I would go listen to Stevie Ray at Antones for $2 when he played there in the early and mid 80's. Sorry to hijack this thread. But congrats on that I-35 and I agree, Collings is building some incredible instruments with their instruments, fun to be part of it in a small way.

Wow: SRV. I've seen most of the greats, but never got to see Stevie Ray. What a loss. And, yeah, our daughter is scary smart (unlike her dad)- got 1300 something on her SATs....in the sixth grade! She speaks five languages, or is it six...I lose track. She also plays guitar, a hand me down Larivee OM she got from me years back. Someday, I gotta get me to Austin, for the music, the food, and, oh yeah, that guitar shop that gets all of my "disposable" income. Now, back to the thread....

I'm new to the forum so I'll try to tread lightly, however I do not agree with one of the previous comments about re-selling the guitar quickly. A common cliche is to buy a guitar because you like it and want to keep it, not because you are waiting for it to appreciate so you can "turn it over." Collings is ramping up to build these guitars in reasonable quanity. The early group is snapping up the first ones off of the line, so there's a little scarcity. Nothing wrong with that, or course, only that I don't think it is indicative of longer term demand. I noticed that a few shops now seem to have a few in stock. Also, I've noticed with a few of my purchases, that the guitar that I purchased was very "hot" when I bought it (not going to stay in the store long, etc.) but was considerably colder when I tried to sell it thru the same store (they have several in stock, etc. etc.)
The Collings electrics look like really nice guitars, and I'm sure that they are, but as Collings makes more of them, they will be more prevalent. I don' know of anyone who has difficulty finding a new OM-2h, or D1.
Just my opinion

One postscript to my last post. When I purchased my Gibson Johnny A Signature model several years ago (a really nice guitar in the $4,000 range), the buzz was that Gibson was going to make these in such small quantities that it was certain to become a collectors guitar and appreciate as such (my dealer told me that). Well, it's still a really nice guitar, and I love mine, but Gibson makes more than enough to keep up with demand, and you can find them new and used all over. They have maintained their value, within reason, but they certainly are not rare, and resale is competitive.

I'm not bright enough to speculate on the future value of guitars, or real estate for that matter. Water: now there's a commodity that will be worth a whole lot ten years from now. I buy guitars to play 'em, and if I buy one I sell another to even it out. Usually.