Collings vs. Goodall ???

[igas]

if you had to pick.... collings or goodall

[enr1co]

Both excellent guitars w/their own distinct voices.
Have owned both, loved both-it would be a coin toss for me.

[kilgorekid]

You can't go wrong with either of these fine makers. As a Collings owner, I'm inclined to say it is the better choice as I think you'll find they cost a bit less and are a fantastic buy. This is like choosing between a Lexus and BMW. You win, no matter.

[Gazza]

I own both and like both. Either of these brands satisfy whatever mood I'm in.

[itsjustgas]

if you had to pick.... collings or goodall

I picked both of them.
Both are stellar builders,
and I own both of them.

Not much help here. You can't go wrong with either, IMO

jeff

[tonemeister]

+1 Collings ... owned several, like the voicing better than Goodall, but I play country blues and flatpick. So I guess my answer is Collings for what I play.

[texasdave]

What type(s) of music are you planning to play? I have both, enjoy both... to generalize (overgeneralize?) The Collings tend to have a more fundamental note characteristic where the Goodalls generally have a bit more overtone to 'em. Both my Goodalls have Englemann tops, and they're the only guitars I own that I'm happy with lt gauge strings (12-53)... My Collings all are at their best with mediums...

At the end of the day, if I had to drop down to one, I'd keep one of my Collings. Here's hoping that never happens.

There are my random observations, fwiw.

[r9player]

man both great brands. I had a Goodall before and it just is an amazing guitar. So I'll give my vote to Goodall

[57special]

If you're a traditional, heavy pickin (i.e. martin, gibson) type go for the Collings. Goodall for modern fingerstyle. Collings generally won't compress much. Goodalls feel lighter, possibly more responsive.
Both are consistently very good. My personal bias is for Collings, but that's more because of the neck shape than anything.

[Bryan T]

You've chosen two very differently voiced guitars to compare. Goodalls are voiced with lots of harmonics. A light touch will give a very complex sound. It works really well for fingerstyle playing, but can get overwhelming for loud strumming. Collings are voiced around the fundamental. They don't have the complexity, but do have a powerful voice. They work quite well for strumming, but aren't as responsive for fingerstyle. Personally, I prefer Goodall, as I'm mainly a fingerstyle player who likes lots of sparkle. There are lots of other who prefer Collings.

I find it interesting that Goodall has introduced "traditional" guitars in the last few years - OM, dreadnought, and other Martin inspired designs. However, they still voice their guitars with the Goodall harmonics. They give a classic look, but a unique tone.

Bryan

[Da5Id]

I had the same question when choosing my main acoustic. I played several Collings and Goodall guitars, and finally a Goodall Grand Concert, curly walnut/german spruce was the guitar I chose. The neck shape on the Goodall was my favorite by far, and I loved the complexity of the tone as well.

It was a tough choice, but this particular Goodall just felt like a special one. I was less inspired by the other Goodall's I played in the shop and if it wasn't for this particular one, I might have chose a Collings. After I purchased it, the shop owner told me he thought it was the best guitar he had in stock at the time.

[riffmeister]

if you had to pick.... collings or goodall

different tools for different jobs. Collings is voiced more "traditional", Goodall is voiced more "modern" (even their "traditional" series). build quality and materials on both are over the top fantastic. get one of each!!

I've owned four Collings and two Goodalls. my ear definitely gravitates to the more "traditional" voicing, so I'm down to two Collings, an OM and a dread.

have fun in your search!!

[r9player]

+1 on Riffmeister's comment. Goodall to me most certainly sounds more modern. In the end I settled on a Charis which is more traditional but I also have a guitar that is more modern in sound.

[igas]

thanks for all the advice!!! wish i could get both like the rest of your sicko's.... :)

well. i have owned a collings and a kirk sands guitar. both are amazing.
but since i live down the street from james goodall, and he is a surf buddy of mine id figure i would give it a try. His shop is amazing, and i've played every guitar in his personal collection, its nutz. his new crossover nylon string guitar with brazilian rosewood is amazing!!

[r9player]

well if you are that close to Goodall I'd get a good deal on one of his KOA guitars .. he's got the best IMHO

[willhutch]

I agonized over the exact same decision before purchasing my Collings Small Jumbo.

I made this choice not because it was a Collings, but because it was the single guitar hanging on the wall that most resonated with me.

When your choosing between guitars made by such exquisite builders as these, you have to pick the individual guitar that most suits you.

Of course, I am blessed to be close to a dealer that carries both manufacturers (and several other top notch makers). If you are not so lucky, flip a coin and enjoy the guitar.

[texasdave]

If I lived down the street from my "surf buddy" James, I'd certainly be having one custom crafted just for me... I've managed to snag a couple unusual pieces of his (as well as some of Bill Collings) ...hand pick your wood , maybe get a custom surf or wave inlay on it... Enjoy the friendship and wind up with a guitar that truly has your mark on it. Might as well be some benefit to being stuck on an island.


<GRIN>

Regards,

Texasdave, still needing a Goodall koa (...hmmmm....)





Texasdave

[Gazza]

I'd paddle my way across the ocean with two Taylors to visit the Goodall shop. One problem, I don't own two Taylors and never will. :BEER

[igas]

goodalls shop is sweet. when i was visiting him, Seal called him ordering guitar number 8. His koa guitars are beautiful, his wood storage is impressive, but the koa he finds himself hiking the island.

[sage97]

I own two Goodalls and love em. However, when I was in Hawaii last year, I played a used Collings with koa B&S that blew my socks off. I live in Texas but never had the opportunity to play one until I arrived in Hawaii - go figure.

Like what's already been noted, different tools for different purposes. I prefer the more modern sound so the Goodalls get my vote. However, Collings guitars rock!

Sorry, not much help here but either way you get a winner guitar.

[dwes]

I own two Goodalls. Both are GCC's with Madagascar back and sides. One has a port orford top the other bear claw sitka. They sound completely differently from eachother. The sitka is bright, sparkly, very loud and has a ton of overtone/harmonics. The other has a more traditional sound, not as round with fewer harmonics. They are wonderful guitars.

I am looking to add a D1A to the herd one day.

Have fun,

Dave

[Den]

I can't imagine loving an acoustic more than my Goodall RCJC, but based on the many excellent Collings I've played, I hope to find one to bring home one day to compliment my Goodall.

[Funky Chicken]

I prefer Collings. I've never played a Collings that didn't impress me, but I remember very clearly a Goodall that belonged to a friend that I thought was a really terrible guitar. It was a GA size with a cutaway, and it might as well have been a $99 plywood guitar.

YMMV...

[royd]

it strikes me as like asking - should I get lobster or filet at the restaurant tonight? They are both well built guitars that reflect their maker's philosophy very much. Personally, I'd go with Goodall but they are both great guitars. It really does come down to a matter of taste.

[davess23]

Reading the above posts was interesting. Couldn't agree less with the idea that Collings guitars aren't expressive instruments for fingerstyle playing. My 11 year old 002-H is loaded with overtones and harmonic complexities. It was great when I bought it in '95 and it's just scary now that it's been played in a bit. I've played several Collings OM's that were quite similarly suited for fingerstyle. Living near one of the largest Collings dealers, over the years I've been able to test drive lots of them. Many were superb fingerstyle instruments. And the build quality is ridiculously good.

Since this is a request for opinions, I'll add my evaluation of the several Goodalls I've played. Nicely made, good sounding, and didn't excite me at all. Not one. Just my personal take, and not a wish to offend those who own and love Goodalls.

For me, there's no contest. Collings.

[tonemeister]

Reading the above posts was interesting. Couldn't agree less with the idea that Collings guitars aren't expressive instruments for fingerstyle playing. My 11 year old 002-H is loaded with overtones and harmonic complexities. It was great when I bought it in '95 and it's just scary now that it's been played in a bit. I've played several Collings OM's that were quite similarly suited for fingerstyle. Living near one of the largest Collings dealers, over the years I've been able to test drive lots of them. Many were superb fingerstyle instruments. And the build quality is ridiculously good.

Since this is a request for opinions, I'll add my evaluation of the several Goodalls I've played. Nicely made, good sounding, and didn't excite me at all. Not one. Just my personal take, and not a wish to offend those who own and love Goodalls.

For me, there's no contest. Collings.

+100000000

[Bryan T]

The fact of the matter is that both Collings and Goodall make great guitars and any guitar player could be happy with either.

Now to my opinion: The way that my ears hear the two is that Collings are voiced with a lot more fundamental in the sound (think vintage Martin) and Goodalls are voiced with more harmonics (think Taylor with more shimmer - Goodalls tend to be bright). Because of this, I don't think Goodalls make good strumming guitars, as the sound is simply too rich for my taste - things wash out in all of the ringing. Collings work much better for that. For fingerstyle, I'd give the nod to Goodall, as I think the richer voicing makes for a more lush sound. I should point out that when I say fingerstyle I mean things like Celtic music, modal tunings, and ringing sounds, not ragtime, blues, or Travis picking.

If you looked at a frequency plot of a Collings OM vs. a Goodall OM I think you would see a shift towards higher harmonics with the Goodall.

Bryan

[riverastoasters]

if you had to pick.... collings or goodall

If you have a choice between a good Collings or a good Goodall you don't have a big problem either way. I played a bunch of Goodalls before I found one I really liked, but then I found two I really liked. Spectacular in fact.

On the other hand, I have a Collings OM-2HC (I think that's the letters in the right order) and it is likewise spectacular.

The thing you get with Collings is a more Martin-y sound dry and with that "ching". The Goodalls have a richness, and a complex mid-range blending, but without losing clarity.

If you're old school style, and you want recognizable tones executed at a high level, Collings. But if you have a bit more of a departure in your playing, then try the Goodall.

[riverastoasters]

Since this is a request for opinions, I'll add my evaluation of the several Goodalls I've played. Nicely made, good sounding, and didn't excite me at all. Not one. Just my personal take, and not a wish to offend those who own and love Goodalls.

It doesn't offend me at all; in fact I had the same experience. I played eight Goodalls before I found one that really did the trick. But man, it does the trick. Keep trying them.

And no, I wouldn't get rid of my Collings either.