Collings C100

A mid-size flattop with a versatile sound and an original, yet familiar body shape.

May 11, 2022

Considering the existing variety of established guitar styles, coming up with an original take on a flattop may seem like a daunting task. And yet, sometimes all it takes is a clever modification or adaptation of a classic model to create something appealing. When Collings looked for a way to design a new mid-size guitar that was different from its existing models, this is exactly the approach that the company took, and the result is the C100, which at its root, enlarges an existing model. I recently had a chance to check out a beautiful sunburst version of the model (courtesy of Tall Toad Music, in Petaluma, California) in the Peghead Nation studio.

Collings calls the C100 “The bigger, bolder cousin to our classic C10 model,” and this description matches both the look and the sound of the guitar. With a shape and proportions similar to the C10 (which in turn was inspired by Gibson’s L-00), the C100 has a width of almost 16 inches at the lower bout and a body depth of 4¾ inches. These dimensions put the guitar close to slope-shoulder dreadnought territory, but its DNA has more in common with its smaller cousin. The C100 is built with a Sitka spruce top and Honduran mahogany back and sides, and in typical Collings fashion, the woods on our demo guitar are gorgeous and of high quality. Other design choices include non-scalloped X-bracing, a long 25.5-inch scale, and a relatively narrow neck that measures 1¹¹/₁₆ inches at the nut. Overall, the guitar has a simple appointment package, including dot position markers in the fingerboard and a basic black-and-white rosette, but the beautiful “rope” purfling along the top’s perimeter give the C100 a distinctive look.

The C100 has the bluesy, slightly husky voice that C10s and similar instruments are known for, but in an expanded format. The C100 has power to spare when strummed, and it has a richer, less midrangey tonality than most L-00-style guitars. The C100 also works well with different playing styles, and would be a wonderful instrument for players who want to use a single guitar for multiple genres.

There is a lot to like about the C100, and it will appeal to fans of the smaller C10/L-00-style guitars who want a little more of everything as well as to players who want a slightly “bluesier” tonality in a larger guitar. Collings didn’t reinvent the wheel when it came up with the C100, but they sure came up with a cool new guitar!