Since we started selling Collings nearly 20 years ago, the OM2H has remained the most popular Collings guitar in our shop. And that's for good reason—the OM2H produces balanced, complex tone that shines across many different genres. Its accurate, immediate response—paired with comfortable, small-body feel and smooth playability—appeal to a wide variety of playing styles. Because of the price point, a lot of Collings owners baby their guitars—they might never leave the house, and sometimes they rarely make it out of the case! But that's a shame because every Collings is such a formidable tool that will deliver night after night. Every now and then, we come across a well-loved late-model Collings that has been played and put to the test. It's amazing how open they sound when broken-in, and it's also impressive how much they hold up to the test. This OM2H (serial #11046) rolled out of Austin in 2005, and its label is signed by Bill Collings. It has been used professionally, and it has the battle scars to prove it! We've done out best to capture the worse in the photos—the edges of the peghead, some worming on the top, ding on the treble side upper bout, etc. The previous owner installed a strap button on the heel and an LR Baggs Mix pickup system, which has a flexible preamp discreetly hidden inside the guitar. It has had a center seam repair, and we recently had the bridge replaced by Dave Farmer of Turtle Lake String Instruments in Durango, Colorado. In 2005, Dave was working at Collings when this guitar was made, so it felt appropriate to have him replace the bridge. Thanks to his careful work, this OM2H sounds and plays to its full potential. Despite the years and the miles, the frets are still nicely playable. This Collings OM2H shows the standard catalog specs for 2005: Sitka Spruce top, East Indian Rosewood back and sides, Waverly tuners, and a 1-11/16" nut width. Back in those days, Collings used fancy pieces of character rosewood for the peghead overlay, and the grain on this one is out of sight. It includes its original hardshell case, and despite the years, this OM2H has many miles left in the tank. Its resilience, refined sound, and remarkable playability are a testament to the superior build quality of Collings guitars. Perhaps an odd word for guitars, but we're tempted to describe this 2005 Collings OM2H as "syrupy." Its tone is sweet and smooth, but also thick and it makes us feel warm and fuzzy. True to the Collings reputation, it's balanced and powerful—a bit more headroom than comparable OMs! Fun guitar.
