1992 Collins CL-15 Brazilian Rosewood

This guitar is a masterpiece hand made by New York luthier Michael Collins, who graduated from the Roberto Venn School of Luthiery. He has made custom harpsichords and fortepianos as well as virtually every other "percussive" stringed instrument. Among these are his renowned reproductions of Selmer-style instruments in 2002, and he wrote the definitive book describing that process, which was published in 2006. He makes acoustic flat top guitars, arched-top instruments, French steel-string jazz guitars, electric guitars and hand-wound pickups that are made to order. This guitar if custom-ordered from him today in Brazilian Rosewood would probably be $6000+ and take up to six months to be delivered, but I bought it almost twenty years ago when Braz was very expensive but still available and Michael was not as well-known as he is today. Thus, my (relatively) reasonable price.

This guitar is somewhat smaller than a dreadnought (a list of dimensions is posted below) with a solid Sitka Spruce top and a solid Brazilian Rosewood back, sides, fingerboard, headstock overlay, and bridge. The body is fully bound, and it has a clear pick guard, ivoroid and abalone-dot pins, a compensated saddle, and a multi-stripe plus abalone inlaid rosette. The 12/19-fret short-scale (25 ¼”) fingerboard with pearl dot and abalone inlay ends in a 1 ¾” bone nut, the Brazilian Rosewood veneer headstock, and deluxe Schaller gold tuners.

This is one gorgeous guitar! While its label indicates that it has been making music since 1992, it is in excellent condition except for some light pick wear at the bottom of the sound hole and a few dings on the back of the neck. It plays like an instrument which has been coddled and enjoyed, it has been dominating lesser instruments for over 30 years, and the resonance of its wonderful tonewoods will only improve with each new generation of players. Its classic good looks make it stand out in a crowd, but it’s the purity of the Brazilian Rosewood sound that will make other musicians turn around to check it out.

As one would expect on a handmade instrument, the action is fast and smooth, and the sound is beautifully balanced and resonant. Despite its modest size, the bass is more powerful than on my less expensive guitars, and the treble and mid-range are incredibly clear, even with the rather old strings currently on it. The action is currently set up at just under 3/32” at the 12th fret low E, and the neck is extremely comfortable. It has a Fishman Natural pickup, with access readily available through the end pin jack.

The included original hard shell case is obviously not new and has a number of dings around the edges, but is structurally in very good condition. The latches and hinges work perfectly, the plush lining is in good shape, and it is solid as a rock. It is an excellent complement for this beautiful instrument—and of course offers outstanding protection.

Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.

I have made every effort to describe and illustrate this wonderful guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.

overall length 39"
body length 19"
scale 25 1/4"
nut 1 3/4"
upper bout 10 1/2"
waist 9"
lower bout 13 3/4"
depth at end pin 4"