Details
This Collings D1 AV Varnish was made in Austin, Texas in 2005. What's in a "V"? In this case the V at the end of model code does not stand for Varnish, instead it's for what Collings called their “Vintage" neck and bridge setup. The neck is beefier than a typical Collings 1 3/4" neck, but lacks the extreme taper of some early Martin necks and has a comfy modified-V feel. The bridge has a through-cut saddle and 2 ⅜” string spacing.
And of course the word "Varnish" stands for just that, an optional finish Collings no longer offers because it's so time consuming. So it's a Vintage Varnish model, if that makes sense. Condition? Varnish is softer than lacquer, so this guitar shows quite a few scuffs and scratches. There are some prominent pick marks around the soundhole that don't break the finish but they are too deep to buff out. Still, this guitar sounds amazing, with the kind of rich, woody tone flatpickers dream of. Includes the original hardshell case.
Upgrades:
Adirondack Spruce Top
Vintage Neck and Bridge
1 3/4" Nut
Varnish Finish
No Tongue Brace
Specs
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Back sides
Mahogany
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Binding
faux tortoiseshell celluloid
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Bracing
X-Bracing Scalloped
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Bridge
Ebony
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Fingerboard
Ebony
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Finish
Varnish
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Frets to body
14
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Neck material
Mahogany
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Neck shape
Collings Vintage-Now
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Nut width
1 3/4"
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Saddle spacing
2 3/8"
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Scale length
25 1/2"
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Top material
Adirondack Spruce
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Total frets
20
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Tuners
Waverly
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Year
2005
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Case type
Hardshell
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Serial number
11593
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SKU
COLDIAVVAR-11593
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UPC
140367