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Waterloo by Collings Acoustic Guitars — Depression Era Soul, Austin Craft
The Waterloo brand is a look back in time to when there was a genuine need for soulful tone coaxed from simple instruments. The blues, country, and folk music played on those instruments was made in heartfelt response to the hard times of the Depression era, heard in work camps and barn dances, kitchens and honky-tonks, porches, street corners, and churches. Those musical styles became the roots of popular American music for decades to come, and the guitars that carried them have been chased by players and collectors ever since.
Bill Collings spent decades building some of the finest acoustic guitars in the world from his Austin, Texas workshop before turning his attention to the question that Waterloo answers: what would those great Depression-era guitars sound and feel like if they were built with the precision, consistency, and quality control that define a world-class modern lutherie operation? The answer is Waterloo, and it is exactly as good as that question deserves.
Every Waterloo guitar is handmade in Austin. Nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, period-correct bracing options, slotted headstocks, pyramid bridges, bone nuts and saddles, vintage-correct neck profiles, and a tonal philosophy rooted in the open, woody, fundamental voice of the 1930s define the entire lineup. Julian Lage, one of the most celebrated jazz guitarists of his generation, has made the WL-14 a primary touring and recording instrument, performing and discussing it with Acoustic Guitar Magazine in a dedicated feature.
Ladder Bracing vs. X Bracing
One of the most important choices a Waterloo player makes is the bracing configuration, and it is worth understanding the difference. Ladder bracing, the system used on virtually every Depression-era parlor and small-body guitar, produces a woody, open, midrange-forward tone with a fundamental directness and simplicity that X-braced guitars cannot replicate. It is the sound of the blues and early country music at its most essential. X bracing delivers more tonal balance, fuller bass response, and greater projection, making it the more versatile option for players who want the Waterloo aesthetic with a broader tonal palette. Both are available across the WL-14 lineup, and both are legitimate answers to different musical needs.
The Models
WL-14 — The flagship model of the Waterloo guitar line and the inspiration that started it all. A 14-fret small jumbo inspired by the great Gibson flat-tops of the early 1930s, available in ladder-braced (L) and X-braced (X) configurations and in both standard and long-scale (L) variants. The ladder-braced WL-14 is the purest expression of the Depression-era tonal ideal. The X-braced version delivers more balance and projection for players who want the vintage look and feel with a broader acoustic range. Available in Sunburst, Natural, and the Boot Burst special edition, inspired by the warm, dyed leather tones of a well-loved pair of cowboy boots, as well as the Scissortail figured maple variant that pays homage to the Oriole guitars of the period.
WL-K — Inspired by the small-body ladder-braced guitars of the 1930s that players like Jimmie Rodgers made famous, the WL-K is a 12-fret parlor-sized instrument with a short 24.75-inch scale, mahogany back and sides, and the kind of woody, intimate, midrange-rich voice that fingerpickers and blues players have chased for a century. The most intimate model in the lineup and the one most directly connected to the roots music tradition.
WL-JK — A jumbo-bodied 12-fret design inspired by the great Depression-era jumbo archtop flat-tops produced for catalog retailers, delivering a big, warm, full-voiced character with strong bass presence and the ladder-braced midrange directness that defines the Waterloo sound at its most powerful. Available in Deluxe configuration with upgraded appointments for players who want the full vintage visual treatment.
WL-S — Inspired by the 12-fret Stella guitars of the 1930s, the WL-S features a 24 7/8-inch scale length that creates a round note attack and detailed string-to-string separation, with solid cherry wood back and sides and a semi-gloss nitrocellulose finish in an iced tea sunburst that brings out the acoustic liveliness of the ladder-braced design. The most historically specific model in the lineup and a particular favorite among roots, blues, and old-time players who want a working instrument deeply connected to the music that inspired it.
The Best Value in Boutique Austin Lutherie
A Waterloo guitar is the most accessible instrument built at the Collings facility in Austin, and it represents extraordinary value at its price point. The materials, the construction quality, the finish, and the setup all reflect the Collings standard. What changes is the deliberate simplicity of the design philosophy, instruments built not to showcase complexity but to recapture a time when simplicity was the source of all the soul.
Browse our full selection of Waterloo by Collings acoustic guitars.