Sale Pending-Collings 00-42 T - Old Growth Sitka Spruce & Indian Rosewood

The Collings 00-42 T stands as a refined tribute to everything the late Bill Collings believed an acoustic guitar should be. Precision, restraint, and uncompromising tone all converge here, guided by the legacy of a builder whose influence permanently reshaped modern American guitar making. Even years after his passing, Bill Collings’ standards remain deeply embedded in every detail of this instrument, from its immaculate fit and finish to its deeply intentional voicing. This is a guitar built not to impress at a glance alone, but to reward a lifetime of playing.

At the heart of this instrument is its Old Growth Sitka Spruce top, a material chosen not for convenience, but for its rarity and acoustic superiority. Harvested from trees that matured slowly over many decades, Old Growth Sitka exhibits exceptional stiffness-to-weight ratio, tight grain structure, and remarkable consistency. These qualities allow the top to be driven with minimal effort while maintaining clarity, headroom, and long-term structural stability. Paired with Collings’ Traditional Series construction and pre-war inspired scalloped X-bracing with no tongue brace, the result is a top that responds instantly to the lightest touch, yet retains composure and power when pushed.

The 12 fret 00 body style is central to this guitar’s magic. Compact, lightweight, and supremely comfortable, it rests effortlessly in the lap and encourages long, relaxed playing sessions. The bridge placement farther into the lower bout enhances warmth, bloom, and fundamental richness, making this body style especially rewarding for fingerstyle players. Notes emerge with a vocal-like immediacy, supported by a lush overtone structure that never overwhelms the fundamental. Despite its intimate size, the 00-42 T remains remarkably versatile, offering balance and projection that work equally well for light flatpicking, melodic strumming, and nuanced solo arrangements.

East Indian Rosewood back and sides provide a familiar and beloved tonal foundation, delivering deep, piano-like lows, glassy highs, and a smooth, harmonically complex midrange. This pairing with Old Growth Sitka Spruce creates a voice that feels both classic and timeless, equally suited to traditional repertoire and modern playing styles. The Honduran Mahogany neck, carved to Collings’ Traditional profile, offers a reassuring, substantial feel that enhances control without fatigue, while the ebony fingerboard and pyramid-style bridge contribute to clarity, articulation, and sustain.

Visually, this guitar is nothing short of breathtaking. Ivoroid bindings frame the body, fingerboard, and headstock with understated elegance, while the full 42 style abalone top and fingerboard extension border add a luminous sophistication. The abalone rosette and torch headstock inlay elevate the aesthetic further, striking a perfect balance between ornamentation and taste. The tapered slotted square peghead with volute, stained exotic ebony veneer, and nickel Waverly tuners complete a look that is unmistakably Collings, traditional, refined, and flawlessly executed.

Finished in Collings’ ultra-thin high gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, both body and neck resonate freely, allowing the instrument to breathe and mature over time. Every structural choice, from the mortise and tenon hybrid neck joint to the bone nut and saddle, serves the singular goal of tonal integrity. Lightweight at just over four pounds, this guitar feels alive in the hands, vibrating against the player in a way that only a finely tuned acoustic instrument can.

The Collings 00-42 T is not simply a beautiful guitar. It is a deeply expressive tool, shaped by decades of hard-earned knowledge and a relentless pursuit of excellence. For players who value touch sensitivity, tonal complexity, and the quiet confidence of masterful craftsmanship, this instrument delivers an experience that is both immediate and endlessly rewarding.

Other specifications include:

• Old Growth Sitka Spruce Top
• East Indian Rosewood Back & Sides
• Traditional Series Construction & Voicing
• Sitka Spruce Brace Material
• Custom Traditional Series Pre-War Scalloped X-Brace Pattern With No Tongue Brace
• Honduran Mahogany Neck
• Ivoroid Body, Fingerboard & Headstock Bindings
• 42 Style Abalone Top & Fingerboard Extension Border
• Abalone Rosette
• Ebony Pyramid-Style Bridge With 2 5/16" String Spacing
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Ivoroid Bridge Pins And End Pin With Black Dot
• Bone Nut & Bone Drop-In Saddle
• Traditional Neck Profile (0.862" At 1st Fret, 1.032" At 9th Fret)
• Tapered Slotted Square Peghead With Volute
• Mortise And Tenon Hybrid Neck Joint
• Fully Adjustable Truss Rod
• Medium 18% Nickel-Silver Frets
• Stained Exotic Ebony Peghead Veneer
• Abalone Torch Headstock Inlay
• Nickel Waverly Tuners With 16:1 Ratio
• Three-Style Mosaic Backstrip
• High Gloss Ultra-Thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Body Finish
• High Gloss Ultra-Thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Neck Finish
• Tortoise Pickguard
• D'Addario EJ-16 Strings (.012" To .053")
• Deluxe Hardshell Case
• 19 3/8" Body Length
• 4" Body Depth
• 14 1/4" Lower Bout Width
• 38" Total Length
• 24 7/8" Scale Length
• 14" To 26" Compound Fingerboard Radius
• 1 3/4" Nut Width
• 2 5/16" Bridge Spacing
• Weight: 4 lb 1 oz
• #35128

For more information on the Collings 00-42 T, please contact us.

Product Images

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