Collings SJ Cutaway Sitka Spruce and Indian Rosewood

Scale: 25 1/2" | Nut Width: 1 3/4" | Top: Sitka Spruce | Back: Indian Rosewood

Hear This Instrument: Collings SJ Cutaway Sitka Spruce and Indian Rosewood

Recorded In-House on a Sony PCM-D50 handheld recorder with no compression or eq.

The SJ is Collings' version of what is commonly called a small Jumbo. Although the 16 inch lower bout is slightly wider than a dreadnought, and the sides almost as deep, the tight curve at the waist creates in a very different sound chamber. SJs typically have a more pronounced midrange response when compared to a dreadnought, which translates into more note definition. Players looking for the bass and overall volume of a large guitar, but with lots of treble clarity and midrange crunch, often find just what they need in the curvaceous Collings SJ.

Like most all Collings, this guitar has more than ample volume and presence. Featuring a Sitka Spruce top over Indian Rosewood back and sides, the tone is immediately responsive to fingerstyle and light strumming while being able to withstand moderate flatpicking and strumming with ease.

This SJ is a natural strummer, with clear chords that sound remarkably balanced with all the power you could ever hope for. Fingerstyle lines are also quite nice, offering a surprising amount of headroom from an Sitka topped guitar. The cutaway allows access to the highest frets with ease, while also adding to the appearance of the guitar. The body, fretboard and headstock are bound in grained ivoroid with a Style 3 backstrip on the back. The Brazilian Rosewood headstock overlay looks especially nice on this SJ, with rich dark grain variations set off by the Ivoroid binding.

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