Collings Baby 3 Guitar with Torrefied Adirondack and Maple ID-8146

Collings Baby 3 Torrefied Adirondack and Maple

Collings' smallest model is a rarity among fractional size guitars: most listeners never guess that it's not a full-size instrument unless they see it being played. The Collings Baby is approximately a 3/4 size version of their OM, 12 1/2 inches wide in the lower bout with a 24 1/8 inch scale, and the headstock and bridge are scaled to match. Sometimes the Baby is used as a travel guitar, but it often sees duty as a songwriter's tool, the guitar that's ready at a moment's notice and can be played while seated in any position.

Upon arrival at Artisan, we are all continually impressed with these small-bodied wonders. We find the tone to be quite large compared to what we expected out of such a small guitar. The low end is remarkable, even on par with many of the single and 00 models we see come through the shop. This is a guitar you can sit and play for hours on end without fatigue, thanks to the small profile and short-scale length. It's almost impossible to put down and offers many creative possibilities that you may not come up with on larger guitars.

This particular Baby was built using very special pieces of Adirondack and Maple that have gone through the "Torrefaction" process.

"Torrefaction" is a thermochemical treatment of biomass at 200 to 320 °C. It is carried out under atmospheric pressure and in the absence of oxygen, i.e. with no air. During the torrefaction process, the water contained in the biomass as well as superfluous volatiles are released, and the biopolymers (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) partly decompose, giving off various types of volatiles. The final product is the remaining solid, dry, blackened material which is referred to as “torrefied biomass” or “bio-coal”.

During the process, the biomass typically loses 20% of its mass (dry bone basis) and 10% of its heating value, with no appreciable change in volume. This energy (the volatiles) can be used as a heating fuel for the torrefaction process. After the biomass is torrefied it can be densified, usually into briquettes or pellets using conventional densification equipment, to increase its mass and energy density and to improve its hydrophobic properties. The final product may repel water and thus can be stored in moist air or rain without appreciable change in moisture content or heating value, unlike the original biomass from which it is made.

This process gives the tonewood certain tonal and visual characteristics that resemble an aged piece of wood.

The appointments on this guitar include ivoroid binding on the body, fingerboard and peghead. Also an abalone rosette and Gold Waverly 4060-G Tuners. Some custom appointments include a 1 3/4" nut width on a beautiful maple neck.

Check out some of our other Collings Guitars

Specifications:

Shipping Weight: 68

Serial: 23472

Sold To Customer: Stuart Hall

Top Wood: Torrefied Adirondack Spruce

Back Wood: Torrefied Flame Maple

Nut Width: 1 3/4"

Scale: 24 1/8"

Bracing: Pre-War Scalloped

Rosette: Abalone

Neck Wood: Mahogany

Fretboard: Ebony

Nut Material: Bone

Saddle Material: Bone

Bridge: 2 3/16" Ebony Belly Bridge

Bridge Pins: Ebony

Tuners: Gold Waverly tuners -4060-G

Body Binding: Ivoroid

Fretboard Binding: Ivoroid

Headstock Binding: Ivoroid

Pickguard: Tortoise Style

Backstrip: Style 3 Chevron Backstrip

Headstock Shape: Solid

Headstock Overlay: Ebony

Headstock Inlay: Collings Logo

Frets To Body: 12

Body Depth: 3 15/16"

Lower Bout Width: 12 1/2"

Body Length: 17 1/8"

Total Length: 36 1/2"

Case: Hardshell Case Included

Misc. 1: Fully adjustable truss rod

Misc. 2: Torrefied Top, sides and back