Collings Custom OM1A JL Julian Lage Signature Model ID-13769

Collings OM1A JL Julian Lage Signature Model

When Bill Collings first met the brilliant young jazz musician Julian Lage, in 2014, the two began a series of in-depth conversations about their respective crafts. Lage's profound insights as a guitarist would play a key role in the creation of Collings' T (Traditional) Series guitars.

Though Lage’s guitar shares the same foundational specs as the OM1 T, it is unique in some key ways. Its neck feels like no other Collings guitar. That’s because it’s modeled after Lage’s cherished 1939 Martin 000-18. This pre-war gem is heard on the guitarist’s 2015 solo album, “World’s Fair,” and was his main touring acoustic for years.

As an extension of a T-Series, the OM1 JL (*) is built with a traditional approach to voicing that emphasizes strong fundamental tone with warm, rounded highs, solid projection and a crisp attack.

The 000-18’s neck—which was of course originally hand-shaped and sanded—has a distinctive taper altered by decades of wear. For Lage, this particular neck had come to feel like home. Through careful analysis and digitization of its unique dimensions, Collings was able to precisely recreate its worn-in, asymmetric feel on his signature model.

While they maintained the relatively narrow 1 11/16" nut of the 000-18's neck, they extended the fretboard from the original short scale to their standard 25 ½" length for slightly greater presence and note definition.

Lage has an affinity both tonally and aesthetically for vintage guitars whose finishes have mellowed after years of playing. To recreate this effect Collings initially considered a varnish, but to achieve the ideal combination of a thin finish application and a vintage aesthetic, they landed on a custom satin lacquer.

With his typical descriptive eloquence, Lage characterizes his signature model as a “lovingly neutral” guitar. It has a remarkably even response between registers. It’s not an empty flatterer, but an instrument that rewards you when you’re playing your best. In this way, Lage, whose own education is unending, sees the guitar as a teacher.

This OM1 JL model has a Adirondack Red Spruce Top.

Check out some of our other Collings Guitars

Specifications:

Serial: 30486

Top Wood: Adirondack Red Spruce

Back Wood: Honduran Mahogany

Nut Width: 1 11/16"

Scale: 25.5"

Bracing: Sitka Spruce - Traditional Series pre-war scalloped X-brace no tongue brace

Inlays: Gold MOP Short Dot Pattern

Rosette: Custom Wood

Neck Wood: Mahogany

Fretboard: Ebony

Nut Material: Bone

Saddle Material: Cutthrough Bone

Saddle Spacing: 2 3/16"

Bridge: Ebony

Bridge Pins: Ebony Pins w/ Gold MOP DOT Inlays

Tuners: Relic Style Nickel Waverly Tuners w/ Vintage Oval Buttons

Purfling: Custom Wood

Body Binding: Tortoise Style Binding

Pickguard: Tortoise-style Pick Guard

Backstrip: 1-Style Walnut Backstrip

Headstock Shape: Solid 15 degree headstock angle

Headstock Overlay: Ebony

Headstock Inlay: Gold MOP Vintage Script Collings Logo

Frets To Body: 14

Neck Profile: Custom Julian Lage Neck Carve

Pickup(s): Optional

Case: Collings Deluxe TKL Hardcase

Misc. 1: No Tongue Brace

Misc. 2: Animal Protein Glue