Offered for your consideration is this Collings I-35 Deluxe in Cherry Sunburst nitro lacquer built in 2012. The I-35 is of course Collings' take on the venerable Gibson ES semi-hollow. As with virtually every model they build, however, the Collings version is, many would agree, better than the original upon which it is based.
This guitar has a solid (not laminated) carved and a premium flame Maple top with binding over a solid Mahogany body. The neck is Collings medium/fat C-shape, measuring .875" at the first fret, increasing to 1.00" at the twelfth fret. The fretboard is Madagascar Rosewood with parallelogram inlays and binding. The bone nut has a width of 1-11/16", the fretboard radius is 12" and it weighs just 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
The incredibly helpful Mark Althans of Collings Guitars tells me this guitar was custom ordered with special electronics. The original owner requested a
Standard Wind Lollar Imperial in the neck position and a
High Wind Imperial in the bridge. He also ordered Modern wiring instead of 50's style wiring. Both the pickup selection and the wiring suggests this instrument was setup with loud, live music in mind.
Like every Collings I've ever played, this guitar plays like a dream. It sounds great as well. There is a touch more "kick" in the electronics, but it is certainly a nuanced increase in output, nothing over the top. Please check out the provided sound sample.
As a pro-owned instrument, this guitar has seen some play and shows a few cosmetic flaws. I've shown the worst of the guitar's flaws in my photos. The original owner apparently wore a thumb ring while playing, so the guitar shows a series of very shallow impressions along the top of neck near and parallel to the fingerboard. Because of their position, you don't feel these much, if at all, while playing. I didn't notice them until shooting the photos. The overall condition of the guitar from a foot away is superb and the frets, as shown, remain in excellent shape. The guitar comes in it's original Collings/Ameritage case which remains in great shape.
A new I35 Deluxe will cost you nearly $7K these days. This is one of the best priced used examples anywhere. If you are a player looking to put a high-end semi hollow electric in your arsenal, make this fabulous Collings yours today.