Huss & Dalton TDM

[Jonathan Spencer]

I've been playing for about 1.5 years now and want to upgrade from my Simon & Patrick dread. I want to continue evolving my general playing skills and would love a high-quality guitar that allows me to venture into different genres. Also, I like to sing so I don't want something that is so boomy it drowns out my vocals (but still loud enough to be heard in jam sessions). Any thoughts? The two brands I've been most intrigued by are Huss & Dalton and Collings. At this point, I've got my eye on an H&D TDM with a custom red spruce (adirondack) top. Does anybody have a strong opinion on this model and whether it will be a good choice? Thanks!

[Greg Yavorsky]

Jonathan. Collings & H&D both make great guitars. Either would be a good choice. As far as "I don't want something so boomy it drowns out my voice"......the volume control is on the driver, not the instrument.

[Steve Blanchard]

Jonathan, I have a student that has a Huss and Dalton TDM Custom..super guitar. The custom has a 1-3/4 neck. I believe that the standard neck is 1-23/32. You'll do fine with any guitar that has the sound and feel that YOU like. As far as construction of the H&D, it all appears to be very good. I'd highly recommend it....if you like it. That is the most important part. Collings are Collings...very good but tend to be stiff..at least to me and harder for me to play than my Martin D-18 GE. I love Collings tone, I just haven't found one yet that I'm nuts over. The Martin GE's are a good choice. Pretty consistant sound and feel..I really love mine cause it is a real cannon and incredibly balanced. Greg Y has heard mine and has commented on it at the Collings forum. Anyway, good luck and happy hunting. Shop a sound not a brand. Steve

[Jonathan Spencer]

To all who replied, thanks a ton for the advice. Some solid nuggets of wisdom to keep in mind... like shop a sound and volume control is on the driver. Great stuff! Happy Holidays! Jonathan

[Jonathan Spencer]

Steve, my office is across the street from Dusty Strings in Seattle and it turns out they have a D18GE in stock. I had not even noticed it but picked it up. The neck takes some getting used to (or probably for me the bigger adjustment is tied to a 1 3/4 neck), but wow is that a beautiful guitar. I really like the tone. Thanks for steering me to that model as it's every bit as comparable in the range of dread's that I'm evaluating.

[Steve Blanchard]

Hey Jonathan, that is great news. Yes the bigger neck is a bit of an adjustment, but once I adjusted (about 2 weeks) I love it and now I prefer it. I have 2 Bourgeois that have 1-23/32 necks and I can re- adjust pretty easy. I make sure that I switch off between all three of my guitars so that I'm flexible. My GE is an exceptional one but I've played several that are very good. Adirondack tops take awhile to open up it just depends how you play I have a strong assertive style, but I don't beat on the guitar. I play very loose and strong. I've been flatpicking about 32 years but I've gotten very serious about 20 yrs ago. I've been playing 43 yrs. Remember to pick a guitar that really accentuates your style. Some folks like Rosewood guitars, some like Maple, some like Walnut. I've played alot of each and you can find a good one with any type. Are you going to Wintergrass? If so look me up in Band Services or Prairie Flyer after our sets on Thursday and Friday. I can help you with your choice if you haven't made it yet. All my best...Stevere

[Jonathan Spencer]

Any opinions on the Collings D1A? It's obviously priced at a premium vs the TDM but thought I'd ask as these two seem to be in the same discussions in terms of comparisons. thanks.

[Steve Blanchard]

Collings D1A are excellent. I find them a bit stiff and abit fatiguing for me to play. Other than that, they are super guitars with incredible tone. I liked my buddy's D1A when he had it. I'd might of bought it but I was putting money in to other projects at the time. Can't go wrong with one if it speaks to you and fits your hands well. Good hunting and good luck. Steve

[John R. Mann]

I'm biased because I own a TDM Custom and think it is great. I've played a number of Collings and they seemed a little more "trebly" to me. Just my old ears, perhaps. If you can get a D1A and a TDM Custom side by side and play a set of 2 or 3 tunes each, you might be able to decide. If you are looking in the used market, I'd do the same thing. Playing a 5-6 yr old guitar against a brand new one might not give you an accurate comparison, so bear that in mind also... I attached a short recording I did for someone who had not heard a TDM--it's kind of amateurish in that I recorded both the lead and the backup, but you can get an idea of the guitar doing both jobs...
In any event, have fun

[Jonathan Spencer]

Ok. So in my quest to find my next guitar I've been learning more about the Bourgeois Country Boy Dreadnought (which can be ordered with an Adirondack top). The more I listen to samples and read about Dana B I have to say I'm quite intrigued by the Country Boy. Of course there are no shops in WA that carry them but Pioneer Music in Portland is a designated retailer. Any thoughts on the Country Boy?

Also, should I be overly concerned about a 1 23/32 neck (which is standard) vs the 1 3/4 neck (can be ordered w/o charge)? I am really starting to love fingerpicking in addition to flatpicking. My hands are on the small side so the 1 23/32 seems like a pretty good compromise. The 1 11/16 on Collings (standard order) seems way too small for fingerpicking.

Thanks to all who care to post advice (or who have already posted). The journey to testing out new guitars is quite fun as I'm finding out. Can't go wrong with any of these $3k-$4k dreads and brands but I am narrowing down on the tone factor. For me the Bourgeois Country Boy is looking like a very compelling option for a solid "all around" guitar.

[Thomas Williamson]

The Podium music store website has clips of several of their high end guitars...Collings, Bourgeois, Huss & Dalton, Martin, and many others.


Tom

[Thomas Williamson]

Both Collings and Huss & Dalton make superb guitars. It will be very difficult to find any other guitars that would be better...at almost any price. Other comparable guitars in the same price range would include Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, and the higher end Martins (Authentics, Singer Songwriters, 75th Anniverseries, etc.).
I'm very partial to Collings not only because of their superior tone, but because of their consistent top notch quality, and fit and finish. But you won't go wrong with ANY of those mentioned. They're ALL fabulous guitars.


Tom

[William Gray]

I have small hands but almost all my guitars are 1 3/4 inch and I have no problem playing them---at least no problems related to fingerboard width, anyway. : )

If you think about it, the difference between a 1 11/16 inch and 1 3/4 inch fingerboard is only 1/16 of an inch spread across 6 strings. The additional reach necessary for a 1 3/4 should not be a factor. However, I think you will find the slightly wider neck does make fingerpicking and soloing a tiny bit easier.

I own a Martin D-18GE. I bought it used from Pioneer Music in Portland. It had been previously owned for several years by a working musician. It had a few dings and that made the price very attractive and also meant the top was fully played in. What a wonderful sounding guitar it is. Whenever I go to a jam session, my D-18 is the guitar all my buddies want to take home with them.

I also used to have a 00-18 Tim O'Brien. It was certainly one of the best sounding guitars I've ever owned. It's combination of small body size, 1 3/4 inch neck, tradtional long scale (25.4 inches) and Adi top make it one of the most versatile guitars out there. I hated to let it go, but a professional musician friend of mine fell in love with it and talked me out it. He's a great player, so at least I know it's being properly used.

But my best advice is not to get caught up in the concept, mystique, or hype surrounding all the great guitars out there, including the ones I mentioned. It's best to play them (rather than read about them) and simply go with the one that feels and sounds best in your hands making your kind of music.