Collings OM2H vs Santa Cruz OM | Guitar Battles #3 | @ The Fellowship of Acoustic

[@johnmyers8415]

its a personal thing.. love them all. i have a sc d mdl. 1995 yr. love it.

[@CoopsXKE]

I love the selection of the head to head comparison of these two great guitars. Unfortunately to really determine the differences, which are actually significant, each player should play both guitars with the same exact sample piece. Mic placement and the clear differences in the two player techniques here pretty much make the comparison mute. Not one better than the other but very different technique. Also string type and age make a huge difference in tonal-nuance. They should both be strung with the same string make and string gauge FYI. My Santa Cruz OM #218 is celebrating its 30th year this year. It is fully mature, light as a feather and blows away everyone who plays or hears it. I’ve played many Collings guitars. I’ve never played one that I didn’t love. Guitars at this level are all about the player and what is put into the instrument by that player. No bad choiceshere

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for being Randall! I couldn't agree more, these instruments are in service of the player.

[@vyvynylification]

Damn, I always saw Collings as "that ferrari I'd love to own one day". But I really liked the santa cruz here..!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

So the Lamborghini it is! ;)

[@RPSartre01]

Both beautiful guitars. I own a 2013 Collings OM2H - i love it. It took me a long time to get the action just right, and it plays incredibly. Flat picking just sounds awesome - especially Celtic style songs.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Sounds like you're a lucky man Robert! Good one you for sticking with the OM and getting it to where you love it :)

[@jsampson8088]

Great video but the mics are in different places I would say. Impossible to get it perfect but the mic on the Santa Cruz is closer to the sound hole making it sound more bassy.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Fair point... We'll pay more attention to this!

[@jonathanfinks8019]

Would you consider a comparison of OM's with mahogany vs. rosewood, like a Collings OM1 vs. OM2? Thanks!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Our top 5 OM video features a mahogany OM and a rosewood one, so you can kind off compare them 😉

[@john15333]

Both are awesome. I have owned both but kept the Collings. Santa Cruz was really good for a light touch and rhythm strumming. Collings is better for fingerstyle, flat picking, lead, and power without losing any of its articulation.

[@yyi8082]

I totally agree your opinion, Collings is better sounds.

[@raymondeaton5692]

I had a Collings D2H from 1995 to 1998. I traded it in on a Santa Cruz Tony Rice model. I'll keep the Santa Cruz.

[@baskooman9651]

Thanks for this comparison guys! The SC sounds a bit fuller to my ears and the Collings more direct and more even over the whole register. For finger picking recordings i would certainly pick the Collings!

[@chucklee2658]

The Collings headstock is ebony too, not rosewood :) Both wonderful, can't go wrong with either.

[@stephenkennedy7347]

Both Legendary - the Santa Cruz has warmth and bloom (they often sound broken in from new) the Collings is a more woody, dry tone that will warm up with playing in. I have a Martin OM28V a legendary guitar too but I would have either of those guitars in a heartbeat!

[@TankWoods]

Another Great Collings, Never any surprises , Collings are great guitars, I own several Martins , Wish I could afford a Collings.

[@HenryPipes]

Both sound fantastic, as one would expect. The Santa Cruz to my ears had more of the Hi-Def, 3D tone. It was full, loaded with lots of bass, and it surprisingly had a good bit of warmth to it as well. I felt like it also had bit more clarity on the high end. The Collings was a bit simpler in tone. Like it’s using one really amazing flavor of dry, woody goodness. I personally liked the tones of the Collings a bit more than the SC, but I can see why someone would choose one or the other. I would like to hear an Eastman E6D vs a Martin D-18 or a Eastman E10D vs a boutique Adi top dread.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for sharing Joshua! Your idea is noted ;)

[@StephenGordon1]

Great comparison! Really cool to see the nuanced differences between these two great guitars. I’d love to see a comparison between a Goodall TROM and Collings OM2H (or another boutique OM).

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Sounds good Stephen, will do! :)

[@bluesysamurainao4557]

Great demo! I've got Martin and mine is more similar to Santa Cruz one to my ears. I wanna buy a vintage acoustic guitar but too expensive for me. When I play on fingerstyle, I choose an electric classical guitar now.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks! Great choice ;) Godin?

[@bluesysamurainao4557]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics Oh, you welcome! Mine is a Martinez guitar, not solid.

[@davidscotbrown3241]

Hello Gents, both fine instruments, and always difficult to get a true image from the mics, but the Santa Cruz seems to have more dimension across the register; strong bass, mids and lovely round trebles.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Hey David, we're still working on our ideal mic-setup so be sure to tune in for our future video's ;) Thanks for commenting! - Maarten

[@redson425]

I love Santa Cruz guitars but the Collings is a clear winner to me here. I see the difference here in 2 similar spec guitars is the Rosewood. Typically I believe the darker the Indian Rosewood is, the more overtones and articulation it gives and that is a stunning piece of rosewood on the Collings.

[@quigley4440]

What is the scale length of the guitars? Collings will usually use a full length 25.4" to bring out the brightness of the trebles. The SC may be a shorter scale which would explain allot in the tones. Pick one over the other? Fat chance.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Both are 645 mm - 25 3/8"!

[@marc8vino]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics Santa Cruz standard OM's are not the same as Collings, Bourgeois, Martin. They are 25.375 the others are 25.4.

[@SillyMoustache]

Hi guys, I really enjoy your "battles" and i think yuo make a great pair - and for an old British guy like me its great to see two young bucks playing so nicely. This is an observation rather than criticism - about the variables. Same strings? New? same pick? ad of course, whilst you are both fine musicians, I know of some people that can make a e5000 guitar sound like an Eko, and others that can make a wooden beer crate sound like a heavenly harp. For info I don't have an OM, but I do have four Collings and one Santa Cruz, and have a friend who plays a Collings OM3 and truly makes it sound heavenly. Anyway, thanks for the videos -please keep them coming!

[@alternoego5147]

great video my friend ! ^^

[@cherrypickerguitars]

Hey guys! That was a great choice for a head to head challenge! I have owned Collings guitars, but not Santa Cruz, so I favour the Collings. But truthfully, through my television speakers, I could not hear a perceptible difference between the two! I like Richard Hoover’s “green” business practices, but I would rather have sat and had a beer with Bill Collings (rip). I no longer have an OM guitar at all - I’m favouring my Martin 000-28h at this point in my playing journey! I’m a long time sub - always look forward to your new postings. ( I specialize in vintage restoration, here in Ontario Canada) Cheers!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Thanks for commenting! Great to hear we have some fans over in Ontario ;) I can fully agree on your choice for the Collings, and having a beer with Bill sure sounds like a dream... - Maarten

[@cherrypickerguitars]

The Fellowship of Acoustics Thanks for the personal response! Our guitar community is all the “cooler” thanks to our ability to overcome distance and time! Thank you internet! I’m a student of Sergei de Jonge’s from aprox ten yrs ago. My main biz is in repair and restore, and thanks to Sergei, I’m very good at both. I love to build “new” but have only had a dozen or so paid commissions, but I have built 24 guitars from scratch, now. I’ve kept a few and given the other 8 or 9 away to musical family members as heirloom gifts. Guitars have so enriched my life it’s beyond description! I’m coming to visit family in Northern Ireland and southern England about a year from now (next spring). Im going to hop a short flight, rent a car and I’m going to come and visit your location, too! Peace!

[@defaultuser6498]

i would pick Collings, they are limited number in europe for sale though

[@HiggaionSelah_EWFMG]

At this level of build there is no contest only preference 🐸 and every individual build can be a better tone or not as good as the last ; that said I've owned from Âll recognizable custom shop builder names - Ând here is the essential line up of preference from actual ownership experience .... SCGC Collings * Martin * Bourgeoise Larrivee ** Breedlove ** Taylor * / ** essentially tied never owned a Gibson acoustic 😝

[@Jasperinos]

Great that you are comparing these 2 guitars. I own a Santa Cruz OM, so I’m slightly prejudiced. 😊 I love the character that these guitars have, and they play so easy! But the Collings sounds great too and I’m definitely gonna try one in the future.

[@felixkurternstschmelzer8871]

Hey guys, great comparison. Two excellent guitars. I think your recommendation (living room, studio) is accurate. I heard that a Collings can need a bit more time to open up. Could you do a Rozawood vs. Collings/Santa Cruz/Bourgeois? That would be interesting...

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Hi Felix, that's a great idea, noted! Thanks for commenting :) - Maarten

[@felixkurternstschmelzer8871]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics You could do a Europe vs USA series 😉 And maybe each of you could play both guitars, while the other one comments. For example, one of you plays Celtic fingerstyle on both, and then the other plays blues on both. That would give a more objective picture, given that each player has a distinctive attack, nails, etc.

[@bradparnis1800]

I just bought an OM Santa Cruz short scale Sitka/mahogany and think it’s over tones are to die for .. also own a bourgeois Om custom Adirondack/rosewood full scale So would love for you guys to do a bourgeois comparison in the future :)

[@stevecrain5833]

I prefer the Collings OM2H over a Santa Cruz but I will add that my OM2H is more full-sounding and laden with overtones than the example recorded above.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Every guitar is different! You seem to have found one of the better OM2H's, lucky man ;)

[@RRStout]

To my ears the Santa Cruz sounds much better because of its overtones. But at the same time the Collings with its distinct notes would probably work better in a studio situation. Great comparison this time because you both played the same chord progressions making it very easy to listen and compare. Thank you.

[@sockenfrank]

I would choose the Santa Cruz.

[@hindagsxr]

Do they have the same strings?

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Always!

[@MrAuell]

Boucher vs Bourguois OM's, please

[@NirMehlmanGuitar]

An important and unseen difference between the two is that the Santa Cruz has a Dove-Tail neck-joint, and the Collings has a bolt-on neck-joint.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Good one! I think we forgot to mention that one in the video.

[@MrAuell]

I''ve owned Santa Cruz and Collings. Both are great, but to me for pure tone the SCGC wins it. The test would be more valid if each played each guitar. Collings are great for recording because they have less overtones and you won't get feedback as much. Playing in the living room the Santa Cruz rules. In the studio for the reasons stated, Collings wins. Martin rosewood guitars tend to have lots of overtones as well so you also have those problems, but the higher end ones sound great. If you are a traditionalist, you'll go with Santa Cruz, Martin (and many others), but if you are in to the modern sound more you'll go for Collings, Boucher, Atkins, etc. Lots of great players use each one of the first three I mentioned. Martin still has many great guitars,but they have tried to cover all the inexpensive bases and make a model for every application. I don't think this was the model of the Martin company until Chris Martin changed it in about the nineties if memory serves. The other two only make higher end guitars and being low volume manufacturers they can pay more attention to fit and finish on every guitar. Now you can find a guitars of okay quality for less than $500 and you can see these Martins being played in poorer countries, so I like that aspect of it. Martin has had a lot of problems with the binding coming loose because the state told them they couldn't use the correct glue in Pennsylvania anymore. so that has been a constant headache for them. There are lots of other companies putting out decent guitars (like Boucher, Atkins, Furch, etc) and you can find truly great guitars by independent luthiers but you usually end up waiting longer.

[@ricardosotosan2279]

The Santa Cruz to me captures what the essence of a rosewood OM should be, which is to create a room filling sound. The Collings is nice too, but my vote goes to SCGC.

[@tbeau6663]

I prefer the Collings, but I'd never turn down the SC

[@casill8044]

please compare aLowden F50

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

To what? ;)

[@gamer-zm3bi]

Collings! 🤗

[@whulmef]

The angle of the pick attack on the strings is making the biggest difference here.

[@brucemarrs2596]

I'll take the one you don't want please.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

I'm afraid we like both though!

[@neophytosdm]

Personally I don't really understand what you mean when you say the sound is more "precise" and "detailed" etc.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

We usually mean that the sound has more 'clarity'. Individual notes are heard, the opposite of being 'muddy'.

[@neophytosdm]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics Understood. Thanks!

[@andypaul1752]

Collings😌

[@Elaleyelunivese]

The Collings is a VERY GOOD MARTIN!!!.:. love it!

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Haha nicely put, indeed!

[@hunterplatt5316]

Santa Cruz is for the player collings is for the audience.

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Haha, wow! That's a pretty great quote ;)

[@robertveldman523]

die Santa Cruz is nu in mijn bezit

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Van harte Robert! Volgens mij kun je daar veel plezier van hebben ;)

[@shawnsnow6413]

The Santa Cruz seemed to project a little better. Tell Doc Brown to turn down the flash. It's a comparison of guitars, not players.

[@daBass57]

the Santa has quite contentious overtones, nowhere near the focus of the Collings, the Santa is annoying actually, whereas the Collings is much more pleasant on the ears, more relaxed.

[@leesanders1619]

Collings.

[@child0fthesun]

Collings

[@startreker8591]

My Guild USA California made is cooler.

[@HiggaionSelah_EWFMG]

🔵 OMGosh~don't be crazy with your guitars ❕ ⚡🚨⚡ - don't hold them as a weapon ❕😣😫😡

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

All in good faith! They're safe and taken good care of ;)

[@carlpeters5054]

Unfortunately two different guitar players.

[@stavrospapadimitriou7631]

What are we supposed to gather from hearing a couple of beginners playing guitars they can't play?

[@thefellowshipofacoustics]

Haha Stavros, this is isn't the first negative comment you've left on our page. If you'd be kind enough to transfer some cash for guitar-lessons, we'd be happy to step out of the beginners-realm haha.

[@stavrospapadimitriou7631]

@@thefellowshipofacoustics I can assure you I play guitar a sight better than these children you have demo-ing your rich-men's toys.

[@aztec7847]

@@stavrospapadimitriou7631 Stavros, put up a video and show us how it’s done.

[@matty1953565962]

I actually liked the fact that they kept the playing simple. Players tend to show off in video demos, and so you hear a few favorite chords and techniques that provide little basis for comparison. By contrast, Travis picking in C is pretty universal. We all know how it's supposed to sound!