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Waterloo WL-JK Spruce/Mahogany Jumbo Acoustic #WL1017  From Collings

Waterloo's new "Jumbo King" is a big, bold beauty!

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Our product photos are the actual, specific serial number for sale!

This specific item was photographed by us here in Durham, North Carolina. We are a very small team dedicated to providing you the most accurate photos possible, through our obsessive focus - individually photographing nearly everything that comes through the door. Questions about what you see? Want more information, photos, or just a friendly conversation with someone that cares and who has actually had their hands on this exact item? Contact us now!
Collings Guitars

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Because of our special relationship with Collings we can get this as fast, or faster than anyone in the industry. In some cases, we even have preferred build slots we can offer you.

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What We Think

Another delightful dive into yesteryear from Waterloo! It should come as no surprise that many of the hallmarks of modern acoustic guitar construction owe their origin to the resourceful luthiers of the early 19th century, whose constant pursuit of projection, resonance, and clarity in their designs led to what we today regard as classics. The ancestor of the WL-JK came about to provide performers of the day with an instrument that checks all three of those magic boxes. The original Jumbo Kings from Regal haven't caused quite the stir in the modern guitar scene as something like the L-00, but the folks at Waterloo have furnished us with a much needed lesson in that somewhat forgotten star of the early 1940s.  Spend just a few minutes with the WL-JK and you'll wonder how you went so long without a guitar like this! 5" body depth and a full scale length? You better believe this thing is loud--like a burlier J-45! A bit of a cinch to the waist and overall extremely lightweight construction ensure the note-to-note articulation valued by both ragtime fingerpickers and Carter flatpicking enthusiasts alike.  And as for the singer/songwriter act with a mind toward Americana of all colors, you just can't do much better in terms of presence and price. Whether you're leading the band into the first wide-open number of the night or bringing it home solo with a ballad that's sure to make 'em call for just one more, with this tower of tone in your hands, you'll never have to worry about giving your audience--and you!--something to remember!

Manufacturer's Description from Collings

Full-bodied in both tone and stature, the aptly nicknamed "Jumbo King” is the largest size offering in the Waterloo line and a modern day tribute to jumbo-sized guitars of the early 1940s. Originally manufactured by Regal for the mail-order enterprise Montgomery Ward, this slope-shoulder body size was designed to provide performers of the era with enough volume and power for professional radio work. The WL-JK accomplishes this and more by employing a full five-inch body depth and a slightly narrow waist to enhance both the bass and treble response.

The WL-JK is available in a minimally appointed “standard” version as well as a “deluxe” version featuring added bindings, true-to-era "valve cover" tuners, and a full-body sunburst finish. Both models utilize vintage inspired x-bracing and prominent v-shaped necks with fully adjustable truss rods.

Collings Guitars

About Manufacturer

Sound Pure is a proud dealer of Collings Acoustics, Electrics, and Mandolins, with a large inventory and new guitars arriving regularly.  Each instrument in stock is professionally photographed, and we have video reviews with studio-quality sound and HD video quality.

Bill Collings has been inspiring generations of guitarists with his fine guitars and mandolins since the 1970s. After dropping out of medical school to pursue his interest in guitar building, he moved to Austin, Texas where he and his company, Collings Guitars, operate to this day.  From his humble beginnings as a one-man operation in a two-bedroom apartment to his current 22,000 square-foot facility and approximately 70 employees, Collings has built a reputation for producing high quality instruments with care and precision. 

Perhaps best known for flat-top acoustic guitars, Collings excels in a variety of classic-inspired designs and modern build concepts. Their D series guitars represent their take on the iconic 14-fret square-shouldered dreadnought and include the highly-favored D1 and D2H models with mahogany and rosewood back and sides respectively. These guitars are extremely well-balanced and have a strong reputation for reliability and consistently becoming stronger as the woods open up over time. The CW models in this series feature Adirondack tops, larger sound holes, and other specs especially coveted by bluegrass flat pickers for their volume and responsiveness. The Collings OM series guitars tend to be lively, balanced, and lyrical. These guitars are hugely popular amongst fingerstyle players for their dynamic sensitivity, size, and playability. One of the most versatile acoustic guitar designs, Collings OMs can also handle heavy strumming and flat picking easily when the player needs to dig in. The CJ is a fantastic slope-shouldered dreadnought, and the SJ is their incredible small jumbo design. Collings also makes astounding parlor-style 0, 00, 000, and Baby guitars, which are perfect for performance or travel and offered with the same variety of options as the larger lines for true customization of tone and appearance. Rounding out Collings’ acoustic lines is the C10, which is modeled after a parlor guitar but with a design concept that makes it a favorite of electric players.

Collings is ahead of the pack in the acoustic guitar game, but it certainly does not end there. Their electric guitars are highly regarded amongst players across the entire spectrum of musical traditions. Designed and built with the same knowledge and attention to detail as the flat-tops, Collings electrics are quickly gaining recognition as contending with the best of the best of electric guitars. Hard rockers and country pickers and everyone in between can find a Collings electric to fit their style, from the Les Paul-inspired shapes of the 290, 360, and CL series to the semi-hollow I-35s and SoCo Deluxe models. Collings also offers A and T-style mandolins, as well as concert and tenor ukuleles. 

 

Every Collings instrument has been built with the same standard of craftsmanship and quality that any discerning musician deserves to experience in the tools they select for their musical journey. At Sound Pure, we believe that the tools you equip yourself with can either enhance or hinder you on your journey, so we make it our job to research and choose what we find to be the very best instruments for our clients. We are confident that any Collings guitar that leaves the shop will meet their standards, as well as ours. If you find that we do not currently have the exact specs you need we are happy to make custom orders for our customers to build their own dream guitar.

 

Specifications

2016

Serial Number: WL1017

Model: WL-JK

Top: Solid Spruce

Back/Sides: Solid Mahogany

Bracing: Vintage-inspired X-bracing

Color: Vintage-style Sunburst

Binding: Ivoroid Bound Top

Bridge: Ebony with 2 3/8" Spacing

Bridge Pins: Ebony

Saddle: Bone Drop-in

Pickguard: Tortoise Celluloid

Body Finish: Semi-gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish

Neck: Solid Mahogany

Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood

Nut: 1 3/4" Ebony Nut

Neck Support: Adjustable Truss Rod

Fingerboard Inlays: 6mm Acrylic Dots

Neck Profile: Moderate "V" Shape

Logo: Stenciled Waterloo / Jumbo King

Scale Length: 25 1/2"

Fret Wire: Medium 18% Nickel-silver

Tuners: Golden Age Restoration w/ Ebony Buttons

Body Width: 15 3/4"

Body Length: 19 1/2"

Body Depth: 5"

Scale Length: 25 1/2"

Nut Width: 1 3/4"

Saddle Spacing: 2 3/8"