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Waterloo WL-S Spruce/Cherry Ladder-Braced Acoustic #1618  From Collings

A ladder-braced, cherry back and sides old-timey stunner from Waterloo!! 

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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

Available for Special Order

See something you like? This item is gone, but not forever. It can be special ordered, and even customized!

We can get it fast!

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

Cherry is one of the most underated tonewoods in American guitar history! 

When we heard that Waterloo was going to revive this iconic tree through depression-era luthery, we were thrilled. 

It's even better than we expected.

It's got this crispy presence to the high end that's all its own. 

The ladder bracing gives it a dry, meaty mid-range that is as satisfying as a bite of beef jerky after a long hike. 

It's light as a feather and has exceptional note-separation. Every string's practically in its own postal code! 

The cherry parlor guitar is as American as. . .cherry pie! 

Whether your picker or collector, you won't regret adding this one to your stable. 

Manufacturer's Description from Collings

The new WL-S possesses exceptional tonal clarity, dimensionality, and punch. Inspired by 12-fret Stella guitars from the 1930’s, the WL-S features a 24 7/8" scale length that creates a round note attack and detailed string-to-string separation. A semi-gloss nitrocellulose finish completes the WL-S both aesthetically and tonally, with a beautiful iced tea sunburst and acoustical liveliness that brings out the nuances of this ladder braced design. Solid cherry wood back and sides further enhance the unique character of this guitar, providing exceptional balance and articulation.

All WL-S models feature a vintage correct “Soft-V” neck profile with a carbon fiber T-Bar, a slotted headstock, and a pyramid bridge with a cut through saddle. Hardshell TKL case included.

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

Serial Number: 1618

Top:Solid Spruce

Back/Sides: Solid Cherry

Bracing: Vintage-inspired Ladder Bracing

Color: Vintage Iced Tea Sunburst

Binding: Ivoroid Bound Top and Soundhole

Bridge: Ebony Pyramid with 2 3/8" Spacing

Bridge Pins: Ebony

Saddle: Bone Cut Through

Pickguard:None

Body Finish: Semi-gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

Neck: Solid Mahogany w/ Slotted Headstock

Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood

Nut: 1 3/4" Bone Nut

Neck Support: Carbon Fiber T-bar

Fingerboard Inlays: 6mm Acrylic Dots

Neck Profile: Moderate Oval Shape

Scale Length: 24 7/8"

Fret Wire: Medium 18% Nickel-silver

Logo: Stenciled Waterloo

Tuners: Golden Age Restoration

Body Width: 14"

Body Length: 19"

Body Depth: 3 1/2"

Scale Length: 24 7/8"

Nut Width:1 3/4"

Saddle Spacing:2 3/8"

Recommended Strings: D'Addario EJ16 (.012"-.053")

Case: Hardshell