Collings Guitars founder Bill Collings (1948–2017) already had many years of experience carving the tops of archtop guitars when his company began offering mandolins in 1999. Built with Collings’ ultra-high level of attention to detail, the A-style and F-style models were an instant success, and today they’re contemporary classics. We recently had a chance to check out a Collings MT2 Quilted Maple generously provided to us by Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California. In this video, Peghead Nation’s Dan Gabel talks about the instrument, and mandolin instructor Sharon Gilchrist demonstrates it on “Clinch Mountain Backstep” backed by guitarist Scott Nygaard.

The MT2 Quilted Maple follows the classic A-style f-hole mandolin design with parallel tone bar bracing. It has a carved Adirondack spruce top and, as its name suggests, highly quilted maple back and sides, with a natural high-gloss finish that highlights the woods’ natural beauty. The instrument has Collings’ own chrome tailpiece, an adjustable ebony bridge, and Gotoh tuning machines.

The MT2 Quilted Maple is a great-sounding mandolin, with excellent balance, plenty of volume, and good punch when playing chop chords. Anyone looking for a fine A-style mandolin made from beautiful woods should consider giving Collings instruments a close look!

SPECS: A-style mandolin. Carved Adirondack spruce top with parallel tone bar bracing. Solid quilted maple back and sides. Maple neck. Ebony fingerboard. Adjustable ebony bridge. 13⅞-inch scale. 1⅛-inch nut width. Nickel Gotoh tuning machines. Made in USA. $3,870 street. Collingsguitars.com

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