2021 Collings CJ-45 T Sitka Acoustic Guitar Used

This Collings CJ-45 T was crafted in Austin, Texas in 2021. It’s in excellent, very lightly played condition with just a hint of fret wear. When Collings decided to add a slope-shouldered dreadnought to their Traditional line, they took the CJ and completely redesigned it. The CJ-45 T has braces based on wartime Gibsons with scalloped Sitka X-bracing, 2 scalloped tone bars and a full tongue brace. The neck has a short 24 ⅞” scale length, a 1 ¾” nut width, a rosewood fretboard and a full C neck carve. It has a flat back without the subtle arch that other Collings guitars have. All of this produces a new guitar that packs the sort of growl and presence that we love about vintage instruments. The shorter string scale, compared to Martin D models, also means you don’t have to work as hard for that big tone.

Like the other guitars in the Traditional Series, Collings used some of the more labor intensive techniques that builders used back in the 1930s and 1940s on this guitar. One of the most important elements is the use of lighter, stiffer wood in the tops and bracing. Another tone enhancing feature is the thinner all-nitrocellulose lacquer gloss finish with no UV-cure filler or undercoats. While these guitars are not “distressed” or artificially worn to make them appear like an older instrument, both the sound and the feel of these Traditional Series Collings models achieve a more “broken-in” impression for the player, and the listener.