This is the semi-hollow that defines the genre. Slightly smaller than the historic model which inspired it, the I35 is a great example of what the craftspeople at Collings are capable of. The construction is perfect; follow any line on the whole guitar and you will find not a dimple, not a hair out of place. The neck is true like a billiard table, with some of the tidiest fretwork I've ever seen. The maple body is almost startlingly figured, especially considering how plain most vintage semi-hollows are, and the contours of the arching are deep and sumptuous. Crisp edges and precise joinery combine with swooping curves to make a study in contrast that endlessly entertains the eye; I never get tired of looking at these guitars.
Sound-wise, the I35 is impressively loud and responsive even before you plug it in. I can't emphasize enough just how important this is: you can't amplify what's not there! One of the best jazz tones I've ever heard is this pickup through a Carr Sportsman...pure Kenny Burrell! The bridge pickup makes great Zep sounds (the real ones, not the over-saturated imitations you get from over-wound 'buckers'), and the middle position with a bit of volume rolled off gives an ear-tickling, brushy, acoustic-like chime.
As an aside, I check every one of these that comes in and not once have I had to even turn the truss rod. Fact.
- Rob Sharer, Sound Pure Luthier
