View Full Version : torrefied top MT in the house
darylcrisp
Dec-13-2018, 6:28pm
I saw this when Avenueguitars(formerly tejonstreetmusic) sent an email notice on new instruments in the shop. I love MT's, and especially simply appointed Mt's. I took notice of the Collings announcement some time back of the first MT with torrefied top Sitka and liked what I heard.
This cool dark shaded MT I watched for maybe 2 months. Figured it would sell quickly, but it kept hanging on the wall. Not that I needed a mandolin, but this one kept calling out to me. Called Sean up a week+ ago and he confirmed that it was a very cool MT with an excellent voice.
Its pretty to the eyes as well. In person the gloss top and darkish brown gives it an old character to ones senses. The tone does also. The simple binding with the small white line just works.
Plays like a dream, super low action, feels light as a feather.didn't need another mandolin, but this sure is a neat one.
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Wow, beautiful! Great pics also
lflngpicker
Dec-13-2018, 8:33pm
Hi Daryl, Congrats on your new Torrefied Top MT. I like the idea of that fine white stripe in the binding. Gives it a distinction from the other versions. I bought my MT Gloss Top with a Wide Nut from Avenue earlier this year. It has a particularly open, modern sound with a lot of sustain and richness in tone. Punchy enough for bluegrass, too! Love the soft V neck profile! I can't put it down. I will have to check back and see what you think after playing her a few weeks. Enjoy!
I'm really glad the whole torrefied top thing is starting to catch on with mandolins now. It seems like guitar builders have been using torrefied tops for several years and after buying a killer Huss & Dalton with a torrefied top I was sold on the idea. My Stiver F model was the second torrefied top mandolin Mr. Stiver built and I'm couldn't be happier with it.
Bob Buckingham
Dec-13-2018, 9:31pm
I've had a MT-2 with a torrified top for about 6 months. It keeps getting better and better. You'll love that beauty.
jim simpson
Dec-13-2018, 9:41pm
Frank Wakefield, an original!
Clement Barrera-Ng
Dec-13-2018, 11:36pm
That's stunning. Congrats Daryl.
That is beautiful to behold
Al Trujillo
Dec-14-2018, 7:45pm
Hey Daryl...I picked that one up and played it (gently, of course!) a couple weeks back before handing it back to Sean with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat.
Its a beauty, it plays wonderfully and the sound - Oh My!! :) Merry Christmas to yourself...you did very well! It went to a good home!
darylcrisp
Dec-14-2018, 11:33pm
Hey Daryl...I picked that one up and played it (gently, of course!) a couple weeks back before handing it back to Sean with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat.
Its a beauty, it plays wonderfully and the sound - Oh My!! :) Merry Christmas to yourself...you did very well! It went to a good home!
thanks Al
totally agree, its just got a swell mojo to it. and yep, it was something of a personal Christmas present and forthcoming retirement(in a few years-lol) buddy.
Sean told me only one person had played it, bet that was your fingerprint I found on it-lol
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darylcrisp
Dec-14-2018, 11:34pm
Wow, beautiful! Great pics also
have to give AvenueGuitars credit for the pics, they do excellent photoshoots of each instrument so you see all around.
V70416
Dec-15-2018, 11:49am
I have yet to play a Collings,Ellis,or any of the so-called modern-sounding mandolins. Looong overdue for a mandolinistic adventure
to Carters or somesuch place.
Hoping I really hate the "modern" sound. Not sure though.
sgarrity
Dec-15-2018, 11:56am
Wonder if they’re doing torrified tops on the ovals?
Al Trujillo
Dec-15-2018, 1:49pm
Wonder if they’re doing torrified tops on the ovals?
I asked that same question to Sean @ Avenue and he said that Collins does.
I played one at Gryphon and it was certainly different. Kept going back and forth with a regular MT. I remember thinking, yep, this one's good, then yep, this one's good, back and forth.
It wasn't that long ago I didn't care for the Collings tone at all. I've changed my tune. They sure build a beauty for sure. Play in good health.
darylcrisp
Dec-15-2018, 5:59pm
I've owned a couple Collings along the way trying to figure out what has that sound that I hear in my head. Some of the Collings were too much of something for my taste, Adi tops were too strident for me-the e strings especially . I always preferred the Engle man top MT for its more earthy tone. I don't care a lot of adornment(although my Weber Yellowstone TMS custom carries about all you do to a mandolin, but it was purchased solely for its tone and fit for my hands-i don't notice all the binding, gold hardware, fern inlay).
I see Collings moving things around subtly after Bill's passing, everything I've seen/heard just gets better and better.
The big thing I want to mention, this MT wasn't that far price wise from the old base MT of years past, that to me looked kinda drab.
The simple gloss top, gloss headstock veneer, and the added thin white stripe alongside the tortise binding took this mando many steps forward. I have no idea just how much difference the Torrified Sitka top makes because I didn't have a bunch of with and without to compare, and this is the first Torrified top I've played.
The tuners need some loving attention at string change, they tune and hold fine, but I think I can get them a little more smoother and at ease to use. I've found this pretty standard for every Collings I've had. To date, I've found no mandolin tune as smooth and easy as the Northfields, Webers, Girouard that I've owned.
This MT shows the light weight, surgical precision of build, and eye popping wood choice that they seem to always have, but what I'm hearing and enjoying is the sound of deep old tone with clarity. Nothing is harsh,thin, or brittle.
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LadysSolo
Dec-15-2018, 6:38pm
Darylcrisp, I wonder if age mellows Collings instruments, as I bought a used Collings that has a deep but crystal-clear tone. And supposedly torrefied tops (IIRC) simulate aged instruments. Anyway, I am glad you like it - it has a kind of understated elegance in appearance IMHO. I also bought a set of Rubner tuners in case I need to replace the tuners on the Collings, but it hasn't been necessary yet.
I don't know about mandolins, but Taylor uses torrefied tops in their guitars and the sound quality is amazing.
Mandobar
Dec-19-2018, 5:44am
I asked that same question to Sean @ Avenue and he said that Collins does.
When I asked Adam at TME he said Adirondack yes, Sitka, no.
As for simulating aging, the torrified Sitka dries out the tone. The torrified Adirondack makes the instrument louder, and more lively. I’ve owned a lot of torrified instruments (including an all-torrified mt2 from Collings), and realistically, if you are really looking for vintage tone, the only way to get that in a guitar is to buy a vintage instrument. To be honest, it might be cheaper in some cases.
pheffernan
Dec-19-2018, 7:09am
It's rarely a bad decision to buy the base model from an excellent manufacturer. You generally get the same craftspeople working with the same focus on performance only with fewer costly bells and whistles. In that sense, the Collings MT is much like a BMW 2-series automobile. Perhaps the torrefied top is the equivalent of the upgraded 6-cylinder 240i.
Lane Pryce
Dec-19-2018, 7:17am
Wow very nice. I’ve been looking at MT2’s for ever just never pulled the trigger. Haven’t really considered a torrefied top but Engleman is a must. I’ve always had a love for A style mandolins. Lp
darylcrisp
Dec-20-2018, 8:57pm
It's rarely a bad decision to buy the base model from an excellent manufacturer. You generally get the same craftspeople working with the same focus on performance only with fewer costly bells and whistles. In that sense, the Collings MT is much like a BMW 2-series automobile. Perhaps the torrefied top is the equivalent of the upgraded 6-cylinder 240i.
M3(lol), this little fellow is the performance version of the base MT, with a single color slick paint job, and a single, simple pinstripe.
Not that it matters, but I am a certified(well, once was many decades ago)BMW motorcycle mechanic(air cooled twin motors).I had totally forgotten about that...........
darylcrisp
Dec-20-2018, 9:03pm
Wow very nice. I’ve been looking at MT2’s for ever just never pulled the trigger. Haven’t really considered a torrefied top but Engleman is a must. I’ve always had a love for A style mandolins. Lp
Lane, I owned an adi top MT2 for a short while, but just didn't bond with it. I've always loved the base MT's that passed thru my hands(all of them had Engelmann tops), as I liked the earthy tone they produced more than the brighter(to my ears) adi and Sitka.
Now though, this torrefied top gives me all of what I like in the Engelmann, and has something more. it has the earthy tone, the woody nature, and clarity of the notes. nothing is muffled and nothing is strident/harsh. its different than any collings I've played, all in a good way(this is torrefied Sitka btw).
darylcrisp
Dec-21-2018, 6:08pm
Darylcrisp, I wonder if age mellows Collings instruments, as I bought a used Collings that has a deep but crystal-clear tone. And supposedly torrefied tops (IIRC) simulate aged instruments. Anyway, I am glad you like it - it has a kind of understated elegance in appearance IMHO. I also bought a set of Rubner tuners in case I need to replace the tuners on the Collings, but it hasn't been necessary yet.
I've never played an older/well played Collings so I don't know, would be interesting to hear from some folks who have a well played in collings and know what they have experienced.
I've never played an older/well played Collings so I don't know, would be interesting to hear from some folks who have a well played in collings and know what they have experienced.
Herein lies the conundrum when trying new instruments. All the imports below the Kentucky master series leave me wanting more. But my experience is with new instruments only. Would I have the same jaded opinion if I played a five year old MD 315? Adding fuel to this speculation has been my experience with a new adi top. Rather dramatic changes there.
Baking wood definitely has an effect for sure.