Collings Guitars
Collings Guitars is a privately held Austin, Texas manufacturer of handmade acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops, and mandolins, built by skilled luthiers and sold exclusively through an authorized dealer network in the US and 14 international markets to professional and serious amateur musicians.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Collings Guitars does
Collings Guitars, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer of handmade acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops, and mandolins, founded in 1973 and headquartered at a single facility in Austin, Texas (11210 W. Hwy 290, Building C). The company produces instruments in small batches by skilled luthiers, with build times of 4-5 months for guitars after an order enters production and longer for mandolins. Its product portfolio spans small-body, mid-sized, and large-body acoustic models; solid body, semi-hollow, and fully-hollow electric models; carved archtops; and A-Style, F-Style, and Mandola configurations. Notable proprietary elements include Q Spruce soundboards graded via BING (Beam Identification for Non-destructive Grading) acoustic science supplied by Pacific Rim Tonewoods, Trestle Bracing on fully-hollow electric bodies, and ultra-thin nitrocellulose lacquer finishes on the Traditional Series.
The business operates exclusively through an authorized dealer network covering 29 US states and 14 international markets; no direct-to-consumer instrument sales are offered. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set per order by individual dealers, who also manage custom order specifications through the Custom Craft program covering tonewoods, finishes, inlays, binding, and hardware. Brand marketing relies on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, email newsletters, and featured-artist collaborations rather than paid acquisition. A related sub-brand, Waterloo Guitars, is operated as a wholly-owned sister line offering vintage-inspired instruments at a more accessible price point. Customers are professional and serious amateur musicians across bluegrass, jazz, fingerstyle, folk, and blues segments, served by 101-250 employees. Limited lifetime warranty coverage and controlled humidity/temperature manufacturing environment (49% RH, 75°F) support the value proposition. No external funding rounds, parent company, or public-company indicators are present in the data.
Collings Guitars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Collings Guitars
- Legal name
- Collings Guitars, Inc.
- Website
- https://collingsguitars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Collings Guitars is a privately held Austin, Texas manufacturer of handmade acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops, and mandolins, built by skilled luthiers and sold exclusively through an authorized dealer network in the US and 14 international markets to professional and serious amateur musicians.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Collings Guitars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Handmade Musical Instruments
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument Manufacturing (339992)
- SIC
- Musical Instruments (3931)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric) (MPAIAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instrument & Pro Audio Retail (Online/Brick-and-Mortar) (MPAIAJAH), Instrument Parts, Repair & Maintenance (Luthier, Tech Services, Spares) (MPAIAJAG)
Keywords
Where Collings Guitars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Collings Guitars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Handmade Instrument Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling custom handmade acoustic guitars, electric guitars, mandolins, and archtops. Instruments are sold exclusively through authorized dealers. Custom orders can take 4-5 months for guitars after entering production, with mandolins taking longer.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of Collings-branded apparel, hats, gifts, and merchandise through the website using Shopify payment processing.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Collings Guitars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Collings Guitars is a handmade musical instrument manufacturer based in Austin, Texas that builds custom acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops, and mandolins by skilled luthiers using traditional craftsmanship with modern refinements. All instruments are sold exclusively through a global network of authorized dealers, with a Custom Craft program enabling buyers to specify tonewoods, finishes, inlays, binding, and hardware.
Product overview
Collings Guitars is a handmade guitar and mandolin manufacturer based in Austin, Texas. The company produces four main instrument categories: Acoustic Guitars (including Standard, Traditional, and Hill Country series with models ranging from small body parlor to large body dreadnought), Electric Guitars (including solid body 71 series, semi-hollow 620 series, and fully hollow Ladybird and 620 SM LC models), Archtop Guitars (AT-16, AT-16 Deluxe, AT-17), and Mandolins (A-Style, F-Style, Mandola). All instruments are built by skilled luthiers using premium materials, with Custom Craft options available through authorized dealers. The company also offers Q Spruce Tops as a premium acoustic guitar top option graded using advanced acoustic science.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Waterloo Guitars: A related guitar brand operated by Collings Guitars, offering vintage-inspired instruments at a more accessible price point.
Quantifiable outcome
- Build times of 4-5 months for acoustic and electric guitars after entering production
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Collings Guitars
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Collings Guitars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Collings Guitars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Pacific Rim TonewoodscoreWood vendor supplying Q Spruce guitar soundboards that have been sonically graded using BING (Beam Identification for Non-destructive Grading) technology. Q Spruce is graded based on physical and musical properties (damping coefficient/Q factor) rather than aesthetics, providing Collings with a technical differentiation in wood selection and voicing.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Collings Guitars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lowden Guitars: Lowden is a Northern Ireland-based boutique handmade acoustic guitar maker, sold globally through a similar boutique dealer model. Strong product/market overlap with Collings acoustics in the fingerstyle and small-body parlor segments.
- C.F. Martin & Co. (Martin Guitars): Martin is the benchmark handmade acoustic guitar manufacturer based in Nazareth, PA. Collings competes directly with Martin's premium acoustic lines (Standard Series, Authentic, Custom Shop) using similar tonewoods and luthier-built construction, targeting the same professional and serious-amateur player segment.
- Gibson Custom: Gibson Custom is Gibson's premium hand-built division producing Les Paul, ES, and acoustic models at the top of the price tier. Overlaps with Collings in semi-hollow, hollow-body, and acoustic categories for professional players seeking high-end, low-volume instruments.
- Larrivee Guitars: Larrivee is a Canadian/US handmade acoustic guitar manufacturer focused on accessible-to-premium price tiers. Overlaps with Collings and Waterloo in dealer showrooms and serves a similar pro/serious amateur customer base.
- PRS Guitars (Paul Reed Smith): PRS manufactures premium and semi-hollow electric guitars known for craftsmanship and build quality. PRS Core and Private Stock models compete directly with Collings' solid-body (71), semi-hollow (620), and hollow (Ladybird, 620 SM LC) electric lines in the same boutique channel.
- Taylor Guitars: Taylor is a leading premium acoustic guitar manufacturer based in El Cajon, CA, known for blending modern CNC-assisted production with craftsmanship. Like Collings, it serves professional and serious amateur players with high-end acoustic offerings and emphasizes an in-house technology/voicing narrative.
- Bourgeois Guitars: Bourgeois is a Lewiston, Maine-based boutique acoustic maker focused on vintage-inspired dreadnoughts and om-sized guitars. Comparable to Collings in size, handmade construction philosophy, and target buyer (bluegrass, fingerstyle, vintage-tone enthusiasts).
- Santa Cruz Guitar Company: Santa Cruz is a small-batch handmade acoustic guitar maker in Santa Cruz, CA, with a tight model lineup and luthier-built construction at comparable price points to Collings. Both companies occupy the same boutique pro-tier acoustic niche and often appear on the same authorized dealer shelves.
- National Reso-Phonic Guitars: National Reso-Phonic produces handmade resonator and archtop instruments, sharing Collings' emphasis on boutique craftsmanship, vintage tone, and small-batch production at the pro tier.
- Fender Custom Shop: Fender Custom Shop produces made-to-order premium electric guitars and basses (Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters). Collings' 71, 71 M, and other electric models compete for the same boutique electric buyer seeking hand-built alternatives to Custom Shop offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Collings Guitars social profiles
Digital presenceCollings Guitars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Collings Guitars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Collings Guitars subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Collings Guitars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Collings Guitars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Collings Guitars
What does Collings Guitars do?
Collings Guitars is a handmade musical instrument manufacturer based in Austin, Texas that builds custom acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops, and mandolins by skilled luthiers using traditional craftsmanship with modern refinements. All instruments are sold exclusively through a global network of authorized dealers, with a Custom Craft program enabling buyers to specify tonewoods, finishes, inlays, binding, and hardware.
Is Collings Guitars a public or private company?
Collings Guitars is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Collings Guitars founded?
Collings Guitars was founded in 1973. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Collings Guitars based?
Collings Guitars is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Collings Guitars make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Handmade Instrument Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are Collings Guitars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lowden Guitars, C.F. Martin & Co. (Martin Guitars), Gibson Custom, Larrivee Guitars, PRS Guitars (Paul Reed Smith), Taylor Guitars, Bourgeois Guitars, Santa Cruz Guitar Company, National Reso-Phonic Guitars and Fender Custom Shop.
Does Collings Guitars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Collings Guitars.
What industry is Collings Guitars in?
Collings Guitars's product category is Handmade Musical Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAJAA, Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric), with a secondary code of MPAIAJAH, Instrument & Pro Audio Retail (Online/Brick-and-Mortar). Its NAICS code is 339992 and its SIC code is 3931.