The Current's Guitar Collection: Brandi Carlile, Collings custom
by Luke Taylor
December 31, 2014
After Brandi Carlile and her band stopped into the studio of The Current (where they performed the live-radio premiere of three new songs), Carlile took some time to describe the guitar she was playing.
It turns out that her choice of guitar was influenced by the recommendation of a legendary songwriter.
Were you playing a Martin guitar today?
No, I'm playing a Collings. It's a custom Collings that was made for me by the company — they're hand-made in Austin, Texas, and they're amazing guitars.
The way I feel about Collings in particular is that a lot of my contemporaries play vintage guitars, and that's lovely; I have some vintage guitars, too. But I think there's kind of a retro obsession with guitars right now, and the thing about Collings is they make guitars that aren't' vintage but will age in a way that is just brilliant and that sound vintage right now.
I mean, the Hofner bass wasn't vintage when Paul McCartney started playing it — it was just the best thing. And that's kind of how I feel about Collings guitars.
How did you discover them?
I discovered Collings because I spoke with James Taylor one time in about 2002 or 2003, and he had one. And he said, "If you ever get a record deal or if you ever get to a place where you can afford one of these guitars, then this is the one to play."
I never ended up having to afford one; they gave me one and I've never put it down ever since, and it's been years.
Under what circumstances were you first able to try one? Was it in Austin?
I was in Austin, and I was doing a recording session and there were a couple in the studio and I inquired about them, and I've since bought three Collings on my own, and they're starting to form a bit of a collection. [Band member] Tim Hanseroth plays them, too.
How long have you had the one?
I've had that one for about eight years.
It has an interesting, road-worn-looking blemish near the neck — is that from pick wear?
Yes, it is pick wear. I do that to guitars — I don't know how or why, but I do. It got to where it was about to become a hole, and then Tim, he took some shaved drumsticks and some wood glue and kind of crafted a sort of pick guard for that area that I've kind of worn through.
An instrument repair made from other instruments …
Yeah, actually I never thought of it that way. I think we were just on the road and needed some wood, and that is what we had! (laugh)
And when you're not on the road, is this guitar your go-to instrument at home?
Yeah! All the time. It's kind of my main guitar, and it's the guitar that Tim played on "The Eye" and I played it on a couple of things in today's session. It seems like I've always got it in my hands.
