Collings vs Huss & Dalton Shootout Sitka vs Adirondack

This is patently silly. Different makers (builders specs "the same down to a T" LOL, hardly) , entirely different finishes (ie lacquer vs poly on the H&D) , ridiculous and erroneous assumption that one can make an accurate blanket statement about the sound qualities of a species of wood. Tonewood is very variable even WITHIN the same species. If you lined up 3 Huss and Daltons all made with the same specs/species, every single one would sound a little different. Same is true with the Collings and every other builder. I'm sorry but this is not useful.

Both so great! Even the Martin HD-35 on your other comparison vid. The Huss and Dalton is the winner for me. Great playing! 👍🏽 Keep posting more!!

Two of my favorite guitar builders! Both guitars sound great!

Definitely the Huss & Dalton to me. Luv dat sound !

Thanks for this video. I don't have access to Adirondack so it has helped me determine that I prefer the sound of Sitka. You make these two boutique guitars sound great.

Auditioned with : Mac / Metric Halo ULN2 / Focal Clear Hd Ph. > H&D Sitka : Round, warmer, more balanced sound. Collings Adirondack : Brighter, edgy, sterile clear harder sounding attack. > The H&D Sitka to my ear has more of a traditional D-28 character. The Collings Adirondack possibly has more presence in a live mix but at the expense of balance. This difference in sound seems to be more relevant with flat picking than with bare finger picking. I would always chose an acoustic guitar that presents a rich character as opposed to a sound of clarity. THAT'S where my money is well spent. I truly feel there's more to it than JUST the top in your shootout. Be well & keep safe.

Now I'm fall in love with Hust and Dalton Company ❤️❤️👍🥳🥳🥳🥳 Sounds peaceful 🤗

Those both look like relatively new guitars, and Adirondack tops are known to need time to “break in” and open up. Sitka is more ready to go right out of the box, so I’d be curious to hear what these guitars sound like a few years down the line. Most the the prized “holy grail” Pre-war Martins had Adirondack tops and they ring like a bell (they’ve also had the benefit of decades to open up)

I feel like collings gets more hype, but H&D’s are more pleasant guitars.

Love this comparison. Your playing is beautiful to listen to. I'm no expert on these things but the Huss and Dalton sounds nicer to my ears. Both are beautiful guitars though.

I like the sound of both of them. I was, however, surprised that the Collings was the louder of the two guitars. The H&D has a more traditional sound and was at home with the more blue grassy number. The Collings had a bell like, original sounding tone and incredible sustain. At one point it was almost piano like in tone and sustain. Thanks for the demo! They are both nice guitars. I wouldn't turn down either one of them. :)

Both lovely, but the Collings just does it for me. Richer sound!

Listening to both without looking, I have a slight preference for what I perceive as a warmer sound from the H&D. The differences between the two seem more attributable to the differences in the signature tone print of each company rather than the tops. I feel that H&D's lean a little more towards the Martin sound, while retaining more clarity than many Martins, whereas Collings tend to have a tighter, brighter sound that is powerful and can cut through the mix. However, both sound great, and I can see how the Collings would be preferable to many players. And, I always love the playability and tuning stability of Collings guitars. Thanks for a great site!

Both are great..I’ve owned several Collings so I’m partial to them I guess..thx for nice video.🎵🎵🎵

I have owned both .. 2 Collings and a Huss. The Huss was a dread and seemed to be more alive than the collings d2ha. The Huss had a Sitka and the collings had a Adirondack. I think there is more hype than anything with Adirondack and the increased price. Th beat it all, the one that blowed them both away was my collings om2h “small body”. Not just my opinion. Everyone that played it was wowed. It could hang right with any loud dread. It boils down to the individual guitar. I do think hand rubbed varnish sounds more alive. My next one will most likely be a Collings D1A varnish

They both sound spectacular but I’m hearing more of the overall difference in tones of the builders more so than top woods. The H&D reminds me of a really good modern Martin. It’s loud and thuddy. The Collings has more warmth and more of that high-fi, almost Taylor like sound. As far as the tops go the Adi H&D does seem to be louder and have a higher tonal ceiling. Both sound fantastic. To my surprise my preference would be the Collings.

A couple of doozies right there! Amazing guitars. If Collings built a tweed case around their green liner I think it would be impossible to choose any other guitar.... haha but honestly they are both dreamy. Also great playing, I especially love the piece you start to play at 2:40. Really shows off the power and grace of a dread.

Different voicing and construction. Both sound great. Imo the collins is more punchy and plays and sounds more like a collins and the h and d sounds and plays like an HD. Not as loud but really sparkles

Tim, they both sound great! Which was louder in the room? Is there a difference in feel?

Great comparison. Both very nice of course though I would lean towards H&D with dreadnoughts and Collings for smaller bodies. Over the years I just cannot seem to go back to Spruce after having mainly Adirondack top guitars. If I must have spruce, definitely must have rosewood body to open up the tone. You can tell the difference especially in less expensive guitars. Adi tops always sound more open, dynamic and loud. It's a much harder spruce than sitka so the top can be thinner resulting in greater vibration (sound).