This great-sounding Collings 0001 A Varnish has just come in for consignment. It's from early in the period when they began offering varnish as a finish alternative to lacquer -- and it brings us right back to those revelatory strums we'd take when playing a varnish-finished guitar for the first time (it's no longer an option). This guitar is noticeably lightweight; and the finish has seeped into the pores on the back and sides (this byproduct is typical of a varnish guitar). Just hitting the A string, when tuned to pitch, lets you know you're in for a treat: the guitar is hugely resonant, with a hi-fi, present quality, openness of sound, and woody note clarity that you won't find in other Collings flattops. This is a wonderful fingerstyle guitar, with the built-in-reverb quality of a vintage guitar, and it takes a flatpick beautifully as well. In case it's not obvious, we really like this one!