❌SOLD❌ William Laskin Custom Steel String for Bill Collings, 1992

This William Laskin Custom is very unusual – built to order during 1992 by one of Canada’s finest luthiers for one of the USA’s best – the late Bill Collings.

William Laskin began building guitars during 1971 with an apprenticeship to Jean Larrivee. He is well known for the very high quality of his guitar construction, and also for the inventiveness and complexity of his engraved inlay work, much of which is spectacular. 

This William Laskin Custom features a Sitka Spruce top paired with Indian Rosewood for the sides and back.   The body blocks and neck are Mahogany, with Ebony for the bridge, head plate and bound 12-fret fingerboard.   Also featured on this guitar is the Laskin ArmRest,  a bevel system that is appearing on higher end guitars by other builders.      A condenser mic is installed in the guitar, and Schaller tuners are installed. 

Then there’s the inlays.   There are three; a ‘Made For B C’ engraved Mother of Pearl heel cap;  dots in the usual places, and the headstock inlay depicting a melting ice cube, with a drip of water leading to a splash at the first fret.   

Bill Collings was impressed with Laskin’s work after seeing photos of ‘Grand Complications’, a William Laskin Custom built for Henry Lowenstein, CEO of The Newport Guitar Show.   

Here’s what Lowenstein said about that encounter:  

“I was showing the pictures of [my guitar] “Grand Complications” around the NAMM show to the expected ooohs and aaahs, which were embellished by the fact that I explained it sounded even better than it looked. While talking with Bill Collings (President, Collings Guitars, Texas), I pulled the pictures out expecting him to say “Very Nice”, and move on to the next topic. Instead, the pictures stopped him dead in his tracks and in front of his entire booth stated that he had chills and goosebumps all over his body from seeing the pictures, at which point he rolled up his sleeves to prove that he did indeed have goosebumps all over his arms.”

An interesting anecdote is that apparently,  during the ordering process, Laskin indicated that the guitar needed a headstock inlay.    Collings reflected for a short while,  and decided that a melting ice cube would be difficult to conceive and execute, and asked for that design.  

This wonderful William Laskin Custom is sold with a grey Calton light weight, hard shell flight case.