Bill Collings 1948-2017

Warm, crystalline tone, projection
we’re talkin’ Bill Collings guitars
“I could never reach perfection”
and God could improve upon stars

His dedication to function and form
dictated their elegant construction
Paul Simon could soothe, Keith Richards could storm
and Hendrix would’ve fucked ’em

They all have stories of how they found ’em
Joni, Frisell, Lou Reed
Van Halen, Emmylou and Townshend
Siren sounds till fingers bleed

At his kitchen table a love fulfilled
he built his first, was never the same
a hybrid Gibson/Martin/Guild
hand saw, hammer, chisel and plane

“His guitars have personality
full of energy”, said Lyle Lovett
Wood and craft, Tao duality
Even a good Christian man would covet

Now I guess Jesus comes around
who has a certain sound he’d like to capture
One that will make us bow down to the sound
when he takes the stage at the Rapture