NGD: Waterloo WL-12

[Maggieo]

Thanks to my friend Aram's suggestion, who has played Ribot's '35 Gibson L-00, and has one of his own; I've got a brand-new Waterloo WL-12, which is a ringer for the far more expensive Gibsons my boys have.

Waterloo, for those who don't know, are made by Collings in the same factory where the rest of the Collings' line is made. Only the Waterloo guitars are meant to be like the Depression-era "department store" and low-end-of-the-line Gibsons that were popular with blues cats and troubadours.

Here, I'll let the website copy explain:

The WL-12 is a new variation on the flagship WL-14 that brings together the elements of maple back and sides, vintage x-bracing, and 12-fret construction to create an entirely new Waterloo experience. By joining the neck to the body at the 12th fret, the bridge is positioned closer to the center of the lower bout, producing a rich and open tone with stronger low end response than you would typically expect from a parlor-sized guitar. Maple back/sides make for the perfect tonal compliment to the body design, adding focus, projection, and a pronounced front-end attack that is sure to inspire players of nearly any acoustic genre.

As a standard, all WL-12 models feature a moderate oval-shaped neck profile with a fully adjustable truss rod, drop-in saddle, and a vintage "iced tea" sunburst finish. Hardshell TKL case included.

All Waterloo models are handmade in Austin, Texas.
Body Width: 14 3/4"
Body Length: 19 1/4"
Body Depth: 4 1/4"
Scale Length: 24 7/8"
Nut Width: 1 3/4"
Saddle Spacing: 2 3/8"
Recommended Strings: D'Addario EJ16 (.012"-.053")

It's a great, and like they say, punchy, little guitar. Definitely punches above what you'd think it would. Not a Jumbo by any means- my Dove is much, much louder, but plenty loud enough for small rooms and recording. I like that it's got a timbre that works really well for triads and single notes as well as full chords. It's kind of Jazzy, in a Leon Redbone kind of way. (Hummmm, might have to name him 'Leon" now...)

It really does capture the vibe of Aram and Ribot's guitars, and I only had to trade away three guitars to get it, instead of five or six!

And now, a pair of photos:


Waterloo WL-12, March 08, 2018 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr


Waterloo WL-12, March 08, 2018 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

[loudwizard]

Cool! I love my little Waterloo, and 12-fretters in general.
I had a hard time choosing between my S and the WL-12.
Enjoy it!

[Maggieo]

Cool! I love my little Waterloo, and 12-fretters in general.
I had a hard time choosing between my S and the WL-12.
Enjoy it!

Thanks!

12-fretters are my faves, too.

[mediocreplayer]

So beautiful! And I bet it weights less than a piece of paper.

What three guitars did you trade for it, if I may ask?

Is this aram the aram on TGP? I might have gotten into an argument with him years ago over whether Bach is better than Duran Duran.

[Larry Mal]

Beautiful! I'm now sold on 12 fret guitars too, took me long enough... you should have said something before!

[Maggieo]

So beautiful! And I bet it weights less than a piece of paper.

What three guitars did you trade for it, if I may ask?

Is this aram the aram on TGP? I might have gotten into an argument with him years ago over whether Bach is better than Duran Duran.

It's so light that even the lightest of electrics seem heavy. Like, stupid heavy. It's weird.

I traded the Jerry Jones shorthorn, a '92 Hamer Sunburst, and a semi-new Epiphone Zephyr Masterbuilt. Totally worth it. I hadn't played the first two in at least over a year, maybe longer, and the Epi just wasn't doing it for me.

Yep, Aram Bajakian! He's over at TGP- I met him via the Rick Kelly threads. He comped my hubby and me tickets when he came through Omaha with Diana Krall. He's a real mensch.

[Maggieo]

Beautiful! I'm now sold on 12 fret guitars too, took me long enough... you should have said something before!

How was I to know?

Thanks, Larry!

[marqueemoon]

I love it.

Small bodied acoustics rule.

[Embenny]

+1 for the Leon Redbone comment. Congrats on the NGD!

[shadowplay]

That's a lovely looking wee guitar and I get the feeling it will mellow nicely as the years go by. The sunburst is interesting because it really does look like light leaking out.

It's good you've taken guitars you don't play and turned them into one you will. I keep meaning to buy a small acoustic but never get round to it, the smallest one I currently have is an older Yamaha LL11.

D

[Despot]

Maggie - that's beautiful, particularly the sunburst.

I have yet to play one of these, but Jeff Tweedy used two of these when he played Dublin recently doing a solo show. He didn't use a pickup - he'd a mic in front of the guitar for most of the gig. Towards the end of the gig he stepped away from both mics (guitar and vocal) while singing California Stars ... the venue (Vicar Street) is 1,500 people ... so not tiny by any means ... and the guitar was still projecting enough that you could hear it unamplified where we were, half way towards the back of the room.

He had a few small body guitars at that gig - at least one Martin and another that I couldn't identify. But the Waterloos were the guitars that sounded best to me - they may be small, but they punch far above their weight.

May it bring you many years of pleasure.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Looks lovely. I've been on the lookout for a 12th-fret/parlour guitar I can afford for a while now. I'm guessing this one would be out of my price range.

[loudwizard]

Looks lovely. I've been on the lookout for a 12th-fret/parlour guitar I can afford for a while now. I'm guessing this one would be out of my price range.

have you checked out any of the Recording Kings? I haven't, but I've heard good things.
I have an RK openback banjo that is more than adequate.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Looks lovely. I've been on the lookout for a 12th-fret/parlour guitar I can afford for a while now. I'm guessing this one would be out of my price range.

have you checked out any of the Recording Kings? I haven't, but I've heard good things.
I have an RK openback banjo that is more than adequate.

You've read my mind (well you are a wizard).

I just missed out on a Recording King ROS-627 at a good price a while back and have been hoping another one will turn up ever since.

[Despot]

Looks lovely. I've been on the lookout for a 12th-fret/parlour guitar I can afford for a while now. I'm guessing this one would be out of my price range.

They're not mad expensive second hand - probably a little less than most standard Gibson acoustics. They're a hell of a lot cheaper than a 'proper' Collings (usually around 3k second hand). But I've seen Waterloos go for around 1,200 euro second hand.

I know it's not at Recording King level ... but for what they are that's not that much.

I've thought about saving up for one every so often ... but I bought a cheap Levin/Goya 00 sized parlour about two years ago and though it still needs a bit of work, when it's done it should work out a lot cheaper than a Waterloo and it'll do the job.