I play a 1930 Gibson L0 12-fret. It’s the best guitar I’ve ever played ❤️. I got a Waterloo WL-K for gigs and jams, and it is pretty close to my old Gibson. If the Waterloo is loved and played for nearly 100 years, it may well grow into the depths of beautiful sound like that of the vintage Gibson.
Great playing and video comparison. Having owned two 30’s era Gibsons and now a 12fret Waterloo, I am blown away how accurate they replicated the old Gibsons. As you pointed out, I suspect once the Waterloo has the same age as the ‘37 it’ll probably sound similar. Getting a new Waterloo is like buying that ‘37 in the year ‘37!
The clip of the Waterloo in drop D is pretty breathtaking. You’ve got some great tone in your right hand. Both guitars are absolutely gorgeous. Subbed!
This is a great video. Thank you. My only critique with the Waterloo vs Gibson OO videos is that everyone seems to be playing very lightly, which is fine, but sometimes you don't hear a guitar's response if you don't play hard at times. Bluegrass dudes and some blues players want to hear how it sounds when you play with more energy. Just saying. Besides that, this is the best comparison video I have seen
I've experienced the same thing, Steve. Had to sell a great 1992 L-1 reissue in 2005 and have been trying to get another one ever since. My nuts hurt too.
The Waterloo sounds amazing. The Gibson sounds like a vintage guitar, you can''t replicate that in a 100%. It will open and get sweeter with time though. Thanks for sharing :)
Like the comparing. Just to note that its worth noting if each are ladder braced or X braced. Just saying. One thing is the age of the woods on the guitars is that one is about 80 plus years verses just a few years. That usually makes a fair difference in tone. The other is that new build will likely have less physical problems than the early build guitars. Thanks!
I'm pretty sure even in the 30s the L-00 model were X-braced. The Waterloo is available both ways as WL-14X or WL-14L - so they are both X-braced in this vid
It’s not a street fight it’s a comparison. Both guitars are great and there’s no possible way a new guitar can fully capture the exact tone of and old guitar with decades of playing. The Waterloo definitely has the vintage vibe and flavor of the old Kalamazoo guitar it’s meant to replicate. It’s also more reliable and stable and will open up sonically with a couple of years of regular use. The Gibson is totally amazing but I’d be scared to take it anywhere and play it a lot for fear of potential damage etc.
There is no Contest They both sound Beautiful, and your finger style playing Lindsay is Perfect for this They both have there own voice so you can not really compare, You are right about the difference between vintage and new. I have a 100 year old Lyon Healy Washburn Parlor Brazilian Rose wood everything ,Spruce Top 12 1nch Lower bout With a voice Loud and Proud and a demon -like sustain AMAZING for open tune slide and I believe there truly is a tone that only years of Play can produce Thank you For the Demo. Sorry I went on so about my Vintage Washburn parlor. 😄
Big fan of the Waterloo, in fact I have two of 'em; but I have a chance to get a '33 Kalamazoo that appears to be in pretty good shape, and am kinda on the fence as to what to expect or even look for. I guess if I can get that Kal for the right price I'll check it out and can do my own "comparisons" with my Waterloos... ;) Seriously though, I could give a sh!t about the comparisons, I'm just looking for the right sound, vibe and feel. If the Kal has it and is in decent shape, maybe she'll be coming home to a new family. :)
I keep getting flack for this but Gibson really needs to offer the L 00 with a 25 inch scale......it makes a difference and whenever I mention this I get comments that don't really sync with what I'm getting at.....play a short scale 000-18 the play an OM.....there's a reason the OM has way more punch and its the 25 inch scale......while they are at it they should make the body a little deeper......they would not be able to keep them in stock!
For a minute I thought you were playing the theme song to the bugs bunny road runner show: “It’s time to get things started, it’s time to light the lights 🎶 “
The song is "That'll Never Happen No More", 1927, by Blink Blake. Also a current version is available by John Oats (yes, of Hall and Oats) on his 2017 CD Arkansas.
The old gibsons and kalamazoo were famous for big chunky "baseball bat" nacks, although there was so exceptions, comes down to the individual guitar. But if you want an old gibson, do your homework and you can find some years/models that do have a smaller neck profile. But if you buy mail order, have seller measure specs with a micrometer, if they cannot do that or do not know how, best to find another seller or have the guitar evaluated by a known good luthier or shop rather than take a risk The waterloos have a couple neck options, there is a slim option I have never felt, but I find I really like the modified V shape for my large female arthritic stiff hands. The V fits perfect in V shape of palm and also allows you to easily wrap thumb around to finger the 6th string. They really did a nice job with the neck shape on waterloo, imho. I have wl-s and wl-k.
I can agree with Marcia. I have a 35 L00 and baseball bat is the perfect description. I swear it even gets a little thicker around the first and second fret. It sounds incredible but before that my main axe is a 97 hummingbird and it’s like going from a toothbrush to a telephone pole. My playing is obviously worse on the L00. But it’s so dang cool I WILL figure out how to smoothly play it
@@tubeball123 I’m having to admit to myself that the L00 is not a flat pickers guitar. It’s in great shape for its age. Had a couple of repairs. But there is no comparison to my hummingbird or d41. Maybe look at the new L00 or LG2 they are small body with newer neck styles that may fit you better if that’s what you really want. Keep in mind, there are lots of small handed men and women that can wear a guitar out. So I think where there’s a Will will there’s a way! Good luck
Gibson wins but I love the waterloos for an incredible great playing and very well made out of the box 21 century guitar for 40% less cost than an old gibson would cost. That would be before you reset the old neck, refret and level fretboard and repair cracks, braces and nuts and bridges and who knows what someone else might have done to "repair" the old gibson. Plus, compare the chunky gibson neck versus the nice waterloo V. Gibson likely has 100 year old adi red spruce top, waterloo sitka, then the maple gibson S&B VS waterloo mahogany. Frankly, I am amazed the waterloo sounds as good as it does considering all this and wonder what will it sound like in 5, 10 50 or 100 years to come? The waterloos are very popular for a good reason, bang for buck they are a great value compared to buying vintage or buying a name brand expense boutique guitar for $4k and rising. Hopefully waterloo will not have any more price increases in next few years as then the boutiques start to make sense, especially mint used boutique guitar. Good luck shoppers!
I find this comparison a little baffling. It strikes me as comparing a new conductor to a grand master. The new guy is capable of wonderful things and will get better in time, the grand master has done it and performs "masterly". If the intent is to show that the "new guy" is close to the "grand master", that can be said for many "new guys". I want to be able to go to a dealer that sells Collings/Waterloo guitars but I have no desire to compare it to a grand master guitar that is seasoned.
Thanks, Ryan! Even though these guitars look similar, they certainly have very different qualities. The Waterloo capture a true vintage tone while maintaining articulation and resonance. Thanks for your feedback!
I play a 1930 Gibson L0 12-fret. It’s the best guitar I’ve ever played ❤️. I got a Waterloo WL-K for gigs and jams, and it is pretty close to my old Gibson. If the Waterloo is loved and played for nearly 100 years, it may well grow into the depths of beautiful sound like that of the vintage Gibson.
Great playing and video comparison. Having owned two 30’s era Gibsons and now a 12fret Waterloo, I am blown away how accurate they replicated the old Gibsons. As you pointed out, I suspect once the Waterloo has the same age as the ‘37 it’ll probably sound similar.
Getting a new Waterloo is like buying that ‘37 in the year ‘37!
The clip of the Waterloo in drop D is pretty breathtaking. You’ve got some great tone in your right hand. Both guitars are absolutely gorgeous. Subbed!
The Waterloo sounded great but the Gibson L-00 made my heart skip a beat.
Thank you for posting.
absolutely beautiful playing, tanks!
This is a great video. Thank you. My only critique with the Waterloo vs Gibson OO videos is that everyone seems to be playing very lightly, which is fine, but sometimes you don't hear a guitar's response if you don't play hard at times. Bluegrass dudes and some blues players want to hear how it sounds when you play with more energy. Just saying. Besides that, this is the best comparison video I have seen
This isn't a blue grass guitar.. Buy a dreadnaught if that is what you want.
I own a Waterloo WL-14X and love it! Also much easier to acquire than the Gibson. :-)
p.s. it IS great for recording.
Been saving up for this gibson original or reissue for 4 years now. But life keeps kicking me in the nuts and I am still saving up for one.
I've experienced the same thing, Steve. Had to sell a great 1992 L-1 reissue in 2005 and have been trying to get another one ever since. My nuts hurt too.
@@REM1956 ah damn hey. What a great life when your poor
The Waterloo sounds amazing. The Gibson sounds like a vintage guitar, you can''t replicate that in a 100%. It will open and get sweeter with time though. Thanks for sharing :)
I’d take the Gibson but they both sound good!
I'm a huge Collings fan, but I was knocked out by how lush and pretty the Gibby sounded. Thanks for the comparison.
Like the comparing. Just to note that its worth noting if each are ladder braced or X braced. Just saying. One thing is the age of the woods on the guitars is that one is about 80 plus years verses just a few years. That usually makes a fair difference in tone. The other is that new build will likely have less physical problems than the early build guitars. Thanks!
I'm pretty sure even in the 30s the L-00 model were X-braced. The Waterloo is available both ways as WL-14X or WL-14L - so they are both X-braced in this vid
Perhaps others have more trained ears than I do, but I found the difference negligible in this clip. Both sound fantastic!
They both sound great. The Gibson is a little more bright in tone and bass.
It’s not a street fight it’s a comparison. Both guitars are great and there’s no possible way a new guitar can fully capture the exact tone of and old guitar with decades of playing. The Waterloo definitely has the vintage vibe and flavor of the old Kalamazoo guitar it’s meant to replicate. It’s also more reliable and stable and will open up sonically with a couple of years of regular use. The Gibson is totally amazing but I’d be scared to take it anywhere and play it a lot for fear of potential damage etc.
There is no Contest They both sound Beautiful, and your finger style playing Lindsay is Perfect for this They both have there own voice so you can not really compare, You are right about the difference between vintage and new. I have a 100 year old Lyon Healy Washburn Parlor Brazilian Rose wood everything ,Spruce Top 12 1nch Lower bout With a voice Loud and Proud and a demon -like sustain AMAZING for open tune slide and I believe there truly is a tone that only years of Play can produce Thank you For the Demo. Sorry I went on so about my Vintage Washburn parlor. 😄
Driving me crazy! What is the name of the tune you play during the intro to this video? Excellent vid BTW!
Freight Train!
@@maplestreetguitars Thank You!!! Now I can sleep tonight ;-)
Big fan of the Waterloo, in fact I have two of 'em; but I have a chance to get a '33 Kalamazoo that appears to be in pretty good shape, and am kinda on the fence as to what to expect or even look for. I guess if I can get that Kal for the right price I'll check it out and can do my own "comparisons" with my Waterloos... ;)
Seriously though, I could give a sh!t about the comparisons, I'm just looking for the right sound, vibe and feel. If the Kal has it and is in decent shape, maybe she'll be coming home to a new family. :)
Oh come one Gibson sounds very very intimidating to me, it is just so beautiful,
Niiice playing! What's the name of the first ditty before drop tuning? I love that style of playing
It’s Blind Blake’s “That will never happen no more” great tune.
Great sound from both guitars.
Waterloo has that mortise and tenon neck joint. Not a fan... I vastly prefer the Eastman version in varnish to the Waterloo, YMMV and it is all good.
I keep getting flack for this but Gibson really needs to offer the L 00 with a 25 inch scale......it makes a difference and whenever I mention this I get comments that don't really sync with what I'm getting at.....play a short scale 000-18 the play an OM.....there's a reason the OM has way more punch and its the 25 inch scale......while they are at it they should make the body a little deeper......they would not be able to keep them in stock!
For a minute I thought you were playing the theme song to the bugs bunny road runner show: “It’s time to get things started, it’s time to light the lights 🎶 “
At 3:14, right? Muppets Show theme.
Can anybody tell me what song that is that starts at around 2:27? I need to learn it!
The song is "That'll Never Happen No More", 1927, by Blink Blake. Also a current version is available by John Oats (yes, of Hall and Oats) on his 2017 CD Arkansas.
that gibson sounds as sweet as honey
Hello, I am a small hand person, anybody know whether the L-00 suits for small hand? Thank you!
The old gibsons and kalamazoo were famous for big chunky "baseball bat" nacks, although there was so exceptions, comes down to the individual guitar. But if you want an old gibson, do your homework and you can find some years/models that do have a smaller neck profile. But if you buy mail order, have seller measure specs with a micrometer, if they cannot do that or do not know how, best to find another seller or have the guitar evaluated by a known good luthier or shop rather than take a risk The waterloos have a couple neck options, there is a slim option I have never felt, but I find I really like the modified V shape for my large female arthritic stiff hands. The V fits perfect in V shape of palm and also allows you to easily wrap thumb around to finger the 6th string. They really did a nice job with the neck shape on waterloo, imho. I have wl-s and wl-k.
I can agree with Marcia. I have a 35 L00 and baseball bat is the perfect description. I swear it even gets a little thicker around the first and second fret. It sounds incredible but before that my main axe is a 97 hummingbird and it’s like going from a toothbrush to a telephone pole. My playing is obviously worse on the L00. But it’s so dang cool I WILL figure out how to smoothly play it
@@marciaewell2661 Thank you for your comments!
@@no1fibersplicer525 Thank you!
@@tubeball123 I’m having to admit to myself that the L00 is not a flat pickers guitar. It’s in great shape for its age. Had a couple of repairs. But there is no comparison to my hummingbird or d41. Maybe look at the new L00 or LG2 they are small body with newer neck styles that may fit you better if that’s what you really want. Keep in mind, there are lots of small handed men and women that can wear a guitar out. So I think where there’s a Will will there’s a way! Good luck
Gibson wins but I love the waterloos for an incredible great playing and very well made out of the box 21 century guitar for 40% less cost than an old gibson would cost. That would be before you reset the old neck, refret and level fretboard and repair cracks, braces and nuts and bridges and who knows what someone else might have done to "repair" the old gibson. Plus, compare the chunky gibson neck versus the nice waterloo V. Gibson likely has 100 year old adi red spruce top, waterloo sitka, then the maple gibson S&B VS waterloo mahogany. Frankly, I am amazed the waterloo sounds as good as it does considering all this and wonder what will it sound like in 5, 10 50 or 100 years to come? The waterloos are very popular for a good reason, bang for buck they are a great value compared to buying vintage or buying a name brand expense boutique guitar for $4k and rising. Hopefully waterloo will not have any more price increases in next few years as then the boutiques start to make sense, especially mint used boutique guitar. Good luck shoppers!
I find this comparison a little baffling. It strikes me as comparing a new conductor to a grand master. The new guy is capable of wonderful things and will get better in time, the grand master has done it and performs "masterly". If the intent is to show that the "new guy" is close to the "grand master", that can be said for many "new guys". I want to be able to go to a dealer that sells Collings/Waterloo guitars but I have no desire to compare it to a grand master guitar that is seasoned.
1937 wins! new is ok.
Thanks for your input, Holly! The old Gibson sure does have that rich tonality that comes with age.
I prefer the Gibsons sound.
The Gibson sounds much sweeter.
WL-14 wins! great job man.
Thanks, Ryan! Even though these guitars look similar, they certainly have very different qualities. The Waterloo capture a true vintage tone while maintaining articulation and resonance. Thanks for your feedback!
Gibson wins that battle no doubt
Yeah, agree. I didn't expect to feel that way. Love the sound of the Waterloo, but the Gibson had a richness and sweetness that can't be beat.