Recent

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

August 27, 2025

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 22, 2025
Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 22, 2025

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

August 22, 2025

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

August 22, 2025

Seattle Cascades Now a Fully Powered KHS America Drum & Bugle Corps

August 22, 2025
Reid Peterson (Audio-Technica U.S. Executive Director of Sales, Professional Markets); Julie Van Berg (Mavric Incorporated sales associate); Kazuo Matsushita (Audio-Technica Corporation CEO/President); Pete Petty (Mavric Incorporated principal); Manabu Aoki (Audio-Technica U.S. CEO/President); Jeff Beck (Audio-Technica U.S. Regional Sales Manager, System Solutions); and David Barrett, Jerry Silhavy and John Herr (Mavric Incorporated sales associates). Photo credit: Corey Walthall, Clyne Media

Audio-Technica honors Mavric, Inc. with its President’s Award

August 22, 2025

Solid State Logic Appoints Mark Skipper to National Sales Manager, Eastern U.S., for Broadcast & Live Audio Production Systems

August 22, 2025
Thursday, August 28, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

NAMM Foundation and Collings Guitars Announce Memorial Fund for Collings Founder

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
December 12, 2017
in Supplier Scene
0
938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

The NAMM Foundation and Collings Guitars have announced a memorial fund in honor of legendary luthier and longtime NAMM member, Bill Collings. Collings was the founder and leader of Collings Guitars.

The memorial fund aims to both honor Collings’ legacy, as well as to foster the next generation of guitar players and teachers through The NAMM Foundation’s beneficiary organizations.

ADVERTISEMENT

Steve McCreary, general manager of Collings Guitars, first met Collings in 1980 after he moved to Austin from Houston where he had been repairing and building guitars.

 He reflects: “Bill had an engineer’s mind, a machinist’s hands, a designer’s eye and an artist’s heart. He even had his own math, we called it ‘Billgebra.’ When he had a concept brewing in his head or a tool near at hand, whether it was a chisel or a CNC mill, he was a creative machine and loved the marriage of art and industry. He had an innate understanding of how things worked and he tirelessly pursued ways to make things work ‘better.’ He always pushed the envelope to offer the most he could to a customer, a friend or someone he was mentoring. He helped a number of high school students build instruments for school projects and got deeply involved in a long-term project with a group of fourth year architecture students to design and build twelve extremely custom guitars. He was brilliant, funny, demanding and generous. He was also a bit insecure, and I think he would be very embarrassed but humbly honored by this memorial as a way to preserve and promote the ‘art’ of guitar. I sincerely thank NAMM and Chris Martin for making the decision to do this. It is a very fitting tribute for a very deserving cause.”

The Fund is led by the efforts of Chris Martin, chairman of The NAMM Foundation board of directors, and CEO of C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.

Martin fondly recalls his first meeting with Collings: “I noticed a small booth diagonally across from the Martin booth. There was one guitar on display. I was curious because it looked like a new Martin Dreadnought. I walked over and a scruffy looking character popped up from behind the guitar and gave me a quizzical look. He said, ‘Chris Martin.’ I smiled and said ‘yes,’ and complimented him on the quality of the guitar he had on display… Bill was a master luthier, a somewhat reluctant business man and a real character. Every time Bill and I talked was a memorable discussion; I miss that wise guy.”

“When the NAMM Foundation was established, it was our earnest hope that it could be a means to honor people like Bill who was a beloved and inspiring member of NAMM,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation. “We are honored to establish this fund in Bill’s memory that will be part of his legacy in the music products industry.”

Tags: Collings GuitarNAMM Foundation
Previous Post

Sennheiser Announces Collaboration with MouthMedia Network

Next Post

Sennheiser Announces Collaboration with MouthMedia Network

Related Posts

Supplier Scene

Seattle Cascades Now a Fully Powered KHS America Drum & Bugle Corps

August 22, 2025
Reid Peterson (Audio-Technica U.S. Executive Director of Sales, Professional Markets); Julie Van Berg (Mavric Incorporated sales associate); Kazuo Matsushita (Audio-Technica Corporation CEO/President); Pete Petty (Mavric Incorporated principal); Manabu Aoki (Audio-Technica U.S. CEO/President); Jeff Beck (Audio-Technica U.S. Regional Sales Manager, System Solutions); and David Barrett, Jerry Silhavy and John Herr (Mavric Incorporated sales associates). Photo credit: Corey Walthall, Clyne Media
Supplier Scene

Audio-Technica honors Mavric, Inc. with its President’s Award

August 22, 2025
Supplier Scene

Boston Crusaders Win 1st-Ever DCI Gold Medal Playing Pearl/Adams

August 22, 2025
Supplier Scene

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chad Smith Launches Foundation to Champion Music Education, Access and Opportunity for Aspiring Artists

August 22, 2025
Supplier Scene

SONOR Drums Welcomes New Artist Federico Caballero (FDFX)

August 19, 2025
Supplier Scene

Blood, Sweat, and Gear – 25 Years of Mojotone

August 18, 2025
Next Post

Sennheiser Announces Collaboration with MouthMedia Network

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

August 27, 2025

Jessica Tropea Joins Neutrik Americas as Customer Solutions Engineer

August 15, 2025

Furch Guitars Introduces Pioneer Series: All-Solid-Wood, Travel-Friendly Short-Scale Guitars

July 21, 2025

Music Sales swoops for Carisch

April 8, 2015

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

Bad Cat Introduces the Ocelot — Small Amp. Big Attitude. Total Control.

August 27, 2025

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 22, 2025
Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 22, 2025

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

August 22, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • August 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?