While the body is glued, sprayed, and finished, other components are being built as well. At left, a fretboard is being radiused using specialized jigs. The front or nut side is a different radius than the back. This allows for easier playing based on hand position in relation to the neck.

After the radius operation, this neck is ready to be fretted.

The frets are put on wide and then dressed properly. In this step the veneer is put on the headstock and any inlay work is completed. The neck is then sprayed and finished.

After the neck is completely finished, it is matched with the appropriate body and assembled.

Once the guitars are assembled, they go to the set up room. Here they are inspected for structural and finish flaws. Any problems are dealt with by hand or, if major, are sent back the appropriate department to address.

Collings' goal is to make guitars as close to perfection as human hands can deliver, so they spend quite a bit of time making sure every aspect of the instrument receives a detailed inspection.

While in the set up room, the instrument is strung for the first time and checked for tone and playability. Once again, any problems are fully addressed before the instrument is allowed to leave the shop.