Three years later he met musician Lyle Lovett (then a college student), who interviewed the fellow guitar-builder for the school newspaper, Collings told Texas Monthly.

In the early 1980s, Collings tried to move his shop to San Diego, California but was unable to, and had to reside in Austin, Texas.

[1] He began work, sharing a space with fellow luthiers; Tom Ellis (mandolin builder) and Mike Stevens.

[1][2] At the 2006, Summer NAMM Show, the company grew to include the manufacturing of electric-guitars, producing the following three models; the I-35, the CL (City Limits), and the 290.

Collings either ceased or slowed ukulele production around 2014, reportedly shifting resources to produce the new line of Waterloo guitars.