The custom colors used by Fender came from the automotive industry for three prime reasons: there were plenty of shades to choose from since colors were a strong selling argument to differentiate cars well before it became the case of guitars; automotive paints were well-suited to an industrial environment, easy to apply, and fast-drying; and finally, they were easy to procure. Later Fender poly finishes (meaning polyester or polyurethane) are much harder wearing and more production-friendly than the nitrocellulose and acrylic materials that were mainly used up until 1968. The transparency of blonde finishes can vary considerably, and in extreme cases they are sometimes mistaken for the opaque Olympic White custom color. True Vintage Guitar comes to you from Birmingham, AL. For instance, in the 50s, blond was standard on Fenders Telecaster and Esquire, but it became a custom option on the Strat (on which the regular finish was sunburst). Find out why. Holding a vintage Tele in this tone feels like a fresh startno matter where, no matter when. Any finish may or may not be customized, depending on the brand / model. You also have the option to opt out of these cookies. The guitar makers took advantage of that pull to capitalize on the cult of the car (and its many colors). Traditionally applied to ash-bodied Fender guitars, blonde was the standard transparent finish on Fenders first solidbody electric models released in 1950, the Esquire and Broadcaster (renamed the Telecaster in 1951). Throughout the 50s, Fender occasionally obliged customer requests for unusual finishes and, in 1957, its catalogue officially offered custom colors for Stratocasters, Telecasters and Esquires at an additional five percent cost.. Fender robbed Cadillac blind when it made off with, May 06, 2021 It's hard to talk about these two without each other. . All blog comments are checked prior to publishing. The custom colors used by Fender came from the automotive industry for three main reasons: there were many shades to choose from, since the colors were a strong selling argument to differentiate cars long before it was also imposed on guitars; car paints adapted well to an industrial environment, were easy to apply and dried quickly; and finally, they were easy to get. By late 1957, George Fullerton came up with the idea of standardized custom color finishes. As the page turned and a new era of American optimism began to dawn, two industries started thriving. 3) Beware of similar color names that are, in fact, distinct. Please refresh the page and try again. Springs in Stratocaster guitars make noise, and this is how to stop that noise. In 1960, a more UV-resistant red lacquer was utilized, and by 1961, the deep brown outer layer was darkened to near-black, creating a much bolder appearance. Drop me a comment with contact info or reach out to me here at the sell my vintage Fender guitar page. vintageguitar.com/26671/gibson-custom-colors-in-the-1960s/, store.vintageguitar.com/back-issues/back-issue-march-16.html. 2) Conversely, a given color defined by a specific paint formula may be used under different names on different cars. Somehow conveying depth and playfulness at the same time, Burgundy originally met the world on an Oldsmobile, but when Fender started dressing up electric guitars, the real show started. These days, many of us can appreciate the silky, driftwood-like feel of a decades-old nitro neck thats been worn matt smooth by countless hours of playing, but back in the pre-vintage/pre-relic era of the late 60s, trying to keep the ever-more numerous customers happy with hardier, more roadworthy music gear was the order of the day (lighter fluid notwithstanding). That's a color that starts off as a little bit yellow and darkens over time. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. These cookies guarantee basic functionalities and security features of the website, in an anonymous form, and are necessary for browsing the website as they maintain the user's identification on the website, this being the only purpose for which they are used. In name and shade, it calls to mind mythical beach trips to Rockaway, summers of love in the decade of rock 'n roll, surf runs on the high E-string. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you agree, click "Accept". Sonic Blue comes at you with a boyish vibe that looks great when the right lady plays it. Consequently, many of these instruments appear to have a two-tone sunburst. Fiesta's red aggression is offset by the slightest orange, giving it a none-too-serious ease that fit rockabilly, blues, and surf shows from the bar to the beach. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This Cadillac color found a fine home on Fender guitars in the early 60s, offering players a liquid beauty that suggests something out of reach. It's rare, but on occasion, silver can outweigh gold. To play it is to play it. As a result, car manufacturers began offering their products with increasingly better finishes. The cult of some of these paintings in todays guitar realm is an interesting paradox given the programmed obsolescence incorporated into most industrial companies, including, of course, the automotive industry. Depending on your model and specs of choice, these will cost anyone ranging $1,949 $2,149 from your local Fender authorized dealer. When matched with the power the Precision Bass can provide, this model definitely brings the looks and the personality. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. With these fourteen unforgettable colors, Fender joined forces with the American car industry to infuse the American heart with new hope. Regardless of the rationale or reasoning, custom colors are today an essential (and sometimes highly valued) feature of many vintage instruments, though their origins and specificity are not always adequately documented. These vibrant, contrasting three-tone finishes are sometimes referred to as target sunbursts. Despite the inferior rep of these finishes, countless players managed to change the course of music history perfectly well with a poly-finish guitar, including Jimi Hendrix. Borrowed from Chrysler, this finish can be both playful and provocativenot to mention extremely valuable, should you find a true Shell Pink vintage Fender guitar. For example, in the 50s, the blonde finish was standard on Fenders Telecaster and Esquire, but it became a custom option on the Stratocaster (in which the normal finish was Sunburst). Get all the latest reviews straight to your inbox. As a sample, Sonic seems unassuming enough, but once it's double-coating a vintage Fender Mustang, the energy is undeniable. Sunburst finish standard at no extra cost. The chart also mentioned: Colors subject to change without notice. In fact, in 1963, Shell Pink was replaced by Candy Apple Red, the only custom colors developed by Fender the others came from the automotive industry. The transparency of blonde finishes can vary considerably, and in extreme cases they are sometimes mistaken for the opaque Olympic White custom color. published 3 August 20, From the blonde to Candy Apple Red Metallic, the history of vintage Fender finishes. Fender picked up this rowdy color from the Thunderbird Fairlaine, and history was made. In the 1950s, Americas fascination with the car skyrocketed, largely due to the booming economy of the postwar years in the country. That said, Fender instruments with a genuine custom color finish other than the Blonde remained quite rare in the 50s. With that said, the American Original Series was initially introduced in 2018, and has sat stagnant for a couple of years now so a fresh new palette of available colors is quite welcome. Throughout these changes, sunbursts were applied by hand and, therefore, naturally vary in appearance. Any finish may or may not be custom, depending on the make/model. In 1952, Les Pauls Gold finish was standard in Gibson, but to obtain one in a Telecaster it would have to be done on demand. Whether for commercial and / or industrial reasons, Fender began reducing his choice of colors in 69, when six were abandoned, including old classics such as Fiesta Red, Dakota Red and Foam Green. 24.75" scale electric guitars and other models down to the 24.0" scale. ', Consequently, over the years, much confusion has arisen with regards to the dark art of guitar finishing, despite some well-established truths. Nothing says let's rock like Fiesta Red. ) The chart was amended in 63, when Candy Apple Red replaced Shell Pink, and again in 65, when six new metallic shades were included. Representing the true iridescence of instrumentation, LPB is for everyone with a big imagination. Don't ever listen to someone who says that another color is the new black. I can help with Jaguars, Jazzmasters, Stratocasters, Telecasters, what have you. This is a list of Casio watches that are small wrist friendly, and includes a few G-SHOCK models. At home on any guitar from the Fender family, Dakota only works for those who play what they mean and mean what they play. This one is definitely the new finish of the bunch that pops to the eye the most. You get a typical Telecaster build that weve all come to love, topped off with a nice coat of warm burgundy paint. The company took the trouble to specify the actual paint code of each color as referenced by its preferred supplier, DuPont, although the same car paints were actually available from other suppliers such as PPG / Ditzler or ACME / Rogers. This lush, sexy, sparkling shade came from Mercuryliterally. In 1960, the first year Fender published a color chart, he restricted the number of factory available colors to 14 shades (plus the Blonde). In the post-war period, blonde was a popular choice of furniture finish, and in the early days before a spray technique was developed, Fender used furniture lacquers from McFadden and Sherwin-Williams and applied them by hand. This is one of the best colors Fender has ever put on a Strat. The catalog stated: These 14 colors, plus Blond, available at 5% additional cost. Well, you don't have to wait. Both Foam and Surf have that edgy nonchalance that validates the songbird. Click the red Contact Me button in the lower right corner of your browser. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, I'll be the first to admit that this color is not for everybody, but that doesn't take away from how cool it looks. Olympic White originally made its debut on a Cadillac in 1958 and found its way onto Fender's color catalog not long after. Here we aim to furnish you with a good handful of that demystifying knowledge. Custom color finishes appeared on Fender instruments long before the companys first color chart was published in 1960. The pre-CBS Fender Fine Electric Instruments color chart! You can contact me here to sell a Fender guitar.. In 72, four more were eliminated as natural finishing instruments became increasingly fashionable. It remained a standard finish on Teles until 1981. This original two-tone nitrocellulose lacquer sunburst consists of an outer layer of Dark Salem brown graduating into Canary Yellow. Pure as the driven snow never looked so suggestive. Fender Mustang 90, Burgundy Mist Metallic. In 65, this bias was somewhat mitigated as four new metallic colors came from Ford, but Cadillac continued to reign supreme with six. This was a top tier model electric Epiphone was making in the early 2010s, and it's still great. Fiesta Red is a color that has to be seen in person. Whether for commercial and/or industrial reasons, Fender began to reduce its choice of colors in 69, when six were abandoned including early classics like Fiesta Red, Dakota Red, and Foam Green. along with five DuPont Lucite (acrylic) shades, namely Olympic White, Lake Placid Blue Metallic, Shoreline Gold Metallic, Burgundy Mist Metallic and Inca Silver Metallic. Finally, the Vintage White 70s Jazz Bass caps off Fenders list of new American Original Series colors. For example, Cadillacs 1957 Lake Placid Blue is not that different from Georgian Blue, which replaced it in 59, or from Pelham Blue, which succeeded it in 60. Special thanks to Phil Laverne for helping with automotive paints. Best ZOOM R8 tutorial bookhighly rated, get recording quick! Its also impossible to determine whether a given color was specifically required by a player/customer or whether it was actually chosen by Fender to match a request for, say, a red or a green guitar. The new finishes available include the Ice Blue Metallic 60s Jazzmaster, Inca Silver 50s Stratocaster, Daphne Blue 60s Jaguar, Burgundy Mist Metallic 60s Telecaster, Aztec Gold 50s Precision Bass, and the Vintage White 70s Jazz Bass. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Seeing a vintage Telecaster in Inca Silver is enough to suggest that silver doesn't always count for second best. BA1 1UA. Likewise, Placid Blue and Lake Placid Blue are not the same color. With the brown, marble style pickguard resting on top, we are reminded of mixing our morning coffee. Guitar Center | Musicians Friend. This Pontiac-popularized finish catches the sun like sand on an evening beach, setting the stage for any player who's about to step into the light. These later blonde finishes are more UV-resistant and generally appear lighter than aged butterscotch Blackguard Teles. Automobile manufacturers frequently change names and colors, albeit without necessarily altering their shade significantly. Chevrolet, Ford, Cadillac, and other major car manufacturers aimed their attention beyond technological advancement to aesthetic advancement, and began offering brilliant custom colors still sought after by vintage car connoisseurs. Scroll back up to the color chart and look for this rare color: Fiesta Red. This is completed with the classic white Strat pickguard laying on top, and no other changes to the layout. This color chart is from 1964. Once again leaning into its California roots, Fender offered Shoreline Gold Metallic as a glittering take on inspired guitar-making. 1981 International Colors (and two Sunburst), The Custom Colors were the same paints used for the American cars and they were produced by. Some colors are better than other for Fender guitar offerings, and these are 7 of the best they have. Buy from: In 65, this trend was somewhat mitigated, as four new metallic colors came from Ford, but Cadillac continued to reign with six. Like light hitting water, the variety of color textures and refraction to found in a vintage LPB are endless. Shopify Theme It can look different in different lighting. Even as America emerged as a truly non-monochrome land, Fender knew one hue was timeless. Dakota Red is an unapologetic shade from the General Motors skin-pack that screams passion. Of these, cookies that are classed as necessary are stored in your browser as they are essential for the basic functionality of the website to work. Manufacturing techniques and materials have chopped, changed and evolved over time, along with the personal touches of those who were working in the factory, and it seems there have always been exceptions to the rules. Or if you're looking for help with Fender guitar dating, check out these blog posts: The color chart changed throughout its availability from late 1961 until about the mid 1970s. Today, we have more information than ever about the vast topic of vintage Fender finishes. Automobiles had shifted from a utilitarian form of transportation to a central pillar of family life and individual identity. Are you looking for help identifying your Fender guitar? The possibility of having a DuPont Ducco color at the buyers choice at an additional cost of 5% appeared by First time on the Stratocaster and Precision Bass spec sheets around 56, but customer requests for non-standard finishes actually date back to the early 50s. Beyond plush interiors and dashboards with more dials, switches, and knobs, one of the key elements of the surge in the popularity of the automobile involved its paint. Luckily, car companies were already doing the major legwork when it came to mixing fresh colorsand giving them fresh names. Then, in 1965, as the Fender's CBS-era began, the chart was updated again to include five new metallic finishes as well, but we're going to focus on the pre-CBS colors here. Its difficult to identify precisely which colors were used on Fender instruments before 1960, partly because of the sheer number of automotive paint shades available at the time, but also because of the effect of aging on these colors. For players who couldn't care less about their devil-may-care image, vintage black picks up the slackyou'll never go out of style. Not only that, but different colors received different amounts of clear coat over the color which yellows over time. For example, Fenders Shoreline Gold a 1959 Pontiac color is exactly the same shade as Gibsons Golden Mist, which is a 59 Oldsmobile color. If Buttercream is a yellow that's too intense and you want it toned down a bit, you go for Olympic White instead. Its overall pretty neutral, but can definitely bring some flair if you need it to. In an attempt to clear the (lacquer-saturated) air on the topic, we offer a look at the custom-color finishes offered by Fender in the 60s, including an aide for easy reference and a reminder of the debt guitar builders owe to the automotive industry. For hotshot guitar pickers of the mid-century, one tone shone alone as the party-starter: Fiesta Red. Fender sensed the music changing, and though they had been offering custom color guitars at the buyer's request (for an extra 5% on the sale price), they knew it was time to standardize the vibrant vibes a color Telecaster or Stratocaster could bring to the world. Time for a trip back to the early 2000s when this almost-short-scale guitar existed in a Fender flavor. Copyright 2022 True Vintage Guitar Endless reels of black and white battle film had, understandably, worn out their welcome, and the country was healing in the form of a post-war economic boom unrivaled in human history. Sporting a ligher, softer blue color, the Daphne Blue 60s Jaguar definitely stands out as smooth-edged to the eyes. The first version of the color chart included Shell Pink which was very rarely ordered. The original Fender color chart, released in 1960, included fourteen chromatic offerings that played directly off the colors being used in the automotive industry, which made for a lot of beautiful photos of a Tele riding shotgun in a Bel-Air. In 1960 the first year Fender published a color chart it restricted the number of factory-available colors to 14 shades (plus Blond). Shoreline Gold Metallic was also rarely ordered and the color was updated in 1965 to Firemist Gold Metallic. The difference in shades can be very subtle which can make it difficult to determine. Below, well break down each new available option individually. The Second World Ward, a harrowing confrontation with the forces of darkness, had left its mark on the minds of mid-century citizens. By 1956, though, special colors became available at 5% charge. Olympic is exactly what white should be: white. Such was the companys confidence and enthusiasm for poly that it even had the term thick-skin federally trademarked. You will receive a verification email shortly. Here, we get a new take of color on the classic Jazzmaster body. This can drastically change the hue of the color! The cult-like status of some of these paints in todays guitar realm is an interesting paradox given the planned obsolescence built into most industrial undertakings, including, of course, the car industry. When the Stratocaster was introduced, in 1954, the only color available was the, 1963 color chart: candy apple red replaced shell pink. I'll get back to you as quickly as I can. If this is a style youve been looking for from Fender for a while, then youre definitely in luck. In 1964, Fender began spraying the bodies yellow in addition to using a yellow dipdye, creating a more opaque effect. Looks matter when it comes to a guitar. Powered by Shopify. This guitar is cool but some of the design decisions are questionable. For example, the 1957 Lake Placid de Cadillac blue is not so different from the Georgia blue, which replaced it in 59, or the Pelham blue, which happened in 60. It would take about a decade before the introduction of vintage reissues rekindled the fashion and propelled custom colors to unprecedented levels. In 1952, the metallic gold of the Les Paul was standard at Gibson, but to get one on a Telecaster would have required a custom order. Known as Blackguards on account of their black pickguards, these instruments often yellowed over time to a butterscotch hue. Sultry doesn't begin to sum up a vintage Strat or Tele in Burgundy Mist Metallic. For example, Foam Green and Seafoam Green are not the same shade; Fender used only the former, contrary to popular belief. Jaguars and Jazzmaster were more commonly ordered in custom colors than Telecasters were. From a guitarmakers standpoint, a custom finish does not necessarily mean a colorful finish, but rather a non-standard finish on a given model. There was a problem. I received this rare bit of Fender paper with a 1964 Fender Jaguar that was factory finished in super rare Black! From a guitarists point of view, a custom finish does not necessarily mean a colorful finish, but a non-standard finish on a given model. Throughout the 1960s, several shades were replaced, beginning in 1963 when the uber-rare Shell Pink was replaced by Candy Apple Red Metallic. Let's meditate quickly on each of these original vintage hues and see what they could say about the one who plays a guitar in which it's clad. Rod Brakes is a music journalist with an expertise in guitars. Fender brings six new color finishes to the American Original Series, NAMM 2021: PRS readies 10 new guitars, 3 amps, and more for the year ahead, Harley Benton brings a new CLD-60SMCE acoustic for late summer jams, Fender Tone Master series provides a lightweight option for two of Fenders most famous sounds. Anybody who says otherwise is lying. These six colors are model-specific to the guitars shown here, and unfortunately can not have their finishes applied to another model. Even bad guitars can be fantastic because they force you to play a different way, Walrus Audio Mako M1 High-Fidelity Modulation Machine review, The story of Gibsons Thunderbird the tricky, difficult but brilliant design that modernized bass guitar, J. Rockett Audio Designs El Hombre review, Unrivalled access to the artists and gear you love, Exclusive lessons that will make you a better player. Having spent many yearsat the coalface as a guitar dealer and tech, Rod's more recent work as a writer covering artists, industry pros and gear includes contributions forleading publications and websites such asGuitarist,Total Guitar, Guitar World (opens in new tab),Guitar Player (opens in new tab)andMusicRadar (opens in new tab)in addition tospecialist music books, blogs and social media. Short-lived but delightfully beguiling, the now very-rare Shell Pink finish embodies mid-century sexy. I'm always looking for custom color Fender guitars. If you can find one, our simple advice would be to follow your heart. Fenders first custom-color chip chart was put together in 1960 and displayed a choice of nine DuPont Duco (nitrocellulose) colors comprising Shell Pink, Black, Daphne Blue, Sonic Blue, Fiesta Red, Dakota Red, Sherwood Green Metallic, Foam Green and Surf Green (note, no Sea Foam Green!) While consulting the table, consider: 1) The name of a color may apply to different shades and distinct paint formulas. Shell Pink soon disappeared and Burgundy Mist Metallic soon took its place. That said, Fender instruments with a genuine custom-color finish other than Blond remained a fairly rare occurrence in the 50s. This website uses cookies to enhance your experience while browsing the website. Is it a custom color? All rights reserved. However, the line where science meets art can often get blurry, so the subject remains full of conflicting facts and opinions from the top down. With the most simplistic look of the bunch, to us, we get a silver, shimmery coat of paint added to the Stratocasters body. It is also impossible to determine if a customer specifically required a certain color or if it was actually chosen by Fender to match a request for, for example, a red or green guitar. Custom colors were reduced to six in 1974, the 3-Color Sunburst and the Blond (which went out of catalog in 1979) included, and eliminating, the following year, the difference between custom and standard color. In 72, four more were removed as natural-finish instruments became increasingly fashionable. This model looks super appealing, and we definitely are fans of the creamy look especially when you take the off-white, eggshell pickup color into consideration. Most guys who like yellow Strats (and I like them myself) want an aged Arctic White. Guitar World teams up with TrueFire to create the ultimate in guitar masterclasses, David Lee Roth's new single is a paean to Van Halen, Ida Maes Chris Turpin: Most guitars are good for something. Thank you for signing up to The Pick. Both finishes were topped with a nitrocellulose clearcoat. Regardless of the reason, custom colors are nowadays an essential (and sometimes highly valued) feature of many classical instruments, although their origins are not always properly documented.

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