Fade or not to fade

[deepblue]

You see some gorgeous Lemonburst guitars from the late 50's. They started out as Cherryburst, or Tobaccobursts, but over time the pigment faded leaving these beautiful one of a kind colours.

Now ( so ive read ) Gibson uses a fade resistant pigment that wont fade like the old ones did.

I kind of like the faded over time look. Not a pre-aged, but a natural look that only occurs with time.

What do you boys think?

[RichCI]

I think if they aged the finish purposefully on a new guitar that they should put the best finish on it to preserve it. Who knows what some of these pre-aged finishes will look like in a few decades? Maybe something good, maybe something bad.

[esch]

IMHO pre-aged or faded is lame. You can "earn" an aged guitar by having it for many years and having it put through its paces, or buying a used one...but making a new guitar "look" aged is lame, it's for wannabes. A natural aged guitar is a beautiful thing.

[AXE®]

Back to the point of the thread.

 

Yes in recent years Gibson stopped using aniline dyes, as well as a formula change in the nitrocellulose lacquer, so new guitars stay looking new and won't fade or check as easily.

 

I would have preferred they left well enough alone on the dyes and finish so the "newer instrument would age gracefully as, did the the originals.

 

Age your instrument the old fashioned way... Play it...

[deepblue]

Age your instrument the old fashioned way... Play it...

 

Axe....well said.

 

I think it so cool to see some of these 50 year old guitars when the guy takes off the pickguard and you can still see the redish hue of what once used to be a burst underneath.

[Boston004681]

I say let it fade naturaly

[AXE®]

So, back to the point. Do you prefer the new non fading dyes and plasticized nitro?

 

Or the original recipe ???

[FennRx]

do what you wish to the USA line, but Reissues should fade and check like the originals

[ChanMan]

It's ok with me if my LP looks like new in 50 years. I won't be heartbroken if not, either !

[Guitar slinger]

If you like the way it looks when aged, why are you gonna buy a glossy one and wait YEARS just to earn it and THEN you feel happy about how it looks?

OR you could buy vintage. But I don't think that aged guitars are lame. Yes, they are fake. But they can make people happy too.

 

I'm happy with my VOS, if you care to aks me =)

 

 

But anyway, being faded or not, I would like it to be design to fade. Even if that means fading "too much".

 

Regards, fellas

[RichCI]

If you like the way it looks when aged' date=' why are you gonna buy a glossy one and wait YEARS just to earn it and THEN you feel happy about how it looks?

OR you could buy vintage. But I don't think that aged guitars are lame. Yes, they are fake. But they can make people happy too.[/quote']

 

I agree. I bought my Custom brand new back in 1992 and it took years for the binding to start yellowing a bit and it's still nowhere near as dark as the aged ones that Gibson sells new. If that's the look that people like, why not buy one with an aged finish? It's no different than buying furniture that has a distressed look. And, I don't see how letting a guitar age on it's own by playing it is some sort of badge of honor, it just means your guitar doesn't look new anymore.

 

Before Axe says it again, back to the original point...

 

I'd rather see my guitars looking the same as when I bought them years from now. If I wanted a faded finish, I would have bought a faded finish, if I wanted a brightly colored finish, I'd by a brightly colored finish and expect it to still look reasonably close to the original color in 20 years.

[AXE®]

I'm such a pr*ck!!!

[RichCI]

Yeah, but you're OUR pr*ck, lil' feller.

[AXE®]

lolz....

[MReynolds]

Hmm...let's see, I have a '74 Deluxe Gold Top that's aging nicely...I've got a '01 PRS that has one of those high gloss finishes and probably will never age...and I just bought a '59 VOS in washed cherry that looks older...which do I prefer? Well I presently like the VOS...but I do like them all...they each have a personality of their own.

 

I'd say have all the finishes...I don't have another 50 years to wait to get the finish of a real '59...and I certainly can't afford a real '59 at $200-300K a pop. To each his/her own. Play what you like and enjoy!

[Guitar slinger]

Hmm...let's see' date=' I have a '74 Deluxe Gold Top that's aging nicely...I've got a '01 PRS that has one of those high gloss finishes and probably will never age...and I just bought a '59 VOS in washed cherry that looks older...which do I prefer? Well I presently like the VOS...but I do like them all...they each have a personality of their own.

 

I'd say have all the finishes...I don't have another 50 years to wait to get the finish of a real '59...and I certainly can't afford a real '59 at $200-300K a pop. To each his/her own. Play what you like and enjoy![/quote']

 

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