Midnight blue

mike381 · Post by **mike381** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:44 pm

Check out the post of my Blue 360 at
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sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 5:19 pm

It's Midnight Blue.

will_nesbitt · Post by **will_nesbitt** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:03 am

What does an aged midnight blue look like?

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:44 am

I don't know about "aged" Midnight Blue, but I do know that the color of Midnight Blue has changed over the years. I have a Midnight Blue 330 from 1989 that is so dark it looks black in low lighting, and has an almost purplish tone to it--the color is really hard to capture with a camera. I also have a Midnight Blue 220 from 1993, and that color is a much brighter shade of blue--John Hall had mentioned once that during the period of time when that guitar was made, the Midnight Blues were sprayed with a silver metallic coat before they were sprayed blue.... I believe the current shade of Midnight Blue is yet a different shade.

Here's a pic of my 220 and 330 side by side.

Here's one that better captures how dark the 330 really appears:

Oops--sorry it's sized so small--I'm just figuring out how to re-size images and I shrunk that one a little too much, LOL!

But you get the idea....

tennis_nick · Post by **tennis_nick** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:44 am

1 AM Blue

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:13 am

I prefer the original Midnight Blue. It seems to get this purple hue in low lighting that really lives up to its name.

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:35 pm

Melissa, that 220 looks more like Mid Day North Sky Blue!

will_nesbitt · Post by **will_nesbitt** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:12 pm

I really do like black hardware on midnight blue. Kinda makes it live up to it's name. And that is a really nice 610 there Ken.

So then, any aged MIDs out there? Or does it actually age like the others?

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:15 pm

Hmmm... I wonder if the lighter shade appeared in 1993? I have a 220 in Midnight Blue, like Melissa's, that is decidedly darker; but mine is a 1992.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:37 am

Guys, I don't think my 220 is really that light in person; the color is a bit washed-out in the picture. It's actually really bright compared to my 330, with a more reflective metallic shine.

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:28 pm

I tried to take that into account, Melissa...I walked mine outside and looked at it with the sun shining on it. FWIW, mine seems to be somewhere in-between your 330 and 220.

I'm not finding fault with any of the shades of Midnight Blue... in fact, I think the variety is a good thing.

I was just wondering if there are "approximate" model years we could point to, to identify the various shades. That's all...

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:42 pm

The 610 pictured above is an '87.

brian_l · Post by **brian_l** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:21 am

I used to own a 610 that is identical to that one, but mine was a '91. I bought it new old stock back in 2001 from a local Rickenbacker dealer who couldn't seem to find a buyer for it, so I got it cheap. I kept it for about a year and a half and I sold it on E-Bay. It was flawless except for a small area on the headstock where the finish was damaged from the guitar hanging for so long. It was a sweet guitar otherwise. I wonder if anyone on this forum has it?