Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Paul,
I was wondering if you've ever done a blueboy-burst, or would it even be possible. I've got a 4003 MG with an extremely light wood grain and I though a blueboy-burst might be an interesting thing to try. Of course, it could just be hideous as well, but just wondering what you think.

Bad idea. Any light-to-medium opaque (non-see-through)color, fading into wood, when the grain is visible, looks pretty awful to my own trained eye. Darker opaque colors (dark red and brown, and to a lesser extent, blue, green, black, and violet) can work in such a fade or burst.

Can a transparent blue that is as light as BB in pastel shade, work in a burst, fading to light maple in the center? I believe it would be very subtle, and in this case, subtle is not very effective.

You could call this prejudiced; I believe I'd call my eye a bit jaded and very experienced instead, but I think the best and most effective bursts are done with entirely transparent and translucent color fades, so that you can see woodgrain through the whole range of colors. At times, I will use a very dark, opaque chocolate brown, or even black, very subtly right at the edge of the binding on bound guitars, to provide the contrast and increase the impact of the white or ambered white binding. In this case, subtle can be good.

I tell my students that painting a burst is 70% about picking (and mixing) the right colors for the burst--I use up to six these days, although my replica aged Rick bursts usually use only three or four--and 30% about application technique. Rick factory bursts are one color, painted in varying thicknesses, to run the range from light to dark. Fender would call this a "two-color burst"; they count the wood color as one. AFG uses an amber-tinted clearcoat varnish.

Bursts like those used on Danelectro guitars and basses are done in opaque colors to hide the humble origins of the woods and laminates (can you say, "Masonite"?) used in the instruments' construction. Back in '65, I thought the copper-to-white Typical Danelectro Longhorn fade was exceedingly ugly. These days, I'd give 'em points for funky nostalgia, but I'd still never use such a scheme on a Rickenbacker.

What about a bright,yet translucent Cherry Red? I have a Vox teardrop with this finish that I like. I wish it had a stronger grain. A Bird's eye or flame maple Rick might look gorgeous if similarly finished, yes?

Sure. Like my old Gibson SG Junior...

The problem with those VOX/Eko Teardrops is they covered the wood with holes, pickguards, tailpieces, knobs, etc., until there is no wood left to admire. Then they hang a honkin' big pad on the back so you don't scratch the wood, thereby hiding the wood AND putting a buncha screw holes in it to boot. Common sense? What's that? Let's see...I think I had some around here somewhere...

jingle_jangle wrote:Sure. Like my old Gibson SG Junior...

The problem with those VOX/Eko Teardrops is they covered the wood with holes, pickguards, tailpieces, knobs, etc., until there is no wood left to admire. Then they hang a honkin' big pad on the back so you don't scratch the wood, thereby hiding the wood AND putting a buncha screw holes in it to boot. Common sense? What's that? Let's see...I think I had some around here somewhere...

Exactly! Or the Les Paul that Clapton owned and had refinished in a Cherry-ish red and sold/gave to George Harrison.

On the Vox, a clear pickguard might have been a good idea, given that the teardrop shape in and of itself provides for a far more minimal surface upon which to show off the finish. The back pad is a bit unnecessary in the quest to avoid "buckle rash", especially since back in the day everyone seemed to wear their guitars at just under chin height, as if it were a necklace. I don't know how Vox/Eko could have avoided cluttering up the face with the pickups and knobs, though I suppose they could have used just two pickups, a rear routing for the knobs(and just two knobs), along with a side mounted, rather than face-mounted input jack. A teardrop with such a design would have allowed for more wood to show off, but I think the color is quite pretty in any case, and would be even more so if applied to the much more ample surface area of a Rickenbacker

Exactly. Great (though small) minds think alike.

Just a little clarification..The amber is actually a gloss clear lacquer with honey amber tint which is applied before the first coats of clear CV. There is no amber tint used in the CV.

Thanks, Eric. Good to hear from you again!