Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I ran across the term "Clownglo" in a few posts. Just what exactly is clownglo? is is a less blended, more distinct edges on some fireglo finishes? I have a 1989 360/12V64 that has a larger area of blonde in the center (see pic). I'd always considered this an attractively finished guitar. Is this an example of clownglo?

Clown Glo is to describe a FG burst with too sudden a transition.Its not a polite thing to describe someones guitar as Clown glo but that being said some do have em.I would not say that your guitar has this drastic shading but more probably the photo is accentuating the colours as FG is hard to photograph.Nice guitar BTW.

I think the term came from another guitar makers forum as a general dig at Fireglo as a colour. It's surprisingly been adopted here, but it's derogatory and now describes a certain style of heavy edged spraying as Scott has said. I think that some people like it that way, but Rickenbacker are now consistently producing very smooth transitions with great skill these days and that's my preference .

Your 360/12V64 is very very cool and just the victim of a digital camera's lack of subtlety.

godber wrote:the victim of a digital camera's lack of subtlety.

Ive been one of these recently. and no in not the one playing Keys

The 'clownglo' reference has seen its fair share of abuse on a number of guitars which likely didn't deserve the term. Like the others have said, photographing an FG can be difficult

"Clownburst" is not a Rickenbacker-specific term. I very much doubt that it originated in reference to Fireglo.

The guitar looks great Scott, but your holy luminescent halo has somehow slipped from your head to your band mates cleavage? Must have been the concentration

dpowell wrote:"Clownburst" is not a Rickenbacker-specific term. I very much doubt that it originated in reference to Fireglo. The "glo" part is added when people use it to refer to FG.

There was a period where Rickenbacker was producing very washed-out FGs with sudden transitions, which is when the term came into common usage.

This is what I would call a classic "clownglo" Rick. Note the pinkish hue and very sudden transition.

Of course, it must always be noted that flash photography can dramatically alter a 'burst's color and shape.

Didn't say Clownburst Dan, said Clownglo and just stating what I read a while back, but everyone's got a view.

Some Martin guitars have particularly sharp transitions on their vintage sunburst schemes.

Forrest your 360/12V64 has a very nice, well done finish. That's definitely NOT Clownglo.

It makes me think that it also refers to the whiteness of the wood in the center along with the white pickguard and TRC and chrome . . .. when I heard the term I couldn't help but look at my FG in a different light . . . and not too nicely either . . . it kinda fits . . . . its one reason I asked about ambering and yellowing my git.

rickenbrother wrote:Forrest your 360/12V64 has a very nice, well done finish. That's definitely NOT Clownglo.

Thanks, Scott, Mark, Joey. I've gotten MANY compliments on this Rick (of course the good folks at Rickenbacker deserve all the credit!) and was really pleased when I first took delivery of it back in June 1989. It's action from the factory was almost TOO low and the neck was trés magnifique! I know Fireglo is the most common color for Ricks, but IMHO with good reason. It just looks good enough to eat!

I have a related question on this subject. On a typical FG, the finish goes from little or no color in the center to a very dark burgundy/wine/black (depending on the photo) at the edges. My 360/12 has this finish and it is what I picture when I think of a FG finish. I have a 330/6 that looks like it was never shot with the dark color at the edges. I have seen other guitars with a similar FG finish. The bass on the far left and the leftie pictured on the postcard at the top of this page are examples of what I'm talking about.

Does RIC switch 'recipes' for FG from time to time? I would think that a FG finish that maxxed out to a fire engine red at the edges would be way outside the QC standards for that color. My 330 was built Fall '08 and my 360 was built Spring '09. I call the color on my 330, 'SantaGlo'. Does the flame or the 'look' of the wood have any influence on the kind of FG finish that is applied?

Thanks for any info.

Tom

Yes, Fireglo varies all over the place.

fabandgear wrote:I ran across the term "Clownglo" in a few posts. Just what exactly is clownglo? is is a less blended, more distinct edges on some fireglo finishes? I have a 1989 360/12V64 that has a larger area of blonde in the center (see pic). I'd always considered this an attractively finished guitar. Is this an example of clownglo?

nothing clownish about the picture you posted



save a tree - bring back 21 frets

Forrest, no worries-----that's no "Clownglo."


usually, when people refer to Clownglo, they mean a finish like this:

http://jerrysleftyguitars.com/rickenbac ... nd-lgc.jpg

What most people don't consider is the variety of tones you get trying to photograph reds in a guitar finish. I've seen "clownglo" finishes that were decent in person, but looked cheesy in pictures.

Plus, I think Clownglo refers to the sharp transition (or lack therof) between red and maple. Often people use the term Clownglo to describe the older pink color where the red meets the maple, which is historically correct (ie....almost all old 60's Fireglos had pink that simply ambered over time).