What Causes This Color?
 

Following up on my "bleached spruce" thread, last fall, I got this brand new Blueridge guitar. Yesterday, I had some discussions with BR online, and they assured me that there's no aging toner on this guitar model (BR-240A) and that the yellow color is caused by the Poly finish. But since they fed me a line about other guitar companies bleaching their spruce tops, I have less trust in their response.

I've never owned an acoustic guitar with a poly finish before. Would a new Adi top guitar really be this yellow, due to the finish? Or do you think there's some tint or aging toner being used. It doesn't matter to me... I'm just trying to understand the truth of how it was made, and whether the color will change over time. I have plenty of natural finish guitars, but none that look like this one.


https://i.imgur.com/nVrlxzCh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2EkEYZ5h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0ZzOEjAh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MW7h2gxh.jpg

Thicker polyurethane finishes can depart an amber hue.

Thin UV cured poly (Larrivee, Taylor) do not.

However, Blueridge is known for using aging toner. Some look really orange.

That guitar has aging toner in the finish.

Thanks, AZLiberty. That's why I asked them about it. This model does not mention aging toner, but on their website, they have two BR-140A models -- one with toner, one without. So, I was trying to understand the differences between the two series (BR-140A vs. BR-240A), when it evolved into a finish and toner discussion. The finish doesn't feel particularly heavy, so I was thinking it's toner.

Yeah, that's what I figured. I'm really frustrated with the BR rep I chatted with. If he doesn't know the answer, don't just make one up, especially if it can be easily debunked.

It looks good too. :)

p.s. how you finding that great looking Eastman AC630-BD now?

My blonde bombshell is doing great! It's sounding better every week.

Using a mirror and a light, look at the inside of the top. The inside is usually unfinished and will tell you the color of the wood itself. Any difference in color will be mostly due to the finish.

Pura Vida, I don’t know why you were told that Blueridge guitars don’t have aging toner in their finishes, because for the last thirty years or so all of the solid wood models have had aging toner - that along with the Dalmatian spotted pickguards has been one of their trademarks. Those two things make it easy to spot a Blueridge guitar from across a room or onstage.

Most guitar company sales reps are not employees of the companies themselves but work on commission and typically carry several different product lines from different manufacturers. So the ability of Saga Musical Instruments (parent company of Blueridge guitars, Kentucky mandolins and many other brands besides) to rein in the misinformation that this sales rep is spreading is limited.

But you’ve caught him in two blatant lies:

1.) Nobody bleaches spruce guitar tops;

and

2.) All-solid wood Blueridge guitars most definitely have aging toner sprayed onto their tops, and always have. The only exception to that are those Gibson-derived models that have sunburst finishes.

You can check this for yourself tomorrow during West Coast business hours if you call Saga at their toll-free number: 1800-289-7242.

My guess is that the sales rep wasn’t deliberately being deceitful so much as lazy and trying to close a sale (whether immediately or down the road) by casting aspersions on other guitar companies by claiming they bleach their tops.

It’s a sleazy and disreputable move, either way, but I know for a fact that it’s not because Saga told the guy to say ANY of that: on the contrary, they’ve always been very straightforward about those details whenever they’re asked. I’m pretty sure that the aging toner gets mentioned in their promotional literature.

So that guy was improvising, and in a kind of sleazy way.


Wade Hampton Miller

Wade, just to clarify... that was a conversation with Saga via their Facebook page live message chat. It was not a sales rep, but rather a Saga employee.

Being slightly new to the world of acoustics...
I have a 2007 Eastman OM that has the exact same 'dalmation' pickguard.
And it is pretty dark, darker than PV's example.
Did Eastman use aging toner too?
I actually like mine, I have no complaints.
I just thought it was natural aging, but after reading this...
I could certainly believe it could be a toned finish.

Drak, your AC510 is made with Engelmann Spruce, and I've never seen any age toner on their natural tops. The guitar is 13yo, so it's probably just natural color changes.

Poly with UV inhibitors is frequently that amber color - not that that’s what this is, but I wouldn't be surprised-

Thanks, Charles. That's a great, sensible idea. I'll check it out on the next string change.

I wanted to bump this thread with an update, but I keep forgetting! A belated thanks to Wade for reaching out to Blueridge / Saga on this issue. They confirmed that it's not color toner, but rather the poly finish on this instrument model. The BR-1xx models can have color toner, but the BR-2xx models do not.

They were apologetic about the bleaching misinformation and offered to take it back to their team, so they don't continue to share false details.

So, while it doesn't necessarily change anything, I'm incredibly appreciative to understand what is behind the color. I guess my follow up question is whether the poly finish will allow the color to darken over time, or whether it will remain this color. My guitars remain on guitar racks, so they have constant exposure to daylight and indirect sunlight (see original photos).

Thanks again for all the input, as well as thoughts on my new question.