Guitar top styles/colors

[jaymarsch]

I prefer natural wood tops but like a burst if it is done right. Prefer an edge burst or shadow burst and a lighter ambertone or honey burst rather than a dark one. I’m not crazy about black tops or dog hair finishes.
Best,
Jayne

[ssstewart]

Natural, colonial maple color or light pecan are my preferences.

[Mandobart]

I'm an unevolved caveman with very simple tastes. I like coffee flavored coffee, black. I like beer flavored beer - no fruits or adjuncts.

And I like wood colored wood. Natural. No paint, no stain. Any blackface or white face or painted top is out - I won't even pick it up to strum. It may sound heavenly but its a deal breaker (for me). Same with any hint of red in a sunburst. And I do not like the looks of a sunburst that starts with a solar eclipse blackout on the edge fading to a small circle of yellow around the soundhole. BTW I find excessive blingy inlay a deal breaker too. In general I prefer no burst at all, but I've ended up with 4 tobacco sunbursts somehow:

My ovation 12 string that I bought in a Florida pawnshop in 1982. I still really like that guitar.

My made-in-Indonesia Epiphone solid body Mandobird VIII that I upgraded the bridge and pickup on. Its a lot of fun, affordable and that was the only color scheme offered at the time.

My 1934 (or possibly earlier) Regal resonator mandolin, given to me by a friend, which I rebuilt and just love. Sounds like a bell ringing.

My recently bought Gold Tone Paul Beard round neck resonator guitar. It also only comes with a tasteful tobacco burst, and it matches my Regal resonator mandolin which makes it fun to bring them both to a gig or jam.

Someone else may love a guitar that shallow me wouldn't buy just on looks alone, and that's fine. You may think most of my plain instruments are ugly, I don't mind. I never let an instrument's look keep me from listening to and enjoying a performance.

[Tnfiddler]

I’m a big fan of the baked Adi top on my Bourgeois too!

[Troubador]

Lots of beautiful guitars that you all have got!

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by Troubador

What is your favorite style/color for a guitar top? Do you favor the natural wood color, whether spruce, mahogany, cedar, etc.? What about sunburst? Have you seen the style Martin calls Ambertone? If so, what do you think of it?

I almost never like a 'burst. I like an aging toner - at first. As it ages, I begin to like it less and less. Best is good ole natural, lets the real wood shine through!

[Wade Hampton]

Both of my Martin guitars have Ambertone tops.


whm

[biotechmgr]

Natural ... but I suppose this must include VTS treated spruce on my D28 MD.
I have not looked that closely at all my spruce tops together, but now I might.

[Troubador]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Both of my Martin guitars have Ambertone tops.


whm

What two Martins do you have?

[jaymarsch]

Speaking of aged toners, I had a Martin M-38 that looked like a pumpkin after 10+ years. The natural German spruce top of my Wingert E, on the other hand, has aged to a nice honey color after 18 years.
Best,
Jayne

[Chickee]

I used this photo the other day in a different thread, but I thought it was a good representation for this conversation of color tops. As I looked at my photographic handiwork I realized the following:
Three Manufacturers
Three Body Sizes
Three Neck Widths
Three Removed Pick Guards to enjoy the beauty of these guitars in full
And
Each one was exactly double the cost of the guitar it was preceded by. I couldn’t even had planned that!
I like the aged top. I like the natural top. But I just love that smokey dark edge burst.

[Troubador]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

Speaking of aged toners, I had a Martin M-38 that looked like a pumpkin after 10+ years. The natural German spruce top of my Wingert E, on the other hand, has aged to a nice honey color after 18 years.
Best,
Jayne

Yes, that's why I'm hesitant to get a reimagined Martin, unless it's the ambertone.

[Jim Owen]

Originally Posted by Troubador

So, let me ask this additionally: Would you pay several hundred more for a burst or ambertone top?

No. I wouldn’t. It doesn’t affect a guitar’s tone. I’ve never “heard” a sunburst.

[rollypolly]

My 2004 D-18 has a nice dark natural color to it. It’s not yellow at all, more orange or torréfiéd looking. Not sure what Martin was doing to the tops in 2004 but that’s my preference. My 2016 00-18 is pretty yellow. Not a deal breaker though.

[Troubador]

Originally Posted by Jim Owen

No. I wouldn’t. It doesn’t affect a guitar’s tone. I’ve never “heard” a sunburst.

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