Guitar Colour Preferences

That works!

 

Black or a natural wood colour is usually good for me, but looking around the herd I count a lot of red...I could do without tri-bursts(black/red/yellow) but that's probably cause there are so many of them.

 

Everything, I probably like orange and gold a bit more.

 

I think the right colour is whatever makes the owner happy. Speaking for myself, I love sparkles, flames, and blue guitars. I don't have too many set ideas about which particular finish should go with which particular guitar... but if I ever got an SG or an ES-335, it would have to be cherry red.

 

I will add to my previous answer of a big NO to sunburst (or any burst for that matter with the exception of gretsch's blue burst), the only other colour I steer away from is Black and that's on anything really.

I like the look of black guitars but I'm just too OCD with my things and the fact that it shows every little mark and scratch is why I just struggle with the colour, even though I own two black guitars (which do see limited/least amount of play time admittedly) and my wife drives a new black car lol, so I don't really live strongly buy that notion.

That and I would prefer silver hardware over gold, but I didn't get that choice on the penguin unfortunately.

 

Red on some guitars. Natural/Amber/Yellow on Others. I have had a bunch of white and black guitars but I lose interest. Hard to imagine not having a 335 style guitar in Red but I have to say the natural/amberish versions are quite compelling. I just noticed Epiphone has reissued the Riviera with Mini Hums and frequensator tail piece. THis color is drawing me in. Has the full 1.9ish nut width and a rounded C neck profile. I am waiting to hear back on how thick the neck is at the first fret. I used to have one of these in Red with the slim taper neck and loved the guitar but HATED the neck.

 

Here is my skinny neck Korean made version long gone.

 

I'm not a fan of the pastels, either, but I make an exception for seafoam green Strats and Teles. Can't see it on a Les Paul, though.

 

I like black, natural wood tones, and dark/muted colors. I also like sand/gold tones. White, pastel, and neon are dealbreakers. I like looking at pictures of other people's flamey bursts, but don't really need to own one.

 

Maybe you mean archetypes instead of prejudices... The “best example“.

A Les Paul custom should be black or cream white and only gold hardware.

A Les Paul Pro or any standard with P 90s should be a gold top but with real metallic gold paint.

All Firebirds must be sunburst or white.

A telecaster can be natural butter scotch blonde or cherry red.
Stratocaster is white black or Lake Placid blue.
335 must be cherry stain with Bigsby.
Flying V Korina or white.
A white falcon can also be British racing green like the one Bono has.
All Dan electro‘s are black.
The gretsch can be walnut or orange.
Alembic bases cannot be painted.
Gibson acoustics or sunburst but martins are always natural. Guild acoustics must be natural as well.
all AMC cars except javelin must be purple. Javelin can be sparkle green.
And a les Paul deluxe is must be plum.

 

Most of my guitars are either blonde or black, but I've got a little of all sorts of things. And I'd love a Caddy Green Gretsch and a Pelham Blue SG! So even the blues and greens aren’t out of consideration, in the right shade and on the right guitar.

I’d probably never buy something pink. Ha! Other than that, I think Mr Lumbergh nailed it: “If it looks good, it is good.”

 

No sunburst. Black is boring. Guitar MUST have binding on both body, neck, AND headstock. Headstock color must match the body, but off color is acceptable like on a G6120.... JUST NOT BLACK!!!

 

No Blue,
No Green, (exception the Gretsch kind of army green, whatever that is)
no odd sunburst like Cherry burst, Sienna burst.

 

My preferences are pretty similar to the OP's, which is to say I'm a traditionalist. 6120s should be orange, ES-335 should be cherry or sunburst, etc.

 

Pretty eclectic when it comes to color vs style/manufacturer, anyone that has seen my collection knows that. To me, the instrument speaks first and the color becomes the punctuation. However...that said, my Custom Shop Les Paul Custom is Black and my Deluxe w/p90's is a gold top. All of my others range from pin stripes to sparkles to a myriad of colors from the spectrum. Dont really have a preference, just like what I like and want what I want.

 

I don't like busy things (my subjective opinion of course). i am open to most colors but not a fan of most bursts (I like monochrome bursts more), overly rich or complex tops like a lot of PRS (they look great and I admire the quality work, but it just looks too plastic and loud for me). I am partial to geometric patterns as it comes across as less busy to me.

 

There's a place for almost everything imo

 

Thank you, "Slim!" I second the motion!

 

An old friend in the sixties and seventies had a green Gretsch hollow body. His guitar might have influenced my recent Gretsch purchase, although I wasn't interested in green. I ended up buying a G5420TG in white, and I bought a white strap to go with it. People keep calling it a White Falcon, and I've finally stopped correcting them! IMO, it is a stunningly beautiful guitar, and is also a joy to play.

 

Love this post! I am open to many options color wise. I have three guitars; a G6122T PE CG (walnut)(Just purchased it mid-September, 2020. My 1st Gretsch!), a 1989 Fender Strat Plus (black, w/maple fretboard) and a PRS SE Paul Allender (scarlet red burst)(circa 2010). This was gifted to me by Paul A. himself...thank you, Paul! I have even played his actual PRS custom made (and signed by "The" Paul Reed Smith) which is nifty. BTW, I love the flying bat inlays on the Allender!

Back to GUITARS & their COLORS. For me this would be like a word/association endeavor. I offer up the first thought that comes to mind (not necessarily my preferences).

'53 Telecaster - butterscotch
'55 Stratocaster - sunburst
'59 Gretsch Country Club - Cadillac green
'61 SG - vintage cherry
'62 Casino - natural (or should I say "stripped" satin finish?)
'63 Stratocaster - candy apple red
'64 ES-335 - cherry red
'65 Fender Mustang - red (in '65 the Mustang, at least, wasn't called "dakota red" or like the color's original label "dakotah red")
'68 Stratocaster - black or olympic white
'xx Gretsch; Falcon (vintage white), Country Gentleman (walnut), Nashville (orange/various)