what is a "blonde" finish?

[necrotechno]

Okay, I'm kinda getting tired of having this argument at music stores. Some guys say "blonde" is a clear finish over a light wood. I say it's trans white over Swamp Ash. Then a guy told me recently that an off-white (opaque finish) strat was "blonde." Somebody please clear this up for me.

[Jason1212]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Swamp ash, maple, I dont think it matters as long as it is natural and clear. "edit" Actually I think you may both be right. After searching ebay for a general consenus on the term it seemed the term varies: clear over natural, the tan color of Keef and Bruce's teles, and the white washed look."edit"

[Jim Shine]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Blonde is a transparent white, never ever opaque, typically on ash. Looks like crap on almost any other wood. In the old days it was known as a 'pickled' finish and was used on grainy woods like ash and oak.

[Jim Shine]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Also wanted to clarify two popular different blonde finishes. Regular blonde can range from transparent stark white to an off white transparent or cream toned transparent white. Buttersctoch blonde is usually a simulation of the old early 50's Telecasters that had a very light white transparent coat applied and the clear aged out to a very amber toned color. Amber finished ash with no pigmentation is not really a blonde but an amber stained natural finish. Real blonde must reveal grain and it must have some level of opaque quality slightly clouding the grain.

[SEEGERMANY]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Think "Mick Ronson." [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[j2379]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

depends what Jim said in fender world, for gibsons its natural on maple or a light wood. like the ES's in blonde is always natural.

[dfvxc]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

really?

I thought Yngwie's yellow strats were blonde....

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Blonde finish??Isn't it when a blonde screams "I'm coming"??

[shredmonster]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

[ QUOTE ]
Blonde finish??Isn't it when a blonde screams "I'm coming"??

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn you stole my thunder!

[Jim Shine]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Very true about Gibsons and the natural/tinted amberish yellow thing. Gibson had a color kind of similar to Fender's blonde called "TV Yellow". The weird thing is dealing with the pros, they never call a naturally finished Gibson or any other solid body in maple blonde, they call it natural. But any archtop with spruce or maple woods in natural is blonde no matter what the brand. All part of the double standards in the biz you just get used to.

Yngwie Strat is not blonde. Looks to the typical early-mid 70's Fender white (little creamier than the old olympic) with yellowed out clear coat.

[SEEGERMANY]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

I think Malmsteen's original "Duck" is yellow.

[LarryL]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

Blonde Finnish = a great looking woman [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Jim Shine]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

[ QUOTE ]
I think Malmsteen's original "Duck" is yellow.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is what it may be now, but there was no yellow then. The clear yellowed heavily and made it yellow. The reason that this era of guitars looks different than 60's Olympics is because the shade of white changed. In the 60's it had a distinct blue hue which made the discolor look like a yellowish green. In the 70's it changed to a white with a warmer hue which just turns yellow.

[necrotechno]

Re: what is a \"blonde\" finish?

So apparently my definition was a little too simplistic! Gah, this stuff is so complicated...

Thanks for the answers. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]