Burst Finishes

[richardp69]

Likely been discussed before but I get very confused when it comes to Burst finishes. I've seen multitudes listed from sunburst to cherry burst to autumn burst to honey burst to tobacco burst and likely many others I can't recall right now.

Is there a generally accepted burst for dummies that defines what types of bursts are recognized??

 

[davismanLV]

I only have one, and it's non-traditional because it's BLUE, but still darker around the edges, so I guess it counts. Maybe.

 

[chazmo]

That's a good question, Richard. I don't know if we've done a sunburst summary anywhere or even a list of what was available over the years. Given Guild's propensity to do some ad-hoc naming of things, it's even possible that some 'bursts had multiple names, and vice versa.

In any case, love the question. The only thing I can add is to list a few you didn't. I'm sure, as you said, there are many more, but a few come to mind: iced-tea, antique violin (or maybe that's just antique).

 

[chazmo]

I only have one, and it's non-traditional because it's BLUE, but still darker around the edges, so I guess it counts. Maybe.

Tom, what does Breedlove call this beautiful blue 'burst?

 

[dreadnut]

My son's DV52 is "ATB."

 

[GAD]

Most burst color names are just pure marketing.

My favorite is Brockburst, named after the guy who owned a '59 Les Paul named Brock. But he sued Gibson when they released Brockburst so they said it was BourbonBurst. Then ScotchBurst. They're pretty much all the same or maybe they went from Bourbon to Scotch when they ran out of some red color. Who knows.

This is the original Brockburst (which is really just Cherry Burst):



This R9 I owned (single piece top!) was Brockburst:



This R9 that I owned was Scotch Burst:




They're the reason that I go crazy when I find red-tinted Nightbirds (or any Guilds, really):

 

[GGJaguar]

There is no true standard for sunburst finishes and to make it more confusing is that each company may call the same finish by a different name. Here's a thumbnail sketch in the most general of terms:

3-Tone Sunburst (black - red - yellow)



2-Tone Sunburst (black - yellow)



Tobacco Sunburst (brown - yellow)



Cherry Sunburst or Cherryburst (transparent red - yellow)



Honeyburst or Amberburst (amber - yellow)



Blueburst (black or dark blue - transparent blue)


Redburst (dark red or black - transparent red)


Greenburst (dark green or black - transparent green)


Blackburst (black - transparent black)

 

[fronobulax]

"burst" is almost always shorthand for "sunburst" although in casual conversation it might be a burst, and not a sunburst, if it is lacking colors from the red, orange, yellow families.

There are at least two colors (and black and white can be colors in this context) and often three. It can get fiddly counting colors because you can get different answers if you look at a picture as opposed to counting how many different things were sprayed.

There is usually a sense of getting lighter as the finish moves towards the center of the guitar.

There is no consistency across manufacturers in terms of names although there are some traditional names that get invoked.

 

[amnicon]

There seem to be patterns in guild bursts through eras. These are my 75 D40 and 77 G212.

Later 70s into early 80s are less red/brown and more black:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-19...44720.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc#vi__app-cvip-panel

 

[dreadnut]

amniccon, aren't those "Tobacco bursts?" My buddy has a '75 D35 that is labelled tobacco burst and it looks just like yours. I believe they are one of the brightest 'bursts.

 

[chazmo]

"burst" is almost always shorthand for "sunburst" although in casual conversation it might be a burst, and not a sunburst, if it is lacking colors from the red, orange, yellow families.

Never thought of that, fro! I've always called them sunbursts (or 'bursts, that is). I wonder what Breedlove calls that finish on Tom's guitar? There aren't any sunny colors in that.

 

[davismanLV]

Tom, what does Breedlove call this beautiful blue 'burst?

Charlie, they don't specifically mention the burst even in the promotional literature. It's the Oregon Concert Rogue, named after the Rogue river in Oregon. It was a limited run of 50 guitars. This is all they really say.....

"The Oregon Concert just won MMR’s Acoustic Guitar of the Year and the Oregon Rogue is the newest model to hit the Oregon series family. Inspired by the wild and scenic Rogue River located in southern Oregon, it is built for the musician seeking well-rounded balance with midrange fullness, depth, and clarity. The liveliness creates an alluring Breedlove crafted from locally sourced myrtlewood for the back and sides. The hardrock maple neck, and salvaged Sitka spruce top combine to deliver accentuated depth and clarity across the tonal spectrum."

So while it is a burst type finish, they mostly just classify by color/name/woods. It sounds as beautiful as it looks!!

 

[amnicon]

amniccon, aren't those "Tobacco bursts?" My buddy has a '75 D35 that is labelled tobacco burst and it looks just like yours. I believe they are one of the brightest 'bursts.

I don't know. The G212 only specifies " SB" on the label, and the D40 came to me without a label. In my head, these have always been the mid-70s Guild burst.

 

[Roland]

Guild calls my D-20 Vintage Sunburst. I like it, but I don't see any sun in the burst.

 

[chazmo]

Charlie, they don't specifically mention the burst even in the promotional literature. It's the Oregon Concert Rogue, named after the Rogue river in Oregon. It was a limited run of 50 guitars. This is all they really say.....

"The Oregon Concert just won MMR’s Acoustic Guitar of the Year and the Oregon Rogue is the newest model to hit the Oregon series family. Inspired by the wild and scenic Rogue River located in southern Oregon, it is built for the musician seeking well-rounded balance with midrange fullness, depth, and clarity. The liveliness creates an alluring Breedlove crafted from locally sourced myrtlewood for the back and sides. The hardrock maple neck, and salvaged Sitka spruce top combine to deliver accentuated depth and clarity across the tonal spectrum."

So while it is a burst type finish, they mostly just classify by color/name/woods. It sounds as beautiful as it looks!!

I'll bet it does, Tom. A real beauty. If we ever meet up in person, I want some quality time with it!

 

[chazmo]

By the way, my trusted luthier (who, sadly, doesn't do repair work anymore) really likes Breedloves. He had a few that I played that were terrific.

 

[DrumBob]

That '59 Les Paul Brockburst is my favorite of the classic Bursts. It's simply perfect.

Here's my reissue Burst. I like the darker red shade much better than bright red clownburst.

I think SB finishes only look good on certain guitars. I dislike them on Strats, for instance. Certain shades of SB agree with me, but many do not. It depends upon the guitar.

 

[kitniyatran]

Charlie, they don't specifically mention the burst even in the promotional literature. It's the Oregon Concert Rogue, named after the Rogue river in Oregon. It was a limited run of 50 guitars. This is all they really say.....

"The Oregon Concert just won MMR’s Acoustic Guitar of the Year and the Oregon Rogue is the newest model to hit the Oregon series family. Inspired by the wild and scenic Rogue River located in southern Oregon, it is built for the musician seeking well-rounded balance with midrange fullness, depth, and clarity. The liveliness creates an alluring Breedlove crafted from locally sourced myrtlewood for the back and sides. The hardrock maple neck, and salvaged Sitka spruce top combine to deliver accentuated depth and clarity across the tonal spectrum."

So while it is a burst type finish, they mostly just classify by color/name/woods. It sounds as beautiful as it looks!!

I tried out myrtle Breedlove guitars years ago I absolutely loved them. They have some brightness of maple and some of the bottom of rosewood and it sounds absolutely beautiful. I would imagine this one would be called Blue burst

 

[HeyMikey]

Most burst color names are just pure marketing.

My favorite is Brockburst, named after the guy who owned a '59 Les Paul named Brock. But he sued Gibson when they released Brockburst so they said it was BourbonBurst. Then ScotchBurst. They're pretty much all the same or maybe they went from Bourbon to Scotch when they ran out of some red color. Who knows.

This is the original Brockburst (which is really just Cherry Burst):



This R9 I owned (single piece top!) was Brockburst:



This R9 that I owned was Scotch Burst:




They're the reason that I go crazy when I find red-tinted Nightbirds (or any Guilds, really):

And of course…

 

[GGJaguar]

Lavaburst!