Fading on a Paul's "Dirty" Faded Blue Jean actually looks AMAZING! Happy accident....

[Mgamm1ll]

So I ordered a brand new Paul's Guitar in Faded Blue Jean from the Guitar Center Platinum website and had it shipped to my GC here in Atlanta. When I opened the case I did a double take thinking "this can't be the guitar I ordered" but I very quikly realized it was (I had been studying the grain and had it memorized).

The guitar had faded to what I would call a heavy "Faded Whale Blue/Charcoal" color. It's funny because it is very close to the color of a private stock I'm having made right now. The color looks like a custom Private Stock Color... The first pictures are of the guitar before it faded by Guitar Center. Look at the photos of the guitar where I took the bridge off so you can see the original color.

What do you guys think? The maple top and back wood grain on this guitar is superb!!! Could pass for a private stock very easily....

http://s1120.photobucket.com/user/mgamm1ll/slideshow/Pauls Guitar

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I think it looks great!

 

[WEDGE]

Looks really great. Amazing how blue fades so much.

 

[bretwomack]

I agree, it looks great! But why did this happen so quickly? It isn't an old guitar, and what if someone didn't want that to happen? Does PRS do something different to this color to get that "old blue jean" look that everybody is into these days?

 

[toothace]

Can't answer that for ya...but I agree...Beautiful!

 

[Jazzedout]

This is really nice!
BUT: Why did a finish fade that much in such a short period of time??
And this was not one of the very faded FBJ finishes to begin with. It looked very vibrant.
I thought PRS has changed their formula since the original fading Modern Eagles...

 

[Egads]

That must have been sitting in direct sunlight from the first day it showed up at GC, then got shipped to the other GC inside a working tanning bed! That is insane. I really love both, but wow!

 

[LJD]

That's a great top but I doubt the paint shop guys are patting themselves on the back over that one.

 

[László]

I agree, it looks great! But why did this happen so quickly? It isn't an old guitar, and what if someone didn't want that to happen? Does PRS do something different to this color to get that "old blue jean" look that everybody is into these days?

That's a great top but I doubt the paint shop guys are patting themselves on the back over that one.

It's got absolutely nothing to do with guys in the paint shop.

In order for the color to be translucent and allow the grain of the wood to show clearly, PRS must use dye-based stain (I base this on what I know about wood stains, not what someone at PRS told me, since I never asked). Blue dye is based on organic material. and is highly reactive to light. Dyes are also absorbed relatively quickly by wood. The speed with which both things happen is unpredictable because the environment plays the biggest role.

Inorganic stains fade more slowly, but in general are not nearly as translucent when applied to the wood grain. Inorganic stains are nearly opaque in dark colors. I can't imagine PRS using them.

It's clear from the unfaded part under the bridge that the guitar was exposed to significant light, hence the color change, and that the light was blocked by the bridge's shadow. If the color had changed for any other reason, there would be no shadow, and no color under the bridge. So you can question the dealer, but not the guys who applied the stain, who did a good job, judging by the photo of the original color.

They don't create the stain formula, but if it had been under enough light, it wouldn't matter who created it, because that's what blue dyes do when exposed to light. Incidentally, many water colors do the same thing when exposed to light for the very same reasons.

BTW, I think that one looks pretty cool all faded!

For those who are fade-squeamish, the fading can be avoided simply by keeping the guitar cased when not in use . Oddly enough I would have considered myself fade-squeamish, but recently bought a Faded McCarty Burst guitar, and I really dig the look! However, I'll keep it cased for ease-of-maintenance reasons, as cased ones in my experience seem to need fewer adjustments during the year.

 

[justmund]

I dig it.

It's actually because of Sergio's sinister plan to rid the world of all blue guitars...

 

[Brad737]

I can't see the pics...

 

[wardog]

i can't see them either

 

[ViperDoc]

WOW. Never seen that before. It almost looks photoshopped in your bridge-off picture. So long as you're happy, I'm sure it's a great sounding guitar! I'm curious what response you got out of GC.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

It's actually because of Sergio's sinister plan to rid the world of all blue guitars...

Seriously? You're gonna credit me for the Sun's destruction of blue guitars? You're only lending credence to my theory of them being opposed to the cosmic universal laws of guitar shade. :goodnight:

That guitar looks more grey to me, without going charcoal... Cool.

 

[Michael B]

I think it looks awesome!! Very cool, and like Les said...sunlight or powerful lights did this!

 

[vchizzle]

I love it. IMO, looks way better now. Here's what I find a little odd.... If it really was supposed to be FBJ, that is THE darkest, unfaded blue jean I've ever seen in the stock photos. Looks closer to royal blue to me. Now, I think the stock photos look over saturated and processed, but even then, it still doesn't look like FBJ to me. I'd try to get GC to credit you some $ back for not sending you a guitar as they had it advertised. Whether it looks cooler now or you like it better or not, it's not too cool that they sent you a guitar that looks drastically different. They should've updated the listing saying the guitar finish had faded.

 

[g.wizz]

This is my second FBJ PRS

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Can't wait till she fades to the color of the one that preceded it by merely 4 months

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From what i've seen since Paul's guitar appeared, that they darkened the blue shading on all the new FBJ tops, my 513 is hanging on a room wall that get's plenty of light
but not direct so i wonder how much time it would take to start fading.

but had i seen the OP's guitar without knowing the story behind it i would've thought it's grey, but nontheless this is a killer score
congrats.

 

[garrettb]

Remind me not to buy any blue PRS guitars...

 

[László]

Remind me not to buy any blue PRS guitars...

Or just don't hang them on the wall. They won't fade much if you keep them in the case when not in use.

 

[xjbebop]

whoa.... OUTSTANDING!!