Guitar finish colors: how often do they change?

[Rocketscientist90]

I was browsing the PRS catalog and drooling over some of the colors and hating others. It got me wondering, how often does PRS change colors for a specific guitar model?

For example, the SE Paul's Guitar:
2020: Amber, Aqua, Fire Red
2021: Amber, Aqua
2022: Black Gold Burst, Faded Blue Burst
2023: Black Gold Burst, Faded Blue Burst
2024: Charcoal, Turquoise
(2 year schedule for popular colors, so probably no new colors for 2025?)

SE Custom 24:
2021: Black Gold Burst, Bonni Pink, Charcoal Burst, Faded Blue Burst
2022: Black Gold Burst, Bonni Pink, Faded Blue Burst
2023: Black Gold Burst, Charcoal, Faded Blue
2024: Black Gold Burst, Charcoal, Turquise
(2 year schedule for popular colors, so possibly new colors for 2025?)

Seems like every now and then new colors are introduced every 2 years or so. Is there a fixed schedule at which colors are introduced or swapped out?

Is there a (fan-made?) site that keeps track of all available colors over the years?

Next week I will be visiting the local PRS dealer and hopefully come home with a SE Hollowbody II Piezo in Black Gold Burst. Eventually I want to replace my Gretsch, and it can't hurt to just drool over the catalog now, can it? An SE CE 24 (2024) in Vintage Sunburst, SE Paul's Guitar (2020/2021) in Amber or an SE McCarty 594 doublecut in Vintage Sunburst would definitely be on my watchlist. Guess I've got a type.. (and my wife gave me the stink eye when I coined putting a Bonni Pink colored guitar on our living room wall )

 

[Bobd]

I remember reading something about this :

Behind the Scenes: Creating New Colors

USA/Maryland-based Manufacturer of Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Basses and Accessories.

eu.prsguitars.com

And :

https://www.prsguitars.jp/contents/color

 

[Rocketscientist90]

Thanks Bobd! I have some reading to do.

 

[d^rren]

They likely change them when people aren't buying them any more.

 

[Rocketscientist90]

Well it does seem that some (less popular?) colors are removed after only a year or so, while others remain in use for considerably longer and also on more models. But I also guess that by just changing the colors every few years is any easy method of bringing a certain model back into the spotlight to boost sales. Just as with cars and other fashion-sensitive products.

 

[jak3af3r]

They likely change them when people aren't buying them any more.

It could also be a supplier discontinuation as well.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

About as often as men’s slacks colors change.

 

[SinSir]

PRS staples more or less stay in some variation/models. New colors are released mid January. Sometimes we start hearing word about them in the fall.

A couple years ago they released Lake Blue. An option to buy the finish was published on one of the online retailers late October but without a picture. Not long after it was pulled and PRS told me directly that no previews until 1/11.

 

[DISTORT6]

About as often as men’s slacks colors change.

Is the blue-suit-brown-shoes thing almost over?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Is the blue-suit-brown-shoes thing almost over?

As soon as the blue guitar black amp thing ends.

 

[Rocketscientist90]

Oops, my first guitar was also blue..

 

[Zoot Allures]

I was browsing the PRS catalog and drooling over some of the colors and hating others. It got me wondering, how often does PRS change colors for a specific guitar model?

For example, the SE Paul's Guitar:
2020: Amber, Aqua, Fire Red
2021: Amber, Aqua
2022: Black Gold Burst, Faded Blue Burst
2023: Black Gold Burst, Faded Blue Burst
2024: Charcoal, Turquoise
(2 year schedule for popular colors, so probably no new colors for 2025?)

SE Custom 24:
2021: Black Gold Burst, Bonni Pink, Charcoal Burst, Faded Blue Burst
2022: Black Gold Burst, Bonni Pink, Faded Blue Burst
2023: Black Gold Burst, Charcoal, Faded Blue
2024: Black Gold Burst, Charcoal, Turquise
(2 year schedule for popular colors, so possibly new colors for 2025?)

Seems like every now and then new colors are introduced every 2 years or so. Is there a fixed schedule at which colors are introduced or swapped out?

Is there a (fan-made?) site that keeps track of all available colors over the years?

Next week I will be visiting the local PRS dealer and hopefully come home with a SE Hollowbody II Piezo in Black Gold Burst. Eventually I want to replace my Gretsch, and it can't hurt to just drool over the catalog now, can it? An SE CE 24 (2024) in Vintage Sunburst, SE Paul's Guitar (2020/2021) in Amber or an SE McCarty 594 doublecut in Vintage Sunburst would definitely be on my watchlist. Guess I've got a type.. (and my wife gave me the stink eye when I coined putting a Bonni Pink colored guitar on our living room wall )

You will love the SE HB Piezo. The black gold is sweet!

 

[Bogner]

They Have Also Been Known To Yank Away A Color Only To Reintroduce It Later...Likely To Create Sales. I Ain't Hating, I Am Just Saying. $-)

 

[Rod/]

It seems like they try to follow some sort of trend sometimes . I could be COMPLETELY wrong!

 

[Phil M]

They have some sure fire winners like black, antique white, McCarty burst and goldtop. But I think they've had a lot of ugly transparent colors for YEARS now.

In the old days, you couldn't find an ugly color! Whale Blue, Emerald Green, Trans Orange, Black Cherry, Vintage Yellow, Tortoise Shell, Platinum, Goldtop ... all subjective for sure but those 90s and early 00s colors were badass.