Least Favourite finish?

[Silvertree]

And I’ll be sure to congratulate you when you post your NGD thread!

After I have my margarita and nachos

As soon as I find one that fits the bill.

 

[László]

There aren’t any PRSes I wouldn’t buy because of the finish color, back finish, wrap, inlays or hardware, so clearly I’m way too easy! I have favorites for sure, but to me they’re all desirable.

There are guitars whose tone I don’t care for, but fortunately, none of them are PRSes.

 

[Herr Squid]

I don't love Trampas Green. Too much brown on a guitar usually isn't good. I do think Aquamarine is fabulous. Don't particularly care for the teardrop bursts that appear on so many singlecuts. Yet that didn't keep me from buying a 594 Soapy with that very feature. My wife has laid down a "no goldtops" rule and I don't understand why she hates them so much but I was never especially drawn to them. So fortunately we can stay married.

The cool thing is, there's something for everybody, and every so often somebody comes up with a really cool thing you never would have thought of.

 

[Jkater]

I'm not a fan of gaudy looking guitars. Some over-the-top Quilts with screamingly bright colors just offend my poor eyes. Also opaque colors fits some guitars (ex: strats) and not so the ones where I would expect beautiful woods. (ex: Jazzbox, single cut, etc.)

 

[Glide-bpm]

Anything that nerfs the wood grain!
I'm flexible other than that.

 

[merciful-evans]

Trampas Green seems to score most negative hits here. I got curious about the name.

'Trampas' :
Biggest hit = Doug McClure. Name of cowboy character from the 60's western 'The Virginian'.
Next B hit = plural of 'Trampa'. A Spanish word for Trap.

So Trampas Green? The Virginian was in Black & White. Traps might be green I suppose? Weird colour name.

*

Since I dont know what its called, I would like to dub my orange SE C24 colour 'Impetigo Burst'.

 

[Andy80]

Trampas Green is named after one of PRS's employees (I hope he doesn't read this thread haha)

https://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/blog/post/prs_employee_spotlight_trampas_ferree_stain

 

[merciful-evans]

Thanks Andy80.

For the record, I think Trampas Green is better than ok. The 'understated' look is unusual among PRS livery, so is easily dismissed.
Not many of us consider what a guitar will look like when we use it live. I have seen a female player 'try out' guitars in front of a mirror. So they could be assessed as 'fashion coordinated'. Some guitars, notably PRS & Gretch seem to draw attention to themselves and away from the player.

What I mean is this: At least Trampas Green will coordinate with jeans, working shirt and a beard. That describes most guitarists that I see (no, not into Kiss etc).

 

[Mozzi]

Trampas Green is named after one of PRS's employees (I hope he doesn't read this thread haha)

https://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/blog/post/prs_employee_spotlight_trampas_ferree_stain

I knew it was named after him but I also thought that the colour was also created for Zach Myers. Maybe I got that wrong and that Zach Myers liked this colour and it became the colour for his 'Signature' model.

Whether we dislike the colour that Trampas created and named after himself or not, I doubt he would see that as an insult to him. Its not the only colour he has created or been responsible for - he created Angry Larry for example and I know quite a few people really liked that colour. His fades too are extremely popular.

I must admit though, Trampas Green is not a favourite of mine - as a 'green' I think it looks dirty. Green is a colour that I generally could take or leave. I do like the darker, richer greens but generally its a colour that I have no attachment to and wouldn't be a colour I would look for. The green fade on that Trampas Ferree link though does look great but if I had the choice, the Red to Orange fade would be my choice out of the 3.

Maybe its just me but I have to feel something where colour is concerned and when picking a guitar, the colour does determine whether I will pick it up - its the colour that first make me feel something and certain colours do have a negative feeling that does impact on me. I could hear a beautiful guitar tone in a blind test but if I can see the guitar, if its a colour I dislike, makes me feel negatively to it, I couldn't bring myself to buy - if anything, all that would do is make me look for the same model but in a different colour.

As petty as that may be for some people, I can't help it and for me colour is important, as is the aesthetics too. I really dislike the look of Teles fore example so will never own a Tele regardless of how great one may sound and have no issue at all with seeing and hearing it played by others - I just cannot. Its just one of my eccentricities I guess...

 

[slide13]

Trampas Green has so much variation, I love mine and bought it without playing it because I liked the top and color so much....but there are some Trampas Green guitars that I don’t love. That one color covers a broad spectrum of green tones.

My least favorites are the wraps....I like seeing the wood grain on the back/neck and having the maple “binding” around the body, to me that is just the PRS look and I love it.

 

[Going Modal]

Dang, y'all... I've generally disliked transparent greens & such for a long time, but when I stumbled upon PRS's Trampas Green I figured I had to have it in my arsenal at some point. It's just so "PRS-looking" to me... along with others like Whale Blue and the like. Got lucky and found it on a used 408 and it became my first "core" PRS model. I think it's fantastic (though again I do feel that faded Whale Blue is 100% the most classic PRS color) but hey, that's why there's a rainbow of colors out there. Different strokes for different folks.

What color don't I like? Well, I'm not a big fan of those rasta-looking top-to-bottom 3-color rainbow fades. There--take that!

 

[11top]

Yeah, it’s called “relic.”

 

[goat-n-gitter]

Trampas green is my least favorite, although I've seen a couple of guitars it looks great on. I kind of agree with Sergio's comment about blood orange, I have a nice quilt 10 top in blood orange and it only really shows well in perfect lighting. It's a shame too, because I love reds and oranges but they don't show grain well.

 

[Mozzi]

Fire burst or something. Feels unfinished or something.

It’s called Charcoal Cherry Burst

You mean this?? To me its not that different in principal to the Cherry Burst, Tobacco burst etc but instead of having a 'yellow' stain in the middle with the Cherry, Tobacco etc round the outside. The Middle of these to me don't look unfinished as I have not seen woods that look like this, It reminds me more of those artistic images that are predominantly black and white but with something in full colour.

I know we are all different and like different things but I love this colour scheme. It also allows for a lovely red-ish stained Mahogany back rather than some opaque finishes. It certainly wouldn't look right to me if it had a Black back for example. I have not seen this particular scheme do a disservice to the natural grain and flame either - maybe its because its more black and white which often makes details jump out more than full colour.

Incidentally, this is Fire Red Burst....

This is easily my favourite Colour Scheme that PRS offer - and I include the colours that Artist pack offer - I may like some of the fades or dragon's breath schemes more but for the general colours, the Fire Red Burst is my favourite. Again it really does suit a natural/reddish stain back too and just look how well the Faux binding works too - it really jumps out thanks to the 'deeper/darker' colours - the reason I used this Pic in particular to show the Fire Red Burst...

Again, each to their own and I am not going to be upset or offended if some person on the Internet doesn't agree with me or even like my guitars because of the colour scheme or whatever reason. I actually like the fact that we all have differing opinions and the freedom to express them...

 

[WA Paul]

You mean this?? To me its not that different in principal to the Cherry Burst, Tobacco burst etc but instead of having a 'yellow' stain in the middle with the Cherry, Tobacco etc round the outside. The Middle of these to me don't look unfinished as I have not seen woods that look like this, It reminds me more of those artistic images that are predominantly black and white but with something in full colour.

I know we are all different and like different things but I love this colour scheme. It also allows for a lovely red-ish stained Mahogany back rather than some opaque finishes. It certainly wouldn't look right to me if it had a Black back for example. I have not seen this particular scheme do a disservice to the natural grain and flame either - maybe its because its more black and white which often makes details jump out more than full colour.

Incidentally, this is Fire Red Burst....

This is easily my favourite Colour Scheme that PRS offer - and I include the colours that Artist pack offer - I may like some of the fades or dragon's breath schemes more but for the general colours, the Fire Red Burst is my favourite. Again it really does suit a natural/reddish stain back too and just look how well the Faux binding works too - it really jumps out thanks to the 'deeper/darker' colours - the reason I used this Pic in particular to show the Fire Red Burst...

Again, each to their own and I am not going to be upset or offended if some person on the Internet doesn't agree with me or even like my guitars because of the colour scheme or whatever reason. I actually like the fact that we all have differing opinions and the freedom to express them...

I happen to like the charcoal bursts colors - I was just naming it. Of course, I prefer the charcoal blue burst

 

[Mozzi]

I happen to like the charcoal bursts colors - I was just naming it. Of course, I prefer the charcoal blue burst

Really, the post was aimed more at @SupremeDalek as it was them that was unsure of the name. The reason I put your message in was because you named the colour in response and therefore crediting you for stating the colour first.

One thing that confuses me though is the Burnt Maple Leaf. At times it does look a little browner on the edge but also looks very much like the Charcoal Cherry Burst - more Red like mine. Often when I search for PRS guitars, I scroll through quite quickly and wait for the image to jump out, to catch my eye and as I like the Charcoal Cherry colour, these catch my eye but quite a few times, what I think is Charcoal Cherry is listed as Burnt Maple....

Somehow, I am not surprised you would prefer a Charcoal Blue Burst....

 

[Herr Squid]

Funny, I think of the reds, yellows, and mostly the blues being the iconic PRS colors (faded blue jean in particular). Maybe that's because I remember the late 80s magazine ads so vividly.

Dang, y'all... I've generally disliked transparent greens & such for a long time, but when I stumbled upon PRS's Trampas Green I figured I had to have it in my arsenal at some point. It's just so "PRS-looking" to me... along with others like Whale Blue and the like. Got lucky and found it on a used 408 and it became my first "core" PRS model. I think it's fantastic (though again I do feel that faded Whale Blue is 100% the most classic PRS color) but hey, that's why there's a rainbow of colors out there. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[WA Paul]

Really, the post was aimed more at @SupremeDalek as it was them that was unsure of the name. The reason I put your message in was because you named the colour in response and therefore crediting you for stating the colour first.

One thing that confuses me though is the Burnt Maple Leaf. At times it does look a little browner on the edge but also looks very much like the Charcoal Cherry Burst - more Red like mine. Often when I search for PRS guitars, I scroll through quite quickly and wait for the image to jump out, to catch my eye and as I like the Charcoal Cherry colour, these catch my eye but quite a few times, what I think is Charcoal Cherry is listed as Burnt Maple....

Somehow, I am not surprised you would prefer a Charcoal Blue Burst....

I’ve been confused by that one as well - sometimes has more amber in it toward the edge before the red, other times not so much!

 

[László]

@Mozzi, the charcoal cherry burst is awesome, creative, and yours is one of the nicest I’ve seen. I really like it.

I think we all have our “Ahhhh” colors that are like puzzle pieces that appeal to our brains for some reason, and we don’t know why.

I’m attracted to the amber colors more than others. That’s my “Ahhh” place. They seem to hit that spot. I’ve had more McCarty Bursts, Black Golds, and Dark Cherry Bursts than I know what to do with.

I realize this sounds awfully boring. I’m so boring I’m sick of hanging out with myself!

“We’re sick of hanging out with you, too, Les.”

“I don’t blame you. I’m going to watch football now. See ya!”


EDIT: I guess not. Football is boring today. Maybe I’ll wash my car. Just for a little excitement.

 

[Mozzi]

@LSchefman Thank you again - I know its my 2nd choice colour scheme but I have to agree that its one of the most interesting and appealing version than I too have ever seen. As soon as I found out that there was no chance in getting a Fire Red Burst (due to its Limited Edition status), I didn't hesitate in adding this to my collection. I doubt very much that I would find a top as interesting as this in a Fire Red Burst so I am certainly not disappointed or feel like I had to settle for 2nd best. Maybe 2nd favourite colour but one of the nicest and most interesting wood grain and flame tops I have ever seen - and I do include 10-tops and Private Stock too (although some PS tops really look great in a different way).

For me, its reds that really catch my eye - as you know but natural woods do too. I am drawn to guitars that show the beauty of the wood and, if any colour, Reds. Oranges can too sometimes but I would pick Copperhead and probably Autumn Sky over the Orange colours. I think Copperhead and Autumn sky do look more 'natural' colour and lend themselves well to natural colour backs. Purple/Violet - as long as they don't be too much on the Bluer side would also catch my eye but these colours don't always work with the natural colours of the backs. Black Gold does look great too but again, its mostly a Wrap colour and rarely (if ever) a natural looking back - not at the entry point for Core PRS guitars.

I can look through pages of guitars and not notice many of the guitars that, because of their colour, don't really register at all. All the colours I mentioned would cause me to look for more details and see what model it is. At that point, its all about seeing which guitars catch my eye and make me want to look closer and find out more information. If I don't get that 'Ahhh' from the initial scan through with my eyes, then I won't be buying a guitar from that store. It has to pass that test first.

I would never be a good Session musician because I wouldn't own any guitar that doesn't give me that 'ahhhh' so wouldn't be able to give the artist certain tones associated with specific guitars. I know how limiting and perhaps eccentric or petty that may be but I don't care - its my money, my choice and, as far as PRS guitars are concerned, I can happily wait to find the model in the right look because I can. I am not under pressure to get a guitar to do a job, like a Gig or session in the next day or so and because PRS are so consistent that even the 'worst' PRS is not a million miles away from the best. They are all made to a very high standard so you are not worrying about whether the fit and finish is good enough, whether or not the Playability and feel is right and as far as sound goes, they are all in the same ballpark with subtle variation of the nuances and for what I do these days, those subtle differences are not reason enough for me to consider the guitars that don't give me that 'Ahhh' moment. I am not under pressure that I have to buy a guitar that I don't like to get me through until I find one that is 'better' to me aesthetically.

I do find it somewhat funny that people will buy something, that they feel they have to buy something in their least favourite colours but then again, I am not in their situation to understand. I am sure you have had reason to buy guitars that perhaps didn't give you that 'ahhh' moment when you saw them as others have but for me, aesthetics are important and essentially, the first test any instrument has to pass before I buy. If it doesn't give me that, then I don't even consider it to buy.