Love/hate for the faded blues?

[Toejam]

I love my '97 Royal Blue CE24 that I just got. It's got a cool grayish fade that I'm fine with, but if I bought it new and watched it fade like this, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I were never expecting it to fade. Just wondering about everyone else's thoughts on the UV fading. Show 'em if you got 'em!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I’m cool with it.

 

[toothace]

Here's my '91 CE in Royal Blue

 

[Toejam]

That's pretty sweet. Hasn't faded quite as much as mine.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

My blue Custom 24 is out of the case all the time, but no direct sunlight ever hits it. AFAICT, it hasn't faded at all. If it did, I wouldn't be happy because I love it they way it is. It's 10 years old.

My 25th Anniversary C22 LTD is saphire blue smokeburst. Beautiful blue in person. But hard to photo as it's so dark you can hardly see the 10top flame in the pics. It is a case queen though, I play it regularly, but it goes right back in the case when I'm done. No fade on that one either.

 

[bodia]

My Royal Blue Cu22 turned Purple Hazel............

Oh wait, I had the PTC refinish it!

I do love how the blues fade, though.

 

[Toejam]

That's pretty awesome!

 

[Toejam]

My blue Custom 24 is out of the case all the time, but no direct sunlight ever hits it. AFAICT, it hasn't faded at all. If it did, I wouldn't be happy because I love it they way it is. It's 10 years old.

My 25th Anniversary C22 LTD is saphire blue smokeburst. Beautiful blue in person. But hard to photo as it's so dark you can hardly see the 10top flame in the pics. It is a case queen though, I play it regularly, but it goes right back in the case when I'm done. No fade on that one either.

Cool. I've always loved the darker shades of blue (then again, I'm a sucker for any shade of blue on a guitar), but it's a shame when they're too dark and you can't see the flame too well.

 

[JSanta585]

The reason I have stayed away from a blue PRS is because so many of them fade. I really loved the Prism finish on the Al DiMeola signature model, but I've seen enough of those that look so faded that it's turned me off. There was a thread a while back about fading Northern Lights finishes too (which makes sense) that kind of turned me off of the idea of ever having one in that color made. For some people it's part of the charm of the instrument, but for me, while some loss of vibrancy is to be expected, complete fading would just bum me out too much.

 

[watelessness]

aren't blue jeans supposed to fade?

 

[SinSir]

I dig it myself. More torture on seeing your guitar! The one that got away..

That said my SE has turned purple in most lighting. Some days I wish it was still blue, but others I like it a little more because I have a blue guitar buying problem.

 

[Toejam]

I dig it myself. More torture on seeing your guitar! The one that got away..

That said my SE has turned purple in most lighting. Some days I wish it was still blue, but others I like it a little more because I have a blue guitar buying problem.

Haha! I've got a thing for blue and just couldn't pass it up.

 

[László]

I have a Northern Lights PS that hasn't faded yet, because it's cased when not in use for other reasons (humidity control, ease of maintenance, etc). However, I expect it to fade over the years, because that's what blue and violet tend to do.

I don't think it'll bother me.

 

[veinbuster]

aren't blue jeans supposed to fade?

Yes, but I’m not patient enough for that, so I buy pre faded.
This one even came with grass stains.

 

[DISTORT6]

2000 Whale Blue that lives in its case. No fading.

 

[Wakester]

Must be the Korean Trans Blue doesn't fade, my new Santana is as dark now as it was in 2001 when it rolled out of WMI.

 

[Davey]

I dig the gray that these fade to. Some look really good.

It really comes down to each individual owner.
I wouldn't mind any of my CE's fading. If one of my core's started to fade I might send it off to PTC at some point, but again I might like what it fades to as well.

Left to right
Just like toothace, My alder 94 CE22 royal blue has some lighter spots and it stays on the wall. I like how his and mine has faded to a nice transparent blue.
Next is 06 CE22 royal blue has no fading and it stays on the wall.
Far right is my CU24 and that stays in the case for reasons Les mentioned (temperature, ease of maintenace, etc.) and no fading. Although if it faded, it may just blend with the existing charcoal and I'd keep it as is.

 

[Herr Squid]

Call me shallow, but if I bought a guitar in a color I loved* and it was no longer the color I bought it for... sad Squid.

(*) C'mon, we all know we buy these in part for the visual appeal!

 

[WA Paul]

I’m partial to this one, but I really should sell it given a drastic change in life circumstances.

That goes to this beauty as well

 

[Toejam]

I’m partial to this one, but I really should sell it given a drastic change in life circumstances.

That is sweet. Has that always been that shade or just faded a lot?