Speed of guitar finish fade

[GreatOz]

Good day, I have a question on guitar dye finishes fading.

If I play a gig outside during the daylight a handful of times (maybe once per month or every other month), is that liable to make my guitar dye finish fade considerably faster if this is done inconsistently? Example, let's say it takes 10+ years to fade normally, but does doing a gig outside accelerate the fade by a year or so by playing outside an gig?

I want to preserve the beautiful River Blue finish on my PRS as much as possible, so I keep it either its case or inside away from windows (with the dark curtains closed) when I play it. Will playing gigs outside in the daylight drastically shorten the lifespan of this finish?

Thanks,

[ICTGoober]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

Sunlight is one of the most powerful methods for finishes to fade. And fading isn't necessarily a bad thing, nor does it mean that the finish is degrading. There is no fast and hard rule that I'm aware of.

[GreatOz]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

For me it is. Blue dye finishes do this, it's just unavoidable, but I do want to make sure I take the necessary precautions to preserve it as much as is reasonable.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

You need to contact the folks who did the finish on the guitar. If anyone will have any hard information on this, it's them. If they don't know, then don't sweat it. It's not worth changing your gigs, of the guitars you use for them, for a reason such as this, IMO.

[GreatOz]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

You need to contact the folks who did the finish on the guitar. If anyone will have any hard information on this, it's them. If they don't know, then don't sweat it. It's not worth changing your gigs, of the guitars you use for them, for a reason such as this, IMO.

Thank you for the advice, I will do that at some point. Definitely agree with you though, I bought it because it's an excellent tool, the finish is just really cool. Worst-case scenario, I'll get it refinished if it ever gets that bad (which I highly doubt will be the case for a long time anyway).

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

Red usually fades. I’ve never seen blue fade.


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[PFDarkside]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

The red analine dye from the bursts obviously faded. Most old posters have the red faded off and the blues/greens intact.

Something that always fascinated me is how the Ed King LP faded, and the hang tag prevented it from fading in that one area. I believe finishes fade faster as they are curing than later in life.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

The red analine dye from the bursts obviously faded. Most old posters have the red faded off and the blues/greens intact.

Something that always fascinated me is how the Ed King LP faded, and the hang tag prevented it from fading in that one area. I believe finishes fade faster as they are curing than later in life.

It’s from UV the exposure.


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[PFDarkside]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

It’s from UV the exposure.


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Yes, wild how the initial fading pattern lasted it’s whole life.

[ICTGoober]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

Red usually fades. I’ve never seen blue fade.

And there are scientific reasons for this. First, red is a low-energy color - low on the spectrum. Blue is the opposite - a high energy color. Therefore red is more susceptible to fading.

Now for something about red most people don't know. Because of the low energy of the color red, red paint usually has twice as much tinting material in it. And so red ends up being a much heavier finish than any other finish in the same amount. Further to that, gold is used in the production of red finishes. That increases the weight, too - AND the cost. Many companies charge more for their red finishes over any other color.

[Mincer]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

I have a Brian Moore Custom in sort of a dark blue. It faded over the years (20) to a milky purple, and I never used it outside, ever. So the exposure to sun was minimal. I think it was the initial quality of the dye. It was an expensive custom guitar, but I think they just didn't research how to do this color properly. I've never seen a PRS this old fade that much, or any other guitar. It doesn't look terrible, but it sure isn't the color it started out as.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

I have a Brian Moore Custom in sort of a dark blue. It faded over the years (20) to a milky purple, and I never used it outside, ever. So the exposure to sun was minimal. I think it was the initial quality of the dye. It was an expensive custom guitar, but I think they just didn't research how to do this color properly. I've never seen a PRS this old fade that much, or any other guitar. It doesn't look terrible, but it sure isn't the color it started out as.

That’s probably the clear coat changing color. My teal blue Parker started turning green.


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[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

There is no hard and fast universal rule that applies to every guitar. But IME two things generally have been true:
1) If a finish is prone to fading, exposure to direct sunlight is almost certain to accelerate it, especially in the long term.
2) Dyes & lacquer finishes usually tend to fade or yellow faster than poly finishes of a similar shade.

I've seen blue PRS guitars that had faded over time to the point that they were no longer really blue. It was especially noticeable with the pickup rings removed, where you could see the original color underneath where it had been portected. Thought I'd saved a pic of that but I can't find it.

According to PRS, the blue and purple aniline dyes they use are especially susceptible to UV fading.
On the 1950s Gibsons, it was the red dyes that tended to wash out earliest.

I have a blue metallic Firebird that's turning green as the clearcoat slowly yellows.

[Mincer]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

That’s probably the clear coat changing color. My teal blue Parker started turning green.


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Well, maybe, but it shouldn't have changed so drastically. If the company was still around, I'd be calling them to refinish it (lifetime warranty on these).

[AlexR]

Re: Speed of guitar finish fade

If you bought the guitar not to change at all during your ownership.....stick it in the case and don't use it at all.
If you bought it to use and enjoy (and with your band's followers), then do that.

You don't get to do both in the real world.