Question Morse Blue Burst Finish Question...

[Butch Snyder]

Okay, most of the Blue Burst finishes I have seen have been a lighter color (Like Beej's). Mine is much darker. I've heard that EBMM had changed some things and the newer Blue Bursts are darker now than they used to be.

That said, I was looking at Banjoplayer's pics of Steve Morse with his sig. prototype, like the one in my avatar. That one looks like the same finish as the Blue Burst on my own Morse guitar. In the Kansas vids for when Steve was a member, his guitar's finish looks just like mine. Can someone give me a little background on this?

 

[beej]

I've wondered if the colour has changed, or if it just lightened up with aging.

 

[Butch Snyder]

I've wondered if the colour has changed, or if it just lightened up with aging.

Look at yours...

and look at banjoplayer's....

I know they were taken in much different environments; but would that make yours that much lighter that his or his that much darker than yours?

 

[beej]

Ok, different cameras and settings (not to mention how much things have grown in my yard) ... but you can clearly see the difference.

Old Morse:

New Morse:

Not quite as dramatic as it looks, but the bluebursts are definitely different shades. They're sitting together in my den, makes it easy to see every day.

And, of course, the Y2D makes three ...

 

[banjoplayer]

I thought I read somewhen about changes in the blueburst mixture, but only found this one http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-guitars/18115-morse-blueburst-question.html

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Jay, I wonder if the white pickguard makes the camera see the color in a very different balance compared to the black one?

It does appear darker, but I like it!

Dont forget that different pieces of wood can be lighter or darker, and that can make a big difference, especially when combined with aging.

 

[Butch Snyder]

I think someone's changed the paint formula....

 

[kompressaur]

both nice but lovin the older (lighter) blueburst a bit more.

 

[guitarman23]

hmm....ummm...hmmm.... ok i like the darker bluebursts

 

[Sweat]

As Pete said lighting and PG makes a difference need to take some outdoor shots but heres a fairly new one to consider, I like the darker color myself.

 

[beej]

Jay, I wonder if the white pickguard makes the camera see the color in a very different balance compared to the black one?.

Could well be- all the colours are different in those two shots. You're right, I'm sure the wood plays a part too. Whatever the cause, the older ones definitely seem to have a lighter tint. They're both gorgeous as far as I'm concerned.

Some crappy pics taken this morning, side by side, to illustrate the differences. (Broke my high E moments before snapping these ... damn.)

 

[Butch Snyder]

Could well be- all the colours are different in those two shots. You're right, I'm sure the wood plays a part too. Whatever the cause, the older ones definitely seem to have a lighter tint. They're both gorgeous as far as I'm concerned.

Some crappy pics taken this morning, side by side, to illustrate the differences. (Broke my high E moments before snapping these ... damn.)

Nice job Beej. That really allows us to make a viable comparison of the finish differences. In this set of pics, your Morse (w/piezo) is much darker than the pics taken outside. Thanks for that. I can clearly see a difference. Yeah, I know woods are all different but my Morse, Beej's new one, banjoplayer's, and others' that I have seen are clearly darker...

 

[enjoneer]

Hey guys, Jon here from the Engineering department. First of all, you guys have some very nice looking Morse guitars that are both obviously different in many ways! There a couple possible reasons why these guitars vary in color.

Wood color - poplar comes in many different colors, ranging from white(rare) through many shades of green(more common) and sometimes even shades of purple(also rare). We use any white pieces we get for trans colors, like the Morse blueburst, but inevitably we have to dip into some of the greener tinted pieces so that we can keep making guitars. So because the blueburst color is a transparent finish, the color of the body wood is going to play a part in the final color.

Finish - Back in 1991, when Beej's lighter guitar was made (I found the pic of the neck), we were using different materials than we do today. The finish on Beej's '91 Morse is most likely a lacquer color with a conversion varnish clear coat. Considering that the lacquer is now about 17 years old, it has probably lightened up with age.

Currently we are using a polyurethane color coat with a polyester clear coat on top. These materials are far superior in durability as well as their resistance to fading. We have carefully selected these materials to make the best product we can for you guys!

I hope that this clears up some of the mystery and please let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
Enjoneer

 

[Butch Snyder]

Hey guys, Jon here from the Engineering department. First of all, you guys have some very nice looking Morse guitars that are both obviously different in many ways! There a couple possible reasons why these guitars vary in color.

Wood color - poplar comes in many different colors, ranging from white(rare) through many shades of green(more common) and sometimes even shades of purple(also rare). We use any white pieces we get for trans colors, like the Morse blueburst, but inevitably we have to dip into some of the greener tinted pieces so that we can keep making guitars. So because the blueburst color is a transparent finish, the color of the body wood is going to play a part in the final color.

Finish - Back in 1991, when Beej's lighter guitar was made (I found the pic of the neck), we were using different materials than we do today. The finish on Beej's '91 Morse is most likely a lacquer color with a conversion varnish clear coat. Considering that the lacquer is now about 17 years old, it has probably lightened up with age.

Currently we are using a polyurethane color coat with a polyester clear coat on top. These materials are far superior in durability as well as their resistance to fading. We have carefully selected these materials to make the best product we can for you guys!

I hope that this clears up some of the mystery and please let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
Enjoneer

Heya Jon,

Thanks very much for the clarification and explanation.

 

[beej]

Hey- awesome! Thanks Jon.

Again, I think it's a killer finish regardless of how dark or light it is.

 

[Butch Snyder]

I think it's a killer finish regardless of how dark or light it is.

+1 - my favorite...

 

[PugNinjas]

Jon, thanks for the information.

all these Morse posts and pics of multiples is making my White Morse feel lonely