Question for the guys at MM regarding choice of colours

[steevo]

I often have a browse around various manufacturers websites and looking at the choice of colours there always seems to be a very poor selection of colours. Fender tend to have CAR, sunburst, blonde, black and some other rather dull looking shades. Ibanez have black, black and black. Gibson appear to have a good selection.
Looking at musicman there are some nice shades and when compared with the quality of the woods that are used, they really are good looking instruments.
Is there an extra cost to a manufacturer in offering more choice of colours? Having looked through the musicmanbass.org gallery, there are some absolutely stunning colours that have been offered over the years and I think its a shame some of these aren't still in the lineup. One in particular would be offering the classic stingray and sabre in walnut, a classic 70's colour.
A few of my favorites.

 

[ozzyrules]

Those are some nice colors.

 

[steevo]

Some more

 

[Greg Suarez]

That abalone shell pickguard against that blue body in the first pic = Magnifico

 

[DevRock]

Difference in cost should be minimal, really, unless one particular color costs significantly more from the pain vendor. The finishing process is the same. Personally, I think EBMM should offer a lot more colors/options in terms of finish compared to other brands (a white AXIS, more wild colors, maybe fluorescent, etc - similar to what Jackson/Charvel do)). But, I'm sure BP can/will chime in on what the reasons are. I only pretend to know what I'm talking about.

 

[steevo]

I cant believe how dull fenders range is at the moment. Had a look on the guitar builder and the colours are shocking. They are almost as bad as fender in the 70's.
Similar story with Ibanez, apart from the jem and the Js model the rest of the range is black pearl or solid black or very black. At least you get scratch plate options with MM though.

 

[t_rod]

I think its expensive to have more than a certain number of color options at any given time. They offer a wide range as it is and I believe use the PDN offers to broaden their spectrum without exceeding their capacity for the # of color options. Personally I think this way is awesome. You never know what they're going to offer next, and you know when you get that instrument that it is special.

This is all speculation, hopefully someone from EBMM can give a more definitive response.

 

[steevo]

By no means am I saying there colour selection is limited because its not and you are right about the PDN instruments, some amazing instruments with more than just a pretty paint job. I've been looking at possibly ordering a sabre or stirling HH and cant help but think it would nice to have a few more colours to choose from. Im sure ill find a combination I like though. How nice would a Sabre in dargie delight be though?

 

[Greg Suarez]

Fender's colors are terrible, especially as the instruments get more expensive. The Mystic Ice Blue on my AD Strat Plus is very pretty, but they have some terrible oranges and mint greens that are throwbacks to some of their earliest color options, which may look good on the set of The Brady Bunch, but look like pain in 2014.

Ibanez can offer some real eye candy every now and then. The problem is Ibanez loves to woo the grindcore/thrash metal players who are only interested in black guitars. Ibanez's "Purple Doom" finish is extremely exotic looking (IMO, at least). It's just not worth buying an Ibanez Saber in order to get it. I don't trust the tone of a guitar THAT thin.

 

[steevo]

Ive got an Rg1550 and did own a Rg1527 7 string. The finishes on them are so thin its unbelievable. My 1550 ended up being sanded down to bare wood after a mirror fell on it and destroyed the paint.
Would love another 7 string, I think the tone is so much fatter and fuller than a 6 string. I just couldn't justify buying another one though as i don't play a lot of music that warrants a low B but you can use it to make some great chords.

Anyway back to topic, I personally love natural finishes on guitars, especially basses and the quality of MM wood is exceptional. I also like Fenders vintage white, ive got a strat ive owned for 14 years and its aging lovely.
Wonder if we'll ever see a MM relic series like a lot of companies are offering now.