[Ronkirn]

I think I did this before, but I’ll give ‘er another shot… Butterscotch is (for me anyway) a transparent finish, Like you were looking at the wood through a class of beer. Also called Amber.

Butterscotch Blonde, is a semi transparent finish, like if you spilled coffee on a wooden table. You could still see the wood, but it would be through the spilled coffee. Butterscotch Blonde is also what some call a vintage Mary Kaye that has aged.

Blonde is like you spilled the coffee on the wood, but it was loaded with cream, just a very slight coffee tint.

Also note, the underlying wood has a great effect on the apparent final color, like trying to do a light Amber finish on Dark Red Oak, ain’t gonna work. I had one that wanted a Transparent Blonde finish on a Mahogany body. It would have to be bleached… so a Bleached Blond???

There is no definitive shade for any of these colors. That’s because they are all supposed to be reproductions of the old nitrocellulose lacquer finishes that have turned Amberish over time. This shift happens due to the effects of UV light on the Lacquer, on the Wood underneath the lacquer and sweat, smoke, and other crud that comes in contact with the finish over time.

Therefore there is no “correct: color, for instance, I have seen White Strats and Teles that were just plain Orange everywhere but under the pick guard, Neck plate etc…

So pick ya a color and squirt it… If some one gives ya some crap, grab their waistband, yank, and poor a beer down their pants. That’ll shut ‘em up real fast.

Ron Kirn