Let's Talk Shell Pink

[moosie]

Fender guitars received a clear coat of lacquer for high gloss and to protect the color coat. Must have looked awesome back in the day. When we view those guitars today, it's as if we're wearing yellow-amber goggles. Take 'em off and our whole world brightens up. We have a pure Surf Green (no "warming" yellow added in), a pure, clear vibrant Sonic Blue. An Olympic white that's pure white with the faintest one part per million of Prussian Blue. (No banana pudding). And a pure ... bubblegum(?) colored Shell Pink.

What do you get mixing pink and yellow? Peachy orange. Fading to fleshy beige...

Shell Pink ——————————–—– Duco #2371 '56 Desoto

here's a 55 Desoto

The thing about Shell Pink is that the correct color, although it is technically “pink”, has this flesh-colored component to it.

Therefore, any discussion of Fender colors must factor in the age. When we say here's a pic of a '56 DeSoto, the question to ask is "when was this taken"? Note the modern cars in the parking lot. Note the fleshy coloration. This is a current pic of a vintage paint job. No different than a vintage Shell Pink guitar. We still don't know what either of them looked like before the clear coat yellowed. But we can guess based on our knowledge of how plain old clear lacquer turns yellow.

You are wondering what color a 1964 shell pink guitar would be in 2023. I think it would have faded to pinkish white. Depending on the amount of play and sunlight it has received any of these might be correct. I would think the more faded ones are more correct today.

The pink (aniline red) would fade. But the clear would darken and yellow. Combined, it creates an entirely new color. Faded fleshy beige. But I guess Fender marketing decided that might not be the best name...

 

[moosie]

With this build, I wanted the color of brand new Shell Pink, before the yellowing occurred. I mixed it "freehand" (white and red), and felt lucky to get it so close, but I feel it's a bit oversaturated with color. Ideally it'd be a tiny bit more white.

 

[skidbrake]

This is my 2019 CS Wildwood Tele in Shell Pink. It has the chunky '52 neck shape and thin nitro paint. After playing out with it a few times, I decided I needed a pair of shoes to match. Doc Martens ran a special on pink shoes and I figured why not?!? ;-)

 

[Baron_66 Canada]

As I find myself with odds & ends Telecaster parts--some authentic 60s Fender, a few aftermarket--I see I am basically just a body short of Swiss-cheesing together a Telecaster. From the pre-internet days when I would pour over the Duchossoir/Telecaster book (He of Liberal Exclamation Marks), I have always been intrigued by Shell Pink.

Over the years I have seen reference to Coral Pink and Salmon Pink, though it appears those colors never actually existed: they were merely names given to Fiesta Red guitars that faded over the years through exposure to smoky bars and sunlight. To that end, thethe original color is further muddied once the ravages of time are thrown in--to whit, there is a Reverb seller offering both a '67 Sonic Blue and a '67 Ice Blue Metallic Telecaster, with one having aged to a nondescript puke green, and the other to a nondescript metallic puke green. I have also heard from vintage dealers that the shades would vary from batch to batch.

The only "real" 1960s pink Fender guitar I can recall seeing was a spaghetti logo Stratocaster at We Buy Guitars in NYC a very long time ago, and much like the Hendrix/Billy F Gibbons Strat, it was approaching the color of lox on a bagel. Through google searches now, I am seeing a pristine '64 Strat--pictured below--with much more of a pastel pink that's devoid of orange shade.

What say you, TDPRI? Of course at this juncture I can have a Telecaster body painted any shade I like, but what is the consensus--if any--on the "authentic" Shell Pink?

View attachment 1168943

I have no reasonable idea why you post to this honorable forum for what is an actual beauty you possess.

Make the most of what you've got.

 

[robt57]

With this build, I wanted the color of brand new Shell Pink, before the yellowing occurred. I mixed it "freehand" (white and red), and felt lucky to get it so close, but I feel it's a bit oversaturated with color. Ideally it'd be a tiny bit more white.

View attachment 1177763

It's a bit Hello Kitty Pink to my eyes [PCMonitor]

I do like it though. Pearl might be at home on the PG as well.

 

[moosie]

It's a bit Hello Kitty Pink to my eyes [PCMonitor]

I do like it though. Pearl might be at home on the PG as well.

Pearl (mother of toilet seat) makes me barf, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Yes, scrolling through this evening, on my phone, it's very hello kitty. It's not that intense in person, but yeah I suck at freehand color mixing.

Funny, when I play it, I see it as more like the color of those Doc Martens.

 

[BobbyMac]

This is my 2019 CS Wildwood Tele in Shell Pink. It has the chunky '52 neck shape and thin nitro paint. After playing out with it a few times, I decided I needed a pair of shoes to match. Doc Martens ran a special on pink shoes and I figured why not?!? ;-)

Skidbrake: Beautiful Telecaster, and that Shell Pink is as close to the original color as is possible. So many people think that anything pink is Shell Pink but, most often, it is bubble gum pink or some shade thereof. Thanks for sharing the real thing with us!!

 

[robt57]

Pearl (mother of toilet seat) makes me barf, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Yes, scrolling through this evening, on my phone, it's very hello kitty. It's not that intense in person, but yeah I suck at freehand color mixing.

Funny, when I play it, I see it as more like the color of those Doc Martens.

I've learned to use less % blending colors. It builds fast with the coats for sure.

few times i shoulda stoped and went to clear coats sooner for sure.

 

[Bonneville Bruce]

(link removed)

I am an ink technician color is my world.

This gets my vote for the real shell pink color. It is reminiscent of abalone shells, perhaps that is the source for the name. Love this color.

 

[Sax-son]

I have never been big on pink guitars, but to each their own.

 

[ivanivanivan]

Faded fleshy beige. But I guess Fender marketing decided that might not be the best name...

Cool band name?

Poignant comment, re: "Which Shell Pink" are we referring to? I'm currently having the body of a '66 Esquire painted Surf Green, and for the color, I had to decide between what Surf Green would have looked like brand new in the early/mid 1960s, what it would look like after years of being dragged in & out of smoky bars, and how it might appear after having been in its case & parked in a closet for most of its 55+ years.

To me, the color of the DeSoto pictured a few times on this thread is the most alluring shade of Shell Pink, regardless of whether it's the original @70-year-old paint (not likely), or if it were just recently restored.

I've had a bit of a conundrum with my own Shell Pink guitar that's a mishmash of vintage & recent Fender parts, and a licensed-by-Fender neck. The color is so compelling that I can't part it out, but yet I can't stand the jumbo frets on the neck. The action needs to be just a little too high for my liking in order not to buzz and the nut has to be cut down, but as I have so little $$ into it, I decided this morning to raise the action higher still and make this one my dedicated slide guitar. I spent an hour or so gliding through Moonlight Drive, Memo from Turner, and some of my own original noodling to celebrate this decision.

 

[dean]

I spent an hour or so gliding through Moonlight Drive, Memo from Turner, and some of my own original noodling to celebrate this decision.

Sounds like it worked out for you. The nice thing is that if you ever come across a friendlier neck, the present one can be swapped out. “Moonlight Drive” is one of my faves! I think that’s the song that got Krieger into The Doors.

 

[somebodyelseuk]

I don't usually care that much about guitar colours, but the two you will never see me with are shell pink and mocha brown.
One looks like the colour of an arse, the other looks like the colour of what comes out of an arse.

 

[ivanivanivan]

I don't usually care that much about guitar colours, but the two you will never see me with are shell pink and mocha brown.
One looks like the colour of an arse, the other looks like the colour of what comes out of an arse.

Funny you mention that, because my workhorse guitar--the first guitar I ever bought when I was a mere wisp of a lad in the early 80s--is a black '77 Telecaster that I later discovered was factory-sprayed over Mocha. You can't detect most of the little chips from any distance because they're brown underneath, but on the bass-side front edge of the lower bout, you can see Mocha and then the bare wood exposed from years of arm wear.

I think Shell Pink looks particularly rock & roll on a Fender with a mint green guard, but I'm with you on Mocha.

 

[Downsman]

Here's my partscaster. I was going for an early 60s vibe. Scott at SCRelics (now Golden Era) had his own formula to try and nail an aged Shell pink. I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

With this build, I wanted the color of brand new Shell Pink, before the yellowing occurred. I mixed it "freehand" (white and red), and felt lucky to get it so close, but I feel it's a bit oversaturated with color. Ideally it'd be a tiny bit more white.

View attachment 1177763

I worked in the print industry for a few years, and learned how to match colours by eye. Red is one of the most difficult, as a little goes a long way in a mix. Coupled with that, it's one of the most changeable colours under different light sources.

The industry got around it eventually by producing hand-held color-ometers that would scan a sample and tell you which way the test ink needed to move, according to a standard colour globe. Fiendish use of differential equations were involved.

 

[BobbyMac]

Here's a pic of my Shell Pink partscaster. The ash body and finish is by Mario Martin at The Guitar Mill.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

I recently refinished one of my projects in a RAL code that I had a local autoshop mix for me. I was looking for that faded pink you sometimes see on Fender CS models. It's growing on me. It's more pale in person.

 

[crazydave911]

Shell Pink ——————————–—– Duco #2371 '56 Desoto

here's a 55 Desoto

View attachment 1168951

cool color

I'm old enough to remember when paint shops sold and called this " titty nipple pink" in the book

 

[JBurton]

I’m never going to have a pink, shell pink or any other derivative of pink, guitar. But if I ever change my mind on that it will have to have a rosewood neck. Maple does nothing for a pink guitar.