Neck tints on Telecasters, which one do you prefer?

[willietheweirdo]

Light yellow aniline dye, clear coated, and then allowed to naturally age. Not orange, not "amber," not brown, but BRIGHT SCREAMING YELLOW, diluted way down with alcohol.

Tinted clear looks terrible, no matter how light the tint – like a 12 year old's failed shop project. It just looks like an artificial shell over the wood.

When you dye first, then clear coat, the look is far more natural, subtle, and dimensional/deep/rich. And as the clear over it NATURALLY ages and wears down, you achieve this great two-layered warmth effect that appears to be much more organic and classy than a tinted clear.

You've upset Mr. Orange Fret

 

[Fretting out]

Holy heck you guys actually like that tint!?

You know the natural one will age gracefully while the “tinted” one will end up like a pumpkin

 

[dreamingtele]

The tints on AVRI/AV models are my favorite.

I dont like maple necks if its not the same tint as Fender does

AVRI 57

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

AVRI 62

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

 

[Lefty Addams]

I really don't care which tint the neck is coloured, it's the feel that's most important, satin or gloss imo

 

[Matthias]

Light amber on a vintage spec, pale on a modern spec for me… But a slight bias towards some colour.

 

[jrblue]

Some ambers are just too yellow.

That's for sure! I used Stew-Mac vintage "amber" on a new-looking Fender neck and it came out totally pee yellow, which is not "amber" at all. Sure, that may change over time, as both the underlying wood and the nitro change color, but for the moment it looks like I came up with a finish made from cat urine. Garbage!

 

[gmann]

Lightly ambered.

 

[FuzzWatt]

I voted amber, but I don't like cheesy orange. I had a 2011 52' AVRI Tele and found it too dark.

The new Am Pro 2 tint is perfect to me.

 

[LGOberean]

Generally speaking, I like the amber tint, and voted accordingly in your poll.

That said, on my last tele custom built for me by Bob Logan (on the right in my avatar pic, BTW), I forgot to specify amber tint on the neck. I just said I wanted the 1-piece maple neck/board. So that's what I got, sans tint of any kind. My fault, not Bob's. It's a great neck, feels and plays great, but pale.

Or it was pale when I got it, 3 years ago this month. I've played it more than any of my other teles, and time + usage has toned down the pale and/or ambered up the look. (Can the term "amber" be used as a verb? Never mind, I'll make it a verb.) No comparative pics at this point to prove it, but to my eyes it's less bright/pale and warmer looking.

 

[Frisco 57]

Two Fender MIM necks, and IMHO one is too dark and one is too light. Oh well, they is what they is.

 

[Skyhook]

Do you guys like the vintage amber tint necks on telecasters or the really pale maple necks?

Vintage amber all the way.
I dunno... those pale ones look like low end Squiers!

 

[Twang Tone]

Vintage Amber Tint - especially if we're talking Re-issues.

 

[Tele Jr]

Un-tinted necks look bare naked to me.

Cost cutting is as cost cutting does.