POLL | HELP: Burst, Stain, what is it ?! (Les Paul Finish)

[Deadman1]

Hello there

I kinda need your opinion.... Okay it's a stupid question... but this haunts me for days now and i see my guitar with new eyes
Sooo... a friend came by and was like
he loves this burst finish - and i was like 'which burst?'

So he was calling this a burst finish... i'm normally not a big fan of burst finishes and never considered calling this a burst..
So what do you think?

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Would you say it's a burst-finish?
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I would LOVE to hear your opinion!


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Bonus question:
what would you call this finish?
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Thanks so much in advance!

Best regards,
d.

 

[Kandinskyesque]

I'd have no idea what kind of finish I would call it.
It looks good though.

It reminds of how a pair of old worn and washed black jeans end up on the thighs and backside.
Therefore, I will suggest the finish be called
"Black Jeanarse".

 

[Ricky D.]

I would call it a burst because the edges are darker than the center.

 

[teletimetx]

Doesn’t really matter - but yeah, generally, anything where the edges are darker than the center can be called a burst. Both PRS and Gibson/Epi have been enlarging the variety of color schemes used in burst finishes.

Decide for yourself:

 

[teletimetx]

 

[teletimetx]

I think there’s been a few finishes with a “reverse burst” - the edges are lighter than the center.

 

[Deadman1]

I'd have no idea what kind of finish I would call it.
It looks good though.

Thanks for your answer!
It was a faded black BFG once... before it was sanded down....

It reminds of how a pair of old worn and washed black jeans end up on the thighs and backside.
Therefore, I will suggest the finish be called
"Black Jeanarse".

haha perfect

I would call it a burst because the edges are darker than the center.

Thanks for your answer!
by definition you seem to be right. but i don't know.. it still doesnt "feel" like a burst

Doesn’t really matter - but yeah, generally, anything where the edges are darker than the center can be called a burst. Both PRS and Gibson/Epi have been enlarging the variety of color schemes used in burst finishes.

Thanks for your answer and the photos... yeah these are some classical bursts... how would you decide? burst or no burst?

 

[Deadman1]

As for the Bonus Question:
A buddy considered calling it a "Driftwood Finish"

 

[ale.istotle]

My 'just won the lottery but need to keep busy' job would be naming paint colors, so I'll practice here: Faded Cast Iron

 

[1stpitch]

I wouldn't call it a burst. If the accepted definition of burst is that it's darker around the edges, this one is not. It's actually lighter around the edges in a few spots than anywhere else on the top. For me, that definition would also include the darker edges needing to be opaque, or nearly so. This is surely not that either. But that's just my opinion, and the OP said he needed opinions.

 

[rcole_sooner]

Hard to tell what the finish was before being sanded down. But now it does not look like a burst to me.

 

[Nicko_Lps]

Would you say it's a burst-finish?

I have no idea how this is actually called in the guitar world or in the industry but im pretty sure this was a see-thru black varnish that was partially sanded off the top and gave you this effect you see right now

 

[teletimetx]

Thanks for your answer and the photos... yeah these are some classical bursts... how would you decide? burst or no burst?

Based on PRS nomenclature, I’d call it a faded charcoal half-arsed burst

 

[4pickupguy]

I would call it ”apartment fire”.
If it remains flat, to me it stained. If it were clear coated it would be closer to a burst.

 

[Deadman1]

Thanks for all your answers!

My 'just won the lottery but need to keep busy' job would be naming paint colors, so I'll practice here: Faded Cast Iron

haha great one!

I wouldn't call it a burst. If the accepted definition of burst is that it's darker around the edges, this one is not. It's actually lighter around the edges in a few spots than anywhere else on the top. For me, that definition would also include the darker edges needing to be opaque, or nearly so. This is surely not that either. But that's just my opinion, and the OP said he needed opinions.

Thanks so much for your opinion. I feel similar about it.

Hard to tell what the finish was before being sanded down. But now it does not look like a burst to me.

It was a faded black les paul BFG... that was sanded down by a previous owner.

I have no idea how this is actually called in the guitar world or in the industry but im pretty sure this was a see-thru black varnish that was partially sanded off the top and gave you this effect you see right now

It was a faded black les paul BFG... that was sanded down by a previous owner.

Based on PRS nomenclature, I’d call it a faded charcoal half-arsed burst

haha. yeah well i thought it was similar to PRS' charcoal burst

I would call it ”apartment fire”.
If it remains flat, to me it stained. If it were clear coated it would be closer to a burst.

apartment fire is awesome haha

 

[kuch]

looks like either lacquer or nitro over stain to me

 

[lil scotty]

I do like it but voted “no” on the burst, simply because the difference in dark to light/ outer to inner is not prominent enough. I see those “lemon burst“ types, like above, and think the same thing: “where’s the burst?” (like, “where’s the beef?”)

 

[ASATKat]

Ever so slightly run a torch over the quilted maple. You can almost paint with it if you're careful. Burn just enough to get a brown to dark brown, you can do the burst style, finish it with whatever is clear and best. Maybe a clear epoxy? Nothing looks nicer.

 

[soundchaser59]

I think there’s been a few finishes with a “reverse burst” - the edges are lighter than the center.

The reciprocal of burst is inburst.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

That’s really nice “Peter Greenish” maple though.

Super narrow and tight. And the longitudinal figure is like his (er, Gary Moore’s, er Kirk Hammet’s) too.

Change your pick up surround screws to black fer chrissake ya metal head !