Sonic Blue / Daphne Blue / Surf Green / Seafoam Green = ????

[tubelectron]

Sonic Blue / Daphne Blue / Surf Green / Seafoam Green = ????

Guys !

I'm puzzled about those different colors - there's one ton of colors and nuances on the web for these 4 refs... I'd like to see them side to side !

image removed

Maybe some of you have pictures of their instruments in these colors placed side by side : I'm interested to see what it looks like. No matter the model of guitar.

Thanks for posting your pics for my sight and knowledge !

-tbln

 

[ataylor]

It’s tricky, because many examples of these colors have aged, whether naturally on original models — and perhaps even a bit on older reissues by now — or whether artificially via a custom shop offering or similar.

All four colors are now being offered in the Vintera lineup and should give a pretty good idea of the differences and similarities between the colors.

Seafoam green seems to be a little darker with a little more blue to the hue — almost more of a turquoise, whereas surf green is a little lighter and more “minty” in hue.

Sonic blue tends to look lighter and a little more pale than daphne blue, which typically has a brighter and more saturated tone of baby blue.

The guitar on the right in the bottom photo almost looks like cerulean blue, which is a brighter and more saturated light blue color Fender offered as part of a limited run of obscure, custom car-color color options on the Classic series Stratocasters several years ago.

 

[tubelectron]

It’s tricky, because many examples of these colors have aged, whether naturally on original models — and perhaps even a bit on older reissues by now — or whether artificially via a custom shop offering or similar.

All four colors are now being offered in the Vintera lineup and should give a pretty good idea of the differences and similarities between the colors.

Seafoam green seems to be a little darker with a little more blue to the hue — almost more of a turquoise, whereas surf green is a little lighter and more “minty” in hue.

Sonic blue tends to look lighter and a little more pale than daphne blue, which typically has a brighter and more saturated tone of baby blue.

The guitar on the right in the bottom photo almost looks like cerulean blue, which is a brighter and more saturated light blue color Fender offered as part of a limited run of obscure, custom car-color color options on the Classic series Stratocasters several years ago.

Thanks for your input, ataylor !

In fact, I have a guitar project that will be finished in Daphne Blue, but the job isn't done yet, so I can't tell... I was wondering which color "matched" it the best ?

I was ready to think that :
Daphne Blue <----> Seafoam Green = more "saturated" range.
Sonic Blue <----> Surf Green = more "pale" range.

But I may be wrong...

My Gretsch G5622TLH SRF GRN "Surf Green" probably isn't the Fender usual Surf Green because of its Turquoise reflections... But is it the Seafoam Green ?

(image removed)

On the picture below, the amp is covered in Surf Green Tolex (at least, it is sold under that name), and the guitar seems very close in color...

(image removed)

... But here, the difference in color now appears quite obviously :

(image removed)

If the amp is Surf Green, then is the guitar close to Seafoam green ?

-tbln

 

[Freeman Keller]

As I recall Dan Erlewine has a bunch of recipes for these colors as they were more or less orginally sprayed in his book on guitar finishing. You could try mixing them up, shooting on some scrap and seeing which one you like the best.

 

[WingedWords]

This might be of interest.

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/blue-guitars-love-them-or-hate-them.719640/

 

[dan40]

I did a Strat body in Stewmac sonic blue last year. When I had the body outside in natural light for the painting process, it had the perfect shade of blue that I was hoping for. After spraying the clear coats and bringing it inside, the color has taken on more of a surf green look. I'm not sure if the clear lacquer (Mohawk) caused the slight change in color or if this is just a natural phenomenon with Sonic blue. These colors do seem to look different in different lighting conditions and aging also has a big affect as ataylor mentioned above.

 

[ndcaster]

get the one you like

 

[Dan R]

Very difficult decision as the blue and green colors are subtle shade differences IMO. I prefer Daphne Blue or Seafoam Green. It's a toss up for me.

 

[PlainAllman]

I have trouble distinguishing between all those different colors too. I really like Lake Placid blue the best but sometimes even that one looks different from one guitar to the next.

 

[jamesepowell]

In order of my liking them - all taste is taste - Daphne, Sonic, Surf, Seafoam.

It occurs to me that I've never seen a dark green electric guitars. Like Hunter Green.

 

[Hereandthere]

I have early 80's, 48th street shop ESP japanese strat in Seafoam Green. These guitars were painstakingly recreated from originals. The pots are 62 serial, the neck 62 number, the body has a 62 in the cavity. I think the color is from 1962. It has a v shaped neck. The serial on the neckplate is 2xxx. Four digit. Anyway it's from the 80s and under the pickguard the nitrocellulose is noticeably a different color, slight, but changed by time and UV light. Time changes the color.

 

[TeleTucson]

Maybe some of you have pictures of their instruments in these colors placed side by side : I'm interested to see what it looks like. No matter the model of guitar.

Thanks for posting your pics for my sight and knowledge !

-tbln

Here's my surf green solid rosewood neck mint guard limited edition - sorry, not side-by-side per your request

It occurs to me that I've never seen a dark green electric guitars. Like Hunter Green.

Well, maybe not hunter - but metallic sherwood green sure floats my boat, compliments of

(link removed)

 

[ndcaster]

here's a kind of reference. this is "rif blue" milk paint from sinopia.com with a thin coat of clear matte poly



I saw a thread with "faded sonic blue" and wanted a tele that color, but man, the colors with that name were all over the place

so I rolled my own

but note that light colors especially and in general do funny things in the changing light. here is the same tele taken seconds later 180 degrees from the first position, such that the light is even more indirect:



moral of the story: with light-colored guitars, you probably have to see them in person to get a good read of the color

.02

 

[Bluego1]

here's a kind of reference. this is "rif blue" milk paint from sinopia.com with a thin coat of clear matte poly

View attachment 628672

I saw a thread with "faded sonic blue" and wanted a tele that color, but man, the colors with that name were all over the place

so I rolled my own

but note that light colors especially and in general do funny things in the changing light. here is the same tele taken seconds later 180 degrees from the first position, such that the light is even more indirect:

View attachment 628673

moral of the story: with light-colored guitars, you probably have to see them in person to get a good read of the color

.02

No idea how faded sonic blue is so different from sonic blue in hue, despite the lighting tricks. Here’s mine.

 

[tubelectron]

This might be of interest.

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/blue-guitars-love-them-or-hate-them.719640/

Thanks !

Very difficult decision as the blue and green colors are subtle shade differences IMO. I prefer Daphne Blue or Seafoam Green. It's toss up for me.

Yes, not easy... Like you, I'm more akeen to pair Daphne Blue and Seafoam Green, that are more saturated colors than Sonic Blue and Surf Green, as I can see...

Well, maybe not hunter - but metallic sherwood green sure floats my boat, compliments of

Very nice color and matching pickguard shade also !

-tbln

 

[tubelectron]

moral of the story: with light-colored guitars, you probably have to see them in person to get a good read of the color

Yes. Indeed I'll wait my Daphne Blue to be finished to see which Green - Surf or Seafoam - matches it the best...

Thanks for your suggestions, guys !

-tbln

 

[Dacious]

Don't overlook the importance of other colours - a rosewood board and nitro guard will make sonic blue look very different to the same body with white guard and maple.

Do not trust any colour shade you see reproduced via digital means. The camera, colour algorithms of capture and reproduction software not to mention your screen can lighten, darken and add hues and shades and alter perception from in person. .

In general Sonic and Surf are pale pastel colours that appear almost matte. Clearcoating either (and pre-CBS many solid colours weren't) darkens them and potentially adds a yellow cast which will give Sonic a greenish appearance.

Daphne and Seafoam are darker and more vibrant colours, without being truly bright or strong

 

[tubelectron]

Don't overlook the importance of other colours - a rosewood board and nitro guard will make sonic blue look very different to the same body with white guard and maple.

Do not trust any colour shade you see reproduced via digital means. The camera, colour algorithms of capture and reproduction software not to mention your screen can lighten, darken and add hues and shades and alter perception from in person. .

In general Sonic and Surf are pale pastel colours that appear almost matte. Clearcoating either (and pre-CBS many solid colours weren't) darkens them and potentially adds a yellow cast which will give Sonic a greenish appearance.

Daphne and Seafoam are darker and more vibrant colours, without being truly bright or strong

Yes, I agree, Dacious - thanks for your additional input : that's the reason why I asked members having those different colors on guitars for side-to-side pictures - and even with that, it's not so easy.

Well... I think that this little color chart below - while not being premium - give a reasonable idea of the differences in hue between the SFM, SRF, DB, SB colors...

Sure, I'll wait my Daphne Blue Epi LPS II project to be finished to make a choice between SRF and SFM Greens... For my 2nd Epi LPS II project !

-tbln

 

[6String69]

The one on the right is faded sonic blue. The one on the left, with the matching headstock, I am not sure. Maybe Daphne blue.

 

[tubelectron]

Thanks to a Warmoth video, I could assemble this picture, showing the different colors taken in the same light environnement and body position :

(image removed)

Thanks to it, it's more easy to see which color matches theorically more the other...

So to my eye, the matching of Daphne Blue is the Seafoam Green, in the "Pastel" range.

But it's me, OK ?

-tbln