Shambo Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Strong word isn't it? Hate? A couple of years ago I had a dream (nightmare) that I was driving around my locale, visiting friends, in a clapped out old Austin Metro. The jalopy in question had been finished in tobacco sunburst by a previous, semi-professional, pensionable rock guitar wombler, who needed to express his intrinsic love of everything rock and/or metal to absolutely everybody he passed on the street. I'd found myself the owner by virtue of being unable to afford anything else. Each body panel had individually been resprayed tobacco sunburst... the roof, wings, doors, hatch and bonnet each had that brown middle moving into red and then to black along its edges. The stanchions that held up the roof were black, as were the bumpers. I woke up and was awoken to a basic internal disgust for any guitar with a burst finish. At first, I thought it a mildly amusing figment of my imagination, one that I would soon forget. But I can't. My dislike tobacco sunburst has since extended to any type of burst finish, surpassing my previous best dislike of coffee table basses... even more that the nausea I feel when I see quilted maple, which looks to me like baby has just vomited a Farley's Rusk on my shoulder. I despise it. I see perfectly good basses that I'd like perhaps to own, but couldn't entertain the thought of buying just because of their finish. Is it just me? What is my problem? 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 (edited) I don’t like tobacco sunburst generally and wouldn’t ever choose it, but there are a couple of basses I could forgive it on. Just generally looks dirty. But quilted maple? Especially dyed, it’s gorgeous. Edited March 18, 2018 by T-Bay Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 It's ok to hate a guitar style / colour or a car or a type of music. It's what makes us all different. Doesn't make it wrong. As long as we all appreciate that it's not wrong for people to like stuff we don't and that we are respectful of others likes and dislikes then all is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushbo Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 When it's done right, sunburst finishes can look lovely. More often than not, it seems that the person who had the egregious job of painting the instruments, decided that blending the two or three colours together was too much trouble and instead we get a wobbly version of the RAF roundel painted in three shades of fecal matter. I had a lovely, Japanese Fender P in Tobacco Sunburst and if it hadn't have weighed as much as the Isle of Man, I'd still have it now. I have a Hofner Beatlebass which has been really nicely done, in spite of it being a budget bass. Then again, my favourite bass is fiesta red with a brown tort plate, so think of that what you will... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I know how you feel. I had a tsb guitar but changed the colour. I wouldn't say no to this one: www.google.co.uk/search?q=dave+murray+strat&client=ms-android-samsung&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiUn-7K3_bZAhWEjqQKHf6RC9MQ_AUIESgC&biw=360&bih=560#imgrc=gc1VXiITB5fwFM: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el borracho Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I get where you're coming from. I used to love any sunburst but now seem to have an instant dislike for it. I still own a MIJ Sunburst P bass but I never play it as I prefer the Capri Orange or the Ice Blue Metallic one! I click on ads for basses then straight off if it's any sunburst (not just tobacco). Don't understand it myself as I really did like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandad Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 The opposite here, I love sunburst and have 3. The grain is also part of the appeal and I have 2 others which are translucent cherry red, and one white and one fiesta red. So only 2 out 7 are a solid colour. I think certain body shapes seem to go best with, or are associated with, certain colours. Colour and scratch-plate combinations are also important to me and unlike many others I'm not keen on tortoise. It really is down to personal taste. I couldn't see me ever owning a black guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 When was after a Yamaha Bex4 it seemed all anyone had bought were the trans orange or blue. I'm so glad I hung on until a tobacco burst one came up for sale. I've seen plenty of blue and orange but you don't see the burst one very often. Isn't it a beaut! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 (edited) I've sort of accidentally ended up with a Double bass in antique finish, an electric upright in 'violinburst', a classic Ray5 in Tobacco burst along with a Fender Jazz V in 3tsb. It's not my favourite finish but it looks right on some things, coffee table or Antigua are the only bass finishes I wouldn't even take in a trade. Edited March 18, 2018 by stingrayPete1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 5 minutes ago, Maude said: When was after a Yamaha Bex4 it seemed all anyone had bought were the trans orange or blue. I'm so glad I hung on until a tobacco burst one came up for sale. I've seen plenty of blue and orange but you don't see the burst one very often. Isn't it a beaut! I don’t like the finish generally but would more than happily give that house room. It’s subtle and has been done really well. Some sunburst finishes just look naff but that looks a very quality finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikki_Sixx Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 For years I always associated tobacco sunburst with the cheap, unplayable Strat copies that many of my friends had in the late 90s and early 2000s. I couldn’t imagine ever owning a TSB guitar or bass, especially with a white pickguard. They looked cheap to me. Its only in recent years that I’ve come around to burst finishes, including tobacco. I’ve seen some fantastic examples, and with a different pickguard (or none at all) I can be a bit of a sucker for them now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I want my van wrapped in a flame/quilt maple burst! ...except the wrap would be worth more than the van! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Shambo said: Each body panel had individually been resprayed tobacco sunburst... the roof, wings, doors, hatch and bonnet each had that brown middle moving into red and then to black along its edges. Well, the good news is that you don't hate Tobacco Sunburst. You hate Three Tone Sunburst. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney72a Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Yes, terrible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I know where your coming from I too have an aversion to TSB and Flamed Maple but saying that it wouldn’t stop me from buying one if I like the bass and playability I’d just refinish it!!.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I kinda agree about the TSB, but unfortunately my go to bass for the last few years has been a P-Lyte in that colour. Tried a few others but the TSB just feels right. ( Bought another one as a backup too!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 The first bass I owned and learnt to play on. . . . my first pro bass, a Fender Precision. . . . 3 of the 4 most amazing basses I've owned in the last couple of years. . . . all sunburst. I rarely dream about basses, but when I'm thinking about them sunburst is what springs to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I hate TSB and also hate gold, except when they are together on a '57 P, when the sum is greater than its parts: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shambo Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 9 hours ago, rodney72a said: Yes, terrible. Actually, the antiquity of the burst finish works nicely with the 1950's pulp sci-fi body shape... and I've got a real big Big Al SSS itch that I can't quite reach to scratch. If you were to ever put this one up for sale, despite me really wanting one, I could never bring myself to buy it and that makes me sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shambo Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 10 hours ago, Maude said: When was after a Yamaha Bex4 it seemed all anyone had bought were the trans orange or blue. I'm so glad I hung on until a tobacco burst one came up for sale. I've seen plenty of blue and orange but you don't see the burst one very often. Isn't it a beaut! It certainly suits the guitar but, for me? I'd take the orange one please. Even the blue version seems to have a bit of a subtle burst thing going on and for that reason, I'm out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shambo Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 7 hours ago, dannybuoy said: I hate TSB and also hate gold, except when they are together on a '57 P, when the sum is greater than its parts: It'd look much better in Butterscotch Blonde... IMHO 8 hours ago, casapete said: I kinda agree about the TSB, but unfortunately my go to bass for the last few years has been a P-Lyte in that colour. Tried a few others but the TSB just feels right. ( Bought another one as a backup too!) I'll take one from the middle please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 11 hours ago, Shambo said: ...My dislike tobacco sunburst has since extended to any type of burst finish, surpassing my previous best dislike of coffee table basses... even more that the nausea I feel when I see quilted maple, which looks to me like baby has just vomited a Farley's Rusk on my shoulder. I despise it. I see perfectly good basses that I'd like perhaps to own, but couldn't entertain the thought of buying just because of their finish. Is it just me? What is my problem? What have you got against partially digested Farley's rusks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shambo Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 1 minute ago, SpondonBassed said: What have you got against partially digested Farley's rusks? That... rippled beige texture. It reminds me of quilted maple. Gross. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 I've never understood "burst" finishes either. I know some people like them. I don't hate them, but I'd never choose to have a burst finish & would even contemplate a refinish in a solid colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 The burst is okay by me. It's just the colour of tobacco in those darker smokier looking finishes that reminds me of too many years of heavy smoking. When I was a tobacco consumer, every room in my house would gradually become tinted with the same depressing brown muck! I don't find the colour attractive on an instrument either. I like it even less now that there are no more smoking venues and everywhere looks and smells better. I don't know whether I agree with you on coffee table basses however. I'm still not sure what that means. I looked it up and found this. Cool huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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