Sunburst - Yay or Nay

[PaulThePlug]

@Dad3353 3D printed me one (along with the pickup bezel) no screw holes, stuck on with double sided tape...

[tauzero]

I prefer natural, but the only bass I have which isn't natural finish is a three-tone sunburst Variax which I like the look of.

[Nicko]

I absolutely despise the Fender sunburst. It reminds me of every cheap copy that you could buy from Freemans.  CAR is the colour of choice.

 

Gibson Cherryburst or Honeyburst on guitar are a different matter.

[Barking Spiders]

Nay, nay, thrice nay to sunburst finishes. I now only go for natural finishes or cherry burst at a push i.e. if it's a fave model like a 335.

[tegs07]

If it’s a 70’s bass, roadworn and preferably with cigarette burns on the headstock keep the sunburst. If not like swirly brown carpets, valour and wood chip probably best avoided.

 

Edit: Never realised sunburst finish dates so far back. I have always associated them with 1970’s probably because so many copies then were sunburst..

Edited September 13, 2021 by tegs07

[Nicko]

8 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

If it’s a 70’s bass, roadworn and preferably with cigarette burns on the headstock keep the sunburst. If not like swirly brown carpets, valour and wood chip probably best avoided.

Are you scared of sunburst, swirly carpets and wood chip then? 😀

[tegs07]

6 minutes ago, Nicko said:

Are you scared of sunburst, swirly carpets and wood chip then? 😀

Mmm typo but yes the combination is shocking. Youth of today have no idea of the horror. My house is not entirely lacking in sunburst though:

Bitsa on right still a work in progress. 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by tegs07

[shoulderpet]

5 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Sunburst - probably my least favourite finish - like navels, everybody has one.

+1 my least favourite finish too

[inthedoghouse]

Love a sunbrust - just classic 🙂

[Guest]

I just turned around and asked the BB sitting behind me if it wouldn't rather be a nice trans white rather tobacco sunburst, and it said pleeeeeeease. It's not just our own tastes we should be thinking about, we need to consider the poor basses. Decades stuck under a hapless targetburst, just longing for a nice solid metallic red finish..... Oh it's so sad 

[Bolo]

Camo dip. No burst.

[Reggaebass]

For any sunburst fans you might like this 

[FinnDave]

I am stunned to learn that some people don't like sunburst basses. It is definitely my preference, by a long way. I am currently selling a few basses in order to slim down, the two Jazz basses I am keeping are both sunburst (and tort, obviously). Sadly, my Precision, which is the best best example of them that I have had, is white. If I could find a P that sounds and feels as good as that one but was sunburst, I'd swap.

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, FinnDave said:

I am stunned to learn that some people don't like sunburst basses. It is definitely my preference, by a long way. I am currently selling a few basses in order to slim down, the two Jazz basses I am keeping are both sunburst (and tort, obviously). Sadly, my Precision, which is the best best example of them that I have had, is white. If I could find a P that sounds and feels as good as that one but was sunburst, I'd swap.

11th commandment.. check 

[Old Horse Murphy]

I used to be a big fan of sunburst but recently have gone off it a bit. I'm a big fan of natural finishes but am partial to the old Fender DuPont colours.  

 

I definitely find Fender's recent sunburst to be quite uninspiring and bland and definitely prefer the more vivid 70's sunburst, where the red has bled through a bit. 

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

definitely prefer the more vivid 70's sunburst, where the red has bled through a bit. 

 

You might like Yamaha's three colour sunbursts, they seem to be modelled on 70s Fenders:

 

[such]

13 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

For any sunburst fans you might like this 

Oh I'm sure it will totally be worth the £3k they ask, what with the cheap arm and that. 

 

"Lifestyle brand" it is then. Robotuners at NAMM 2022.

 

On topic, I do like a sunburst with nice smooth transitions. Especially if the sides stay translucent, a tobacco burst? Really dislike the German flag 🇩🇪 finish with distinct red and black lines sprayed on. 

[Reggaebass]

3 minutes ago, such said:

the £3k they ask

I didn’t look at the price, I like the finish but not for 3k 🙂

[neepheid]

Does it matter what I think?  To be awkward, I'd say it depends.  I've nothing against the principle.  I don't think any finish is off the table until I see it in context on a bass.

 

To answer the OP's question - I don't think those look bad at all.  I'd be happy to play and be seen playing the P.  I'd refinish the J in somewhereelseburst, personally.

Edited September 22, 2021 by neepheid

[Skin Lewis]

I like both finishes equally:

[Marc S]

I have come back to Sunburst basses, after a short while of them being out of favour for me.
There are probably so many around, that they are seen as common - however, I think of the finish as Classic. Everyone should have one in their collection IMO.
Perhaps the finish suits a P more than a Jazz - but I've no argument with someone who loves their burst J bass.

I tend to prefer a 3 tone sunburst over a 2TSB. I now only have a cheap self-assembled P/J (from Squier parts) - I should really continue to thin the herd, but I just can't bring myself to sell this rather nice bass

.......after all, it would leave me without a Sunburst bass at all  

EDIT: Of course, the most important thing is that the owner likes the colour / finish of his or her bass. So that's the only thing that really matters.

Edited September 22, 2021 by Marc S

[pbasspecial]

I love my sunburst P bass.  However, when I got a little bored of the look I just do a little bit of redecorating. I swap the pickguards from black to tortoiseshell and the hardware from chrome to gold and the strings from rounds to flats to black tape wounds.  

[Steve Browning]

I guess I'm ambivalent 🙂

 

[Eldon Tyrell]

My fav finishes are red, black, white and natural.

However, even I could not resist the lure of a sunburst P bass from the 70s (sorry, no tort, I could not go that far ; -)

 

[Bunion]

On 13/09/2021 at 10:32, MoJo said:

have a Jazz bass copy, 3 colour sunburst over American Ash. Bound, rosewood fretboard with Mother of Plastic block inlays. Classic Jazz bass. I can't decide whether I like it or whether sunburst finishes look a little dated now. I'm tempted to get it refinished in a Daphne Blue or Surf Green. What's the general consensus on Sunburst finishes these days?  

Try a car wrapper for a price, if you don’t like it you can peel it off

if your feeling adventurous you could buy the wrap and have a bash yourself