The red colours on historics

[thin sissy]

In 2007 the CS made some historics with brighter backs than before, correct? At least it looks like it on some pics I've seen. I was wondering if maybe we could figure out when in '07 they started doing it, why and if they still do it.

My '07 R8 has the old dark red back, the S/N is 8 7361.

Does anyone know if they started doing it on all guitars after some time, or if some has it and some doesn't.

There's no real reason behind this question other than curiosity ...

 

[Todd Louis]

the back is a stain thats rubed on some times they rub on moer or less..
I have seen and have had some guitars with lighter or darker backs .. all depens and it fades realy fast so that fackter is allso in there

 

[D'Mule]

It does seem to me, too, that the VOS historic LP's often have the more orange or lighter cherry backs, as compared to pre-VOS historics.

I wonder if this was intentional, or whether it just reflects who is staining the backs on any given day?

Regardless, I love both colors and have one of each.

 

[MRTONEMAN]

It does seem to me, too, that the VOS historic LP's often have the more orange or lighter cherry backs, as compared to pre-VOS historics.

I wonder if this was intentional, or whether it just reflects who is staining the backs on any given day?

Regardless, I love both colors and have one of each.

With VOS they purposely changed even the stain formula to
give it a more pre faded look. It also 'bleeds' less onto bindings than the preVOS.
Although the bleeding is Vintage correct, many outside of this forum saw it as a 'defect'.

For me, I like the Pre-Faded backs with IceTea, and LemonDrops
and the Non-Faded backs with the CherryBursts.
This way the fading or lack-of-fading is more 'realistic'.

 

[DANELECTRO]

I've definitely noticed a difference in the stain color since 2007. Prior to '07, the stain was a deep cherry red color. On some guitars, more stain was wiped off leaving the back with somewhat of an orange-ish hue, but if you looked closely at the stain remaining in the pores, it was deep red. The 07's and later have a root-beer colored stain. My '07 has absolutely zero bleeding into the binding. All my earlier historics started bleeding within a couple of weeks of playing them.

 

[J.D.]

There's a good explination for this, and yes it changed for '07 :jim

 

[thin sissy]

Thanks for the input, very interesting.

I've seen the brighter red backs, and they are not faded like the sun fades red (they aren't brown/yellowish, just not as deep red). My '07 started the binding bleed after about one week, and the red was also that deeper old red.

So then the question is, why didn't they do it on all guitars? Do you think it just depended on what workers were doing what on some days?

 

[MRTONEMAN]

So then the question is, why didn't they do it on all guitars? Do you think it just depended on what workers were doing what on some days?

Well since 2006, they've been making both versions, VOS and older style gloss. It sounds like you have the gloss, which is rarer these days.

 

[bluesforstevie]

Mine (07 R9) has bled into the binding...but it is starting to fade with mucho playing. Doesn't bother me. The neck was lighter in color than most Historics I've had....but I've seen that on others too. Stain migration should be a subject tackled on one of those How it's made / How it works shows!!

 

[thin sissy]

Well since 2006, they've been making both versions, VOS and older style gloss. It sounds like you have the gloss, which is rarer these days.

But, my R8 is a VOS :hmm... It was my understanding that some gloss models also had the lighter red backs?

Bluesforstevie: It doesn't bother me either, and last summer most of the bleeding faded away. I'm wondering if there's a method to all of this, or if they all vary in some way?