A Guide to Sunburst Finishes – Colors and Patterns

May 9, 2026

On May 3, 2026

A Guide to Sunburst Finishes

The sunburst pattern has become one of the most frequently seen guitar finishes of the past 100+ years.

Gibson first started finishing instruments in this pattern in the early 1900’s. There was a conscious effort to mimic the shading seen on violins. It also served a purpose of being able to hide a certain amount of surface defects.

Many of the traditional patterns that we’re familiar with are relatively simple: a transparent yellow or amber sprayed on top of a sealed body, followed by red and/or brown perimeters.

Some burst patterns and colors are unique to that brand:

Fender Sunbursts

Pattern:

Best described as a Perimeter Burst where the outer burst colors conform to the edges.
Tobacco Sunburst (aka 2 Tone Sunburst) – Original Fender sunburst seen on the first few years of the Stratocaster
- Transparent Yellow, Dark Salem
3 Tone Sunburst – In 1958 Fender introduced a third color into the sunburst, a transparent red that transitions the yellow base into the brown edge
- Transparent Yellow, Transparent Red, Dark Salem
Sienna Burst – Another two tone option excluding the brown edge color
- Transparent Yellow, Transparent Red

Colors:

Transparent Yellow – two versions of this color have been used over the years: a dye based version that remains transparent no matter how many coats are applied, and pigment based version that is considered semi transparent
Transparent Red – this is a deep red lacquer that is often pigment based. Red pigments are more transparent in nature than many other colors which lends well for creating the gradient seen in a burst color
Dark Salem – a pigment colored lacquer that is a black/brown. Can remain somewhat transparent when sprayed lightly

Gibson Sunbursts

Pattern:

Often what is referred to as a Tear Drop Burst pattern, the outer burst color conforms to the perimeter if the lower bout, and then traces up to the neck to form a soft tear drop pattern.
Cherry Sunburst – Original burst found on Les Paul’s from 1958 onward .
- Vintage Amber, Heritage Cherry (Oxford’s Iced Tea is also a good option as its bit softer)
Tobacco Burst – Sunburst pattern with a deep brown outer color
- Vintage Amber, Tobacco Brown
Dark Burst – Similar to Tobacco Burst but often has more of a deep reddish brown in the outer burst color.
- Vintage Amber, Mahogany
Honey Burst – Amber with a light brown outer color. Originally meant to mimic the original Cherry Sunbursts from the 50’s where the red aniline dye in the lacquer faded to leave a soft brown color.
- Vintage Amber, Honey Brown
Iced Tea Burst – Similar to Cherry Burst with a softer red component. Another version of how some vintage examples faded out.
- Vintage Amber, Iced Tea
Lemon Burst – An extremely faded color with a subtle or sometimes no burst
- Dirty Lemon, Honey Brown
Silver Burst – a silver metallic base with a black tear drop burst pattern. Vintage examples appear to have a yellow/gold metallic base due to the clear coats having ambered over time
- Silver Mist, Black, Aged Clear for amber effect (optional)

Colors:

Vintage Amber – Commonly used as the base color for many Gibson bursts. Light application of 1-2 coats will deliver a light amber base while users can achieve a darker and deeper amber by increasing the amount that’s applied.
Heritage Cherry Red – An extremely vibrant and deep, dye based red lacquer. This is also a great color for the back, sides, and neck of a mahogany guitar.
Iced Tea – A Mahogany colored lacquer – red and brown dyes create a vibrant color that can add amazing depth when stacked on top of an amber base.
Honey Brown – A soft, medium brown that can be sprayed extremely lightly to dial in the edges of a Honey or Lemon Burst, or applied heavier to achieve a darker burst shade.
Tobacco Brown – Darker and colder than Honey Brown. Tobacco Brown can appear almost black when applied heavily. Since it’s dye based it will retain its transparent properties.
Dirty Lemon – A vibrant bright yellow lacquer with a small amount of blue in the mix to allow for a subtle green/yellow base color when applied on light colored maple.
Mahogany – A rich reddish burgundy color that works well as an outer burst lacquer as well as sides/back/neck on a mahogany guitar.