Project: Duo Sonic

[MWaldorf]

The neck looks great!

I heard back from my friend @ Fender, and the official name for the color was Desert Sand, as we've already established. Going on the notion that Fender used auto paint colors a few years after they were used by the auto companies, I found Chrysler had a Desert Sand in 1955. Looks brighter than the Duos pictured, but maybe they have aged topcoats?

Sorry for the big picture; it's a link though to another site.

[dubtrub]

Wow! Thanks, Mel.

That Chrysler Desert Sand definitely has a pinkish hue.

What I've found in my research was the original Duo Sonic was a Desert Tan then in mid 1959 Fender changed the color to a Tan with a pinkish hue. So now it's going to be trial and error.

I called Guitar Center and they can order a bridge assembly for the current production Duo's. They are basically the same bridge minus the threading across the bridge saddles and the turn up lip on the sides for a bridge cover.

[KRamone27]

That looks like it's really coming along great Danny.

[dubtrub]

Here's a '55 Chrysler in Desert Sand. The car definitely looks cool. This color may be a little too rich.

[oipunkguy]

yeah, it seems like desert tan is either like the chrysler above, kinda like a caramel color, or a brownish off white color. personally i like the color on the chrysler more.

[MWaldorf]

That's a sweet looking wagon! I think the lighter color in the spear is Desert Sand. The dark color of the rest of the car looks like Canyon Tan, which is on sheet 1 of the 1955 color chart (I'll link instead of post because it's also a big image)
http://pc.dupont.com/hcl/search/imageViewer.jsp?imgurl=/hcl/data/Data/Domestic%20Cars/Chrysler/Chrysler%201951-1961/CHR%201955/000386.jpg

Here's a 1955 300 that's all Desert Sand:


That being said, with the change over to the rosewood boards and plastic pickguards, the color of the Duo Sonics changed over time to a darker color.


So, assuming that Fender continued to source Chrysler colors that were one or two years old, here are some possibilities for the RW board Duos. To me, Mesa Tan looks the most likely, but Desert Beige has the pinkish hue. If Fender was using surplus paint as it was available, it's possible all of these were used at some point.

[dubtrub]

Where did you find that photo of Duo Sonics and Musicmasters?

I sure would like to see an actual color chart in person, that way I could see for certain what the colors really look like. To me the Buckskin Beige looks about right.

That car is beautiful, so are the guitars.

[MWaldorf]

I got the photo on this site: http://www.marcelroy.com/ It was linked at the bottom of the page on the 56-59 models.

I did a quick search on ebay for 1958 Chrysler paint chips - looks like they're available
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=1958+chrysler+paint+chips+&_cqr=true

[Sarah93003]

Hey Danny, is this the color you're going for?

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1959-FENDER ... 439d26a084

here's a 1960
http://cgi.ebay.com/1960-FENDER-DUO-SON ... 45f0dfd9e4


If so, you download the color photographs, print them and take them to a paint store for matching. Or, ask the owner to take the guitar to a paint store for a color match.

[oipunkguy]

pretty cool!