These are the most valuable vintage Fender finishes according to Reverb

Reverb is reporting that sales of Fender guitars in Blonde and Dakota Red finishes have vastly outperformed instruments in other color options over the past seven years. 

The online gear marketplace has recently put together a short publication celebrating its game-changing Price Guide data – the site’s ongoing record of previous sold prices for listings. Among the insights shared within is an intriguing round-up of the changing values of Fender guitar sales, organized by finish.

Fender builds initially relied on staple Sunburst and Blonde finish options, but in 1964 the firm began offering 14 custom colors, among them the likes of Candy Apple Red and Surf Green. Reverb has tracked this total of 16 finishes across the last seven years.

During that period, instruments with Blonde and Dakota Red finishes have seen a spectacular rise in favor, with prices growing by an average of 75% and 71%. Sherwood Green and Inca Silver finishes also performed surprisingly well, with rises of 57% and 55%, respectively. 

On the flipside, some old favorites have seen yields falling – Seafoam Green dipped 3%, while Burgundy Mist has tumbled a huge 29% – worth noting if you’re looking for a bargain. Check out the full list below.

Highest yielding vintage Fender finishes

1. Blonde +75%
2. Dakota Red +71%
3. Sherwood Green +57%
4. Inca Silver +55%
5. Sunburst +47%
6. Black +46%
7. Candy Apple Red +43%
8. Surf Green +36%
9. Lake Placid Blue +33%
10. Olympic White +32%
11. Sonic Blue +27%
12. Daphne Blue +25%
13. Fiesta Red +18%
14. Shoreline Gold +4%
15. Seafoam Green -3%
16. Burgundy Mist -29%

[Data sourced from Reverb.com 2015-2022]

The round-up makes fascinating reading for guitar geeks, but there are some sizeable caveats to be made when it comes to the data. 

For instance, Blonde is technically the highest yielding finish. However, as mentioned, it was also one of the only finish options on vintage models pre-1964. It is therefore bound to have outpaced the average rise in value, given the highest Fender valuations are placed on guitars from that period.

Reverb is also keen to underline that the data considers all Fender sales mentioning the finishes. As such, though the color options are historic, the guitars they are found on are not necessarily vintage and the data includes sales of reissues and current models with those colors.

By this token, Burgundy Mist’s seeming underperformance might actually just be down to the fact that it was recently reprised as a finish option on Fender’s Vintera and Player series lines, both of which retail for much less than vintage models.

The data is by no means perfect, then, but it’s nonetheless a fun insight into the retail habits and trends of guitar buyers across the last seven years. 

If you want more insight into Fender finishes and other trends in gear sales, download your own copy of Reverb’s Your Guide To Gear PDF.