Active Band Man Chats - The Blue Edition

The other day, Horry and I went to a certain exhibition together.

We did, indeed. It was at the Ōta Memorial Museum of Art in Harajuku, which specializes in ukiyo-e. A charmingly small yet delightful museum.

The works of Utagawa Hiroshige, an ukiyo-e artist who was particularly passionate about blue, were on full display!

That’s right. The focus was on landscapes, but you could see his obsession with blue in the skies, rivers, and mountains.

Exactly! Indigo blue, Prussian blue, pale blue, verdigris—plus the amazing printing techniques that blurred them all together! And with that, the theme of this edition is ‘blue’!

Wait, we went to see an exhibition about Hiroshige’s Berlin Blue, but you’re turning that into our theme now?

Of course! I’m always thinking about column ideas!

Impressive...

Alright, let’s dive in! Musical instruments can have so many shades of blue too. Starting with the classic: Fender’s Sonic Blue!

Fender / American Performer Telecaster Satin Sonic Blue

Refreshing, isn’t it? I own one myself—a Hofner violin bass. Pretty sure it’s Sonic Blue as well.

Ah yes, the bass you used in the Show Words, calling it the ‘color of youth’. Another iconic Fender blue is this one:

Fender / Vintera II 60s Stratocaster Rosewood FB Lake Placid Blue

For me, when it comes to Fender blues, this is the one I think of. I’ve seen basses in this color too. But what exactly is Lake Placid Blue?

‘Placid’ means ‘calm’ or ‘peaceful’, so I’d guess it’s inspired by the tranquil blue of a lake.

Makes sense—a serene lake blue. My Mike Lull bass might be this color, though I’m not sure about the exact specs since I got it used.

It’s probably Lake Placid Blue. And that lake must be pretty deep.

Right, it’s a darker blue. Wait, do you care about the depth?

Of course I do! They say, “God is in the details,” after all. Attention to detail is important! Anyway, back to the topic—my Teisco is a similar shade.

True, it has a slightly metallic vibe. It’s different from a standard blue, and I find it appealing. Speaking of metallic blues, I also own a bass in that shade. I guess I have quite a few blue basses when I think about it.

That’s great!

Squier / Affinity StratoJunior HSS, L FB, WhitePG Ice Blue Metallic

This is Ice Blue? The light blue does resemble ice.

I used to play an Ice Blue one for a while.

You did!

Alright, next up!

Fender / Made in Japan Junior Collection Strat Satin Daphne Blue

Daphne Blue? It’s similar to Sonic Blue, isn’t it?

(In Greek, ‘Daphnē’ means ‘laurel’, referring to the nymph from Greek mythology.)

Ah, so it’s a delicate, fairy-like blue?

That’s it!

If you say so...

Probably! Moving on—this one is stunning.

Fender / Player Plus Stratocaster HSS PF Belair Blue

An uncommon color. Belair Blue?

I’d say it captures the beauty of the seaside. The shading reminds me of Hiroshige’s gradients!

You might be right.

And here’s more of Fender’s commitment to blue:

Fender / American Ultra II Stratocaster, Ebony FB Noble Blue

Noble Blue—are they rhyming on purpose? This is a bold shade of blue, almost 80s-inspired.

Fender / MIJ Hybrid II Stratocaster Maple Forest Blue

Forest Blue? It looks a bit similar to Noble Blue in tone.

Fender / 2024 MIJ Hybrid II Stratocaster Maple Flame Celeste Blue

Celeste?

‘Celeste’ comes from Latin, Spanish, and Portuguese, meaning ‘sky’, ‘heaven’, or ‘sky blue’.

Got it...

FENDER / Player II Stratocaster, M FB, Aquatone Blue

Aquatone—like a clear stream?

FENDER / American Professional II Stratocaster, Rosewood, Miami Blue

What makes it Miami-esque?

FENDER / MIJ LTD International Color Stratocaster Maple Maui Blue

And Maui-esque!?

SQUIER / Sonic Stratocaster Laurel-FB Black-PG California Blue

California... I sort of get it, but not really. At this point, it’s like they’re just naming them whatever they want.

FENDER / American Ultra Stratocaster HSS Rosewood Cobra Blue

Cobra? Does a cobra come in this color?

A quick search suggests it’s named after the car, not the snake.

Ah, now that you mention it, it does look a bit like car paint.

FENDER / Player Plus Stratocaster PF Opal Spark

Is opal even this color?

A quick search shows plenty of bluish opals!

Fair enough...

Oh, here’s a new one!

FENDER / MJI Ltd Kusumi Telecaster Thinline, RW FB, Kusumi Blue

Kusumi? A Japanese aesthetic, perhaps? They sure come up with creative names.

FENDER / 2024 MIJ Hybrid II Stratocaster Rosewood Quilt Aquamarine

Flashy. Does it highlight the wood grain?

Looks like it. I used to have an acoustic guitar like that!

You did!

Thinking back, almost all my guitars have been blue.

Surprisingly, not red, huh?

But Horry, your pedalboard is—

Oh... and I even had my Swim Drive custom-ordered with a blue casing. Well, the original pedal was blue, so I just kept the theme.

We do love blue, but Fender’s obsession is on another level! Fifteen shades, and that’s just what we covered today.

There’s probably more out there. Fender seems to have plenty of unique color options. It’s a great way to stand out as a player!

Their passion for color rivals that of ukiyo-e artists. Because everything is?

For love!