What are the chances this top darkens over time?
I’m absolutely loving this 2016 Custom 24 and surprised how quick I acclimated to the rotary tone switch! Neck is thinner than my 1996 McCarty I had to sell years ago, but I’m not trying to get all nostalgic and remember that this guitar fits my playing style so much better today than when I started out - so in reality this guitar is all around perfect for me from a playability standpoint.
With that said, the top was a huge consideration when purchasing because I wanted to LOVE it through and through. The flashy finishes and bursts are awesome in their own right and I totally get why people buy them, but I wanted something a bit more unique and not something you run into all the time. I had a semi-hollow SE Custom 22 from the mid 2000’s run in the natural finish and absolutely loved it (massively underrated IMO) but had a hard time looking at it everyday after a while. That’s said, this 10 top is in a different universe, comparatively, but I still get a hint of that dislike factor because of the one I used to have. I’ve seen stains on other models fade, bleed, darken and lighten, so I was wondering if this one will potentially darken over time. Not a lot, but enough to give it a little more character.
TLDR; Will a natural finish on a 2016 Custom 24 darken at all over time? Love it as is, but curiously optimistic that it can/will. The picture was taken in the dark with a flash, so it’s actually slightly lighter than that in person. Thanks!