TV-YELLOW SPRAY (0,4L)

All about the colour TV Yellow

TV Yellow, an intriguing name for a Gibson colour

In 1954 Gibson launched the Les Paul Junior as an affordable student version of the Gold Top model.

Initially available in sunburst, it was soon launched in a peculiar colour called TV Yellow.

This finish has a slightly pale yellowish tone and is semi-translucent, so that some of the wood grain shows through.

In 1955, the TV Yellow also appeared on the then-new Les Paul Special model. In 1960 both models changed to the

SG body shape and Gibson discontinued the TV Yellow altogether.

There is still a lot of speculation as to why Gibson chose this name for its finish.

Some claim that it was chosen specifically to look good on black and white televisions.

Or that it was created because ordinary yellow and white did not look good on the (then new)

early colour televisions. These theories, though oft-cited, seem far-fetched. It wouldn’t make

much sense for Gibson to develop a colour intended for professional musicians performing live

on television and then use it for cheaper entry-level models. Therefore, it seems obvious at the

time that Gibson would have preferred artists to play their more luxurious Gold Top and Custom

models on television.

However, there is another theory that seems more credible. Firstly, the TVs of the early 1950s had

wooden cabinets finished in the then fashionable colours, such as “whitewashed mahogany”.

This paint was readily available, as it was in widespread use, an advantage for Gibson who planned

to mass-produce a basic guitar. The name TV Yellow would be attractive and familiar to the general

public in the USA.

Whatever the reason Gibson called it TV Yellow, this finish certainly looks great on these 1950s Gibson

models. Still, it can be expensive to reproduce accurately and the final tone will depend on a number of factors.

A lighter pale yellow colour on a darker mahogany body needs an undercoat, but the wood grain should remain slightly visible.