Just a stupid, quick question.

I see lots of older guitars with yellow-ish wood. Does this occur naturally with age, or did it used to be the color guitar tops were often dyed? Does it occur if left in direct sunlight? I'm not overly fond of it, and just was wondering if there was any real way of preventing it if it happens to all guitars.

Tops will darken with age.  Exposure to sunlight will speed this up.  Every once in a while you will see a guitar that has been left in a shop window and it will have a mark where a shadow was always on the guitar.  You can also remove a pickguard from an older guitar and see a "tan line".  I like it when a top darkens.  However, sometimes you will see one that has become a pumpkin color, which I don't care for as much.  There are companies that will put a "age toner" on their guitars to give them a vintage look.  I think this looks rediculous.  It ends up looking like Ross from Friends when he tried to get the spray on tan.
-josh

The top of my 1975 L09 was paper white when I got it. It's now a lovely golden honey tone. It happens with age and some finishes are meant to age differently than others.  A great guitar just looks and sounds better and better.  At least that's the theory. Prevent it? I don't think so. Well you could never open the case, I suppose. ;)  

Sitka Spruce will especially mellow out if you are talking about the aged look.

On the other hand, maybe the "yellow wood" refers to a previous thread about ways to make a guitar "open up."  ;)

http://www.larriveeforum.com/forums/index....8&hl=stradavari (http://www.larriveeforum.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=3628&hl=stradavari)

(If you go there, start with the post by unclrob towards the end of page one. This was one of the more entertaining threads we have had.)  :lol:  

I'm sure my tastes will change. I used to dislike Abolone and think Ls looked like honeybees, but now I find Ls beautiful and Abolone... well... a lot better. A bit gaudy sometimes, but I can't say I'd mind having it on my guitar!

I like reallly white tops, but that'll probably evolve as well.

My 16 year old Epiphone has aged to beautiful honey color. Unfortunately it's almost unplayable due to some hardcore bellying behind the bridge.  :(  When funds allow, I hope to reabilitate it with the JLD bridge thingy.

Mark

My flamenco is really yellow looking - german spruce. My Larrivée is almost as tan as my cedar classical. I guess I prefer tan.

Spruce will oxidize over time as it is exposed to ultraviolet light - turning it yellow/orange.  The only way to slow the process is to keep your guitar out of the sunlight.  Some finishishes such as nitrocellulose lacquer will also oxidize and turn yellow/orange over time which multiplies the overall darkening of guitar tops with this kind of finish.  Larrivee does not use nitrocellulose lacquer finishes these days and so that would not be an issue on a modern day Larrivee.