Wildwood Effect

In 1966, Fender introduced wildly colored “Wildwood” versions of its Fender King acoustic guitar. The following year came “Wildwood” versions of the Coronado thinline hollowbody models. Both were influenced by a blend of pop culture and late ’60s psychedelica. The company announced the Coronado Wildwoods as “truly a happening in sight and sound [with] exciting rainbow hues of greens, blues, and golds.” The Wildwood Effect was produced by injecting dyes into beech trees during growth, producing in the sawn wood a uniquely colored pattern that followed the grain. Often the colors flowed together, producing an even wilder look. Some examples, however, were quite dramatic and less gimmicky, but sadly, they tended to be rolled into the whole Wildwood experiment. Unfortunately, the look never caught on as Fender had hoped and all Wildwood guitars ceased production in early 1971.