One word. Flash. NEVER use a flash when shootin' yer bass. Get as much ambient room light as possible, but not incandescent table lamps... too "yellow". Use fluorescents. If you don't have those, just shoot in a room in the house that gets a lot of daylight. Shooting in direct sunlight can be a problem as well.
I'm sure a large part of it is my cheap-ass camera. I've had color problems with other shots before with this camera. I did do a few shots with room light, but the sunburst looked pretty much the same. Also, the exposure time was so long that I would have needed a tripod to get a steady enough shot. That room gets a lot of daylight, but not at 11pm.