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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- Fernandes Guitars have officially announced that after 55 years of building guitars they have ceased all operations and declared bankruptcy.
The Japanese guitar brand is also responsible for popular Les Paul copies under the Burny Guitars brand aswell as the popular Fernandes Sustainer.
Source
www.tsr-net.co...
Fernandes Japan site
www.fernandes....
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A friend of mine bought a Fernandes back in the early to mid 90s with the Sustainer pickup. He was always so pleased with it, he'd constantly bang on about how it would "ring out until the end of time" and we would joke about him on the burnt out remnants of planet earth, hooked up to a life support system with a solar powered amp just soaking up the satisfaction.
that's great. i absolutely love sustainiac pickups! i currently have one in my schecter.
The sustain from that pickup lasted longer than the company!
@@christskingdomiscoming5964 I hope someone buys that design/patent/tech from Fernandes and sell it. Ibanez should buy it and sell Sustainers for DIY adn sustainers inbuilt in RG's
I always wanted a Fernandes Vertigo/Burny H-65 guitar. I'm sorry the brand is now gone. Thank you KDH for this coverage.
Yeah man, the Vertigo is a stellar design. Too bad this will probably spike the price on Reverb.
I've always wanted the Fernandes Brad Gillis model; those are gonna go into the Stratosphere price wise now.
Fernandes guitars were also played by two legends of Progressive Rock. Steve Hackett from Genesis, and Robert Fripp from King Crimson.
Hall and Oates, Christoper Cross, lots of 70's guys prefered them over the Fender CBS stuff..
Not progressive rock, but Kick Hammet’s old black and white Strat is a Fernandez, I think Brad Gillis had some Fernandez versions of his own red Strat that he built. J Yuenger played Fernandez. I started playing in the 90s and in my mind Fernandez was like a step up from Cort and Cort guitars were awesome we just didn’t know it at the time. I’m pretty sure Kurt had Fernandez necks on some of his strats , Billy Joe’s Blue was a Fernandez. Burny made some fine affordable LP copies too
Fripp sustainer.
Ya too cool
Kurt cobians most famous strat had a fernandes replacement neck
Blue, Billy Joe Armstrong’s most famous guitar is a fernandes too
I played it in 1998
@@Ottophil That rules! you were one of the people that Billie took on stage during the Nimrod tour? how fun
Bill Joe Armstrong is middle aged toddler. Rich though
@@user-by6eb6zo7gLmao yup best way to describe Billie.
As was Kurt Cobains “Vandalism” strat.
As a massive X Japan fan, I love the Hide and Heath signatures and will be sad to see them shoot up in price
Here in Japan they've already had the prices shoot up to insane amounts for months as people already knew they were cooked. The regular hide bolt on models are up to same price as the made to order neckthrus 😢 sad.
@@Kairuofficial Its very unfortunate, I have a MIJ Bc Rich Mockingbird and a Killer Dagger bass, but really wanted hide and Heath signatures as well. I saw that many of the more desirable ones on Mercari and Yahoo Auctions have either been bought or increased in price, very sad
My first thought
It is sad to see them go, a lot of Japanese companies announced to us a raise in their prices due to the economy in Japan.
I receive a minimum of 5 calls a day in my guitar store asking if we sell second hand instruments or buy used instruments,
we even had to extend our second hand section because of the absurd amount of used gear now.
Why? There are way too many guitars already available. Stick to the used market.
I worked at guitar center. And a vital part of their business model is used gear. It's crazy how much money there is in it.
Sad day indeed. I always wanted one. Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew played Fernandes LP shaped guitars with sustainer pickups. I wrote to the company and they said they were unavailable in the US. Before the internet, that was that. But the quality was always very good.
Steve Hackett uses a fernandes lp copy too
todd rundgrens main guitar is a fernandes p project strat,their old top of the line japanese stuff,dominic miller ,stings guitarist plays a fernandes strat,steve jones sex pistols plays a mij burny lp,and a whole heap of japanese heavy metal players endorsed their own designs in japan
Damn. Back in 2012 I've bought Fernandes Revolver Elite for next to nothing at the car boot. It was Sustainer equipped model and owner put 9v battery backwards by mistake. The whole thing was fried and the owner couldn't figure it out. I've contacted Fernandes directly, explained what happened and they sold me a new replacement main board. Shipped to the door, no soldering, direct swap plug-n-play job.
I still have it and occasionally play it. Looks like I'm gonna keep it, maybe one day it will gain some value.
I happen to have a Revolver FR95S with the same Sustainer and a dual 9V slot. Previous owner sold it to me for little buck because the wiring was all messed up. Took me weeks to figure it out but I eventually managed to fix the thing and now I wouldn't want to live without it. Things were way ahead of their time.
I only really knew about Fernandes because Ken from L'Arc~en~Ciel plays a few of their guitars, including an all-red Stratocaster copy with gold hardware, which I still kinda want to own, evem though it's only available on the second-hand market and prices for Fernandes guitars are now probably going to increase... Sad to see a company like that go out of business
Those HIDE signatures are sick!
I have 3 Japanese Fernandes from 80s/90s. Very good quality.
The "Fernandes" Brand has indeed been manufactured in a number of different countries; but my favorites were made in the '70s and '80s by Matsumoku in Japan (they even made Burnys for a couple of years!). One of my favorite models was the MA-55: A multi-laminate "neck-through" Strat design with body-mounted Single Coil pickups (no pickguard). AIO Guitars makes an XLNT "updated" version of that design called the S2. Checkitout!
As a huge X-Japan fan, this is heartbreaking news. 😭😭😭
After COVID, the market price has never fallen
So it's only natural that the second-hand market take precedence over the new market.
For example, in April 2021, I bought an ESP E-II M-II blue burst with two Bareknuckles from Thomann for €2,299. Today, a new model costs €3,500. It's normal for people to turn first to the second-hand market.
It's the same with Mesa boogie. Before the Gibson takeover, a dual rect cost €2,300, today it's €3,800.
I realised I've been following your channel since the "Rob Chapman Exposed - Audio Audit" video !!
What a nice journey you made on TH-cam with your channel since the beginning !!
Thank you for all that nice and knowledgeable content you shared with us.
Greetings from France !!
Same
Sad to hear, my favorite Fernandes was the Vertigo. Kenny and Peter from Type O played Fernandes for many years (then Kenny moved to Schecter).
Type O was the reason I became aware of Fernandes as well. As far as I understand the sustainer system was a big part of both Kenny and Peter’s sounds.
I had a Kenny schecter signature for a bit with the sustainiac. It was cool but I sold it once I didn't need a baritone anymore.
I bought a Fernandes Ravelle two days ago because I missed the sustainer system and a JB bridge equipped guitar. Crazy I see this right after that purchase.
I'm from South Africa and if you found a Fernandez on the second hand market, you snapped that thing up straight away! I have only ever bought four items of music kit new and that was on ridiculous specials. Since I started playing in the mid 2000s, I've always wondered how the new instrument market stays afloat. There is just so much good stuff on the 2nd hand market. In the music instrument world it's quite rare for something to break and not be repairable, so the second hand market is just going to keep growing.
Had a black Fernades in 1990 wanting to be Kirk Hammett - was my first “real” guitar great memories which I kept it
From memory Robert Fripp used a Fernandes Les Paul.
Steve Hackett too, both use a trem + locking nut and Fernandes sustainer on theirs.
Mr. Fripp still plays them!
My guilty please is any Fernandes from 85-95, MIJ. You can often find models with hang tags still from the 90s for 3-400 bucks shipped from Japan. The FGZ line from the 90s was an RG style. The FR models, esp higher level were great. When the CEO was murdered, that was pretty much the end of anything of a resurgence. The old catalogs are all available online and fun to go through.
CEO was murdered???
@@hazardeur Oops sorry, Co founder and in 2010 in CA. Taku Sakashta. He had moved to CA, was part of the Custom Shop, then opened his own place there.
Bought a late 80s FR95S with Sustainer last year. I agree, these guitars are truly remarkable and were way ahead of their time. Plus there's something about their neck/body profile that just makes them so smooth and easy to play. Sad to see this manufacturer go.
I used to have a Fernandes, I believe from sometime in the '80s, made in Japan, it was a super strat type with a neck through body, Floyd Rose type tremolo but didn't say "Floyd rose", HSS active pickups, Transparent red finish, and the worst strap locks ever.
@@ripley7t429 crazy story. thanks for sharing.
Sadness. I have a Fernandez Bass, and It's awesome. Was contemplating selling it to get a new bass, but I think I'll hang on to it for a while more.
Two very noticeable guitarists who play Fernandes Guitars is Steve Hackett, ( Genesis ) and Robert Fripp ( king Crimson )
I have a burn LPCustom with sustainer, I love it
This is a true shame. I live in the US and I haven't seen a new Fernandes probably in about a decade, which is how long its been since their US website has been updated. I'm pretty sure the reason this announcement was Japan only is because they exited the US market some time ago. But the implications of *why* they went under is upsetting. There are now more guitars than there is demand. :( That's a bad omen.
An important part of their history is they were the first company to get the distribution rights to the Floyd Rose Tremolo, but only in Japan, a few years before Kramer did the same in the US. They had several tremolo models that looked almost identical to the trems that floyd rose produced himself in his basement.
I had a Fernandes with one, I believe the guitar was from the '80s. It didn't say Floyd Rose but it was basically just like a Floyd Rose, I think it said Head Crasher or something like that and it had active pickups that looked like EMGs but weren't, a super strat type guitar with a neck through body and reverse headstock.
Head crasher trem and FRT, you can guess what FRT stands for. And they were hardened steel not pot metal.
Bummer, I have a late 80s Fernandes (a signature model for the band Buck Tick) and it's a lovely guitar. Bit of a secret weapon really, so it's sad to hear this news.
as owner of old Fernandes i'm really sad such a great brand
Great quality instruments. Very under the radar
I own a burny joe perry black burst guitar and my dad has an early 90s cherry sunburst fernandes les paul guitar.
My burny is pretty aweaome, but my dad fernandez is an absolute work of art that rivals most gibsons ive played and owned.
I actually thought they already went under, but this is very interesting thanks. As a bassist I really know them for their 80’s and 90’s bases where they were known for making quality & fun basses that still hold value pretty well
I had a Fernandes Gravity 5 string bass in royal metallic blue; neck-through, EMGs, Badass bridge, MIJ - it was a real workhorse of a bass. Shame to see them go under. 😥
Sad, Fernandez were so good. Back in the day my buddy, who only likes higher end gear loved their guitars. Them and parker he used to talk about all the time
I really liked the Hide models. Played fantastically, but hard to get internationally
They're not hard to get. There are currently 30 Fernandes Hide models listed on Yahoo Auctions Japan. Dealing with one of those agent companies is, in my experience, easier than dealing with local companies.
@@farmduck2762 going through a third party to bid on an auction in another country for a second hand instrument, waiting for who knows how long for it to arrive, & having to deal with duty & customs, is, very specifically, *harder* than popping into your local shop & handing some money over for the nice guitar you just tried out
It's sad news 😢 I bought 2 Burny hide signatures which are Crimson Burst & Heart Yellow 🙏
The second hand market is full of stuff right now. I've been considering selling one or two guitars off, but to be honest, I wouldn't be getting what they are worth, so I'm holding on. I recently traded my Jim Root Telecaster for a Japanese Jackson DK2M. Phenomenal quality on the Japanese instruments.
It's a shame. You can tell just by the second hand market that people need cash. It's only gonna get worse unfortunately.
I had a Fernandes Dave Kushner(Velvet Revolver guitarist) signature Revelle. It was a take on a Green Les Paul but enough to be different. Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz pickup set and a custom pickguard with circles cut out of them. Really great guitar. Bummer I sold it & bummer they're in bankruptcy.
Owned a number of Burnys over the years, and my current favourite 335 is one, so sad to hear Fernandez has gone to the wall😢
Fernandes was huge in Japan, especially during the 90’s. There were a lot of Japanese guitarists who had endorsements w/fernandes. Ken Kitamura (L’arc en ciel), Hide Matsumoto (X Japan), plus numerous other VK artists. This is a sad day for guitar. RIP 😔
Damn...glad I got my MG-145X back in 2010... I really wanted to eventually get the Neck-thru version.
Yeah, I used to want one in the late 80s, but my 1st & 2nd choices were Carvin and Ibanez. Then following: BC Rich and Kramer. The last choice was Fernandes. Lol.😂
That’s a major burner (see what I did there?). But in all seriousness, it’s a shame because Fernandes has had a huge worldwide following for decades. It’s tough to compete with the secondhand market where people can even buy their own guitars used at a fraction of the price. It’s too bad one of its famous faces can’t buy them out and try to revive the brand. I hope the employees making these guitars will be able to find work elsewhere- that’s who loses out most of all, aside from the people buying their guitars. It’s been tough for factory workers to find work in Japan with all the market issues, from what I’ve heard. Making guitars is not a common skill, and I’m sure there’s limited jobs to that end elsewhere in Japanese based guitars factories. Hope those people can apply their skills to other types of factories where you work with wood, metal, and certain electronics.
Since 2020 I had heard they were heading towards the end. ESP buddy and I talked about it.
They did not evolve and faced the consequences like many Japanese companies.
For Japan they failed to keep on pushing endorsing newer artists also so their image continued to fade out.
My first guitar was a Fernandes Flying Vortex Deluxe.... Oh boy how I miss that guitar
I always wanted a hide sugar skull Fernandes but they have always been over my budget, both used and new. Sad to see them go and the used ones will probably skyrocked.
Thats a pity, I was hoping they would re-release the strat copies with the red fretboard, they are hard to get a hold of in the UK, but I have a friend in Japan who can purchase an old one and send it to me.
I have a Fernandes Native Pro (MIJ) that was their first original design. That said the body looks like a Fender Jazzmaster but much more more rounded off and a bit wider as it is not offset. The headstock is 3 aside. It uses unbranded Gotho hardware. The whammy stays in tune even if you do a bit of dive bombing. It had a sustainiac but some former owner pulled it out. I put in a Duncan Pearly Gates at the bridge and a TV Jones Gretsch FilterTron at the neck. The natural fatness and sustain of the guitar are excellent. The Edge from U2 used a Native Pro on an Album and a tour. Robert Fripp plays a Fernandes LP with a sustainiac and Roland/Boss Synth PU. He got it originally for the Bowie LP. Andy Summers has a duplicate of Fripps guitar.
I have a late 80s revolver that i absolutely love, I've wanted to get others both old and new but I expect this bankruptcy to cause a bunch of those uninterested in the brand previously to ruin the market for them by buying up everything and trying to resell them at insane prices.
the bass robert trujillo used to play before his warwick contractt was fernandes, i had a chance to trade my sire m2 5 string for a fernandes 5 string, he declined the offer and i was super bummed out but i cant complain he had the negotiating power
Steve Hackett(Genesis) is often seen playing live on a Fernandes Les Paul Goldtop with a Floyd on it, I would have loved to have a similar guitar even if I already have a Gibson Goldtop
I have 2 mid-80s Fernandez and a 2000s one as well. The paint on the last started to bubble horribly. Contacted Fernandez customer service for a warranty claim, was given the run around and finally told to contact the dealer, which had closed by then. Bought it new, btw.
So the only thing surprising about this news is that they didn't go bankrupt a decade ago.
You make a very valid point in ref to the 2nd hand market. I seldom buy a brand new guitar now its almost always a used one I pickup these days. My Fenders and Gibson's haven't changed in over 20 years as they produce the same thing so what's the point in buying a new one.
TDIL Kirk Hammett is holding a Fernandez guitar on the cover of the Garage Days Re-Revisited. I was a young Metallica fan at the time and wanted that guitar so bad but had no ideas what it was so I picked up a fender that looked close enough. Now I want that Fernandez but it appears to be too late!
I can definitely see how the used market would be a problem for Fernandez because they were mass manufactured and were affordable so there’s probably tons of the old used ones made with better specs and materials than what they most recently offered. They also don’t have any recent endorsers in fact the last endorser I remember them having was J Yuenger from White Zombie, who also had Robins, and my holy grail of Ibanez, his Galactic Green and star patterned Iceman . That was the guitar I drooled over in the magazines. It’s still the coolest signature guitar up there with the Washburn Dime Slimes ( I gotta thing for green).
Probably my most used and beat-up guitar is a Fernandes mocking bird copy. I think it's from the early to mid 90s, I can't remember. It came with a lace pickup ( the rale Mag One) and a Gibson PAF in the neck. I loved the mocking bird design, but they were so heavy. So I tried the Fernandes one and loved it. I have had to re fret the guitar once, I wore the frets to just about nothing. I have mainly been playing drums lately, but if I have a guitar gig, it's still one of my go to guitar's.
My first guitar was a Fernandes revolver x, couple of nicks in it from being a kid, I got it apart gonna upgrade some hardware and give it a paint job. This does sadden me I always wanted a seven string from them
I still have my 20-year-old red Fernandez Nomad travel guitar , with build-in amp/speaker and full HB with 1/4” output that sounds awesome when you start a song on the built-in, miked, then slam on full amp output- fun!
Sad news, I love my Burnys. I have an H-85 I've had for years and a late 80s RLS-60 LP Special copy I recently bought. Both brilliant guitars
Billy Joe Armstrong's first guitar and also seen live and used in recordings is a fernandes strat copy. Also in the past years i visited Fernandes guitar's website there's a section there that says basically do not contact as to authenticate second hand fernandes guitars. It made more sense now.
I first learned about Fernandes guitars when they had a very nice stand at the Frankfurt Musikmesse many (maybe 15 to 20 or so) years ago. I thought some of their guitars were excellent. I tried to find one for a long time after that but could not find any dealers near me. Eventually ordered a Dragonfly Elite from a web shop in Germany. That took several months to get delivered. They've seemed to be on the decline ever since. The guitars were very hard to find in Europe. It's a shame, because that Dragonfly is my no 1 guitar to this day, still love it! It has a sustainer pickup, but the thing also really sings without the sustainer engaged.
Had a faded sunburst 59 replica Super Grade and a tele type both with Fernandes on the headstock (not Burny) back in the nineties and both were excellent guitars. Really regret selling the LP but have some very happy memories gigging with it.
You forgot to me mention that in the same year they started an LA Custom shop billy corgan and kurt Cobain were playing fernandez guitars. Kurt's famous black strat with the "vandalism" sticker has a Fernandez neck on it.
As a guitarist, resident in Japan I can confirm that the second hand market here for guitars is BIG. One area that has really taken off in recent years are 'Recycle Shops', the main one being '2nd Street'. I'm guilty of buying guitars from here, and that's partly because the market for new guitars at regular guitar shops have put their prices up quite alot over the last couple of years. Maybe they're trying to claw back some cash lost during the pandemic. But if you put your prices up too much then it will obviously drive people towards buying second hand gear. I also have a Fernandes and it's a great guitar so this story is a shame.
The Ravelle is one sick guitar. I miss mine dearly.
You sir, are correct.
Wow that's a surprisingly small amount of debt. Gibson was $500M in debt back in 2020 and they're still around.
Gibson has a more valuable and recognizable name. Outside of musicians Fernandes is pretty much unknown. IMO, it's purely their legacy that has kept Gibson from going the same way.
In 2022 they only had a million in sales. That's not a whole lot. There's bound to be plenty of other small brands that will follow suit shortly.
I had an 80’s fernandes fr65 that i really loved. After some modifications and upgrades, and the eventual realization that it was no longer playable, I retired it. Excellent guitar while it lasted.
Always wanted the FR-120 AV, Adrian Vandenberg model from around 1987.
It was a neck-thru super strat with a Floyd, active pickups and a reverse headstock.
What really set it apart was the unique graphic, with offset white and red squares on a black background.
Super cool!
If you think about it for a bit, it seems that a lot of businesses would be going through this now. We are a consumer society, but, although it is hard to believe in this disposable product time we live in, some things are built to last. Some people will always want new items but most of us either can't afford them or are satisfied with a good used product. Guitars don't just go bad. Eventually there will be so many guitars that you might not be able to sell one at all. Same goes for a lot of other things
I had a 92 Fernandes Native with the sustainer. So wish I had kept it. Wonderful guitar. Floyd rose and curly maple green top.
I really like Fernandes stuff from the 80s. Their BX series was an Explorer copy with an interesting 25" scale length.
I didn't buy a used one from the period because many of the floating bridges from back then were proprietary designs. If something breaks on it, you won't be able to find parts for it now.
For a time, I thought their Sustainer would put Sustainiac out of business. I seem to remember Kerry King endorsing the Fernandes version for a time.
Additionally, Michael Amott of Arch Enemy played Fernandes guitars on the pre-Angela Gossow records from 1996-2002 I believe.
Their Dragonfly, Monterey, and Revolver designs and others were fairly unique and now seem a little expensive on the used market. They remind me a little bit of DBZ designs.
They are a solid brand and a great deal on the used market. I would buy them as I love 80s Japanese guitars compared to what American builders are putting out now, but, again, spare parts for the hardware will be hard to find.
My compliments to KDH for having a great vibrato technique.
That's sad - I owned a Fernandes Ravelle Deluxe that I just sold a few weeks ago. Really great guitar I got for an incredible price. I found something I like more, but still - great guitar. Played multiple ones from friends and they were all quite nice.
And many of my old heroes used Fernandes in the early days - especially their early Randy Rhoads styles were played by many players I like.
You took me sooo far back. I remember seeing ads in the guitar/music mags back in the day. Never owned one but I bet some of my friends had one!
Sad news indeed.
I had the change to play a Fernandes superstrat in the early 2000's for couple of gigs and I liked it a lot, but could not afford it back then.
I would love to get a more classic looking strat from them now. Time to hit the used market i guess...
that truly sucks because I've been a lover of their guitars and basses for years, the buck tick signature telecaster and my green resin x Japan electric guitar is some of my favorites,
I had a Fernandes back in the mid-2000s and it was my go-to at the time.
This is a real shame. Fernandez/Burny are great guitars, and not just "for the money" - they're really great guitars.
I still have my Vortex Deluxe from 2012 and it is a damn fine guitar. Unbeatable for the money.
Had two Fernandes monterey deluxes, Were phenomenal guitars, especially for the price. Great stuff!
The biggest issue, in my estimation, is fewer younger people are playing instruments in general. Kids desire studio gear if they even have an interest in music. Don't need to learn an instrument or have the "hassle" of even playing with anyone else when a computer program has all the sounds and promise to cut it big on TH-cam/social media. Leaving the guitar market as largely wealthy boomer collectors, gen x and millennials sitting on the guitars they bought in their younger years or scrounging for a deal on the second hand market and finally trust fund kids. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
Love the Brad Gillis nod! Saxon was featured in an old Fernandes magazine ad as well. I still have mine I bought with paper route money in 1987
Bummed. I’ve played them since the 80’s.
In fact, my biggest guitar sale regret to this day is my black to blue burst The Function.
Single humbucker with an original FR and bound top.
They made some really great playing guitars.
I still have a Monterey Elite a Vertigo and a Ric bass copy and an 80’s Burny LPC.
Tons of legends in the states played Fernandez, from Billy Joe Armstrong in early green day to Kenny Hickey and Pete Steele in type of negative. In Japan, even more legends played them like Hide. Anyway, I love them.
Crazy. I love my 90's Fernandes MIJ Strat. 7.25 radius vintage copy.
My Fernandes Native Elite is one of my favorite guitars along with my Parker Fly Deluxe. They made great guitars.
Man I had music buddies who have Fernandes as their main guitars. That tone of some of those are really good like you said lots of sustain.
Probably, I'm the only living who owns Fernandes Vortex Elite JP with $5k price tag in 2012. It's ok price for nowadays, but it was absolutely rediculus back then, and I've purchased it only because I was an artist of Fernandes and they gave it to me for really cheap. It's still my main axe, absolutely love it. The second one I own is one-of-a-kind pre- V-Hawk prototype. It plays and sounds fantastic, but it's my number 2 because of it's dimensions (like ESP SV) and not so well balanced shape
i have two , a super strat and a strat - they both have the active sustainer system and man i love both those guitars .its funny tho , that silver one , with the floyd and the locking system had such sustain , forget the active system . my only beef on this guitar is it has active pick ups that are great for high gain but ... its such a great playing guitar . stays in tune like a bad bad mawg too .
Fernandes made good playing guitars using lighter wood. Very comfortable to play and sounded good. Didn’t hold up on the road. But great for at home.
The first time I saw a Fernandes guitar was in a Goldfinger video. It was an offset style guitar with some cool shaping.
Burny guitars were so much better than the Gibson original versions, especially the Burnies with Fernandes Sustainers in them.
Steve Hackett still uses a Burny with a Floyd Rose and Sustainer in it live.
I've got a Lemon Burst Fernandes '59 Les Paul (Super Grade) replica sitting next to me right now; it's probably a better guitar than my '57 Gold Top Reissue. I made a living with it for 25 years; I've had it for 30 years, the Custom Shop for 15 years.The neck is incredible.
Went to Guitar Center, Sam Ash, and used store called Music Go-Round back in April.
Music Go-Round was significantly busier. The employees were a lot nicer and seemed to be in a really good mood.
Proud to own a Fernandes Monterey X LP. Bought brand new back in 2002. Still plays like a dream, excellent fit and finish, beautifully set up and that sustainer pick-up... what a joy. Sad to see them go. Another brand from my youth has disappeared.
I bought a 1986 FR-55 Revolver in a Pink Pearl finish some months back a great guitar except for that body crusher trem system it’s pretty bad I may swap it out with a Gotoh. I was thinking of selling it but after seeing this video I will hold onto it.
I used to have the Burny X-Japan bass Heath model. My first expensive purchase as a teenager back in 1995
Hi kdh,
Thank you for this video, you really address a very controversial topic.
I also agree with you 100 percent on most points.
Purchasing behavior has changed drastically in the last 10 years.
I work in a music store myself and have experienced this.
In some cases, the majority of people have no sensitivity at all for the fact that there are people who sell instruments to make a living.
Sometimes people, mostly younger people, come to us for advice and then buy second-hand instruments, only to come back to us afterwards and complain that they bought used, broken stuff.
Another example is the question during the consultation as to whether it is worth buying used. I mean seriously, they're not even embarrassed.
But now the big thing about Fernandes. Fernandes has unfortunately missed out on developing a larger market due to a lack of investment over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, it's no longer enough to offer a good product if nobody has you on their radar.
Sad but true
Marty Friedman famously used a Fernandes strat on most of the amazing album Scenes. Maybe several albums in his discography too over the years.
My main guitars at one point were two hardtail Vertigos, one natural and one black, and I Loved them. Had to sell em when I came upon hard times, and I still kick myself in the ass. Flawless instruments. Heavy as ballsacks and their weird shape got made fun of by all the guys with sleek Schecters and Ibanezes, but they were special.
Great guitars its a shame
Sad news indeed! Bit of a worry because I have always wanted a Fernandes with the Sustainer. Altho both are 'known' for working with Les Paul Customs back in the day, Robert Fripp & Steve Hackett both, I believe, also have Fernandes LP Sustainers, possibly with Trems. Either way, I was planning on having a look for one next time I'm over in Tokyo so I'm thinking that trip might now have some urgency . . .
My first real bass was a white Fernandes FRB. Got it around 1990 to replace the JC Penney bass I started on (that’s right, straight from the JC Penney catalog!). Still like how it plays and it’s still hanging on the wall in the studio. Great bang for the buck.
The mention of the “secondhand market “ they refer to prolly the Japanese market. I visited Tokyo Ochanomizu last month. As soon as I get to any local guitar store I was flooded with guitars. Secondhand Fenders Ibanez, and Epiphone are like all over the place, displaying from the main entrance all across the wall even the staircase had guitars displayed. It’s wild.