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.
@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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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 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 !!
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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. 😥
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.
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.😂
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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!
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 😔
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 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.
Great guitars..sad to hear. Had 3 but only 1 now. Guess I didn't buy enough from the co to save it. C'mon Hammett..here's your chance to bail out the brand and give it new life
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.
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.
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.
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 . . .
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.
Fernandes should have followed the new trend of using social media to promote their products. They have a custom shop they could have followed a Kiesel type guitar builder. And send out some models to popular TH-camrs. Maybe some new shapes to make it stand out
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.
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 think MusicYo used to sell Fernandes guitars with sustainers for under $300. I was going to get the Revolver model but already had a Kramer Baretta with the sustainer. I still want a Burny LP copy that has the Floyd Rose and sustainer.
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.
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
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.
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.
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).
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!
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 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.
In 2011, I was thinking of buying one of the following guitars while I was living in New Delhi, India, which is not a huge high end guitar market - 1) Fernandes Revolver Classic (MIJ) 2) Charvel So Cal (MIJ) 3) Jackson DK2S (MIJ) I ended up buying the Charvel So Cal and have been looking for a decent Fernandes Revolver Classic since 2019.
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,
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.
I knew a jazz fusion guy who worshiped Alan Holdsworth and played a cool Fernandes Vertigo with a green Surf Rock aesthetic. It didn't seem like the idea jazz guitar due to it being offset and restricting access to the highest frets, but he made it work. Interesting guitar.
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 had an late 80s, Fernandez Strat style, with two humbuckers that I played in the mid 90s. It was a faithful stage soldier that stayed in tune, sounded great and was eventually stolen after a gig in East Lansing, Michigan. 😔
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 .
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.
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...
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.
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.
This is really sad. I have a 2-decade old Fernandes guitar given to me by my sister's husband, it has a few scratches here and there but the playing quality absolutely blows my mind. I have 4 other guitars but I mostly play on my Fernandes one due to its aesthetics and VERY AWESOME electrics.
Out of all guitars I have/had (6 total) the only new guitar I had was the very first one when I just started to play guitar. And it wasn't the best buy at all lol, so since that I only got second hand guitars. Coincidentally, I now own 4 guitars (and hope to receive 5th soon), out of which 3 are Japanese: Grover Jackson Kelly (90s/early 00s), Tokai Star (85) and Fernandes JS (85 as well). It's very sad to see Fernandes seize operations.
Damnation!! I really wanted to buy one of them Fernandes guitars... I just went to Reverb and some of them are starting to double their original price.
Sad day. My first guitar was a baby blue early 80s Fernandez strat. I still have it after all these years and I never owned a strat I liked playing more. I'll have to get her out of the case for some playin'.
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.
@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
Francis Dunnery from It Bites used one for a while
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.
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
@@Manley156Lmao yup best way to describe Billie.
As was Kurt Cobains “Vandalism” strat.
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!
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!
I have 3 Japanese Fernandes from 80s/90s. Very good quality.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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
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.
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
As a huge X-Japan fan, this is heartbreaking news. 😭😭😭
Had a black Fernades in 1990 wanting to be Kirk Hammett - was my first “real” guitar great memories which I kept it
as owner of old Fernandes i'm really sad such a great brand
Great quality instruments. Very under the radar
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!
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.
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
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. 😥
Damn...glad I got my MG-145X back in 2010... I really wanted to eventually get the Neck-thru version.
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.
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.😂
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.
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.
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!
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.
My first guitar was a Fernandes Flying Vortex Deluxe.... Oh boy how I miss that guitar
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.
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.
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
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
Marty Friedman famously used a Fernandes strat on most of the amazing album Scenes. Maybe several albums in his discography too over the years.
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😢
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
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!
Sad times😢. Great content as always, nice to Keep in touch with guitar world without needing to try, that's why I recommend your channel ❤
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 😔
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 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.
Great guitars..sad to hear. Had 3 but only 1 now. Guess I didn't buy enough from the co to save it. C'mon Hammett..here's your chance to bail out the brand and give it new life
It's sad news 😢 I bought 2 Burny hide signatures which are Crimson Burst & Heart Yellow 🙏
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.
Mike Riggs from Rob Zombie his signature guitar was Fernandez Vertigo Sustainer
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.
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.
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 . . .
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.
Fernandes should have followed the new trend of using social media to promote their products. They have a custom shop they could have followed a Kiesel type guitar builder. And send out some models to popular TH-camrs. Maybe some new shapes to make it stand out
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.
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.
Crazy. I love my 90's Fernandes MIJ Strat. 7.25 radius vintage copy.
I think MusicYo used to sell Fernandes guitars with sustainers for under $300. I was going to get the Revolver model but already had a Kramer Baretta with the sustainer. I still want a Burny LP copy that has the Floyd Rose and sustainer.
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
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.
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
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.
Sad to hear, my Fernadez Ravelle is probably my favorite guitar I've ever owned, and I've owned plenty
The Ravelle is one sick guitar. I miss mine dearly.
You sir, are correct.
I still have my Vortex Deluxe from 2012 and it is a damn fine guitar. Unbeatable for the money.
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.
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).
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!
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 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.
In 2011, I was thinking of buying one of the following guitars while I was living in New Delhi, India, which is not a huge high end guitar market -
1) Fernandes Revolver Classic (MIJ)
2) Charvel So Cal (MIJ)
3) Jackson DK2S (MIJ)
I ended up buying the Charvel So Cal and have been looking for a decent Fernandes Revolver Classic since 2019.
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,
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.
I still want a Fernandes Ravelle, I love that body shape.
I knew a jazz fusion guy who worshiped Alan Holdsworth and played a cool Fernandes Vertigo with a green Surf Rock aesthetic. It didn't seem like the idea jazz guitar due to it being offset and restricting access to the highest frets, but he made it work. Interesting guitar.
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 had an late 80s, Fernandez Strat style, with two humbuckers that I played in the mid 90s. It was a faithful stage soldier that stayed in tune, sounded great and was eventually stolen after a gig in East Lansing, Michigan. 😔
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 .
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.
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...
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.
Had no idea they were still making them.
I have a 90s FGZ and it’s a solid guitar
Had two Fernandes monterey deluxes, Were phenomenal guitars, especially for the price. Great stuff!
I had a 92 Fernandes Native with the sustainer. So wish I had kept it. Wonderful guitar. Floyd rose and curly maple green top.
The second hand market, though... I love buying second hand. My two best guitars are second hand. Saved me so much money and they were just as good...
Another great video u do amazing things for the guitar community just letting you know ❤🍻🎸👍
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.
The first time I saw a Fernandes guitar was in a Goldfinger video. It was an offset style guitar with some cool shaping.
This is really sad. I have a 2-decade old Fernandes guitar given to me by my sister's husband, it has a few scratches here and there but the playing quality absolutely blows my mind. I have 4 other guitars but I mostly play on my Fernandes one due to its aesthetics and VERY AWESOME electrics.
I used to have the Burny X-Japan bass Heath model. My first expensive purchase as a teenager back in 1995
My Fernandes Native Elite is one of my favorite guitars along with my Parker Fly Deluxe. They made great guitars.
Out of all guitars I have/had (6 total) the only new guitar I had was the very first one when I just started to play guitar. And it wasn't the best buy at all lol, so since that I only got second hand guitars.
Coincidentally, I now own 4 guitars (and hope to receive 5th soon), out of which 3 are Japanese: Grover Jackson Kelly (90s/early 00s), Tokai Star (85) and Fernandes JS (85 as well). It's very sad to see Fernandes seize operations.
Damnation!! I really wanted to buy one of them Fernandes guitars... I just went to Reverb and some of them are starting to double their original price.
They'll come back down..
I had a Fernandes back in the mid-2000s and it was my go-to at the time.
I’ve had a Monterey Elite for 20-something years and it has always been a solid player… I used it for a long time as my backup for gigs.
Rip
Sad day. My first guitar was a baby blue early 80s Fernandez strat. I still have it after all these years and I never owned a strat I liked playing more. I'll have to get her out of the case for some playin'.