Fernandes Guitars are bankrupt

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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[@seinmstudio]

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.

[@_trashvis_]

that's great. i absolutely love sustainiac pickups! i currently have one in my schecter.

[@christskingdomiscoming5964]

The sustain from that pickup lasted longer than the company!

[@CourtWatchAu]

@@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

[@simonr9870]

I always wanted a Fernandes Vertigo/Burny H-65 guitar. I'm sorry the brand is now gone. Thank you KDH for this coverage.

[@zadtheinhaler]

Yeah man, the Vertigo is a stellar design. Too bad this will probably spike the price on Reverb.

[@MichaelD8393]

I've always wanted the Fernandes Brad Gillis model; those are gonna go into the Stratosphere price wise now.

[@tsunx4blog]

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.

[@Cronposh]

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.

[@CedricsSpecialLP]

Fernandes guitars were also played by two legends of Progressive Rock. Steve Hackett from Genesis, and Robert Fripp from King Crimson.

[@5150TJT]

Hall and Oates, Christoper Cross, lots of 70's guys prefered them over the Fender CBS stuff..

[@brandonjackson5865]

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

[@ed713ca]

Fripp sustainer. Ya too cool

[@feltyash6484]

Kurt cobians most famous strat had a fernandes replacement neck

[@BlueRoseShilloh]

Blue, Billy Joe Armstrong’s most famous guitar is a fernandes too

[@Ottophil]

I played it in 1998

[@WaitingForTheHook]

@@Ottophil That rules! you were one of the people that Billie took on stage during the Nimrod tour? how fun

[@user-by6eb6zo7g]

Bill Joe Armstrong is middle aged toddler. Rich though

[@WilDBeestMF]

​@@user-by6eb6zo7gLmao yup best way to describe Billie.

[@BaBaBaBenny]

As was Kurt Cobains “Vandalism” strat.

[@whokilledsj]

As a massive X Japan fan, I love the Hide and Heath signatures and will be sad to see them shoot up in price

[@Kairuofficial]

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.

[@whokilledsj]

@@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

[@sawbonesquad4876]

My first thought

[@SynoJi]

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.

[@alfsmith4936]

Why? There are way too many guitars already available. Stick to the used market.

[@juliocaro7777]

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.

[@uncleremus64]

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.

[@jasondorsey7110]

Steve Hackett uses a fernandes lp copy too

[@elbib2446]

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

[@Insert_Bland_Name_Here]

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

[@Ovibos5]

Those HIDE signatures are sick!

[@tylersmith7534]

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.

[@ChrisEck13]

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.

[@ripley7t429]

Head crasher trem and FRT, you can guess what FRT stands for. And they were hardened steel not pot metal.

[@howardthrust]

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!

[@jamesosterberg2510]

I realised I've been following your channel since the "Rob Chapman Exposed - Audio Audit" video !! What a nice journey you made on KZbin with your channel since the beginning !! Thank you for all that nice and knowledgeable content you shared with us. Greetings from France !!

[@steveshadforth8792]

Same

[@spoonsmith9506]

I have 3 Japanese Fernandes from 80s/90s. Very good quality.

[@ariavergil9631]

As a huge X-Japan fan, this is heartbreaking news. 😭😭😭

[@seanedwards9787]

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.

[@maverick_trail]

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).

[@blackthorn5709]

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.

[@joshuamays4066]

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.

[@chelfyn]

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.

[@ripley7t429]

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.

[@hazardeur]

CEO was murdered???

[@ripley7t429]

@@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.

[@Cronposh]

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.

[@ChrisEck13]

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.

[@hazardeur]

@@ripley7t429 crazy story. thanks for sharing.

[@pedroleal7118]

From memory Robert Fripp used a Fernandes Les Paul.

[@DimaBulwinklBochk0]

Steve Hackett too, both use a trem + locking nut and Fernandes sustainer on theirs.

[@robertfuller2196]

Mr. Fripp still plays them!

[@Bobby-wn5yr]

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

[@gral9440]

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.

[@seanmckelvey6618]

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.

[@TheAndostro]

as owner of old Fernandes i'm really sad such a great brand

[@ScottRainsford-iq6xy]

Had a black Fernades in 1990 wanting to be Kirk Hammett - was my first “real” guitar great memories which I kept it

[@roaringsteelmedia]

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.

[@garymesser9065]

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

[@KidNato]

Great quality instruments. Very under the radar

[@zayyanikamaruddin173]

It's sad news 😢 I bought 2 Burny hide signatures which are Crimson Burst & Heart Yellow 🙏

[@fusionfan6883]

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😢

[@stevenconrady1990]

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 😔

[@GuitarIv69]

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.

[@scottbogfoot]

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

[@wintyrqueen]

I really liked the Hide models. Played fantastically, but hard to get internationally

[@farmduck2762]

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.

[@wintyrqueen]

@@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

[@WolfhandsYouTube]

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. 😥

[@MashaT22]

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.

[@JRFarmercom]

Wow that's a surprisingly small amount of debt. Gibson was $500M in debt back in 2020 and they're still around.

[@seanmckelvey6618]

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.

[@mcdingus5081]

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.

[@jiinomurasame1449]

Damn...glad I got my MG-145X back in 2010... I really wanted to eventually get the Neck-thru version.

[@jasonl1942]

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.

[@demuthjesse]

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.

[@MultiPetercool]

Todd Rundgren’s current favorite axe is a sea green Fernandes he calls Foamy.

[@DomZone123]

My first guitar was a Fernandes Flying Vortex Deluxe.... Oh boy how I miss that guitar

[@PerJohansson-Xeizo]

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

[@AndrewAHayes]

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.

[@bane9832]

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

[@Ste_Va]

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.

[@jcmapula1544]

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.

[@Kairuofficial]

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.

[@visualdarkness]

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.

[@robgreenlandMusic]

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 ❤

[@philippebyrnes1213]

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.

[@rodmorrison47]

This is a real shame. Fernandez/Burny are great guitars, and not just "for the money" - they're really great guitars.

[@presmasterflash7555]

The Ravelle is one sick guitar. I miss mine dearly.

[@onerandombruh]

You sir, are correct.

[@baassik8419]

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!

[@roymartin500]

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.

[@phillipjacksonguitar]

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.

[@jasonyltan7672]

Marty Friedman famously used a Fernandes strat on most of the amazing album Scenes. Maybe several albums in his discography too over the years.

[@patrickgillin6879]

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!

[@JohnEZang]

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 KZbin/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.

[@phaeded0ut]

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.

[@PatrikWalzer-lt2qo]

Fender and Gibson went almost in bankruptcies. They survived only with a lot of new money.

[@MrTabasham1990]

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.

[@Seven7Pain1]

Mike Riggs from Rob Zombie his signature guitar was Fernandez Vertigo Sustainer

[@TheSonsofHorusx]

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.

[@lasersauceretroarchives6544]

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.

[@telecatsermaster]

Thats kinda sad. Fernandes has ben around for a while….

[@MaCNuTz-tu8ot]

Had no idea they were still making them. I have a 90s FGZ and it’s a solid guitar

[@onerandombruh]

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.

[@alfsmith4936]

They'll come back down..

[@howardblumenkopf7872]

The 2nd hand market is absolutely flooding with people trying to get rid of 100 to 300 dollar guitars. Then you have shops like Guitar Center also trying to sell the same guitars new, which they mark down every chance they get and constitute a significant portion of their in store stock. I can't imagine trying to bring more supply into a market like this.

[@joerojas5448]

Dang, I thought that Fernandes Guitars went out years ago. They were still holding on. Wow!

[@theglyph]

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!

[@HarryDirtay]

Crazy. I love my 90's Fernandes MIJ Strat. 7.25 radius vintage copy.

[@humphreyguitarchannel6410]

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

[@iaing2030]

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.

[@-esseff-]

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.

[@prtauvers]

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!

[@JoeR203]

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.

[@jjerg]

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. 😔

[@jackarmistead5353]

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.

[@437bm]

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

[@lonegroover]

Sad to hear. Janick Gers had one 40 years ago, perhaps he's still got it.

[@heut4384]

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.😂

[@luismi4660]

Great guitars its a shame

[@shredenvain7]

The first time I saw a Fernandes guitar was in a Goldfinger video. It was an offset style guitar with some cool shaping.

[@robwalsh9843]

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.

[@GraysonMakesGames]

One of the replacement necks on Kurt Cobain's Vandalism strat was a Fernandes

[@APMTenants]

The Fernandes neck was the original neck. It is a Fernandes afaik

[@GraysonMakesGames]

@@APMTenants I thought the first neck was a Fender neck?

[@APMTenants]

@@GraysonMakesGames yeah, i always thought it was a Fernandes, but it was a MIJ strat. His guitar tech had a bunch of Fernandes necks and changed it out each time he broke them. It was however, made by fujigen alongside the Fernandes strats. Those MIJ necks were a bit wider at the heal compared to a USA, so it makes sense to use the Fernandes necks. It apparently eventually got a Fender neck again in the end

[@larsheuker]

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 KZbinrs. Maybe some new shapes to make it stand out

[@libramoon9968]

I used to have the Burny X-Japan bass Heath model. My first expensive purchase as a teenager back in 1995

[@yeahuri4724]

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.

[@Kynos1]

I still have my Vortex Deluxe from 2012 and it is a damn fine guitar. Unbeatable for the money.

[@klisher]

I remember the Fernandes sustainer adverts in Guitar World back in the early 90s

[@brandonjackson5865]

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).

[@ronaldmaday]

I had a Fernandes back in the mid-2000s and it was my go-to at the time.

[@jackreid3727]

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,

[@deargdoom8743]

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.

[@mikestubbs4580]

My first ever electric guitar was a mid-90s Fernandes strat, so the name holds a special place in my heart! It’s a shame they’ve gone out of business, but I’m trying to think when was the last time I actually saw a Fernandes guitar for sale in a store anywhere? Not that I would have bought it but if they’re not in stores with the other brands, and they’re not advertising themselves on social media, then how are people supposed to be persuaded to buy one?

[@Loxx_Sustainar]

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

[@jonzoshokk]

Music shops closing down and guitar companies closing down. It's as if guitars are too expensive for the average person

[@mortonwilson795]

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 . . .

[@jono_young_music]

I had a Japanese made “pre Dragonfly”, it was an incredible instrument. 24 frets, all beautifully polished, the tuning stability was insanely good. This is sad news 🙁