Fernandes Guitars

Last updated
Fernandes Guitars
Company type Private
Industry Musical instrument
FoundedFebruary 25, 1969;55 years ago (1969-02-25)
HeadquartersNiizo, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Akira Ilijima
Products Electric guitars, bass guitars, guitar picks, and amplifiers
Subsidiaries Burny
Website fernandes.co.jp

Fernandes Guitars is a guitar brand of Japanese marketing company Fernandes Co. Ltd. It is one of two guitar brands belonging to the company, the other being Burny Guitars which are Gibson guitar replicas. [1] It's parent company originated in 1969 as Saito Musical Instruments before changing its name to Fernandes in 1972. The company started as a distributor of flamenco guitars sub-contracting to Japanese factories to build them. As the company grew, it expanded production to include electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers, and accessories to become one of the biggest guitar producers in Japan. Early manufacturing was done by Kawai Gakki whom had guitar building experience from their acquisition of Teisco in 1967. Other major Japanese manufacturers have built guitars for Fernandes under original equipment manufacturer (OEM) arrangements, including Matsumoku, Dyna Gakki, [2] and Tōkai Gakki. [3] From the late 1980s, lower-spec guitars have also been built in Korea and more recently China.

Contents

Overview

1981 Burny REX80.jpg
1981 Burny
Fernandes Monterey Deluxe (Spalted Maple), 2010 Summer NAMM.jpg
Monterey Deluxe
Fernandes ZO-3.jpg
ZO-3

Despite its high production figures, Fernandes is better known in the United States for its Sustainer system, which uses electromagnetism [4] to vibrate a string for an extended period, so long as the user continues to fret a note. [5] Unlike the similar manual EBow sustainer, the Fernandes Sustainer can be used with a standard plectrum, because the sustainer is embedded in the body of guitar. [6] Fernandes' custom shop has installed numerous Sustainers into guitars built by other manufacturers.

Also, Fernandes produced the SB-3000 "Brad Gillis" Fernandes Booster, basically active preamp (9V) gain, which is installed instead of standard output jack plate. It was standard on Fernandes Brad Gillis Signature Model ST-120BG superstrat guitars made in 1985-1987.

Fernandes continues to manufacture guitars that cover the range from inexpensive starter models to custom instruments. In 2000, Fernandes made a guitar to promote the video game Um Jammer Lammy , similar to Lammy's guitars.

Musicians using Fernandes

Billie Joe close-up 2022.jpg
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day with his Fernandes The Revival RST-50 (stratocaster style) nicknamed "Blue" in 2022
Heath X-JAPAN - BACKSTAGE (6164290013).jpg
Heath of X Japan with his signature Fernandes bass guitar in 2011

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