Overview
Despite its high production figures, Fernandes is better known in the United States for its Sustainer system, which uses electromagnetism [2] to vibrate a string for an extended period, so long as the user continues to fret a note. [3] 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. [4] 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 continued 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.
History
Its 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 who 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, [5] and Tōkai Gakki. [6] From the late 1980s, lower-spec guitars were also been built in Korea and then China since the 2000s.
Floyd Rose Contract
From 1981 to 1985, Fernandes supplied genuine Floyd Rose tremolo systems under contract to Floyd Rose in the United States. Rose and Fernandes representatives first met at the 1981 NAMM Show. Shortly after they struck a deal for Fernandes to mass-produce Rose's double-locking tremolo system which he had been manufacturing himself since 1978. From the end of 1981 Fernandes supplied parts and complete units, including the first fine-tuner prototype developed with input from Eddie Van Halen, with Gotoh in Japan believed to have been the OEM manufacturer. After Rose partnered with Kramer Guitars in 1982, Fernandes was sidelined by Kramer in favor of Schaller GmbH in Germany and Fernandes' production was then relegated to Japan only. From late 1983 only Schaller produced Floyd Rose products for the United States and International markets, including for Kramer guitars made in Japan for the U.S market. [7] [8] [9] By this time two Floyd Rose products were available: the original non-fine-tuner tremolo, and the final "whale tail" double-locking tremolo with fine tuners. These were fitted exclusively to Kramer guitars. Fernandes continued to produce both systems in Japan which were fitted to select Fernandes‑branded superstrat, [10] Explorer, [11] and Flying V models until 1985. [12] [13]
The contract with Floyd Rose ended some time in 1985, and Fernandes continued to make the double-locking tremolo with fine tuners and introduced its own inhouse-designed, proprietary tremolo units, branded as “Head Crasher” and later “FRT Tremolo System,” which remained in production until 1997. These systems incorporated Floyd-inspired features such as fine tuners and locking saddles, alongside unique design elements like straight knife edges, saddle height adjustment, and eventually horizontal fine tuners. From 1997 onward, Fernandes adopted licensed Floyd Rose tremolos manufactured by Takeuchi, Gotoh, and Ping Well for its guitars. [14] [15]
International Expansion
Fernandes opened a U.S. office in Los Angeles in 1992 and established a Custom Shop in 1996. The Custom Shop closed in 2014, marking the company’s gradual withdrawal from the American market. [16]
Burny Custom Shop
Burny was introduced in the 1970s as the sister brand of Fernandes, focusing on Gibson‑style replicas such as the Les Paul and SG. [17] In the mid‑1990s Fernandes established the Burny Custom Shop in Japan, producing limited‑run, high‑spec instruments that emphasized traditional construction and vintage‑correct hardware. Burny guitars had already gained recognition in the 1970s and 1980s for their accuracy and craftsmanship, with early production handled by Japanese factories including Matsumoku and Tokai and later Dyna and Fujigen from the late 1980s. [18] The Burny Les Paul “Super Grade” models, introduced in the mid‑1970s, became especially collectible and were widely regarded as among the best Japanese Gibson‑style replicas. [19]
While entry‑level Burny production also shifted production to Korea as did Fernandes in the early 1990s and later to China in the 2000s, the Japan Custom Shop remained the flagship for high‑end instruments. [20] [21] These Custom Shop guitars emphasized traditional construction, vintage‑correct hardware, and domestic exclusivity, distinguishing them from mass‑produced Burny lines. [22] [23]
Bankruptcy
The growing second-hand market and intensifying competition adversely affected sales, and the company reported debts of 434 million yen for the year ending January 2024. On 11 July 2024, Fernandes ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy. [24]
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