The History of Fernandes Guitars
Fernandes started small, building flamenco guitars in Tokyo, and grew into one of Japan’s busiest guitar makers. What set it apart was a willingness to try new ideas: alongside faithful classic-style instruments, it built its own forward-looking models and, eventually, a feature no other major brand could match.
That feature was the Sustainer, a built-in system that let a note ring for as long as a player wanted. It turned Fernandes from a value alternative into an innovator, and it is still the first thing many guitarists mention about the brand.
A brief timeline
- 1969
Founded in Tokyo
Fernandes begins as a builder of flamenco guitars in Tokyo and grows quickly into one of Japan’s most prolific guitar makers.
- 1970s-80s
Electrics, basses, and Burny
The company expands into electric guitars, basses, amps, and accessories, working with respected Japanese factories such as Matsumoku, Tokai, Kawai, and Dyna Gakki. Its sister brand Burny earns a cult following for high-quality Gibson-style replicas.
- 1992
Fernandes USA and the Sustainer
Fernandes opens a U.S. operation in Los Angeles and puts its built-in Sustainer front and center. Models like the Ravelle, Monterey Deluxe, and ZO-3 give American players a bold, affordable alternative with a feature nobody else offered.
- Mid-1990s
The Custom Shop years
The Fernandes USA Custom Shop builds for touring pros, and the Sustainer becomes a signature tool for players chasing endless sustain and controllable feedback. In Japan, Fernandes is a staple of the visual kei scene.
- July 2024
The company closes
After years of pressure from a shifting market, Fernandes ceases operations and files for bankruptcy, with reported debts of over ¥730 million. It is a quiet end for a brand that helped redefine modern electric guitar design.
- Today
A legacy that keeps playing
The guitars live on through the used market, modding communities, and a loyal fan base. With the Sustainer still sought after and parts of the brand’s intellectual property reportedly changing hands, a new chapter is not out of the question.
The Sustainer’s legacy
More than any single model, the Sustainer is what people remember about Fernandes. Building infinite sustain and controllable feedback into the guitar itself, with no pedals in the way, was a genuinely new idea, and it gave players a sound that was hard to get any other way.
That reputation still drives demand. Sustainer-equipped Elites and the FSK retrofit kits remain among the most sought-after Fernandes products on the used market, and the technology is a big part of why the brand is remembered as an innovator rather than just a value alternative.
Burny and the replica era
Alongside its own designs, Fernandes ran the Burny brand, which focused on faithful replicas of classic Gibson shapes. During the late 1970s and 1980s, Japanese-built Burny Les Paul-style guitars earned a strong reputation for their build quality and tone, to the point that some are collected as seriously as the originals they were inspired by.
For many players, Burny was the way into the Fernandes world, and clean Japanese-made examples still trade actively today.
Made in Japan: the factories
A lot of what makes the vintage Fernandes and Burny instruments desirable comes down to where and how they were built. The company worked with or alongside some of Japan’s most respected factories, including Dyna Gakki, Tokai, Matsumoku, and Kawai, the same names behind many prized Japanese instruments of the era.
Later, more affordable models were produced elsewhere in Asia, which is why country of origin has such a strong effect on value. When buyers pay a premium, they are usually paying for a Japanese build.
Collecting Fernandes today
With the company gone, the used market is the whole story now. The most collectible pieces tend to be Sustainer-equipped Elites, signature and limited models, the cult ZO-3 mini guitar, and Japanese-made Burny replicas in original condition.
If you are buying, focus on the tier, the era, the country of origin, and originality. A well-kept Japanese-built Elite is a very different instrument, and a very different investment, from a heavily modified entry-level model.
Explore the instruments
See the models that carried the brand, from the Sustainer-equipped Elites to the basses that anchored countless records.