Fernandes is a guitar and guitar accessory manufacturer. Their brand of guitars carry the same name. Fernandes originated in Japan in 1969 building flamenco guitars. As the company grew it expanded production to include more acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers, and accessories to become the biggest guitar manufacturer in Japan. During the 1970s, it became Japan's premier manufacturer of Fender copies; its Stratocaster copy, in particular, is generally considered a vastly superior instrument to the actual Fender Strats of the period. Fernandes also owned a brand for Gibson replicas: Burny.

Despite its high production figures, Fernandes is better known in the United States for its Sustainer system, which uses electromagnetism to vibrate a string for an infinite period, so long as the user continues to fret a note. Unlike the similar E-Bow, it can be used with a standard plectrum. Fernandes' custom shop has installed numerous Sustainers into guitars built by other manufacturers.

Fernandes continues to manufacture guitars that cover the range from inexpensive starter models to custom instruments of exceptional quality.

In 2000, Fernandes made a guitar to promote the video game UmJammer Lammy, similar to Lammy's guitars.

[edit] Famous users

• Duane Denison( U.S.S.A.):used a Fernandes Vertigo
• Dave Bainbridge (Iona)
• The Edge (U2): has used several Fernandes Decades (and Native Pro and Retrorocket Elite models) since the PopMart Tour in 1997
• Robert Fripp, (King Crimson)
• Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, Robert Smith, Ozzy Osbourne)
• Brad Gillis used Fernandes Signature Model through the 80's
• Steve Hackett (Genesis)
• Kirk Hammett (Metallica) in the mid 1980's
• Steve Jones (Sex Pistols): Used a Fernandes Burny Les Paul Custom
• Mark Knopfler (Formerly Dire Straits): Has used a Fernandes Strat on Love Over Gold Sessions.
• Neal Schon (Journey)
• Robert Trujillo (Black Label Society , Suicidal Tendencies, Metallica)
• Steve Vai
• Dim Dust (Sakred Plague)
• Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen): Uses the Sustainer in a number of his custom Peavey Wolfgangs
• Joe Walsh (The Eagles)
• Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver)
• Hideto "hide" Matsumoto (X Japan): Used his own signature Fernandes Guitars.
• Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day): First guitar was a Fernandes Stratocaster known as Blue.
• Riggs (Rob Zombie) used the Vertigo on Hellbilly Deluxe and the Sinister Urge albums.
• Ken Kitamura (L'Arc-en-Ciel) Used his own signature Fernandes Guitars.

[edit] External links

• FernandesGuitars.com