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. 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, and Tōkai Gakki. From the late 1980s, lower-spec guitars have also been built in Korea and more recently China.
1981 Burny
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Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day with his Fernandes The Revival RST-50 (stratocaster style) nicknamed "Blue" in 2022
Heath of X Japan with his signature Fernandes bass guitar in 2011
Gibson Brands Inc. is an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company was formerly known as Gibson Guitar Corporation and renamed Gibson Brands Inc. on June 11, 2013.
Gibson Guitar Factory in Memphis, pictured in May 2009
Orville Gibson, founder
Gibson line of Mandolin orchestra instruments, early 1900s.
Harp guitar (c. 1912).