There are some things in life that you just can’t pass up. About a week ago, my friend Jeff Aragaki of Aracom Amps mentioned people finding great vintage gear in pawn shops. I kind of stored that tidbit away for future reference, mainly because there aren’t any pawn shops really close to where I live. But today, I happened to park in front of a pawn shop (I work about 20 miles from where I live), and after lunch, on a whim, decided to go in. This was a little pawn shop that mostly specialized in jewelry, but they had a number of amps and guitars as well.
I wasn’t overwhelmed by the selection of gear; mostly no-name brands that I had never heard of, and as far amps were concerned, cheapo solid-state practice amps. But tucked in behind some guitars was a Fernandes Strat-copy that caught my eye. It had a nice, white finish with a maple neck (I LOVE maple necks), and it was obviously well-used from where I could see it. The shop owner walked up, and I asked to inspect the guitar. I was really impressed by the workmanship. I had heard of Fernandes guitars being very high-quality for a great price, but upon seeing the workmanship up close for the first time, I was very impressed. And even though this guitar was well-used, I could tell it was taken care of because of only minor scratches and dings on the body.
The tag on the guitar said it was for sale for $115 (sorry… if you came from the gear page, I mistakenly listed it at $125), and I asked if she’d take $100 including tax, and she agreed. Unfortunately, they didn’t take plastic in any form, so I had to decline on the guitar. But that was a good thing because it gave me some time to do some research. From what I could glean, this Strat-copy is a late-80′s (’86 and later) model of this guitar. What’s ultra-cool about this one is that it’s pure white. Almost all the pictures I saw today of late-80′s Fernandes Strat-copies were either tobacco burst or a solid that was other than white. This made the guitar a bit more unique. This was confirmed by a former Fernandes endorser that I hooked up with on The Gear Page.
In any case, I got this guitar for a steal!!! I’m going to fix it up, swap out pickups, give it a good cleaning and setup. Don’t know if I’m going to keep it, but no matter. It was a great deal!
So if you have a chance, take a peak into a pawn shop sometime. Oh wait! Another place you could look is at estate sales. A few years ago, I met an older gentleman and acoustic guitarist who SCORED a 1940′s Martin for a couple of hundred bucks at an estate sale, and had it appraised at around forty-grand! Amazing! Talk about a steal!
That’s an awesome find. A MIJ Strat for $100!
Not to burst your bubble or anything, but that Fernades is made in China. The easiest clue to look for is the truss rod adjustment hole on the neck. MIJ Fernades from 2001-2003 (the last ones made in Japan) have a Fender style dark wood insert inside a larger truss adjust hole. It’s kind of easy to get confused ’cause the logos are almost identical. The only different being the Japanese model has the serial number to the left of the logo.
Other differences include neck finish, tuners, pots, pups, and switches. Your guitar was in production from around ’96 to 2006. They have been replaced by the Chinese made retro Rocket series.
If the neck is true and frets are level the only needed upgrades would be a wiring harness and pups if you’d like a more vintage tone. Some people use the ceramic pups but most toss them.
Japanaxe.com and ebays Fernandes buyers guide will actually show you the headstocks to look for if your in the market for a relatively inexpensive high quality Japanese axe. The cheapest I’ve seen a MIJ Fernandes go for recently was $111 plus shipping. It was a plain black model LE1 with the less desirable modern style tuners and ceramic pups like yours. The LE2 with vintage tuners has better Alnico magnet pups and sell for around $200 and up+ shipping.
I just sniped a Bugundy Mist LE2 from ’88 for $211 + shipping. A little less than $250 total. They are the best deals going now on MIJ guitars. Just be sure to do your homework so you actually know what your buying. The Chinese models can be had all day long on ebay for less than $75. Good Luck with it!
Dan, Thanks so much for the correction! I did more research and discoverd it was indeed made in China. At least I didn’t pay the lady’s full price…
It’s a nice project guitar that I’ve been using to practice my setup skills. Next project is to replace the wires and pups for sure. The ones in it are pretty flat-sounding.
I purchased a Fernandes Strat on Ebay that was advertised as an 80′s LE-1. It had ceramic pups and FERNANDES on headstock with no other words or numbers. The neck plate has a serial number that is L111166 and FERNANDES stamped above.
EBAY Item # 330409188067.
The headstock doesn’t look correct to me for a 1980′s LE1 made in Japan. I wonder is this is a reissue LE1 from the early 2000′s or if it is a Chinese model?
It’s tough. Mine actually turned out to be a Chinese Fernandes after all. But the important thing is that it plays awesome.
Pretty sure Ash Bowie used a MIC Fernandes for ‘Cor-Crane Secret,’ so I’d love to have one. That said, I’ve seen tons on Ebay — one, as low as $40, but the OP’s is in pure white. I’ve never seen one in pure white. The $100 may have been a steal if white is as rare as I think it is. Even if it’s not THAT rare, it’s still relatively rare and worth the $100 at least.
Looked at your auction Fernades Tim G. You got a deal on that one! That headstock shape is the rarest of Fernades Fender clones. That headstock is from the late 80s. It is two headstock designs prior to the design shown above that was used on Japanese as well as Chinese Fernandes. The Japanes companies were feeling pressure from Fender in the Mid 80s to stop making their headstock design.
Fender couldn’t make them stop, but could bar imports to the US of the offending headstock. Fender ended up just using FUJI GEN to make their own Japan model guitars. As Fuji Gen was the manufacturer for Fernandes also, the larger Fender order forced Fernades to develop a different headstock design.
Your “block” letter design headstock was Fernandes first attempt at a new design. They only made that design for a short time, maybe a year. You rarely see them and most don’t know where they fall in the production lineage. The headstock that followed yours is also a short run. It was rounded like a Fender but with a small point on the rounded part. Fender objected to this headstock and Fernades went to the final design shown above.
As for the ceramic pups, they date back to early Fuji Gen MIJ Fender. They are Fuji Gen manufactured pups and came in several flavors. Fuji Gen refers to them as VS1, VS2, VS3 and VS4. Each design was supposed to mimick a different era. Some, are very good while others are a little too bright to my ear. It also depends a lot on the amp you are using. For single coils they are very powerful.
Interesting info, Dan! I actually don’t have that guitar any more. I fixed it up as it need some work on the setup and cleanup the frets a bit, then I gave it away with a practice amp to this nice kid who helps his mom clean our house and couldn’t afford to get his own electric; kind of paying forward help I’ve gotten in the past.
Seeing the smile on the kid’s face was worth way more than what I paid for it!
It’s a great-playing guitar!
Did it say made in Japan anywhere on it?
I have one with the same modern logo, however, the steel plate at the base of the neck on the back says made in Japan.
Thanks,