Conference napalm::guitar

    	I had one - loved it. Never should of sold it. I imagine the body
    is alder - mine was. I also owneda Tokai which I did not like as much.
    Did'nt have the sound I was looking for at the time. The Fernandes is
    a very good guitar - a little on the thin sounding side - like old
    Knopler  sound on Dire Straits albums. G+L's  are a little cheaper than
    real Strats and have tons of tone I think . Especially  used Legacy's
    in a strat style configuration. Buy the Fernandes if you like it - it's
    a good guitar and the price sounds right.
    

    Re. 0
    
    $275 sounds OK.  The Fernandes is a nice axe; my old lead player used
    to own one; it sounded and played a LOT like a regular Strat.
    
    Other clones: there's lots of 'em out there!  If you're not prejudiced
    against the "P" word, take a look at the Peavey Predators: just barely
    over $200 new and they're pretty good guitars!
    
    Eric-who-just-bought-a-PV-Reactor-Telecaster-clone

   Hohner makes a pretty good Strat knockoff, too.  I think they're less than
   $300 new.  A little light/cheap feeling, but you gets what you pays for.  As
   mentioned in another note (the Epi "Les Paul" string) you can throw in a new
   set of pickups to any "copy" guitar and get some decent sounds out of it, 
   for a lot less than the "real thing".

   -- Sam

    I'd also consider buying a Fender 50's or 60's series Strat. If you
    can find a used one, it should be in the same price range. I've heard
    that Fender bought tha Japanese factory that used to build Tokai and
    are now building these instruments in that factory. The nice thing is
    the little decal on the headstock that says "Fender". These guitars
    are so similar to the USA reissue instruments, the only way to tell
    them apart is the little "Made in Japan" stamp at the neck heel. 
    
    I'd love one of these. If I see one for less than $300, I'll buy it
    in a heartbeat. You can never own too many Strats!
    
    Mark
     

    Does the Fernandes have a headstock that's shaped *exactly* like a
    Fender?  The earliest Fernandes Strat clones did, then they changed
    to a slightly altered style with a bit of a hook to the round piece
    at the tip (I guess due to threats from Fender).
    
    I agree these are generally very good Strat clones, but I once passed
    on one with the exact headstock shape that was outstanding; I still
    regret not grabbing it.
    
    /rick

    Don't know if this makes any dif, but i saw Kirk Hammet from Metallica
    play one of these Ferns on tour a while back.Can't be all that bad.
    
    -kev

    I friend of mine, and ex-Deccie used to own a Fernandez. Anyone
    remember Dave Jasmin of "John's Basement Band" fame?  He loved
    his, but he wasn't crazy about the case. It was a tolex-covered
    hardshell similar in apearence to a Fender hs, but is was as
    flimsy as they come. Proof once again, that you get's what you
    pay's for. They have to cut corners somewhere to make up the
    price. I believe Fernandez guitars were only available in solid
    colors. To me, this indicates that the wood they used was probably
    not very pretty to look at. Fender is guilty of the same thing. 
    They save the pretty wood for natural and sunburst finishes.
    
    A lot of people have recommended buying a budget model (ie: Epiphone, 
    Fernandez, Tokai, etc) and upgrading the pickups. Keep in mind that
    after-market pickups are not cheap. A set of 3 Duncan Antiquities will
    set you back $240 and there is no guarantee you will like the result.
    I see used (mint) American Standard Strats selling for $450 all the
    time. What would you rather have, a copy with better pickups, or
    a Fender Amer-Std?
    
    Mark

    
    
    A good friend of mine picked up a new Fernandez Strat for his son, in
    the $300+- range I think.  It's a VERY nice guitar, sunburst and all. 
    
    He also owns a Fender American Standard, and while he likes it a lot,
    1/2 of the time he brings the Fernandez to rehearsal.
    
    Lot of guitar for the bucks.
    
    Kevin
    

	I had a Fernandez Strat for years; the color was "Burgandy Mist"
(kind of a pink/purple pearl-- I loved that color!) with white pickguard 
and maple neck.

	I really liked that guitar; it was my main guitar longer than 
anything I've ever had. It sounded like a real Strat. It felt like a real 
Strat (for what that's worth-- I've played tons of Strats and they all feel 
different). The workmanship was not super-duper top quality but it was 
better than average.

	The only reason I sold it was to "shake things up"-- I had been 
using the same amp & guitar for so long, I knew them both inside-out. I 
could get just about any sound I wanted. That was a good thing, but I felt 
it was time for a change to force myself to re-discover things. I still 
haven't recovered... I wouldn't say it was a mistake to sell that gear, but 
it's been frustrating me how long it's taking to "rediscover" the tone & 
sounds I had down to a tee.

	Anyway, back to the subject-- as a former Fernandez owner, I would 
have no qualms recommending one. I much better choice than, say, a 
mexican-made Fender Strat. (I had one of those, too.)


	Brad

I've had alot of playing with both the Tokai and Fernade's 
strat.  I owned a Tokia, and a guy I played with had
a Fernandes ..  I always liked the feel of the Fernandes
a little more thant the Tokai, but that may have been the
fact that the Tokai had the 57 reissue boat neck..  I don't
think the fern did, however I always felt that the Tokai had
a purer strat sound though. I'd pretty much compare em
side by side, and again it's maybe more a matter of ear...

Both were quality knock offs though...  I sold my Tokai to that
master of the midi Edd Cote..  Though I'd be shocked if he ever change
the strings, he claims it's still all the guitar he'll ever need..

My bid also had a fern. Tele..  I was always amazed fender
didn't shut these guys down...

price sounds about right too if you look at the want adds...

    
    
    never tried/saw a Fernandez but I have played a Tokai...very nice!These
    things were going pretty quick in the want ads as they were about 1/3rd
    the price of a Fender and sounded just as well.
    
    If you want to know about Strat copied with better pick ups,ask Buck
    about his Squire with the EMGS's....a very *very* nice guitar!
    
    
    						ian

    Thanks for all the replies. The color is indeed solid (red). The seller
    said something about the pickguard having only eight screws like the 
    original strat ( I'm not exactly clear on this). As to the head stock
    I'm not sure if if it's *exactly* like the original. Does that detract
    hughly from it's value (in the mind's eye if no where else) ? Ric are
    you still interested if there is a hook?
    Rich

    Of all the "strat copies" I've diddled around with Fernandez and
    Tokai are the best ones...
    
    FWIW - I don't consider Ibanez RG series as "strat copies".
    
    I too had a Fern-strat that looked, sounded, and smelt just like
    a strat.  Nice axe!
    jc

    
    
    re-1
    
    "smelt just like a strat"...?Thats a worrying statement! 8)
    
    
    
    						ian

    Wagagagag...  No we're even for the comment you made yesterday,
    which amused me endlessly.
    :-)

    My lead player has a red Fernandez which EMGs.  He added a cool looking
    pearloid pick guard and a way-cool Wilkinson locking trem.  It's a joy
    to play.  Of course, with all of the mods, he's got about $900 into
    it!  :')  :')
    
    

    I've got a Squire start with EMGs and a pearloid pickguard that I
    *love*.  Sounds damn nice, too.

    It would still be cool with the "hook", but I've passed on a number of
    these; I guess a hookless one is sorta my holy grail.
    

I had a fernandez while in high school. 

Exact strat headstock shape.  Solid light blue color.  I put EMGs in it,
and a floyd rose.  The thing I liked the most about it was the neck.  It
seemed to fit my hand perfectly and felt just like an old strat.  What I
didn't like about it is that it seemed to get dings in it more than other
guitars.  It seemed as though the wood/finish was soft.  I'd barely touch it
with the jack of the guitar cord and I would notice a small ding in the 
finish.

Its fun remembering an old guitar.    /marc

    I went last weekend to look at this, and I have to say I was
    disappointed. As .19 mentioned this guitar also had a number of small
    dings. The guitar was light as a feather, and as I already mentioned to
    Ric C. it just did not seem to be a very substantial guitar. I know
    this is subject to personal tastes but... well I'll say it, it seemed
    cheap. Also the headstock was not strat but with a hook. Considering
    the way the guy advertised it, I felt mislead. Ah well, the chase is
    still afoot.
    
    Rich

    
    If you want that Fender sound, look, feel and "smell"
    
    ....Buy a real Fender!!!
    
    There is no substitute...
    
    But if you want a good knock-off, then Fernandez is about the best.
    
    /Bill_K
    

    
    I just received the Fernandes catalogue and they have some very nice
    guitars in it!They have a Les Paul-esque guitar that looks gorgeous
    but costs about $1800...for that money you could buy the real deal.
    They were also advertising Hi-Watt heads/combos and cabinents.I've
    never tried one or heard one but they wanted big money for them.I 
    think they wanted about $2300 for the 100 watt head alone.
    
    
    
    				ian

    
    Hi-Watt is what David Gilmour was using on the last two
    PF tours.
    
    -b

    
    
    they named a few users in the brochure the other guitar player
    in Aerosmith(forgot his name)one of the ladies from L7 to name to name
    but two!
    
    
    						ian

    Someone is "re-issuing" the original Hi-Watt stacks, going to great
    lengths to build them like the originals (these were built like tanks)
    and charging high designer-amp bucks for them.  What's interesting is
    you can buy *original* early Hi-Watts, still in great shape and
    sounding incredible, for far less.  It makes ya wonder...
    

    
    well they did have the "make in the UK" sticker on them so maybe
    they're imports.
    
    
    					ian