electric

Fernandes Sustainer models

Fernandes guitars built around the Sustainer, an onboard driver that holds a note ringing for as long as the string vibrates.

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Why it matters

The Sustainer set Fernandes apart from every other Japanese builder: rather than relying on amplifier feedback, a driver in the neck position vibrates the string electrically, so a note can be held indefinitely at any volume. Fernandes and its Burny brand also produced licensed and updated versions of familiar American shapes, which is why these models belong in a Japanese-classics collection rather than as a footnote. New stock is not reliably available, so almost all buying happens on the used market.

Note

Fernandes' own line, famous for the Sustainer driver system.

Specifications

• Scale length: unknown
• Neck shape: unknown

Before you buy

• The Sustainer circuit needs its battery and preamp working, so test the sustain function in person
• Spares for the driver and circuit boards are scarce
• Buy on condition and originality, since a dead circuit is expensive to put right

Other opinions

One video is one opinion. These are the other videos for this entry, most-viewed first. The order is the view count, not a ranking of ours.

• YouTube video GuitarGenius · 2012-10 · 116,516 views

  “Equipment used to make this video: Audio: Sennheiser e935 Vocal microphone | Audio: Behringer Xenyx 1204USB mixer | Audio: Behringer B1031a studio monitors | Audio: Sennheiser HD 280 pro headphones | Strings: D'Addario…”

  GuitarGenius demonstrates the Fernandes Sustainer and how the driver and circuit behave.

• YouTube video pablojonesy · 2018-01 · 51,592 views

  “I get quite a few questions about the differences between the Sustainiac Stealth Pro and the Fernandes Sustainer, so I thought I'd put the two of them together in a head to head!”

  Side-by-side comparison of a Sustainiac Stealth Pro and a Fernandes Sustainer, including the install.