Fernandes Guitars is a guitar and accessory manufacturer that 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 one of the biggest guitar manufacturers 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 Stratocaster's; this is due to the fact of the high-quality guitar craftsmanship that came from Japan during the early '70s to compete with the American market. Fernandes also owns 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 standardplectrum. 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.
At early 2000, Fernandes unveiled the Rubber Jig. Just like the Fernandes Monterey launched before, the Rubber Jig is a modernized Gibson Les Paul inspired guitar.
While the Monterey reminds of the Zeimeitis, especially with the headstock shape, but also with a thinner body, the Rubber Jig takes the lower horn of the BC Rich Mockingbird and the lower volute of the Ibanez Iceman.
The Japanese designer of this guitar named it “Rubber Jig” after his favorite fishing lure!
There’s only 200 RJ made in Japan.
Gold Top was the only finish available. The Rubber Jig sports 2 Seymour Duncan pickups, ‘59 at neck and JB at bridge. There’s also only one volume knob and a three way switch. The Bridge is a Gibson Nashville bridge clone in inch measurements, and that is surprising, because most of Asia made guitars use metric parts.
Steve Stevens, hugely known for his guitar part on Top Gun movie anthem was one of the first seen on stage with the Rubber Jig.
This is the actual guitar used and owned by Steve Stevens. It is the handbuild prototype Fernandez put together and gave to Steve.
Steve remembers this:
" I got the guitar in 2002. When I was touring Japan with Japanese singer Kyusuke Himuro, I met the artist rep from Fernandez guitars. While looking through their catalog together I noticed a Japanese guitarist playing what was then called the Rubber Jig. This guitarist had designed this guitar himself, I do'ot remember the guitarists name unfortunately, but thought it was a great design. Fernandez arranged for me to have one of these guitars. I brought it home to the US and continued to play it with Billy Idol. Years later, American guitarist such as Dave Navarro & Dave Kushner started playing this model but they had changed the name to Ravelle. I thought it unfair that the original player and designer did not get the credit he deserves, to this day. I still own one custom color Ravelle. I gave Fernandez a bottle of my favorite chanel nail polish for them to copy... "
