Whitstable Guitars
A selection of good quality, used guitars and specialising in imports from Japan since 2008
1994 Fernandes/Burny Japan LC-75JS "John Sykes Model" Black & new hard case
£769.00 + shipping
I have only very recently started looking more closely at Fernandes & Burny guitars. I think it's been a realisation of just how good they are & this guitar is no exception.
The Burny LC-75JS is also known as the "John Sykes Model" as it's Burny's take on John Syke's (Whitesnake/Thin Lizzy etc) Les Paul Custom.
It has a brass nut, mirrored pickguard, chrome pickups surrounds & GOTOH VH-1J pickups, the bridge one having a double screw coil as per the original.
About Fernandes/Burny
Burny is a sub-brand of Fernandes Guitars. Initially used on their range of Gibson replica guitars produced by Fernandes Guitars. The Fernandes company was established in 1969 in Japan. Its Burny brand was used for the Gibson replica guitars while the Fernandes brand was used for the Fender replica guitars. Fernandes initially made acoustic guitars and started making electric guitars in late 1973. The Burny Les Paul models first appeared in 1975. Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols has used Burny guitars as has Robert Fripp of King Crimson, Steve Hackett of Genesis and Billie Joe of Green Day.
The condition of the guitar I would describe as very good for the year. There are a couple of small dents on the top near the tone knobs and a scratch on back of the guitar. The original mirrored pickguard was very badly scratched and the mirrored effect was flaking off so I made a decision to buy a new one. It's not an exact match & the original will be included but it looks heaps better than it did. The frets show a a small amount of wear but there are no indents - see gallery pics.
I have had to do a bit of research on this guitar and Japanese Burny guitars were built at both the Fujigen & Terada factories like Orvilles were. Some Fujigen built ones had no serial numbers or they were in the pickup cavities, which is where I found it on this guitar (See pic). Good news as I was able to accurately date manufacture to October 1994. It also has the "Lightning Bolt" logo on the headstock which came in around then.
A quick google search of this model shows them being advertised at around the £1000-£1200 mark. That seems a little excessive to me and I would compare it to an Orville or OBG of the same period and I have priced it accordingly.
The guitar plays really well. Straight neck which is more 50's but comfortable to play. I bonded with it almost straight away. Low action and good pickups which were made by GOTOH VH-1JF and VH-1JR (front and rear). These guitars were only ever made in small numbers making them quite scarce & sought after, particularly outside of Japan.
1994 Fernandes/Burny Japan Les Paul Custom LC-75JS Specifications
Body:
Non-weight relieved body
Mahogany body with a Maple cap .
Weight 4.29kg
Neck: Mahogany neck
Bound Rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays
17 degree headstock angle
2-screw bell truss rod cover
Brass nut
Scale Length 24.75"
Width at 1st fret 42 mm
Width at 12th fret 52 mm
Mirror Pickguard
Electronics:
GOTOH VH-1F & VH-1R humbuckers with chromed surrounds
2 Vol. 2 Tone controls
3-way selector switch
Hardware:
Chrome hardware
GOTOH tuners
SG bridge F3107
Speed knobs
Colour:
Black
New Thomann fitted hard case
Hard Case Policy
As said many times, all my guitars come shipped in a new black hard case which is included in the price. I find this is the safest way to avoid damage in transit. Alternatively, if you are collecting the guitar and, like some buyers have cases coming out of their ears, that's no problem, I'll adjust the price (usually around a £50 discount) and I can usually find you an old gigbag to take the guitar away in. The only hard and fast rule I have is that I won't ship a guitar in a gigbag.
If you are further interested in this guitar, you can either email me with any queries & I'll do my best to get back to you within 24 hours.
Or, you can buy quickly and safely using the PayPal "buy now" button and I will ship to most UK addresses the next working day. Highlands and Islands can be slightly dearer but I'll keep the cost as low as I can.
I can accept credit card payments by phone and will also offer a small discount to purchasers using bank transfer payments.
Overseas customers are very welcome but please email me first for shipping quotes.
