Fernandes FBG-180 / BG-180

This Fernandes FBG-180 (later BG-180) is a copy of the B.C. Rich Bich — a rare guitar that is seldom seen today. It first appeared in the 1980 catalog under the name FBG-180, and beginning in 1982, the initial “F” was dropped, changing the name to BG-180.
The same naming change occurred with other B.C. Rich and Alembic copy models produced by Fernandes.
After 1985, the model disappeared from the catalog, suggesting a production period of roughly five years.

As you can see, the body features beautiful striped koa wood, a highly prized material. On the bass side, you can even observe delicate flame figuring in the grain.

It comes equipped with DiMarzio Dual Sound pickups and Grover 150C Imperial tuners. Considering that this guitar sold for 180,000 yen at the time, that level of craftsmanship and component quality is truly impressive.

Despite its unconventional appearance, the Bich offers surprisingly high playability. However, its bizarre, fragile-looking design likely contributed to its limited popularity.

Unlike the Aria Pro II versions of the B.C. Rich copies, the Fernandes models were finished with polyurethane lacquer.

Weight: 3.40 kg (including six strings)
(Updated August 21, 2016)