Fernandes FST-125

This Fernandes FST-125 appears in the 1985 catalog.

It features a magnificent tiger-striped maple neck—truly astonishing for a mass-produced guitar.
The shop owner in Kumamoto, from whom I purchased this instrument, told me that among all the necks he had seen in his career, this one ranked among the top three. One can only imagine how much it would cost today to custom-build a neck using wood of this quality.

Because the body is finished in opaque black, the wood beneath cannot be identified visually. The catalog lists it as alder, but such descriptions aren’t always reliable. For instance, my own FST-135 is listed as alder in the catalog, yet it’s actually made of ash (or possibly sen). So, the true body wood of this guitar remains uncertain—perhaps I’ll find out when I eventually take it apart.

The guitar is equipped with an EMG 81 pickup.
Weight: 4.17 kg — heavier than many Les Pauls.
(Updated June 29, 2016)