Entry Gear

(Sold)FERNANDES/FR-?S

owner: Shin

2021.4.27: I can't find it in the catalog, so I'm wondering if it is a store order or spot item of some kind.
The body is FR, but the head shape is similar to FGZ, but without the head angle, and it has an unusual 24-fret maple fingerboard and reverse head.
The neck is stamped starting with Y5, and from the sustainer driver specs, I would guess that it is probably from around 1995.
I bought it just for its rarity at a glance, but the condition is worse than I expected.
The body is partially cracked and peeling off the printed wood grain, which was common on the low-priced models of the time, and the bridge stud on the first string side has collapsed.
In the above condition, the battery snap was damaged and the jack was rusted, so I could not check the sustainer operation.
This is the first time I have seen an actual sustainer machine with a two-string pot, but it is true that this is difficult to use and I can understand why some people customize them for Vol only.
2021.5.26: I had the electrics custom-made and the body machined and refinished at the workshop.
The head was glossy, and we had it matted and balanced in appearance.
I also had the base bypass switch added to eliminate the knots in the wood, and I also had all the studs and everything else replaced with GOTOH 1996T from FRT-5PRO, which was in bad shape.
I also had the bridge recesses newly dug where they interfered.
There were many other minor modifications in terms of installation, but I still could not tell how the model was made.
The screw holes in the neck joint had been filled in, so I thought it was a "niche" guitar, but later I saw a guitar with the exact same specifications on the market, so it seems that some guitars were made.
2022.2.10: There were enough frets left, but the neck had a noticeable original rupture, so I asked for a new one to correct it.
The driver PU was replaced with a later one with a higher first string side.
The neck still moves due to seasonal temperature differences.
There was also a 2023.6:FR-ELT that I sold because I had no use for it and it was just a collection.