Members Big Muff Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 I am looking to buy a fernandes vortex and I was wondering if anybody has any experience with fernandes guitars. If so, how do they play? How is the build quality? etc. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 My Fernandes Native X, a lower model, was OK but not great. Good value. My Ravelle, which I bought used but minty, is fantastic. Sounds and plays as nice as my USA guitars from other makers. Of course I paid twice as much used for it than I did new for my Native X. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Valtyr Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 I've tried a Fenandes Elite series, can't remember the model though (it looked like an explorer). The guitar played and sounded good, the sustainer was a lot of fun. I didn't think it was quite worth the $1000 they sell for new, but I've seen them as low as $450 used which I think is worth it. I was going to buy it when GC reduced it to $450 but someone else got to it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Muff Posted March 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 Yea my reason for buying this guitar is for the sustainer. I was just hoping to get a decent guitar along with it. I would just install a sustainer in one of my other guitars but I hear it's a pretty big job so I thought why not just buy a guitar with it already installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flannery Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 In a word...Yes! Any one that I've played has been really impressive. I especially like the Ravelles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paraclete Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 As with any brand,some are good and some are {censored}.Naturally the prices of the better ones will reflect that to a degree...Some low-end Ferns Ive played were simply horrible,while some higher-end models I tried were great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Muff Posted March 4, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 Does the sustainer take a little getting used to? I have never played one before and don't exactly know what I'm getting into. But ever since I saw the Steve Vai live in astoria dvd I have wanted a sustainer guitar badly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillyCorgan Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 I own 2 Fernandes Decades. AMAZING guitars and i only paid around $300 each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 Yea my reason for buying this guitar is for the sustainer. I was just hoping to get a decent guitar along with it. I would just install a sustainer in one of my other guitars but I hear it's a pretty big job so I thought why not just buy a guitar with it already installed. Good thinking - having just gone through a Sustainiac installation, I can tell you that it's a huge job. Before this I had a Fernandes Revolver Pro (Strat style guitar w/Floyd Rose). My main reason for having it was for the Sustainer, which was great. As a guitar it was fair - not fantastic, not terrible. The neck was pretty chunky, but I got used to it after a while. I don't know what kind of wood the body was, but it was pretty light and seemed to dent easier than my other guitars. I swapped out the stock bridge pickup and put in a Gibson humbucker which made a nice difference. Overall, it was a decent guitar,but the sustainer made it special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted March 4, 2007 Members Share Posted March 4, 2007 Neither of my Fernandeses had Sustainers. I'd just never use 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Valtyr Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 Does the sustainer take a little getting used to? I have never played one before and don't exactly know what I'm getting into. But ever since I saw the Steve Vai live in astoria dvd I have wanted a sustainer guitar badly. Yes, it does take some getting used to. You have to mute any strings you aren't using because the sustainer will make them all ring when active. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ged LST Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 Tell me more about the sustainer! Please! - Ged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikey Tightness Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 I have a Fernandes Native X I'm really happy with, but I swapped out the Bridge humbucker for one taken out of a Gibson SG that my brother had laying around so I can't remember how good it was stock But at the moment I have no complaints! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sodacose Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 i love my fernandes strat and i've played some very nice ravelles (in the store where i work). the ravelles had the lowest action I've ever played. seriously, scary low. no buzzing or choking, either. haven't used a sustainer system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GarysBlues Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 I never see them being sold anywhere but on-line. And the few I have seen used were not in the best condition or their best representative. What music stores carry the line? I have heard really great things about them and the sustainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rothlover Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 Got me a Ravelle Kushner new. Sustainer sounds great but the whole system is a novelty for me, since its not something I'd use. Neck and middle sound outstanding, and the thing is a beauty to look at (body style is how one would expect an LP would look after letting an artist do a rhapsody on the theme.) If you find a deal on a Ravelle, don't look askance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members VengefulTikiGod Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 The Ravelles are quite nice in pretty much all aspects. I forget the name of the black LP shaped one but that was nice too. Very hot pickups, duncans I believe. As a Strat player they always scare me cuz they're hotter than I expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kentuckyklira Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 The lowest end ones, usually called X, are simply "you get what you pay for" guitars, not more but certainly also not less. All others I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cincy_cosmo Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 I have 4 Fernandes: A Retrorocket Elite, An older Revolver Pro, a Ravelle Deluxe and a Palisade acoustic and I play out with them all. Like Kentuckyklira said, the X series (all bolt neck guitars) are the bargain entry series and they are OK, but they are bargain guitars. I am a Fernandes dealer, so I've pretty much seen them all, and the best build quality is the Ravelle Deluxes and Elites, the Vortex Elites, the Lexingtons and Vertigo Elites. The Revolver Pros are right up there in build quality with the Ravelles which make them the biggest bargains in Sustainer equipped guitars IMO. The RetroRocket Elites, have pretty much the same neck quality of the Revolvers, but the RRElites have the most comprehensive Sustainer implementation, with a tone control active while the Sustainer is engaged, and a the mixed mode Sustainer capability. The best tone out of a RetroRocket, again in IMO, is the RetroRocket Pro Maple, which has more traditional pickups (not Hotrails). I've yet to lay hands on a Revolver Elite (new for 2007 and not yet available) but it promises, at least to in writing, to be the best of the line...wish the had not done a barbed wire inlay though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Muff Posted March 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 I have 4 Fernandes: A Retrorocket Elite, An older Revolver Pro, a Ravelle Deluxe and a Palisade acoustic and I play out with them all. Like Kentuckyklira said, the X series (all bolt neck guitars) are the bargain entry series and they are OK, but they are bargain guitars. I am a Fernandes dealer, so I've pretty much seen them all, and the best build quality is the Ravelle Deluxes and Elites, the Vortex Elites, the Lexingtons and Vertigo Elites. The Revolver Pros are right up there in build quality with the Ravelles which make them the biggest bargains in Sustainer equipped guitars IMO. The RetroRocket Elites, have pretty much the same neck quality of the Revolvers, but the RRElites have the most comprehensive Sustainer implementation, with a tone control active while the Sustainer is engaged, and a the mixed mode Sustainer capability. The best tone out of a RetroRocket, again in IMO, is the RetroRocket Pro Maple, which has more traditional pickups (not Hotrails).I've yet to lay hands on a Revolver Elite (new for 2007 and not yet available) but it promises, at least to in writing, to be the best of the line...wish the had not done a barbed wire inlay though. So you think that the vortex is a good guitar? I don't have a guitar center around here so this will probably be bought online. Also I have seen on some sites that the vortex is only back for a limited time. Is this true? I would hate to see it discontinued once I have the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cincy_cosmo Posted March 5, 2007 Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 The Vortex Elite WAS a limited edition in 2006. In 2007 it becomes a standard edition guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Muff Posted March 5, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 5, 2007 The Vortex Elite WAS a limited edition in 2006. In 2007 it becomes a standard edition guitar. Awesome! Looks like I'm going to be pulling the trigger on this one any time now:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lamusician1 Posted April 11, 2007 Members Share Posted April 11, 2007 well i am able to comment now i have the available JAPAN ONLY BURNY LES PAUL with a sustainer essentially its a Ravelle with a actual les paul shape. (They get pumped out of the same factory) PD $400 used with a dent in the back the sustainer is unbelievable it is weird to play but once it gets going i hold my right hand muting the strings i didn't want to ring (say 6-3) you can adjust the timing of how long B4 the harmonic rings thru... also try using a wah to control the freq of the harmonic feedback man it sounded like a keyboardanother thing i started doing was to hit the sustainer when i wanted that feedback then turning hit off for the next passage This works really well like this especially since I can't generate the volume to achieve the feedback to control i just hit the switch when i would normally walk toward teh amp to attempt to generate feedback with this its sure fire and i dont even have to move! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whit townsend Posted April 11, 2007 Members Share Posted April 11, 2007 Had a Ferd. bass once. Passive, P/J, maple board, body shaped like a tele.Great bass, paid around $400 about '93 or so. Better quality than MIM Fender for sure. Shouda never let it go. Want another one. Now they are discontinued. So sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonimusprime Posted June 30, 2020 Members Share Posted June 30, 2020 On 3/4/2007 at 6:47 PM, Brian Krashpad said: My Fernandes Native X, a lower model, was OK but not great. Good value. My Ravelle, which I bought used but minty, is fantastic. Sounds and plays as nice as my USA guitars from other makers. Of course I paid twice as much used for it than I did new for my Native X. Just found this guitar online for £115 is it worth getting.? Are the pickups muddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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