Fernandes Burny Olds - A few changes

MaScoot · #1 09-22-2009, 01:13 PM

Hey!

I've been looking for a vintage jap...have gone through Tokais, Greco's and Freshers. I got stuck on a Tokai Hard Puncher but the store selling the bass is completely bananas...they want USD 1250 for it which sounds a bit steep to me!
So I found a Fernandes Burny Olds with serial number (60209), which according to the seller is good since it means it's one of the best ones...I wouldn't know.
Now, the previous owner has changed the bridge to a BadAss 2 and the pickups to Bartolinis.
How does that strike you??? I know that the proof is in the pudding and that you need to play and hear the instrument in order to make any kind of sane decision...but I just wanted to check what the gut feeling of the board on these two changes were....

your idol · #2 09-22-2009, 01:20 PM

Barts are an Excellent P Bass pup hands down especially on these older import modles i say its a damn good change and i say that the badass is probably a great "players replacement" for the bridge so all in all i will say the mods are for the better. cant go wrong with black and tort better

MaScoot · #3 09-22-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by your idol

Barts are an Excellent P Bass pup hands down especially on these older import modles i say its a damn good change and i say that the badass is probably a great "players replacement" for the bridge so all in all i will say the mods are for the better. cant go wrong with black and tort better

Thanks! Much appreciated! I guess it'll be worth popping over to the store for a tryout!

I'm sure your right about the pickups...especially since my prime use for the bass will be in the studio. Does changing to the BadAss bridge require drilling or are the original holes used??

your idol · #4 09-22-2009, 02:06 PM

on the BA it just depends on what the orig set up is. i doubt due to patents it was exactly like a fender . im sure it has had to be drilled. on the pickups theres a reason i rock Barts in my Fender. especially in a recording situation the are so nice . good luck let us know what you thought or if you get it..better pics!

Spinal Tapper · #5 09-22-2009, 02:13 PM

Very cool! I'd hit it

MaScoot · #6 09-22-2009, 02:22 PM

More pics!

your idol · #7 09-22-2009, 03:06 PM

i gotta tell ya its got the right look and the right mods if it has the right feel youre getting one hell of a bad bass brother! the more i see it the more i like it

MaScoot · #8 09-22-2009, 05:14 PM

Cool! I'll head over to the shop tomorrow. If it's good I'll prolly get it!
I'll let you know. Thanks for your input!

MaScoot · #9 09-23-2009, 03:55 AM

F********kkkk...the bass had been hanging in his shop for a year..but was sold last Saturday.
According to the store owner it was a complete and utter killllller bass!!
I'm feeling sick now...I'm off to the vomatorium...

He did however say he had a Tokai Hard Puncher on the way in...so maybe, just maybe I'll be happy in a few weeks anyway...

Damn!

Kink Rimson · #10 09-23-2009, 07:19 AM

My sympathies. I know the feeling.

Btw, what is a Burny Olds? Is it a signature model?

MaScoot · #11 09-23-2009, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kink Rimson

My sympathies. I know the feeling.

Btw, what is a Burny Olds? Is it a signature model?

I have no clue..my best guess would be it's just one of those "cool" names they gave their instruments.

This particular piece was a 77 or a 78. Apparantly built by Tokai...at least that's what he said...that Fernandes was built by Tokai up to a certain point.

Funny names...reminds of an old t-shirt I had made by a Japanese rock mag called BURRN.
The back said:
BURRN
Only It
Can Attack
You All

One of my best t-shirts!!

emblymouse · #12 09-23-2009, 07:50 PM

I know some of the very best Japanese Les Paul copys are Burny. In my mind they are synonymous with Greco. I'll bet that was a sweetie. Too bad!

Hank75 · #13 09-28-2009, 11:56 AM

Fernandes Fpb 70 - 1977

chek my blog.

http://hank75.blogspot.com/search/la...20Burny%20Olds

http://hank75.blogspot.com/2008/06/f...ogos-1977.html

best.
Hank

MaScoot · #14 09-29-2009, 03:59 AM

Just found a Greco Mercury Bass '79! From what I've heard they're extremely good.
Anyone with experience?

Thanks!

Johnny Alien · #15 09-29-2009, 06:13 AM

Aren't Barts active pickups? In which case there is a slight chance the route had to be altered under the pickguard to fit a battery. In addition while a good sounding pickup I am not sure "vintage" is the tone and that bass screams for a vintage sound.

As long as the bridge was a BA2 then they would not need to route it's a drop in replacement. That said it is my least favorite mod and I always get depressed at how much it is done to old vintage Fender bridges. Those bridges were fine and did not need replaced.

If it's a vintage copy you are after while the quality was good on that one I am sure you can find better so hopefully that makes you feel better

bassexplorer · #16 05-05-2011, 11:42 AM

My Fernandes basses are all Fender-neck.
- PB Power Bass; Fender 70 logo; maple neck ; no SR, but definitely my oldest (you can tell by the prehistoric machine heads).
- JB Burny Olds, tobacco, spaghetti logo; Maple neck, SR 56XXX.
- PB Burny Olds; spaghetti logo; black + Rosewood neck, 62XXX.(the very same as Mascoot's)
- JB Burny Bass; Fender 70 logo; black + maple; square MOP dots, 62XXX
- JB Fernandes corporation; tobacco; rswd; no SR; square logo; 80's (my only with 21 frets!).
- JB The Revival Series; sunburst+ rswd, no SR; 80's (Tokai made I was said).

I don't know what the maple necks are actually made of (MIJ), but they have such an incredible growl. The PB Power Bass and the JB Burny Olds are my favorites. All PUs original.

I know other Jap brands had a Power Bass as well (Kawai, Aria?) or some Puncher Bass.

Bobster · #17 05-05-2011, 11:47 AM

Barts aren't active pickups. EMGs are one brand of active pickups.

Bob

kdogg2188 · #18 01-13-2013, 01:37 AM

Does anyone know where to find history on an Orange bass? I have one that I believe is late 70's and all I can find is that it was basically a Fernandes that was branded as Orange for a specific guitar shop in Osaka Japan. No serial on it but that seems to be common for mid-late 70s Fernandes. Logo on headstock reads Orange Produced By Electric Sound Research Group. Looks like a Fernandes FPB-60 based on the 1977-78 Fernandes catalogs.

kdogg2188 · #19 03-14-2013, 01:49 AM

Attached is a close up of the headstock of what I believe is a late 70's Fernandes bass that was marketed as an Orange in Japan. The other pic is from an Orange Fernandes stratocaster circa 1976. My bass was turned fretless and they tried to sand the logo off the headstock to make it look more like a Fender. The Orange logo and the words Produced By Electric Sound Research Group can be faintly made out. I haven't seen any basses yet online that have this same logo.