Burny
Burny
Burny is a Japanese guitar brand established under the Fernandes Guitars umbrella, with its first Les Paul-style models appearing in 1975. While Fernandes handled Fender-style replicas, Burny specialized in meticulous reproductions of classic Gibson designs — particularly Les Paul Standards, Les Paul Customs, SGs, and Firebirds. The parent company, originally founded in 1969 as Saito Musical In...
Burny is a Japanese guitar brand established under the Fernandes Guitars umbrella, with its first Les Paul-style models appearing in 1975. While Fernandes handled Fender-style replicas, Burny specialized in meticulous reproductions of classic Gibson designs — particularly Les Paul Standards, Les Paul Customs, SGs, and Firebirds. The parent company, originally founded in 1969 as Saito Musical Instruments and registered as Fernandes in 1972, distinguished itself by using glued (set) necks rather than the bolted necks common among competing replica brands. The name "Burny" reportedly originated from a misspelling of "Bunny," which had been inspired by a cartoon rabbit character; the company kept the accidental name after discovering its meaning.
Burny guitars were manufactured across some of Japan's most respected guitar factories, including Terada, Tōkai, Kasuga, Matsumoku, Dyna Gakki, and FujiGen. The brand's higher-end models are particularly prized for their VH-1 pickups, Gibson PAF-style humbuckers installed from 1985 onward that earned a strong reputation for tone among collectors. Key model lines include the FLG and RLG series Les Pauls, the "Super Grade" designation for top-tier instruments, and the LC-70RR Randy Rhoads replica. Between late 1978 and 1981, Burny instruments featured a distinctive "Stone" logo resembling a Japanese kanji character.
Burny guitars have been used by a number of notable musicians, including Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, Hide of X Japan, Robert Fripp of King Crimson, Steve Hackett of Genesis, and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. The brand holds a strong following in the vintage Japanese guitar collecting community, with late-1970s and 1980s Japanese-made examples being especially sought after.
Burny has 25 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Solid Body Electric Guitars, Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars, and Electric Basses. Their gear is featured by 23 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Electronic. Notable users include Pata, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Ray Toro.
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