Burny Les Paul Custom identification help please

[Shredder69]

Years of thorough research - as it should be.

 

[Loobs]

Thanks. Good to know. I always thought people saying it was MIK were talking nonsense...it's a stellar guitar.

 

[Sigmania]

Fall 1998 Fujigen made model. Post-Orville contract, possibly left over bodies with Burny headstock veneer and hardware.

This is awesome. I am trying to learn how you were able to nail down the date.

I know you said the red border VH-1 pickups appear at the end of 1996/early 1997.

Is the FujiGen tell in the routing of the control compartment, etc. ?

I was noticing the mini pots which is something I normally see on Korean and Chinese builds. Interesting to see that FujiGen used them in this period. I know that threw other folks off in other forums as well, so good to know.

 

[Shredder69]

Fujigen's Orville deal ended in late summer of '98. We've earlier seen them contribute various models for Fernandes since '88 or so (SG's), with some RLG/RLC models in the late 90-92 timeframe. Then their Orville deal began and they would have been barred from doing other clones. After their run ended they probably had some stuff lying around and from what we've seen over the years Fernandes sometimes seemed to buy smaller runs of overstocks (i.e. there are Charvel clones actually stamped "Model 4" out there). So, we see these Fujigen routed models with the late 90's spec smaller pots, still no FEB etc. matching the previous Orville models to a tee. Not many when you look at the whole picture, thus assumed to be overstocks and not an added steady supplier.

 

[Loobs]

Crazy good research! Thanks!