It all started in 2004-2005 when a friend brought me back the Japanese Fernandes catalogs from his trip in Japan.
There were these Rubber Jig Tal -Transtic Nerve- model, the Ravelle Elite and Deluxe. I hated the shape so much, but then as you know how that works, I soon couldn't stop thinking about it.
Some google search, forum chat with the likes of Kherman, and here I am buying my first in 2005, a Wine Red Deluxe made in China, built as good as my Orville and Japanese Burny! (at least that's what I thought back then)
The past 16 years, I have bought a terrible white standard, sold them all, regretted the wine red and caught up with what's left in the picture.
Back: Early Black Deluxe + Bareknuckles Mules, Amber(?) Flamed Elite stock sustainer + EVH bridge HB
Front: Japan Premium + Mojo PAF, Ravelle Junior + 60's dogear p90 custom made by Stiegler, France.
To this day I am still hoping to get my hands on the 2000 Rubber Jig protos I missed on Reverb and Ebay, and one of these PROSPEC that were briefly on Fernandes Japan website.
I have a serious guitar collection and owned so much stuff from cheap to serious vintage investment, but this Ravelle model will always have a special place. I really wish they had more success, more variations, more high level models, more accessibility.
I am still unsure of what happened to Fernandes the past years, but I will always (candidly) believe their Ravelle had a real potential.