I have a Fannin guitar (D-37) that was a christmas present back in the seventies. I never learned to play as a kid, but I remember chords and now with the help of the interet, I have actually learned to play a bit.
I had to purchase another guitar, because the action on the Fannin made it difficult for me to play. The Fannin has a much richer sound than the Dean that I purchased, but as I said, it is difficult because as strings get closer to the body they are very far from the fret board. This may be because the bridge has pulled away a bit from the body and there is a slight crack in the center surface of the guitar extending from the bridge to the end of the guitar. Other than that, the guitar is in good shape only one minor ding.
Thanks for the info on Fannin. I've been checking internet for a while trying to see what I could find out about this guitar. No one is aware of the name, but I believed it sounds and looks great, but yet very little is known about the guitar.
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Originally Posted by jasonthinds
How many of you have heard of Fannin guitars? Do any of you have one?
My uncle, Larry Fannin, was the one who commissioned/imported these through his company, NuLook, in the late 70's and early 80's, and I'm doing some informal research on just how many are floating around out there, how they've held up, etc. Models include D-37, D-57, and possibly others.
Most of these were produced in Taiwan (some may have originated from Japan). Some of the earliest models, before "Fannin" was trademarked, would have a blank headstock and a sticker on the inside with "NuLook" printed on it. Most have "Fannin" printed on the headstock, with a very Fenderish-looking "F".
The Taiwan-sourced models came from the Chuan Yin Musical Instruments Co. (D37 model for sure, not sure about the other models). This same factory produced identical guitars for Boeing, and likely many other names. Specifically on the Fannins, there's a blue serial number on the brace just ahead of the soundhole, which would have been the factory S/N...There was a separate serial number along with the model number stamped on the neck plate inside the guitar.
I'm tracking down the old sales brochures / catalogs that are sitting tucked away in a box in his warehouse, so if I dig up any additional information, I'll be sure to share it.
Even better, if someone has one that they'd like to get rid of, I'd like to hear from you. I'm buying these back for my Uncle so he can pass them down to his kids and grandkids.
Thanks,
Jason (noob)
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