Fano Guitars is an American manufacturing company founded by luthier Dennis Fano in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, producing electric guitars. Fano is a brand of Desert Son Musical Instruments, LLC. Fano has acquired a reputation for building boutique guitars; among its more unconventional models is the Fano Stratosphear, with a body made of plexiglass covered with aluminum. Fano's "Alt de Facto" guitar line blends characteristics of Fender, Rickenbacher, Gretsch and Gibson guitars. The affordable Fano Standard line of guitars was launched in 2016 and includes the JM6, SP6, TC6 and RB6.
History
Dennis Fano, founder of the company, repaired guitars at Matt Umanov Guitars in New York until 2001, when he decided to pursue guitar building full-time. Originally, Fano repaired and modified bass guitars, with one of the first models Fano modified were his Fender Jazz Bass and a Harmony bass.
Fano's flagship guitar model is the Alt de Facto, which is available in a range styles and configurations, including a "distressed" finish which gives the guitar the appearance of being well-worn. The Alt de Facto has been reviewed by a wide range of guitar publications, including: Vintage Guitar.
Standard Series
Fano introduced the Standard Series line of guitars, made up of the JM6 and SP6 models, in January 2016. The Standard Series is "...an affordable line of signature guitars from one of the industry’s most respected custom builders. The Standard Series "...feature many of the attributes that have made Fano Guitars world renowned, including beautiful designs that are new yet familiar, superior craftsmanship, and unique 'distressed' finishes that make these guitars ultimately playable and recognizable. In 2017 the RB6 and TC6 Standard models were added to the line along with a total of 8 vintage colors and 2 different styles of nitrocellulose finishes, medium "distress" or "NOS". On 12 January 2018, Fano introduced the Standard Series bass guitar, JM4-FB. The guitar will be launched at the winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California and shipped to the authorized Fano dealers in January and February 2018.
Critical acclaim
Of the Fano Standard Series JM6 guitar, reviewer Chris Loeffler of Harmony Central said, "The Fano Standard JM6 really is a workhorse of a guitar…well-appointed without being flashy, comfortable, and unique-looking without ever getting too far from what most players expect."
