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 G & L | | Instruments currently produced in Fullerton, CA since 1980. Distributed by BBE Sound of Huntington Beach, CA. | In the late 1970s, the controlling interest at (pre-Ernie Ball) Music Man was making offers to purchase Leo Fender's CLF guitar production facility. Fender and George Fullerton turned down repeated offers, and Music Man began cutting production orders. The controversy settled as CLF Research stopped manufacturing instruments for Music Man in late 1979. In April of 1980, Fender and Fullerton started a new company, G & L (for George & Leo), to continue producing Leo Fender's ongoing design ideas and models. As Fender once again handled R & D in his office/workshop, George Fullerton maintained production management and Dale Hyatt (another ex-Fender company man) was in charge of administrative management and sales.
Between 1980 and 1991, Leo Fender continued to refine his vision of his Fender guitar. Where other people saw individual models, Fender saw an ongoing project that kept refining his ideas about the electric guitar. Clarence L. Fender passed away in March, 1991. As researcher/collector Paul Bechtoldt has noted, "during the eleven years that Fender owned G & L, less than 27,000 guitars were produced. That is less than most companies make in half a year! With monthly production totals less than 800, Leo was making more guitars at his old company in the 1950s than at G & L!"
The G & L company was purchased on December 5, 1991, by John McLaren of BBE Sound, and continues to produce the affordable, quality solid body guitars based on Leo Fender's designs. Leo's wife, Phyllis, remains as Honorary Chairman of G & L, and George Fullerton remains as a permanent consultant. In 1998, G & L opened their Custom Creations Department, a custom shop area for the company. In 2003, G & L introduced their Tribute Series of guitars, which are imported from Korea and/or China and are affordable versions of their standard designs (refer to the section Tribute Series by G & L). Source: Paul Bechtoldt, G&L: Leo's Legacy. | | | PRODUCTION MODEL & GENERAL INFORMATION | | ELECTRIC: ASAT/BROADCASTER SERIES | | ELECTRIC: CLIMAX SERIES | | ELECTRIC: COMANCHE SERIES | | ELECTRIC: F-100 SERIES | | ELECTRIC: G-200 SERIES | | ELECTRIC: HG SERIES | | ELECTRIC: INTERCEPTOR SERIES | | ELECTRIC: INVADER SERIES | | ELECTRIC: LEGACY SERIES | | ELECTRIC: S SERIES | | ELECTRIC: SC SERIES | | ELECTRIC: MISC. MODELS | | ELECTRIC BASS |
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