As Honorary Chairperson of G&L, Phyllis Fender continues to be the company's spiritual and philosophical leader. Her mission is to ensure that G&L not lose sight of Leo's vision and passion for the instruments he loved and the musicians who play them. Phyllis reminds us that Leo thought of musicians as angels, and that the creation of instruments worthy of them is a noble deed.

At the time of this writing, it has been sixteen years since Phyllis made a commitment to Leo that she would do her best to ensure he would remain proud of G&L. The people of G&L felt it was time to honor Phyllis in a very special way, something that could be shared with the musicians, something that would bring a smile to Leo in heaven. What could be a better, or more enduring, tribute to Phyllis than a special G&L instrument?

Everyone in the company immediately embraced the idea, so it was shared with Phyllis. Phyllis is a kind, loving and modest person, so not surprisingly, her initial reaction was that Leo was the one who deserved honoring, not her. However, the people of G&L persisted, and ultimately, she allowed this special instrument to be dedicated in her honor, but not her honor alone. Phyllis considered this an opportunity to give back to the community the world over, to promote a wonderful humanitarian effort.

A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale of "Blondie" models will be donated in Phyllis Fender's honor to The Smile Train (www.smiletrain.org), the world's leading charity providing free cleft surgery to afflicted children in poor countries around the world. Phyllis' philanthropic efforts are focused on a handful of causes she holds dear to her heart, but she feels that The Smile Train is most appropriate for this opportunity. Phyllis explained:

"Leo's instruments bring smiles to musicians, and The Smile Train brings smiles to children."

We see an additional connection: Phyllis sings in the choir at her church, where the experience provides her with a heightened sense of connectedness with God. For the children tragically afflicted with cleft lip and palate, The Smile Train is a gift from God, an opportunity to live full and normal lives. And, an opportunity to sing, a gift which owners of the "Blondie" guitar will have bestowed onto many desperate children and their families.

"Blondie" is a nickname Leo had given to Phyllis, and G&L lore has it that G&L's Blonde finish was blended differently than Leo had used many years earlier. Legend has it that Leo insisted that G&L's Blonde be adjusted to better match Phyllis' hair color, and naturally, Blonde is Phyllis' favorite finish. The Custom Creations Department (CCD) took the finish a step further, adjusting the tint and solidity of the pigment to take on more of a natural sheen, and the resulting finish was christened "Blondie Blonde" exclusively for this model.

Phyllis was also partial to Pearl pickguards, and realizing this, the CCD selected Pearl pegs for the G&L/Schaller tuners as well as a matching Pearl cover for the rear cavity. The Blonde finish blends effortlessly and beautifully with the Pearl accents, and the natural clarity of the polished gloss neck contributes to an aesthetic that reflects Phyllis' own unique blend of elegance, modesty and honesty.

Every "Blondie" guitar will be hand-signed by Phyllis on the backside of the headstock under the gloss finish. As a Limited Edition, each guitar will be specially numbered and include a G&L Custom Creations Silver Certificate of Authenticity. Possibly the most exciting aspect of the Phyllis model is that it includes a very special edition of the G&L Custom Creations "The Art of Fine Instrument Making" DVD, featuring an in-depth interview with Phyllis Fender.

BODY WOOD: Two-piece Swamp Ash

BODY FINISH: Custom Blended "Blondie Blonde"

NECK WOOD: Hard Rock Maple

NECK FINISH: Polished Gloss finish

NECK WIDTH: 1 5/8” Width at Nut

NECK RADIUS: 12”

FRETWIRE: Medium Jumbo 6100

TUNERS: G&L/Schaller with Pearl pegs

PICKUPS: Alnico V vintage wound single coil

BRIDGE: G&L Dual Fulcrum Bridge

CONTROLS: 5-Way pickup selector, Volume, PTB system: Bass roll-off (applies to all pickups) Treble roll-off (applied to all pickups) with Push/Pull function enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all 3 pickups together

DOCUMENTATION:

* Hand-signed by Phyllis Fender on back of headstock

* Specially numbered

* G&L Custom Creations Silver Certificate Of Authenticity

CUSTOM CASE: Custom Creations Silver Tolex, Black end-caps, Black crushed velvet interior

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES:

* Special Edition of G&L The Art of Fine Instrument Making Factory Tour DVD featuring in-depth interview with Phyllis Fender

* 14 ft. G&L Custom Creations Spectraflex Platinum braided cable

* G&L Polish Cloth

* One spare set of D’Addario XL110 strings (.010-.046)