New G&L Facebook page - CLF RESEARCH CO.

I had a damn good time thrashing this pick in funkytown, then suddenly I thought of something that kinda blows my mind. In the Espada, I have helped create a guitar that inspires my own musical creativity. That’s what it was designed to do for guitarists, but it’s magical to feel it myself, to get lost in the music as the guitar lead

Three brands, one Leo: this “breadboard instrument” tester began life at Fender in the ‘60s,
fitted with a Music Man neck in the ‘70s, and was left by Leo holding a test board loaded with
G&L MFD single coil pickups and controls.

All that glitters can be gold. Case in point: this Pharaoh Gold Doheny V12. The details, the tones, everything is????????????

So I’m chilling on the big ass sofa in the lounge and next thing I know this is going down.
Heck yeah! I feel like live music feeds energy back into the walls that Leo built.

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Taking this old Leo Fender Signature ASAT Classic out for a ride. It was the late ‘80s
when Leo finally revisited a more traditional single-cutaway-I-didn’t-say-tele than the model
we know today as the ASAT Special. And what a damn fine way to bookend that platform.
Thanks, Leo!

As I was making the rounds, checking front and back doors (we have like 26 in total)
I saw this lovely Sunburst Espada on Darragh’s bench and I realized that soon this guitar
will blow the mind of some happy soul. Maybe one of you looking at this picture right now.
It’s a trip for me to contemplate.

They’re not dusty old R&D parts, they’re mojo crystals that power CLFR.

By request: close up view of George Fullerton’s hand painted artwork on the 1975 CLF-75B2 prototype and
the decal on a production neck bolted to the “breadboard” tester we looked at the other day.
George was the talented stylist, and Leo was the technical powerhouse. What a pair, those two.

They’re not dusty old R&D parts, they’re mojo crystals that power CLFR.

Looks like you could make a belt buckle out of those.

Coronado again; most did not have that tailpiece:

Everyone needs a role model: these necks would put a big fat grin on Leo’s face, and that’s why this Hall of Fame is in the middle of woodshop. These are made to be handled by the wooshop crew. They are touchstones, representing the high standards of the man who built this place.

Heeeeeeere’s Johnny! My brother and I just attempted to film some material for the new CLF Research YouTube channel. Two old guys with a lot of history and family in the Musical Instruments business since the days we were born. Truth is, neither of us can shut up once we get started with the story telling, but this video thing just feels weird with Hal 9000 over there watching. Screw it, we’re going in so wish us luck!

"And this innocent looking tape dispenser, loaded now with 3M transparent, sporting a vintage green felt bottom, once sat upon Leo's own workbench. Leo was very protective of this particular tape dispenser, which legend has it was given to him by the Jazz artist Django Reinardt in early May of '53. Having been in France for a funeral, Leo stopped in to visit the semi-retired jazz artist in his home in Samois-sur-Seine in France. Django had been fumbling with the tape dispenser, in an effort tear off some tape, and has having no luck at all with. Getting frustrated, Django tossed the tape dispenser to Leo, with an old Dutch oath, translated into English for Leo's benefit, but nigh incomprehensible with Django's Dutch influenced accent, "*Be dah yumpin' yimmeny! You do this for me! (*By the jumping Jimmy!). Leo tore off a piece of tape and was impressed by the mechanics of the thing. A simple slot into which was fit a plastic wheel whose axle fit into the slots, and allowed the adhesive tape to freely turn - combined with a replaceable serrated edge affixed with a number 2 Phillips head screw. What caught Leo's eye was however was the contour. If you had two of these, and put them felt to felt - without the tape - it would resemble, somewhat a double cut away version of Leo's newly introduced (1950) Telecaster. Django wasn't able to 'see it' - and invited Leo to borrow the tape dispenser, and perhaps use it to design a new guitar -then return it when he was finished with it. Leo did borrow it, and used it's curves as the basis for a new guitar: the Stratocaster (1954). Sadly, Django passed away shortly after their meeting, and when Leo mailed it back to Django, the mail was returned - with a fee for the return shipping. Leo viewed this as a sign that Django would have wanted him to keep this 'muse' - and so it has remained on Leo's desk ever since."

** This history is an obvious satire.

Everyone needs a role model: these necks would put a big fat grin on Leo’s face, and that’s why this Hall of Fame is in the middle of woodshop. These are made to be handled by the wooshop crew. They are touchstones, representing the high standards of the man who built this place.

Why no sickle headstock?

Tom

[quote=
** This history is an obvious satire.[/quote]

This is an odd remark to not be explained. Was the entire story a satire or did Leo actually meet Django? I ask this because it is well known among guitar players that Django had little or no use of the ring and little finger of his left hand. This would possibly give him difficulty dealing with the tape dispenser. Despite this disfunction he was indeed an amazing guitarist. And yes, influenced many other musicians.

Tom

I assume the wall-of-necks is probably a reward system for employees with exemplary skills, and/or models for QA? Not many sickle headstocks get made, so I assume there’s no need to keep one around. Those all look like recent necks, so I assume the aim is to create the ‘next’ one that bumps the oldest one off.

(Not that G&L probably doesn’t have a few sickles to model, among all the guitars they buy back.)

This is an odd remark to not be explained. Was the entire story a satire or did Leo actually meet Django? I ask this because it is well known among guitar players that Django had little or no use of the ring and little finger of his left hand. This would possibly give him difficulty dealing with the tape dispenser. Despite this disfunction he was indeed an amazing guitarist. And yes, influenced many other musicians.

Tom

No Tom, it was all satire.

I treated the photo of Craig's brother holding a tape dispenser like a "provide a caption" contest. I doubt Leo ever met Django, but they were around the same at the time of my pretend history (Leo would have been 44, and Django was 43 - so it sounded credible. Plus Django was one of the most respected, and famous guitar players at the time. I don't think he ever played an electric - but it seemed like just the kind of "maybe" that would make a great pretend history. Knitting in a few facts like the month of his death, and his home in France - along with the trouble tearing the tape off (given his left hand's disfigurement) seemed like just enough to sell the ridiculous notion that the curves on a strat were modeled after this very same (borrowed, but never returned) tape dispenser.

I worried that no one would get the joke, given the fewer and fewer folks around that can remember (or have ever heard of) Django.

‘50s ‘60s ‘70s and ‘80s all represented in Leo’s journey. This is CLF Research.

Incoming vintage Skyhawk in Clear Red. 1980s Leo magic wrapped in George’s modern art.

From concept to perfection: Leo’s late ‘60s research in bridge technology led to his Saddle Lock design in the late ‘70s.

We just got this new camera gimbal that’s robotic and kinda trippy. Thing definitely works like magic though.

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Taking the 1978 StingRay I out for a ride. These are fun and funky if you ever get your hands on a good vintage example from the CLFR years, 1976 to mid 1980. The CLFR factory had been in full operation for just 2 years when this guitar was made. As usual, this guitar showcases Leo’s technical expertise and George’s artistic vision.

Leo left himself a reminder note to get a patent. I love little artifacts like this.

New to the forum and have keen to share this beauty of mine.

Music Man Stingray 1 - 1976 - #G001008 - signed by Lloyd Chewning & George Fullerton.

Plays beautifully.

Great forum

New to the forum and have keen to share this beauty of mine.

Music Man Stingray 1 - 1976 - #G001008 - signed by Lloyd Chewning & George Fullerton.

Plays beautifully.

Great forum

Here are your photos correctly posted:
Note: See the Tutorial: Posting photos and follow the instruction steps, DO NOT USE the IMG link that Photobucket provdes.

New to the forum and have keen to share this beauty of mine.

Music Man Stingray 1 - 1976 - #G001008 - signed by Lloyd Chewning & George Fullerton.

Plays beautifully.

Great forum

Here are your photos correctly posted:
Note: See the Tutorial: Posting photos and follow the instruction steps, DO NOT USE the IMG link that Photobucket provdes.

It looks like your photos in your photobucket album have all just been changed to these blurry photos.
You might try another photo host service, see our Tutorial on posting photos for some suggested photo hosting services.

Hope this helps.

This guitar will be born today.

communication breakdown, it’s always the same

communication breakdown, it’s always the same

Nah. These reusable envelopes are now a prehistoric relic from days when internal office mail was still the way you sometimes communicated with each other. Leo was merely the last ever recipient of said envelope.

- Jos

The CLF Research YouTube channel is live! Dave McLaren kicks things off with a magical history tour about the new Espada guitar and its origin in the late ‘60s CLFR years. So come geek out with us where gear and history meet: the CLF Research YouTube channel https://youtu.be/9DtFcMMk73w

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The CLF Research YouTube channel is live! Dave McLaren kicks things off with a magical history tour about the new Espada guitar and its origin in the late ‘60s CLFR years. So come geek out with us where gear and history meet: the CLF Research YouTube channel https://youtu.be/9DtFcMMk73w

Thank Craig for the YouTube link. (I'm behind a firewall that doesn't allow access to social media sites!)

George Fullerton’s 1997 body template to make a baritone ASATele beast. It sure doesn’t feel like 22 years since we were messing around with this.

Wikipedia says that on November 19, 1969, astronaut Alan Bean guided the Apollo 12 module to within 200 yards of Surveyor 3 landing site. Meanwhile, Leo continued developing his own technology moonshot.

pressure, pressin’ down on you: Leo’s old Famco press made in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
It was built to last and is serviceable nearly forever. Yeah, it’s just a tool in a factory, but what
it represents to me is far more special than that.

Here’s the story...of an axe named ASAT: Coming up next on the CLF Research YouTube channel.

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Me and Tommy Chong with his new ride

Tommy Chong has some great stories. Check out the full video on the CLF Research YouTube channel.

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Decades

Need loud

These are the golden years

Hats off to Leo

I just filmed the story on Leo’s “breadboard” pickup testers. Should hit the CLF Research YouTube channel tomorrow,
so let’s geek the hell out with amazing historic artifacts.

In the wood shop: I was doing a little service on this mid 1960s Rockwell 15-655 drill press. I forgot you guys like weird stuff like Leo’s vintage American tools, so here’s a fix. :

Nailed it: Danny drew this and I f’ing love it. He even got the cup of green tea I’m always carrying around.

Yeee Haaa! Bendin’ an’ twangin’ on Project Fake Broadcaster. Damn this is fun.

Random pic of an old friend.

[Craig]

Heads up

Last edited by Craig on Mon Oct 14, 2019 10:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: fixed inline image post

Leo Fender’s consulting fee for the month of August 1969.

ASAT Classic MFD bridge pickups served fresh at Leo’s bakery.

Great photo/abstract painting. Blow that up and hang it on the wall!

y2kc