First sighting of production of the CLF™ Research Espada ...

Recently posted on G&L's Facebook page:

Here's an Espada in 3-Tone Sunburst over swamp ash, tortoise guard, Carribean Rosewood board, Vintage Tint Gloss neck finish, pearl block inlays.
CLF1904237 is headed to Andertons Music Co. in the U.K.

Still so sad they didn't go with the Cavalier!!

Here are the Official photos (resized here to fit our forum page):

I really like this guitar and will be looking for one on the used market in the future. I wonder how different the pickups are from Comanche Z-Coils?

I really like this guitar and will be looking for one on the used market in the future. I wonder how different the pickups are from Comanche Z-Coils?

I'm thinking the biggest piece of the diff. is the pre-amp in any case; I really love these the more I look at them. I've been meaning to give G&L my money lately so maybe if get space...

Still so sad they didn't go with the Cavalier!!

I'm with you on the Cavalier. Maybe someday...

Last edited by Challenger on Sat Jul 15, 2023 9:50 am, edited 3 times in total.

Still so sad they didn't go with the Cavalier!!

I'm with you on the Cavalier. Maybe someday... I enjoy my vintage Cavaliers, but would love to spec a new custom built Cavalier.

Instead of any more highjacking this post, head over to this post for Cavalier discussions, please: Revisit: A prototype in Leo’s lab, perhaps 1983....

Thanks.

Here is part of the write up on this soon to be released CLF™ Research Espada:

Leo Fender’s Lost Design: CLF Research Espada

The CLF Research Espada is Leo Fender's lost guitar. The Espada’s blueprint was found among other of the
earliest CLF Research drawings in a filing cabinet in Leo’s office dating back to the 60’s. Featuring an all new body style,
pickguard design and a fresh new blade-sword-like control plate.

G&L Micro Preamp, MFD Split Coil Pickups and G&L PTB system complete the Espada's versatile tone palette.

More to come ... stay tuned.

Can you get this without the belly cut?

I'd love this with a no pick guard option.

It would almost scratch my Z-2 ASAT itch.

Looking forward to hearing some better clips. Not sure I understand why only two colors offered; maybe that will change in the future.
I still find it kinda homely but that’s ok if it sounds good.

Has anyone seen an overlay of the Espada body shape transposed with the ASAT? I am curious to see the dimensional differences...

Has anyone seen an overlay of the Espada body shape transposed with the ASAT? I am curious to see the dimensional differences...

See: Current G&L Guitar Body Shapes (U.S. models).

Hope this helps.

Definitely want it!

Just curious about adding a phase in/out option...

It’d look better without a pickguard, but lately I prefer them to scratching the wood. Just noticed, the neck heel is again Fender Strat 21 fret-spec. rather than G&L ‘Square.’

It’d look better without a pickguard, but lately I prefer them to scratching the wood. Just noticed, the neck heel is again Fender Strat 21 fret-spec. rather than G&L ‘Square.’

Here is the current writeup on G&L's Website:

CLF Research Espada: 50 Years in the Making

Espada™ started development in the late 1960s at Leo Fender’s new CLF Research company, exploring his ideas for a bold, next-generation two-pickup guitar for his namesake company. In late 1969, styling for the new model was nearly complete before the project was suddenly abandoned. However, Espada’s blueprints and R&D artifacts remained deep within CLF Research archives. The styling was beautiful, featuring an all-new body shape, pickguard design, and visually dominated by a new sword-like control plate.

Fast-forward nearly half a century and brothers Dave and John McLaren set about visualizing how Leo may have evolved his original concept. With Leo’s original blueprints and R&D artifacts in hand, the CLF Research Espada was completed in the spirit of his original pioneering vision, leveraging his later technological developments for performance and versatility.

For example, today’s Espada applies Leo’s Magnetic Field Design to his long-pole split-coil prototype pickups of 1967-1968, now made even more versatile with a series/parallel switch for thicker, rounder sounds or thinner, sparkly sounds. Leo’s Saddle Lock bridge technology, completed ten years after the project was abandoned, also solved a major technological design goal for the original Espada project: an efficient means of transferring more string energy directly into the grain of the body.

While the original ’60s Espada concept included a full-time onboard buffer preamp powered by six AA batteries, today’s Espada features a modern G&L Micro Preamp powered by a single 9v battery, controlled by a mini-toggle switch with positions for off (passive output), on (buffered lo-Z output), and on with high frequency boost, equally useful for cutting through thick fuzz as it is showcasing the shimmering harmonics the pickups are capable of producing. Today’s Espada would not be complete without Leo’s G&L Passive Treble and Bass (PTB) controls, always on and ready to work in conjunction with the other controls…and your own imagination.

Here is the Demo from the webpage:

phpBB [video]

phpBB [video]

I really like this guitar and will be looking for one on the used market in the future. I wonder how different the pickups are from Comanche Z-Coils?

As posted on the G&L Facebook page:

longer pole pieces for wider bobbin aperture, different wind specs. So def related, but we had freedom to optimize in conjunction with the control setup

On July 17, 2019, G&L posted this on their Facebook page:

50 Years in the Making: The CLF Research Espada.
Learn more here:
http://glguitars.com/product/clf-research-espada/

It’d look better without a pickguard, but lately I prefer them to scratching the wood. Just noticed, the neck heel is again Fender Strat 21 fret-spec. rather than G&L ‘Square.’

I took the pickguards off my p-bass and tele. Made a little control panel to set the p-bass controls. They are natural finishes. Jazz bass (white with tort) I left the guard on. Hmm....I guess I just didn't the like white guards on natural. The tele is old though and you can see where the guard was. Thinking of maybe throwing a blackguard on it.

The series / parallel switch changes the relationship between the two pickups, right? Not between the two halves of each pickup? (What would that even sound like?)
art

The series / parallel switch changes the relationship between the two pickups, right? Not between the two halves of each pickup? (What would that even sound like?)
art

I’ll let someone else chime in with the final answer for the Espada, but lots of people actually do use single humbuckers in parallel; there’s also a possibility Cavalier pickups are wired that way from the factory. It sounds like ‘funk’ in a word, and retains noise cancellation. That said I’mm more uncertain what a parallel z-coil could sound like vs. humbucker.

The series / parallel switch changes the relationship between the two pickups, right? Not between the two halves of each pickup? (What would that even sound like?)
art

I’ll let someone else chime in with the final answer for the Espada, but lots of people actually do use single humbuckers in parallel; there’s also a possibility Cavalier pickups are wired that way from the factory. It sounds like ‘funk’ in a word, and retains noise cancellation. That said I’mm more uncertain what a parallel z-coil could sound like vs. humbucker.

I believe the switch on the Espada is to connect both halves either in parallel or in series. The choice between the 2 is not new to G&L. The Comanche VI, with its 6 mini-toggle switches to turn on each half coil, also connected them in parallel, whereas on the Comanche (V) the 2 halves are wiring in the more traditional series configuration.

- Jos

I'd love this with a no pick guard option.

I'll go you one step further and say I'd love this with a no control plate option (i.e., rear mounted controls).

Danny Donnelly getting bluesy with the Espada at Leo’s Lounge.

phpBB [video]

The series / parallel switch changes the relationship between the two pickups, right? Not between the two halves of each pickup? (What would that even sound like?)
art

I’ll let someone else chime in with the final answer for the Espada, but lots of people actually do use single humbuckers in parallel; there’s also a possibility Cavalier pickups are wired that way from the factory. It sounds like ‘funk’ in a word, and retains noise cancellation. That said I’mm more uncertain what a parallel z-coil could sound like vs. humbucker.

I believe the switch on the Espada is to connect both halves either in parallel or in series. The choice between the 2 is not new to G&L. The Comanche VI, with its 6 mini-toggle switches to turn on each half coil, also connected them in parallel, whereas on the Comanche (V) the 2 halves are wiring in the more traditional series configuration.

- Jos

I got confirmation from Spencer about this:

Hi Craig,

Series/parallel is in relation to the 2 halves of each pickup. The same as on an L-2000.

Thanks,
Spencer

Hope this helps.

I got confirmation from Spencer about this:

Hi Craig,

Series/parallel is in relation to the 2 halves of each pickup. The same as on an L-2000.

Thanks,
Spencer

Hope this helps.

Cool, thanks Craig.
art

Nice detailed description of the different sonic modes of the Espada by Upfront Guitars. This has increased my interest in the Espada. (Though I am currently tapped out whilst exploring the sonic variety of the Doheny V12!) Read it here at their Reverb listing for the guitar:
https://reverb.com/item/26830171-g-l-clf-research-espada-natural