G&L Custom Shop
Your instrument should feel like an extension of yourself in both its playability and its looks. And if you’re in need of a new sonic paintbrush, the G&L Custom Shop is the way to go. These top-of-the-line creations are built with the finest tonewoods, unparalleled artistry, and a vast selection of customization options to inspire your musical creativity. G&L knows that inspiration strikes quickly, which is why they ensure multiple Custom Shop creations are available directly through Sweetwater. If you’re ready to experience a handcrafted guitar or bass, the G&L Custom Shop is for you.
Fullerton Deluxe
All Fullerton Deluxe guitars are made on Fender Avenue in Fullerton, California. Billed “the birthplace of bolt-on” guitars and basses, G&L’s California-based workshop is home to some of the finest luthiers in the country, luthiers who lavish their skills on every instrument they build. As the core range of Made-in-Fullerton G&L instruments, the Fullerton Deluxe series boasts the most popular and customer-requested tonewood pairings, electronics options, and finishes. And since they’re built in the USA, Fullerton Deluxe guitars and basses play spectacularly right out of the box.
CLF Research
CLF Research models take the spirit of Leo’s early G&L designs and update them for today’s players. They take visual cues from Leo’s vibrant ’70s and ’80s innovations. Fender Avenue styling cues of the era meet expanded technical capabilities, resulting in instruments that are as beautiful as they are versatile. For example, the Doheny V12 guitar comes with mini-toggle-controlled MFD humbucker coils for a world of tonal possibilities. The L-2500 Series 750 5-string bass comes with 19mm string spacing to supply extra room for your fingers. CLF Research models offer a full-bodied playing experience that can only come from G&L.
Tribute Series
The fruits of Leo Fender’s innovative spirit are made more affordable with the G&L Tribute Series. They come equipped with G&L’s iconic features, too. In fact, they all bear USA-built Magnetic Field Design pickups made in G&L’s Fender Avenue facility — just like the Fullerton Deluxe pickups! The combination of CNC manufacturing and Leo’s pioneering technologies ensures every G&L Tribute Series instrument delivers the tone, construction quality, and playability that Leo Fender demanded.
Magnetic Field Design (MFD) Pickups
Magnetic Field Design (MFD) pickups are a radical departure from Leo Fender’s original pickup design. Instead of using magnets as pole pieces, MFD technology uses a single bar magnet beneath each pickup coil. Proprietary machined bushings and height-adjustable pole pieces fine-tune the magnetic response of each string. By radiating the magnet through the coil, the MFD pickup design delivers a stronger, smoother magnetic field that delivers a full, warm sound with less self-noise. G&L’s Magnetic Field Design pickups are available in multiple configurations. The ASAT Classic and S-500 guitars feature traditional-size MFD pickups. Meanwhile, CLF Research L-2500 Series 750 basses are loaded with powerful new humbucker designs. Whether it’s the recognizable twang of an ASAT Classic, the out-of-phase quack of an S-500, or the classic thump of an SB-1 bass, MFD pickups provide familiar tones with a fresh take. What else would you expect from Leo Fender?
Saddle Lock Bridge
ASAT Special guitars and most G&L basses feature Saddle Lock bridges. This bridge is designed to capture and transfer more string energy into the body for a lively response. Aside from George Fullerton’s excellent visual design, Saddle Lock bridges are amazingly functional. It’s equally comfortable for palm-muting, strumming, and picking. Leo added a small hex screw on the side of the bridge to press the bridge saddles together so they and the bridge plate vibrate as a single mass. There’s even an extrusion on the bottom of the bridge that helps support energy transfer directly into the body wood. With its sleek form and practical function, the Saddle Lock bridge is pure engineering genius.
Dual Fulcrum Vibrato
The G&L Dual Fulcrum Vibrato’s signature large pivot posts make it instantly identifiable among other tremolo/vibrato tailpieces. The pivot posts are anchored in stout brass bushings pressed directly into the body. Leo Fender designed this vibrato tailpiece to maximize string energy transfer in a floating bridge design with a silky-smooth feel. In fact, many of today’s vibrato mechanisms follow the Dual Fulcrum example with smaller, vintage-style posts. G&L proudly showcases its robust posts accentuated by a contoured bridge plate. George Fullerton styled the Dual Fulcrum to emphasize the power, stability, and precision of Leo’s engineering prowess.
