The C.L.F. Research series represents Leo Fender’s legacy for
continuous innovation. These special instruments combine original
concept designs with unique proprietary features that helped establish
the building blocks and foundation for which all G&L guitars are made
today.
All woods used to build our C.L.F. Research instruments are handselected
for beauty and optimal tone characteristics. The C.L.F. series is
proudly built-in in Fullerton, California, using precision CNC
technology, detailed hand-craftsmanship, and feature Leo Fender’s
most renowned hardware and electronic innovations.
CLF Research Doheny V12
The CLF™ Research Doheny® V12:
Explore New Sonic Territory in Leo's Land
When the G&L Doheny was launched in 2017, its application of Leo's modern features was expected. The breathtaking versatility of its MFD™ singe coil pickups, however, was a revelation, a guitar capable of delivering delicate, airy jangle all the way to thick, grindy single coil tones. Those pickups were painstakingly created by Johnny McLaren in the spirit of Leo's later work at CLF Research.
The CLF Research Doheny V12 digs even deeper into the rapid pace of technical development that was the hallmark of Leo's CLFR years, with particular focus on his late '70s to early '80s development of MFD guitar humbuckers. With the benefit of decades of hindsight and unlimited access to Leo's technical work, brothers Dave and Johnny McLaren challenged themselves to create the most musical MFD guitar humbuckers ever to come from Fender Avenue. But they set their sights even higher: fulfill a vision Leo had for "end-to-end" humbuckers that would sound beautiful in series-humbucking, parallel-humbucking, and single coil modes. Pickups that would sit well in a variety of musical contexts, never short of either power or articulation. Pickups that would put a smile on Leo's face.
Leo believed musicians could understand and benefit from more control over their instruments, and in his later years, Leo was particularly interested in fundamental coil control. The reward can be a surprisingly versatile instrument, and that's why each of the Doheny V12's MFD humbuckers is individually controlled by a 3-way mini toggle with classic CLF color-coloded switch tip, white for neck pickup and red for bridge pickup.
The period styling continues with original CLF black crinkle powdercoating on a one-piece aluminum control plate/pickguard, a perfect backdrop for the exquisitely machined and chrome plated CLF knobs for volume, treble and bass. The Dual Fulcrum Vibrato features a CLF 3/16" machined stainless steel vibrato arm for a period look while benefiting from today's forged brass saddles and block. Put it all together, and the Doheny V12's gorgeous looks and bold, pioneering spirit make it an offset for the ages.
The CLF Research Doheny V12 is available in the following thin urethane finishes:
- Old School Tobacco Sunburst over Okoume, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- Clear Blue over okoume, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- Sunset Coral over Western Sugar Pine, Maple fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- Grey Pearl over Western Sugar Pine, Maple fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
CLF Research Espada
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.
The CLF Research Espada is available in:
- Natural over Swamp Ash, Maple fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- 3-Tone Sunburst over Swamp Ash, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- Sonic Blue over Alder, Maple fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- Clear Orange over Swamp Ash, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
CLF Research Skyhawk
Elegantly Eighties: CLF™ Research Skyhawk™ brings back the best of '80s CLF styling.
Like the original G&L Skyhawk of 1984, it starts with George Fullerton's evolved double-cutaway with a hint of offset, a slim waist and generous curves. This very comfortable body is complemented by his arched pickguard shape, his most most pleasing iteration of the form.
The elegant pickguard meets a beautifully reproduced CLF control plate in original style black wrinkle powdercoat, a perfect backdrop for the exquisitely machined and chrome plated CLF knobs for volume, treble and bass, P.T.B. System.* The Dual Fulcrum Vibrato features a CLF 3/16" machined stainless steel vibrato arm for a period look while benefiting from today's forged brass saddles and block.
And there are those three Leo Fender-designed MFD single coil pickups that defined the Skyhawk back in '84 and the SC-3 in 1983. These meaty-yet-sparkly MFD pickups are best known as the power behind the current generation of S-500 guitars from 1989 on. In a bit of backdating, the CLF Research Skyhawk adds a mini-toggle Expander Switch** from the S-500 so this Skyhawk leaves no tones behind.
The CLF Research Skyhawk is available in the following thin urethane finishes:
- Natural Ash over swamp ash, maple fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish
- Pharaoh Gold Firemist over basswood, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard, Vintage Gloss neck finish