CLF Research Guitars

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

**P.T.B.-Passive Treble and Bass Controls-Dramatically more effective than a standard tone control, treble and bass frequencies can be separately cut with this exclusive passive style circuitry via two separate tone knobs.   Founded by Leo Fender in 1980, G&L USA instruments continue to be made in the historic CLF Research / G&L facility on Fender Avenue in Fullerton, California, the Birthplace of Bolt-on™. The G&L name, stylized G&L logo, CLF, Magnetic Field Design and MFD are registered trademarks or trademarks of G&L Musical Instruments / BBE Sound, Inc. † The personal name, likeness and signature of Mr. Clarence Leo Fender are property of G&L Musical Instruments / BBE Sound, Inc. and may not be used in any commercial capacity without prior approval. For enquiries regarding the use of the "Leo Fender" name, likeness or signature, please contact us. G&L is not associated with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.  

Leo Fender’s† lost design from ‘69 takes on a whole new vibe with twin humbuckers in the G&L Espada HH and Espada HH Active.  The latest in double-hum guitars from G&L, they’re wrapped in a gorgeous shape tucked away for decades at CLF Research.

Espada HH features a set of G&L alnico humbuckers: clean and classic at the neck with a little more juice at the bridge, the same pairing found in other popular G&L HH models.  The expansive Espada control plate houses volume, treble and bass controls, each capped by a beautiful chrome CLF Research knob, plus twin mini-toggles: a coil-split for both pickups and an output kill-switch.  Then there’s the legendary bridge design from ‘79: Leo Fender’s G&L Saddle Lock hardtail which delivers superb sustain with comfort and style.

Espada HH Active features a G&L Micro-Preamp to unlock a new dimension of tones.  For active duty, the kill-switch on the passive Espada HH is replaced by a 3-way mini-toggle to control the preamp modes (passive/active/active-bright).  Leave the preamp off and everything works, but switch it on and you’ll hear more of the pickups’ natural harmonic complexity.  It’s classic Leo Fender: he solved “the cord problem” with an on-board buffer to shield the pickups from a cord’s loading effect.  And the result is audible in every pickup setting, from jangly single-coil tones that defy split-humbucker expectations, to overdriven humbucker tones with crisp detail and definition.  There’s always more to explore with Espada HH Active, and every journey is as exciting as the destination.

Espada HH is available in:

• Jet Black / Alder / Caribbean Rosewood / 3-ply Black / Vintage Tint Gloss Neck
• Vintage White / Alder / Caribbean Rosewood / 3-ply Black / Vintage Tint Gloss Neck
• Honeyburst / Ash / Caribbean Rosewood / 3-ply Parchment / Vintage Tint Gloss Neck
• Cherryburst / Ash /Caribbean Rosewood / 3-ply Parchment/ Vintage Tint Gloss Neck

† The personal name, likeness and signature of Mr. Clarence Leo Fender are property of G&L Musical Instruments / BBE Sound, Inc. and may not be used in any commercial capacity without prior approval. For enquiries regarding the use of the "Leo Fender" name, likeness or signature, please contact us. G&L is not associated with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

For decades, guitarists have turned to the G&L S•500 for a classic design with added versatility and a bold sound thanks to its MFD pickups, Passive-Treble-Bass tone circuit* and expander switch*. These enhancements give the S•500 levels of grit, energy and sophistication that other, similar guitars just can’t reach. The new CLF Research S•500 pauses to consider the history unfolding on Fender Avenue in the late 1970s. It’s a sort of retro-futurist dream, imagining Leo Fender’s late ‘70s Magnetic Field Design pickup technology and Dual Fulcrum vibrato system packaged on a model that could have predated the earliest G&L guitars produced in 1980. For the journey back in time, John R. McLaren has substantially modified the pickups from the current production S•500 spec, including the coil bobbin aperture, length of pole pieces, wire turns and more. John sought to create a softer, sparklier sound without losing the sense of smoothness and strength expected from an S•500. Dave McLaren’s #Project1979s500 is the prototype for this model, with its development shared with followers of the CLF Research pages on Instagram and Facebook. Interaction with the fans inspired Dave to draw together functional and styling elements prepared at CLF Research in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, including a 3-ply black pickguard and beautiful machined CLF knobs. Even the headstock is based on the original G&L design, modified to fit Kluson tuners and sporting a ‘70s-flavored “go faster” logo. The CLF Research S•500 has a look, sound, and vibe that takes us back to the golden age of Leo on Fender Avenue, home of what he considered his finest creations.. The CLF Research S•500 is available in:

• Cherryburst over Alder, 3-ply black pickguard, maple fingerboard
• Honeyburst over Swamp Ash, 3-ply parchment pickguard, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard

**P.T.B.-Passive Treble and Bass Controls-Dramatically more effective than a standard tone control, treble and bass frequencies can be separately cut with this exclusive passive style circuitry via two separate tone knobs. **Expander Switch-A mini toggle switch (push/pull knob on Tribute Series) adds two additional pickup selections when used in conjunction with the five-position switch. The switch is on when thrown towards the pickups (knob pulled UP on Tributes) With the five-position switch set to either extreme, a selection of the bridge and neck pickup is available. All three pickups can be selected when the bridge pickup coupled with the middle pickup or the neck pickup coupled with the middle pickup is selected with the five position switch. Founded by Leo Fender in 1980, G&L USA instruments continue to be made in the historic G&L facility on Fender Avenue in Fullerton, California, the Birthplace of Bolt-on™. The G&L name, stylized G&L logo, distinctive "hook" headstock design, ASAT, Magnetic Field Design and MFD are registered trademarks or trademarks of G&L Musical Instruments / BBE Sound, Inc. † The personal name, likeness and signature of Mr. Clarence Leo Fender are property of G&L Musical Instruments / BBE Sound, Inc. and may not be used in any commercial capacity without prior approval. For enquiries regarding the use of the "Leo Fender" name, likeness or signature, please contact us. G&L is not associated with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.