When Leo
Fender sold his guitar company, he was made to sign an agreement stating that he would remain out of the guitar business for a period of 15 years. At the end of those 15 years, he teamed up with his friend George Fullerton to create a new company, this one called
G & L (George and Leo). The aim of this new venture was to use Leo Fender's current and actual specifications on everything from the factory conditions to the hardware used.
When compared to a current, say, american
stratocaster, a
commanche (the G & L version of the strat) goes way above and beyond. Better
fretwork, better craftsmanship, better finishes, and so on. In no way are current
Fender guitars or basses of a higher general quality than those of
G & L.
Leo Fender passed away in March of 1991. Before his passing, he wanted to be sure that the legacy of
G&L would continue, so he and his wife chose to have
BBE Sound take over the management and to expand. Today, the
G&L factory continues production as Leo would have wanted. His private workshop, the
epicenter of his creativity, remains untouched as it was on his last day and has been visited by music people from around the world. There are no computers or
robots popping out guitars with uniformity but no soul. The people of
G&L, his people, continue to hand craft the instruments with love, dedication and great skill.