In 1966, one year after leaving his eponymous company, Leo Fender founded CLF Research. Although the company worked in tandem with Music Man and went on to lay the groundwork for G&L, it didn’t exactly enter popular consciousness. Until now. G&L is bringing the brand back—and the first product out of its workshop is the CLF Research L-2000.
The four-stringed bass appears to be a reissue of the 1981 L-2000, at least in terms of its cosmetics. A vintage G&L headstock and logo crown the instrument, while color-coded toggle switches, CLF knobs and a control plate reproduced from the 1981 original lend more vintage cred to the bass. Even its neck profile and fretboard radius—1.625 and 9.5 inches, respectively—mimic its predecessor, unlike the standard-issue L-2000s.
Besides those vintage fixings, the CLF Research L-2000 sports a pair of G&L Magnetic Field humbuckers, a maple neck and fretboard, and a G&L Saddle Lock bridge. It’s available in either basswood, swamp ash or okoume, depending on the finish you pick: There’s Candy Apple Red, Jet Black, Natural and Three-tone Sunburst.
And if you’re a fan of guitar history, the new CLF Research Facebook page is worth a follow. On it, you’ll find photos of artifacts from Leo Fender’s archives—there’s everything from dusty pickups, spare parts, technical diagrams, dog-eared receipts and even shots of his mobile home.
For more information, check out glguitars.com.
