Rumor or Truth? Will G&L be bought out?

[madbassplaya]

I was told the other day that now that George Fullerton has passed away Fender is trying to purchase the legendary G&L company.

My local guitar shop owner says he feels that it's going to happen and they are going to do away with G&L altogether.

Have you guys heard this? Can anyone confirm this?

[JTE]

Well, it's been owned by Barcus-Berry for ages anyway. I can't see why Fullerton's death would have anything to do wth Barcus-Berry wanting to divest themselves of it. And it makes absolutley no sense from a financial standpoint to invest money in a company only to dismantle it. It's not like FMIC would gain any usable assets (trade-marks, patents, etc.) that would really add to FMIC's value. And before the G&L fans start, as good as the basses and guitars are, I don't think they're really pulling enough sales away from FMIC to justify that kind of expenditure just to get rid of a competitor.

The only thing that would be sensible for FMIC to do with G&L would be to tie the Leo Fender legacy's end to its beginning. But I have always questioned how much Leo really had to do with G&L's developments and designs after about 1983 or so. Look at Leo's own designs and comments. The first two guitars G&L had spoke very much of Leo's design. But the mid '80s ones with Kahler trems and Schaller pickups speak loudly that Leo had no input into those. If Leo really thought his customers wanted and needed a locking trem, he'd have desigend one himself instead of buying a Kahler. And Leo certainly would not have spec'd stock Schaller pickups on his guitars.

Further, the G&L knockoffs of the old Fenders (the ASAT guitar, the Strat, P-bass, and J-bass knock-offs- sorry, I don't recall G&L's model numbers any more) would be anethema to Leo's assertion that the new ones he made were better than the old ones. He was always looking forward, not backwards. So, while he was still at the company, and was famously working on a 6-string bass guitar (a guitar tuned an octave lower, not an electric bass tuned in fourths B to C), I don't see the product G&L was promoting and selling when Leo passed to have his stamp on them at all.

John

[LilRay]

Subscribing to hear opinions.

G&L has some unique designs that I think FMIC would be foolish to discontinue.

(BTW I don't own any G&L products but they still interest me.)

God Bless, Ray

[jaywa]

God I hope that doesn't happen.

Nobody will want a new G&L if/when Fender gets their crappy corporate hands all over it. Which means the used ones will go way up in price.

[madbassplaya]

Originally Posted by JTE

Well, it's been owned by Barcus-Berry for ages anyway. I can't see why Fullerton's death would have anything to do wth Barcus-Berry wanting to divest themselves of it. And it makes absolutley no sense from a financial standpoint to invest money in a company only to dismantle it. It's not like FMIC would gain any usable assets (trade-marks, patents, etc.) that would really add to FMIC's value. And before the G&L fans start, as good as the basses and guitars are, I don't think they're really pulling enough sales away from FMIC to justify that kind of expenditure just to get rid of a competitor.

The only thing that would be sensible for FMIC to do with G&L would be to tie the Leo Fender legacy's end to its beginning. But I have always questioned how much Leo really had to do with G&L's developments and designs after about 1983 or so. Look at Leo's own designs and comments. The first two guitars G&L had spoke very much of Leo's design. But the mid '80s ones with Kahler trems and Schaller pickups speak loudly that Leo had no input into those. If Leo really thought his customers wanted and needed a locking trem, he'd have desigend one himself instead of buying a Kahler. And Leo certainly would not have spec'd stock Schaller pickups on his guitars.

Further, the G&L knockoffs of the old Fenders (the ASAT guitar, the Strat, P-bass, and J-bass knock-offs- sorry, I don't recall G&L's model numbers any more) would be anethema to Leo's assertion that the new ones he made were better than the old ones. He was always looking forward, not backwards. So, while he was still at the company, and was famously working on a 6-string bass guitar (a guitar tuned an octave lower, not an electric bass tuned in fourths B to C), I don't see the product G&L was promoting and selling when Leo passed to have his stamp on them at all.

John

John,

Thanks a lot for the reply. I wasn't aware of the ownership, I was just listening to what some other people were saying that apprently had no idea what they were talking about.

Thank you for shedding light on the situation.

[Joey3313]

Let me guess, your shop owner was trying to talk you into buying a bass before they get "discontinued"?

[tycobb73]

It could happen. I talked to Altel the other day and they said that everything is going over to Verizon and Altel won't be used. It will just take time.

[Ken Baker]

Originally Posted by madbassplaya

I was told the other day that now that George Fullerton has passed away Fender is trying to purchase the legendary G&L company.

My local guitar shop owner says he feels that it's going to happen and they are going to do away with G&L altogether.

Have you guys heard this? Can anyone confirm this?

Nope. And no one would hear anything until/unless a deal is reached and an announcement made. BOTH companies would be legally bound through non-disclosure agreements to not release any information. So, in the absence of official information, this is nothing but idle rumor.

Originally Posted by JTE

Well, it's been owned by Barcus-Berry for ages anyway. I can't see why Fullerton's death would have anything to do wth Barcus-Berry wanting to divest themselves of it. And it makes absolutley no sense from a financial standpoint to invest money in a company only to dismantle it. It's not like FMIC would gain any usable assets (trade-marks, patents, etc.) that would really add to FMIC's value. And before the G&L fans start, as good as the basses and guitars are, I don't think they're really pulling enough sales away from FMIC to justify that kind of expenditure just to get rid of a competitor.

Barcus-Berry and BBE have been separate for years and are two very different companies. As to Mr. Fullerton's passing, you're right - it would have no bearing on G&L as he was mostly retired anyway.

Originally Posted by tycobb73

It could happen. I talked to Altel the other day and they said that everything is going over to Verizon and Altel won't be used. It will just take time.

And this makes sense how? Verizon is the local phone provider for BBE Sound in Huntington Beach. If they're moving to Verizon, it is probably for a more cost effective solution.

Originally Posted by joey3313

Let me guess, your shop owner was trying to talk you into buying a bass before they get "discontinued"?

Now THIS actually makes sense!

Ken...

[tycobb73]

I was talking about the Altel - Verizon merger. I even got my bill that said to make the checks out to Verizon from now on. Companies buy up other companies for customers all the time.

[Byzcat]

If this is true and Fender is going to buy out G&L, I guess I'd better get a new SB-2 now before the instruments turn to crap.

My first long-scale bass was a G&L SB-2, and I loved it, and am still kicking myself for selling it.

[Hamerguy]

Doesn't John Mclaren run G&L for quite some time now? He is definitely no stranger to Fender, as he was brought in from Yamaha to CBS-Fender in 1981 along with Bill Schultz and Dan Smith.