SOLD G&L El Toro Bass, Black & Maple, Matching HS, Leo Fender, George Fullerton, Vintage, OHSC

Very Cool!

 

Buffalo Brothers had really great stuff; always some very unusual G&L axes. I bought one of the first ASAT thinline (hollow) Basses there in the early 90’s. Toros are amazing Basses, and I would love to buy yours, but not in the cards right now. GLWTS!

 

In the early 80’s, a black headstock usually was reserved for NAMM show specials, sales samples and artist instruments, according to the late Dale Hyatt. George Fullerton was a good friend of Leo Fenders in addition to working for him in the very early days of the company. When Leo left Music Man, he was adamant that George be his partner and production manager. There are a few L-1000’s and 2000’s from 1980-81 that have George’s initials in the pickup cavity-I had an L-2000E that had been initialled by him. A very kind, respected and loved man throughout the industry. As for the El Toro...these are the snarliest, meanest, grind machines you will ever hear, when run thru a tube amp. Criminally under-rated, don’t think for one second that those 16 pole MFD’s can’t punch a hole thru the back wall of the club. Versatile, but MEAN as hell tone! G&L built only about 1200 of them, and only 418 of the Interceptor basses which use the same pickup/ preamp switching combination. You can run the pickups in parallel, or, when you switch them to series, it becomes one giant- ass humbucker ... Somebody’s gonna be happy!

 

Oh my God - an El Toro!

 

What El Torokay said. I have a fretted as well as the black with matching headstock fretless match to this one. Grinds deeper than your favorite "adult entertainer".

 

The Mighty Bull....

Great basses, but I think all of them had matching headstock. My first one was trans red with a matching headstock. I bought it when I first arrived in LA, in a sketchy neighborhood that is now unaffordable for anyone without a $200k income. It had a crushing tone, and I played that bass everywhere for a year until (not kidding here) my chiropractor told me to get rid of it before it crippled me...

Which brings me to.....what does it weigh?

 

The black and maple Bull with the matching headstock is the coolest Bull IMHO. There's actually a (more expensive) red one on Reverb right now but it's got a rosewood board and, per the listing, weighs 11 lbs. I had a white one several years back and I don't recall it being that heavy which makes me think it was maybe alder or poplar and not ash. I should have never gotten rid of that monster.

I'm trying to think of a way I could justify grabbing a Toro and a Stingray and still keep an L2K around too

 

My 1986 El Toro is ash, maple board, transparent blue finish with matching headstock, and weighs 8 1/2 lbs, so not too heavy. The sound continually amazes me.

 

I am looking forward to its arrival!

I didn't even know I was buying it from another TB'er when I saw it on Reverb.