Know Your Gear Podcast – Episode #436

"Fender Buys G&L And Changes Already Started"

Host: Phillip McKnight
Date: November 7, 2025

Overview

In this special episode, Phillip McKnight dives deep into the stunning news that Fender Musical Instrument Corporation has purchased G&L Guitars, signaling the effective end of G&L as it has been known. Throughout the show, Phil unpacks what’s confirmed, what’s speculation, and what it all might mean for the guitar industry, G&L fans, and Fender’s broader strategy. He intersperses the main topic with listener Q&A, personal anecdotes, and engaging guitar industry insights.

Main Theme: The End of G&L as We Know It

• Confirmed Sale:
  G&L has been sold to Fender. The G&L factory is now empty – machinery and materials either cleared out or trashed ([00:01]).

• Trademark Moves:
  Fender has filed to acquire the trademark rights to "Leo Fender," a name previously exclusive to G&L ([02:45]).

• End of an Era:
  G&L guitars, as a unique boutique-like shop producing high-quality, customizable guitars, is officially over ([10:50]). The company that owned G&L, BBE Sound, has also been dissolved.

  "Rest in peace, G&L Guitars. So if you haven’t heard, some more information has come out about G&L guitars and they are officially as we know them, they’re over. It’s over now. Does that mean they’re gone? It doesn’t mean they’re gone. It just means as we know them, they’re over."
  – Phillip ([00:47])

Key Discussion Points

1. Fender’s Acquisition Patterns & What Might Happen Next ([03:00]–[13:00])

• Fender has a track record of acquiring brands like Jackson and Charvel (which didn't conflict with their core products) and letting others, like Ovation, Guild, and Tacoma, be sold or shelved.

• SWR Amps, DeArmond, and Tacoma are examples of brands that Fender kept but stopped supporting.

• Speculation: Fender might only use assets such as machinery for custom shop work or employ the Leo Fender name in its marketing.

• Loss of G&L Character:
  G&L’s appeal lay in its customizability, finishes, and small-batch US craftsmanship—traits unlikely to survive under Fender.

  "Everything that I thought that made G&L cool ... they are gone forever. You’ll never see those things ever come back."
  – Phillip ([10:33])

• There's skepticism about a "Tribute" line or Indonesian-made G&Ls simply sliding in between Squier and Fender ranges, as G&L's brand isn't strong enough.

2. What Will Fender Actually Do? ([13:30]–[16:20])

• Possibly cherry-pick assets: Leo Fender's name and any patents; anything unwanted may be sold off or discarded.
• There's a risk Fender simply shelves G&L entirely, never acknowledging the acquisition publicly.
• The guitar market is currently soft, so a push for new product lines seems unlikely in the short term.

3. Why Did G&L Fail? ([19:25])

• Despite passionate management and staff, G&L struggled to adapt to modern business realities, particularly in marketing.

  "...they just weren’t connecting with the time now, much less 2025."
  – Phillip ([21:30])

• The company began pursuing new marketing strategies too late, after running low on cash and/or credit.

4. Vintage Guitar Industry Anecdotes ([23:10])

• Stories of Gibson destroying unsold guitars illustrate how sudden and unceremonious factory shutdowns can be.

• Not everyone in the guitar industry is a musician – even iconic builders like Leo Fender, or the owner of Warwick, didn't play guitar or bass.

  "Leo Fender never played guitar his whole life."
  – Phillip ([31:59])

5. Should You Buy a G&L Now? ([35:24])

• If you’re a fan, now might be a good time, especially for US-made G&Ls.
• Don’t buy as an investment—prices may spike briefly out of nostalgia but could deflate quickly if the brand fades into obscurity.
• G&L guitars remain solid instruments; buy one if you truly want to play it.

Q&A Highlights and Industry Insights

Notable Listener Questions

1. What Happens to G&L Inventory? ([22:11])
   No definite answer—might be scattered, bought up piecemeal, or destroyed, akin to Gibson’s infamous waste.

2. Touchscreen Interfaces for Amps and Accessibility ([49:59])
   Touchscreens are becoming more common, but lack tactile feedback for visually impaired users. Headrush and Quad Cortex are cited as easy-to-use touchscreen platforms.

3. Fret Beveling – Tools and Tips ([56:12])
   Advice to proceed carefully with aggressive fret removal to avoid irreversible mistakes—especially for first-timers.

4. Fender Japan Manufacturing ([01:46:10])
   Fender Japan likely outsources to domestic factories like FujiGen, much as Fender has arrangements with Court in Korea/Indonesia.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The cool thing about G&L was, it’s kind of like the secret guitar that some players knew about that you could get a really good deal on a really high-quality guitar."
  – Phillip ([11:05])

• “It is official. The building is empty. The corporation who owned G&L, which was BBE Sound, is dissolved. They’ve dissolved their company. So there’s no merger.”
  – Phillip ([15:37])

• “A lot of people in this industry, they just don’t. They’re not into music or guitars or anything. They just do a job ... most factory workers don’t play guitar.”
  – Phillip ([27:25])

Important Timestamps

• [00:01] – Show introduction and breaking news: G&L has been sold to Fender
• [02:45] – Trademark filings for Leo Fender name
• [10:33] – “Everything I thought that made G&L cool … they are gone forever.”
• [15:37] – Confirmation: BBE Sound dissolved, building emptied
• [21:30] – G&L’s struggle with modern marketing; business realities
• [23:10] – Gibson factory destruction stories
• [31:59] – “Leo Fender never played guitar his whole life.”
• [35:24] – Should you buy a G&L now?
• [49:59] – Listener Q: Amps, touchscreens, and accessibility
• [56:12] – Listener Q: Fret beveling tool techniques
• [01:46:10] – Listener Q: Fender Japan manufacturing

Channel Milestones

• 2.4 million views in October – a new record ([01:12:09])

• Secondary channel also hit a record: 579k views and 29,000 subscribers reached.

  "For the first time ever in the history of the channel, I broke 2 million views in one month. 2.4 million views in the month of October. Thank you guys so much for that."
  – Phillip ([01:12:20])

Fun & Personal Segments

• Vintage BC Rich Catalog ([01:19:55])
  Phil shares a nostalgic catalog from viewer Mike, showing 80s/90s BC Rich guitars, sparking a discussion about classic models like the Outlaw.

• E-Bow Discussion ([01:56:00])
  E-Bows: tricky to master, rarely as intuitive as a wah pedal; Phil admits, “I bought it twice, still can’t do it.”

• Halloween Candy & Sweetwater’s Sweet Tooth ([02:08:18])
  Phil doesn’t like candy, only chocolate and licorice, and has requested Sweetwater not include candy in his shipments—except his wife enjoys the Laffy Taffy in sponsored shipments.

Tone and Style

The episode’s tone is conversational, irreverent, and honest—Phillip is unafraid to speculate, gently roast manufacturers, or admit his own limitations as a gearhead and player. He threads humor and personal stories through his detailed industry analysis.

“If you love G&L guitars and you were going to buy a G&L guitar anyways, I would buy a G&L guitar, especially a USA one, right? ... Not because it’s an investment.”
– Phillip ([36:04])

Closing Thoughts

Phillip concludes by inviting listener feedback about the G&L/Fender news, encouraging those passionate about G&L to nab one if they’ve always wanted it, and reminding everyone that the future is unpredictable in the guitar world.

He signs off, thanking listeners for the channel’s record-breaking growth and wishing everyone a fun (and safe) Halloween, whether collecting or distributing candy.

For the Full G&L Conversation

Start at: [00:01]
In-depth closure/summary at: [36:04]

For further segments, listener questions, and classic gear tales, skip through the appropriately marked timestamps above.

Rest in peace, G&L guitars—as we knew them.