FACTOIDS & TRIVIA

During the early 1980's, Leo Fender prolifically designed new pickups and circuitry. The key element to the G&L sound lies in its pickups. Leo placed a powerful ceramic magnet on the bottom of the pickup with pole pieces sitting on top. This locates the magnetic field farther away from the strings which allows better vibration and sustain. The G&L El Toro uses a pair of small humbucking pickup with bass boost and active/passive circuitry that no other model, except the Interceptor Bass, used. According to G&L researcher Paul Bechtold, some El Toro basses were fitted with L-2000 circuitry as I believe the bass shown here to be.  The bridge, a massive zinc casting, is set against the end grain of the body wood which enhances tone and sustain. In fact, G&Ls tend to sustain longer and have more clarity than many instruments which traditionally have relied on neck-through construction for these characteristics. The sunburst headstock on this El Toro is an uncommon feature that is sometimes found on mid-1980s G&Ls.

Body: Solid; mahogany

Finish: Sunburst, polyester

Neck: 2-piece maple, bolt-on

Fingerboard: Rosewood; pearloid dot markers

Number of Frets: 21

Pickguard: None

Bridge: G&L Locktight, black crinkle powder coat

Nut: Plastic

Tuners: G&L/Schaller, open, chrome

Pickups: Two, G&L Magnetic Field Design humbucking with adjustable pole pieces, active/passive

Controls: Master volume; bass and treble controls; pickup coil splitter, 3-way pickup selector, passive/active/active treble boost selector

Scale Length: 34 inches

Neck Width at Nut: 1 11/16 inches

Body Width at Lower Bout: 13 inches

Body Depth: 1 5/8 inches

Weight: 9.2 lb.