The G&L factory on Fender Avenue was built in 1970, on a large lot of land nearby the old Fender factory which used to be located on Valencia Avenue.

In the early 1960's, Leo Fender's health had been in decline and his doctor warned him that the pressures of running his business were hurting his chance of recovery. Reluctantly, Leo decided that it would be best for him if he were to sell his first company, Fender Musical Instruments. In 1965, the sale of Fender to CBS took place, and he was looking for some good investments for the proceeds which he gained from the sale. Among other things, Leo purchased a large lot of land nearby Valencia Avenue to develop some commercial income property. On this land he developed several industrial buildings which he leased to small businesses, and the street down the side of the land was named Fender Avenue in his honor by the city of Fullerton.

Leo retained some of the buildings for his own consultancy company, CLF Research, which stood for Clarence Leo Fender Research. At CLF Research he designed and manufactured Music Man instruments until the late 70's when he had a falling out with his partners. Leo wanted to continue in the guitar business, but this time on his own terms. In 1979, Leo invited his close friend and associate he had known by then for over 30 years, George Fullerton, to form a company he wished to call G&L Musical Instruments. Leo insisted that this would be the company name, out of deference to his decades of trust and friendship with George. The design and production of the G&L instruments began in 1980, in the same buildings that housed CLF Research, and where the G&L factory remains to this day.

The link below will take you to the Fender Avenue Experience, where you can choose from three options for experiencing the historic G&L factory on Fender Avenue. First, there is the Original G&L Factory Tour, which has been part of the G&L website since 1997, then the beautiful G&L Fender Avenue Factory Pictorial, and finally, the G&L Factory Video Library.