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SKU GL-DOHENY-V12-CLF-PHG-CR

G&L Guitars CLF Research Doheny V12 Guitar, Pharoah Gold, Rosewood Fretboard, MFD Humbuckers

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Player's Perspective

Music Store Live is proud to offer up this limited edition Doheny V12 CLF Research guitar from G&L! We think Leo would be really proud of this one in particular.

The construction is spectacular! The PLEK machine ensures that all of the frets are absolutely perfect with laser precision and the finishing touches, done by hand, makes this feel like a boutique instrument that you could very easily expect to pay quite a bit more for in today's boutique guitar market. The perfect overall construction also helps to be able to get super low action without worrying about fret buzzing, unless you're really going to town and wailing away on those strings hard. But right out of the box, from G&L, the action was nice and low and still allowed for really dynamic playing from aggressive to mellow while keeping things pretty effortless for the fretting hand.

The tone is beastly! The MFD pickups pack some serious punch, especially in series mode. With the pickup coils in series, the bass response is emphasized and you get this big, warm, round sound that is going to hit your pedals and the front end of your amp very hard. In parallel mode, things will tighten up a bit and the bass response is a bit punchier while emphasizing the midrange a little more. Split the pickups for a bell-like single-coil sound that shimmers in the top end. The two mini-toggle switches allow you to mix and match different sounds. For example, having the neck pickup split and the bridge pickup in parallel mode is a really cool sound that you can't traditionally get out of jazzmasters or the standard G&L Doheny. And we haven't even begun talking about the PBT system. The passive bass and treble system allows you to further tweak your sound by allowing you to cut (it cannot boost, since it's passive, it can only cut) bass or treble frequencies as needed.

This has got to be one of the most versatile guitars we've ever come across without requiring batteries and special wiring and space-age technology. This is just a simple culmination of years of tinkering from Leo Fender and the realization of one of his final dream guitars that he had begun to conceptualize before his passing. G&L have continued to carry on his legacy and have brought this to life.

Manufacturer's Description

The CLF™ Research Doheny™ V12:
Explore New Sonic Territory in Leo’s Land

When the G&L Doheny was launched in 2017, its application of Leo’s modern features was expected. The breathtaking versatility of its MFD™ single coil pickups, however, was a revelation, a guitar capable of delivering delicate, airy jangle all the way to thick, grindy single coil tones. Those pickups were painstakingly created by Johnny McLaren in the spirit of Leo’s later work at CLF Research.

The CLF Research Doheny V12 digs even deeper into the rapid pace of technical development that was the hallmark of Leo’s CLFR years, with particular focus on his late ’70s to early ’80s development of MFD guitar humbuckers. With the benefit of decades of hindsight and unlimited access to Leo’s technical work, brothers Dave and Johnny McLaren challenged themselves to create the most musical MFD guitar humbuckers ever to come from Fender Avenue. But they set their sights even higher: fulfill a vision Leo had for “end-to-end” humbuckers that would sound beautiful in series-humbucking, parallel-humbucking, and single coil modes. Pickups that would sit well in a variety of musical contexts, never short of either power or articulation. Pickups that would put a smile on Leo’s face.

Leo believed musicians could understand and benefit from more control over their instruments, and in his later years, Leo was particularly interested in fundamental coil control. The reward can be a surprisingly versatile instrument, and that’s why each of the Doheny V12’s MFD humbuckers is individually controlled by a 3-way mini toggle with classic CLF color-coded switch tip, white for neck pickup and red for bridge pickup.

The period styling continues with original CLF black wrinkle powdercoating on a one-piece aluminum control plate/pickguard, a perfect backdrop for the exquisitely machined and chrome plated CLF knobs for volume, treble and bass. The Dual Fulcrum Vibrato features a CLF 3/16″ machined stainless steel vibrato arm for a period look while benefiting from today’s forged brass saddles and block. Put it all together, and the Doheny V12’s gorgeous looks and bold, pioneering spirit make it an offset for the ages.

Specifications

  • G&L USA CLF Research V12 Doheny
  • Pharaoh Gold
  • Thin Urethane Finish
  • Basswood Body
  • Caribbean Rosewood (aka Chechen) Fretboard
  • Hard-rock Maple Neck - Vintage Tint Gloss Finish
  • G&L Modern Classic Neck Shape - 1 11/16” nut width with 1 5/8” string spacing allows a generous edge roll for superb comfort without string fall-off. Fairly slim with mild taper from 0.820” at 1st fret to 0.870” at the 12th fret.
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • 22 Medium Jumbo PLEK'd Frets
  • White Pearl Dot Fretboard Inlays
  • G&L MFD Humbucking Pickups
  • Knobs: Volume, Passive Treble, Passive Bass
  • Switches: 3-Position Pickup Selector, 2x Series/Split/Parallel Mini-Toggles (for each pickup)
  • Chrome Hardware 
  • Dual Fulcrum Vibrato Bridge
  • G&L Standard Tuners
  • 1-Ply Black Crinkle Pickguard
  • G&L Deluxe Hardshell Case, Owners Info, and Specs Sheet Included
  • Instrument Weight: 8.7 lbs.  
  • Serial #: CLF2103331

Overall Condition

Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for G&L. This CLF Research Doheny V12 is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer's warranty. Photos are of the exact guitar you'll receive.

Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.