The G&L CLF Research Espada is based on the abandoned 1960's Fender design for a bold, next-generation two-pickup guitar. The styling was beautiful, featuring a unique body shape and pickguard design, and wss visually dominated by a sword-like control plate. With Leo’s original blueprints and R&D artifacts in hand, the CLF Research Espada was completed in the spirit of his original pioneering vision, leveraging his later technological developments for performance and versatility. Today’s Espada applies the Magnetic Field Design to his long-pole split-coil prototype pickups of 1967-1968, now made even more versatile with a series/parallel switch for thicker, rounder sounds or thinner, sparkly sounds. Saddle Lock bridge technology, completed ten years after the project was abandoned, also solved a major technological design goal for the original Espada project: an efficient means of transferring more string energy directly into the grain of the body.

While the original ’60s Espada concept included a full-time onboard buffer preamp powered by six AA batteries, today’s Espada features a modern G&L Micro Preamp powered by a single 9v battery and controlled by a mini-toggle switch with positions for off (passive output), on (buffered lo-Z output), and on with high frequency boost. This is equally useful for cutting through thick fuzz as it's showcasing the shimmering harmonics the pickups are capable of producing. The Espada also features G&L Passive Treble and Bass (PTB) controls, always on and ready to work.