G028886 prototype Last instrument created by Leo Fender

[Growler]

I currently own Skyhawk G028886. Has the double humbuckers. It is also in the logbook quoted as a Prototype, PO Dale and entered as a Superhawk.

[Craig]

I currently own Skyhawk G028886. Has the double humbuckers. It is also in the logbook quoted as a Prototype, PO Dale and entered as a Superhawk.

It does not exist without photos

Looking forward to seeing your Skyhawk/Superhawk.

Also, please add it to our G&L Registry, too.

[Growler]

No longer a need to speculate.
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[jeffmarshall67]

how cool!

[darwinohm]

That is a cool rig Growler. -- Darwin

[Fumble fingers]

bad azz !!

[sam]

pleasant surprise for a Wednesday! Sweet guitar and cool history. Inquiring minds would like to know a little history of how you scored this beauty.

[Growler]

Bought it from one of Leo's assistants

[Katefan]

+1... Care to share any more info? Some of us folks here geek out pretty hard for Leo/George/Dale content….

Cheers,
KF

[fianoman]

Bought it from one of Leo's assistants

And there you have it. Fascinating recount.



Incredible find! Super jealous.

[Growler]

I bought the guitar in 2013 at my last guitar show that I promoted in Nashville Tennessee in December. I bought it from Mike who thad worked asLeo's assistant however he did not tell me about the guitar only that Leo had built 4 ofthese pick ups . they have been put into two guitars and that this was one of them. he knew Dale really well and we talked about that for a bit. so until I got on the forum last week, I've been off for a while I found that article by J OS about the last guitar Leo fender had worked on . Jos had put a picture of the letter with the serial so I looked it all up in the logbook had purchased from Ken Hyatt when I bought all of Dales guitars and information on the company that Dalel that. It matched the number on this guitar. I might have that letter in Dales stuff. So I was just as surprised as anyone else. There had been a question it was a bass. But this appears to be it. It's to bad Dales not around. Larry took me to visit with him one time and it was a gas. I had also met Leo, George Fullerton and Bill Carson and knew Bill's wife pretty well as she exhibited at my show and attended it regular. Got some good stories out of her. She had worked at Fender and I guess Bill had told her lots of stuff. There was lots of contradiction between these people and I chalked it up to corporate rivalry.

[fianoman]

What a great tidbit - thanks for sharing more info! What a treat to have met all of those people and own a bit of that history!

[Katefan]

+1... Thanks Growler - Very much appreciated!

Sadly, it was an end of the era when Dale passed. Would have love to met him.

I doubt "G&L" would exist today weren't it for Dale's influence & efforts.

Super Strats & ASAT's = Bread & Butter... or perhaps Beer & Country Music is more like it...

Cheers,
KF

[yowhatsshakin]

Hey Growler,

That is a unique piece of G&L history. Just for reference, here is the post referring to the baritone 6-string as Leo's last instrument and my correction on that. Great that you have found it and we can all admire it. From a well known connoisseur on all things pre-BBE G&L I had heard it did NOT appear in the sales log, but clearly it does. Maybe I misunderstood and the statement was merely it was never part of a PO, as indicated with using Dale's name in that column for this guitar.

BTW, good to see you on the forum!

- Jos

[yowhatsshakin]

Since pictures on some sites have a tendency to disappear, and now owning the referenced instrument of this post myself, here a pic of the sales log:


And some pics of the guitar itself:


The unsigned letter by Dale Hyatt referenced in a slew of posts on this forum looks like this:

Unfortunately it was lost in a basement flooding but both Gabe Dellevigne and Larry Garrett have attested they have seen the original on separate visits to Dale.

- Jos