Private Equity Killed Fender — G&L Was Just The Warm-Up

By the end of 2025, the machines were being hauled out of a workshop in Fullerton, California. It barely made the news — because it wasn't Fender. It was G&L, the last company Leo Fender ever built. And as it died, Fender went shopping in the wreckage. "Private equity killed Fender" has become the verdict across the guitar world. But it's not quite true — and the real story is colder than the slogan. Fender isn't controlled by a Wall Street buyout fund. It's controlled by something stranger, and once you see what actually happened to G&L, you understand exactly where this is heading. s Fender being responsibly run by a long-term owner — or is the same logic that wound down G&L already steering Fender toward the same edge? Drop a comment and pick a side. #fender #gandl #leofender #servco #fenderlawsuit #stratocaster