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GALLERY: Gear of the Month 2012

See all 12 unique instruments featured as Gear of the Month in 2012.

January: 1969 G&L Leo Fender Tri-Sonic Prototype
"This rare prototype was discovered in Leo Fender's G&L workshop after his death. рIt was in у91, one week after Leoуs funeral, and I was cleaning out Leoуs lab when I found it in a small loft just to the left of the front door of his shop,с recalls Gabriel Currie, a G&L employee at the time who was working in the neck department. рI found the slab body and the original templates dated т1969,у and I showed what I had found to the plant foremen John Rodriquez and John McLaren Jr. I asked if I could keep it and they looked at each other and noddedяit was mine and the first thing I thought was, тShit, I have to somehow finish building it and hear how it soundsу [laughs].с And thatуs exactly what he did. "