Eric Clapton Strat - opinions?

[Cheesehead]

Demoed one at GC recently. Really liked it. Opinions?

[porknblue]

I like mine. It's a 2006 so It has the vintage noiseless pups and TBX tone. The 25 dB mid-boost will get your attention but the tone can be rolled back to get some good traditonal Strat tones.

[nadzab]

They're great guitars...my brother-in-law has one...but for me, that's more money than I'd ever spend on a Strat.

[jrich99]

Well, this guy seems to like his....

[1962guitargeek]

I just built one on the cheap....it even has a soft vee neck

link

post 29 and 39...

great tone. love those pickups...

[sax4blues]

I have the newer model with Noiseless PUP's. I like everything except the shape of the neck, I could never get comfortable with it. The finish is great, the boost is very useful, I only used the TBX to roll off treble.

This was my main strat axe for a year but as I said I never came to terms with the neck. I got a EJ Strat and haven't played the EC Strat since. I'll probably sell it some day.

[gezza]

Hey Guys,

I also converting my Fender - Strat Plus to a EC.

The Strat Plus has the Lace Gold Pickups, the EC Mid Boost kit only costs about $60.00. Cheaper then replacing the pickups.

I chose the Strat Plus, as I wanted the LSR Nut, Locking Tuners, Tremsetter, plus I wanted a Rosewood neck.

EC has used his Guitar for such a long time, also Buddy Guys has the same mid boost, Gold Lace Sensor Pickups.

Many people love having a Guitar that can pretty much do it all, I think this is why they are so well liked.

The EC Model, has an active System, A Mid Boost 25db, a TBX tone pot. So you get so much more the Guitar can do.

Sadly the EC Guitar is very pricey for the ave player, so they're are ways around it, like mine.

Thanks,

Gezza.

[nadzab]

I did the same, using an MIJ Clapton-style neck (ST-54LS), an SX body, GFS Premium Alnico Staggers, a GFS bridge & block with Fender saddles, a single-ply pickguard and a Stew-Mac wiring harness...haven't installed a mid-boost yet, and I may not, because it sounds great as-is. Turned out remarkably well, has the Blackie vibe and plays as well as or better than my stock Fenders!

[fadingcaptain]

Originally Posted by nadzab

I did the same, using an MIJ Clapton-style neck (ST-54LS), an SX body, GFS Premium Alnico Staggers, a GFS bridge & block with Fender saddles, a single-ply pickguard and a Stew-Mac wiring harness...haven't installed a mid-boost yet, and I may not, because it sounds great as-is. Turned out remarkably well, has the Blackie vibe and plays as well as or better than my stock Fenders!

Fantastic strat build there, thanks for sharing.

[justz]

Well, it's good enough for Pete...

[Michael]

... but I like my Jimmie Vaughan better. The neck is similar and the guitar itself is lighter. The whole pickup/circuitry thing is another story although you could probably customize a JV for much less cash than buying an EC. Still, the EC is an excellent guitar with which I'm sure you'd be quite pleased. Good luck!

[JPW2105]

Like the sound, like the finish, like the harware - hate the nexk profile. Felt really really uncomfortable in my hands. Just get a Strat+ and modify the booster, much easier (and cheaper)

[vegetablejoe]

I dont have an EC sig strat, but I did "claptonize" my Fender MIJ '54-style strat with a Fender Mid-Boost kit and Kinman Trad Mk2 noiseless pickups.

The guitar seems to have lost a lot of presence and brightness after adding in the mid-boost kit. It's now warmer/darker sounding. Great for when you wanna play it loud and proud and overdriven, but it's now missing some brightness when I want to play soft, clean rhythm. YMMV...

[Michaell]

active circuitry in fabulous

thin frets get a thumbs down

get the Custom Shop version

[zimbo]

I have 2 Clapton strats, a 94 and a 2001. The 94 has the gold lace sensors and weighs over 8 lbs and is tricky to play. The 2001 has the noiseless pups and weighs about 7.5 lbs and plays like a dream. I'll keep the 94 but it is a challenge.

[Michaell]

I LOVE the Clapton circuitry

You don't need to by the Clapton to get these electroinics. To me thats the real selling point.

I have " claptonized " my two strats....I doubt I will ever own a strat that does not have this circuitry.

If I ever bought a " Clapton " I would get the custom shop version.

[binkydognose]

I love my 2009 artist series. Funnily enough it was the playability of the neck that hooked me, I like the soft V, small frets, and close action for what I do on the Strat. The controls are very useful, lot's of variety at your fingertips, can boost dirty for a solo without a pedal or amp control change for example. Its sounds complement a Tele very nicely. To me, the strat is sort of faster/smoother, whereas I like to muscle the bigger neck and frets of my 52 hot rod Tele. Both very satisfying to play.

[Del Pickup]

The mid boost can get you into the ballpark humbucker tone - may not be absolutely there but it's good enough for the majority of players - including Mr Clapton.

I love my Custom Shop Mercedes Blue Clappers.

[JRSIV]

I got to sit with a new Clapton Strat for an hour at my local Sam Ash and I loved it. It is pricey for what it is (Black MIA Strat w/ some active electronics), but it has some real mojo and is a pro guitar, bottom line. The mid boost is insane on some amp settings; played through a tweed Blues Jr. set to a very clean, mild tone the Clapton Strat barks out notes when the bottom knob is pinned to 10. Very cool semi-distorted tone that was responsive to pick dynamics and volume control changes.

I'm thinking of making a low budget Blackie Tribute Strat by taking a Road Worn 50's in black and installing the Clapton pickup assembly into it. It would still be $500+ less than the street price on a Clapton Strat and it would have a nice broken in neck with a relic'd, black finished body ala' "Blackie". The best of the Clapton Strats, old and new.

There's a great article on installing the Clapton electronics into a Strat without having to do any body mods, etc... at areyouexperienced.net.

[nadzab]

Originally Posted by JRSIV

...I'm thinking of making a low budget Blackie Tribute Strat by taking a Road Worn 50's in black and installing the Clapton pickup assembly into it. It would still be $500+ less than the street price on a Clapton Strat and it would have a nice broken in neck with a relic'd, black finished body ala' "Blackie"...

I haven't checked the prices lately, but wouldn't that be at least $2000 less than the street price on a Clapton?

[fendertastic]

I have a Clapton sig neck on a robert cray hardtail body, killer neck, it is an older one, and the V is very pronounced, but still awesome. It is my go to studio guitar

[Chris Boyd]

I have a torino red '88 and a white '96 Clapton and another I made from a MIJ 54 RI..routed it out for the boost circuit and routed it in back for the battery,added gold laces and refinished it in nitro sonic blue/clear coat (very pretty)....Great guitars which have been my #1's for 11 years along with '67 Super Reverbs and a '64 Vox AC-30...tone!!!










www.bigredmusic.net

[StootMonster]

I like them just fine, I'll just never be able to afford one.

[coltjax1]

You can build your own for half the price. We built one but added a ebony fretboard and black pickguard.

[robt57]

I went in that direction when I did my vintagy Strat 6-7 years back. Because no way I could afford one of those or would be willing to get one git when I could make a few for the same coin. Although the resale value of those sure is better, but not part of my consideration. I nailed it so well My Strat quest stopped.

WD alder body, 57/62s, same trem [same Fender PN] as the Clapton Strat. CTS, pots, blah, blah. A Might Might V neck I bought and was saving before production went to CHN, MIK I think these where made [bought one Tele and one Strat, both one piece maple V necks around 2003-4].

I used some US Fender tuners, wish I had gone with something more period correct with it build wise, but it stays in tune, so I am not touching it. And it is NOT a vintage Strat anyway, it is a vintgae sounding Strat, and boy is it. I did put a nasty ceramic bridge PUP in it, the 57/62 at the bridge a little tame for me ;)

I went with a non EC color, does that count ??

Cost more than I though it was going to, buying the parts over about a year. About $500.00 [little less] I think for all the parts w/shippings costs, and 7.5 lbs so not too bad on long stints either...

[trackerdan]

Why the vintage frets I'll never know. I can't believe that Clapton uses or would have endorsed using them on his signature model? I love the neck and everything else about the guitar; but those skinny frets make it just another Fender guitar that comes up short. Fortunately I purchased mine for an obscenely low price or I never would have bought it.

[qblue]

Originally Posted by Cheesehead

Demoed one at GC recently. Really liked it. Opinions?

I like the Jeff Beck version much better. I think the hardtail version of a Strat leaves one with less of a guitar. The JB has a tremsetter on the tremelo, which helps to keep it in tune. And the wilkinson nut is a supreme improvement. I have a Strat Ultra which is as close to a JB signature Strat that was made on the general production line, and MIA.

Besides I've always preferred listening to Beck over Clapton. I can play most of Clapton's licks, but Beck is always out of reach.

So if the quality of player is the reason you would spend a whole bunch of Benjamins for a guitar(which raises the question, why buy a Signature model?), I will take the JB model.

[qblue]

bump

[JoaoM.]

I hear every body talking about Eric Clapton circuit and I have one question can I use it with CS 69 pickups?
And are Mother's Milk (by Bare Knuckle) passive pickups?
And you always say "Eric Clapton circuit" but it was Buddy Guy that influenced Eric Clapton in the Strat zone. Because Eric Clapton didn't knew that a Strat could be used for Blues, until he meet Buddy Guy. ;D

[binkydognose]

Originally Posted by qblue

I like the Jeff Beck version much better. I think the hardtail version of a Strat leaves one with less of a guitar. The JB has a tremsetter on the tremelo, which helps to keep it in tune. And the wilkinson nut is a supreme improvement. I have a Strat Ultra which is as close to a JB signature Strat that was made on the general production line, and MIA.

Besides I've always preferred listening to Beck over Clapton. I can play most of Clapton's licks, but Beck is always out of reach.

So if the quality of player is the reason you would spend a whole bunch of Benjamins for a guitar(which raises the question, why buy a Signature model?), I will take the JB model.

If it were all about admiration for the player I probably would have ended up with a Buddy Guy model. I wouldn't expect you to play Jeff Beck songs just because you bought the guitar. I'm not a Clapton freak but saw Clapton/Winwood here in Phx last summer and Eric's live tone knocked me out plus I love his sound on the Crossroads Guitar Festival DVDs. Sound and feel are the reason to spend whatever it's worth to you.

[robt57]

I forgot until I read that last post, My green build is sporting a tremsetter as well. And it is more stable with trem use in the tuning department as a result.