FENDER STRATOCASTER ARTIST - ERIC CLAPTON
The man who saved the Gibson Les Paul is now more associated with the Fender Stratocaster guitar and has been so now for over 30 years.
Starting out with the Yardbirds Clapton used the Fender Telecaster, seems to be the Yardbirds guitar of choice as Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck were both Tele users. Tehn switched to Gibson guitars in the mid 60's, Les Paul Standards, SG's, ES-335's & Firebirds.
Then in 1970 having resurected the Les Paul which was now back in production, 1968, after it had ceased at the begining of the decade, Eric Clapton made the switch back to Fender guitars this time with the Fender Stratocaster.
The two most famous of Clapton's Strats are "Blackie" and "Brownie".
Clapton had bought six Fender Stratocasters for $100.00 each at the Sho-Bud shop in Nashville Tennessee, he gave out a few of these (to best mate George Harrison, Steve Winwood & Pete Townshend) and he took apart the remaining three, creating a "new" guitar from the best bits of each - "Blackie" it was his main stage & studio guitar from then to 1985.
"Brownie" is the 1956 brown sunburst Strat pictured on the cover of the Derek & The Dominos album "Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs" (see below) it was sold at auction for $497,500 in 1999. It was the back up for "Blackie" through the years.
In 1988 Eric Clapton became the first artist to have a Fender Stratocaster signature model. He told Fender he wanted an exact copy of "Blackie" with a V shaped neck profile like his favourite Martin acoustic, after some changes the harsh V was smoothed out a bit.
The original prototype was built round the Fender Elite which had a booster to give the pickups a thicker more humbucker sound. Clapton liked this what he described as compressed pickup sound but wanted more so the boost was upped from 14 to 25db.
The pickups themselves were low noise Lace Sensor Golds, later changed to the Fender Noiseless models, with the first tone knob being a tbx tone control the second is the active mid-range booster.
Of course Clapton has never been associated with any whammy bar antics like his good friend Jimi Hendrix so the trem of the Strat is blocked up to prevent movement. The springs are tightened up with a little piece of wood in there between the block and the guitar body.
Classic Eric Clapton Fender Stratocaster Album
- Derek & The Dominos - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
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- DISC 1:
I Looked Away- Bell Bottom Blues
- Keep On Growing
- Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
- I Am Yours
- Anyday
- Key To The Highway
- Tell The Truth
- Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
- Have You Ever Loved A Woman
- Little Wing
- It's Too Late
- Layla
- Thorn Tree In The Garden
- DISC 2:
- Jam I
- Jam II
- Jam III
- Jam IV
- Jam V
- DISC 3:
- Have You Ever Loved A Women - (alternate 1)
- Have You Ever Loved A Women - (alternate 2)
- Tell The Truth - (jam 1)
- Tell The Truth - (jam 2)
- Mean Old World - (rehearsal)
- Mean Old World - (master take, band version)
- Mean Old World - (master take, duet version)
- It Hurts Me Too, (When Things Go Wrong) - (jam)
- Tender Love - (incomplete master)
- It's Too Late - (alternate master)
Click song titles for Guitar Tabs. More Eric Clapton guitar tabs here
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Fender Custom-Built Eric Clapton Stratocaster - Slowhand's axe reproduced to perfection!
The Fender Custom-Built Eric Clapton Stratocaster is an exact Custom Shop representation of Eric's personal axe made by the same craftsmen who made the actual Clapton instrument. Refinements include a special neck shape, Noiseless pickups, and active circuitry. Standard features include an alder body, bone nut, vintage frets, and chrome hardware.
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Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster - The latest evolution of the popular Clapton Strat.
Fender's Vintage Noiseless pickups were Eric's choice for updating his signature model. Powerful active mid boost (+25dB) and TBX circuits give it even greater tonal versatility. Alder body. V-shaped neck. 9-1/2"-radius fretboard. Blocked original vintage synchronized tremolo bridge. Made in the U.S.
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