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During many artists careers they sometimes get the opportunity to have their own signature music equipment. Eric Clapton is one of the most recognized and influential guitarists in modern time. He inspired a generation of blues rock players from all over the world. He primarily played a Fender Stratocaster guitar throughout his career but also dabbled in many other builds from other manufacturers. So it is fitting for Fender Stratocaster to give Eric his own signature guitar.

The tone of this guitar is pretty much standard Fender Stratocaster tone. There isn't much variance in the voicings of any stratocaster you come across. The pickups in this guitar are the vintage style noiseless pickups. They are single coils so you still have that tone, but you don't have all the hum that a normal single coil pickup what have.

UTILIZATION


Body: Alder
Neck Shape: Soft "V" Shape
Number of Frets: 22
Fret Size: Vintage Style Frets
Position Inlays: Black Dot Position Inlays
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" (24.1 cm)
Fretboard: Maple
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Finish: Satin Urethane
Nut Width: 1.650” (42 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (64.8 cm)
Headstock: Artist Signature on Headstock
Neck Plate: 4-Bolt Neck Plate with Micro-Tilt™
Truss Rod Nut: 1/8" American Series Nut
Electronics
Pickup Configuration: S/S/S
Bridge Pickup: Vintage Noiseless™ Strat® Pickup
Middle Pickup: Vintage Noiseless™ Strat® Pickup
Neck Pickup: Vintage Noiseless™ Strat® Pickup
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
Special Electronics: Active Electronics
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. Master TBX™ Tone Control, Tone 2. Master Active Mid Boost (0-25dB). Mid boost kit
Hardware
Hardware: Chrome
Bridge: American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
Tuning Machines: Vintage Style Tuning Machines
String Nut: Synthetic Bone
Switch Tip: White Switch Tip
Tremolo Arm/Handle: American Vintage Tremolo Arm

SOUNDS


If you're a fan of any Fender Stratocaster guitar than your are probably a fan of the tone that this guitar has. It's a classic Fender Strat tone which doesn't sound like any other guitar but simply Fender Stratocaster. If you're fan of Eric Clapton this is going to be the guitar for you. It has the soft V-shaped neck profile and the vintage style frets. It has his signature on the headstock as well as his preferred vintage noiseless strat pickups.

This guitar can fit with any amp that you have no matter what it is, high gain or even clean amp. This guitar will give you a great tone and you can really hear the great alder wood mixed with the maple neck. This is a classic would combination and one of the most highly used wood combinations for most guitars that Fender has built.

OVERALL OPINION


If you're looking for a Fender Stratocaster guitar and you're a big fan of Eric Clapton than this is probably the guitar you would want to buy. If you just want a simple Fender Stratocaster guitar than I wouldn't spend the extra for $500 to buy this guitar with his certain features that he likes on the guitar. At new these guitars come in right around $1600, so for signature guitar that is still a pretty good deal. I would only recommend this guitar to a fanatic Eric Clapton fan. It has a cool feel though a little bit different feel, so it can take some time getting used to but overall it's a pretty cool guitar if you're a fan of his music.