Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster (Black)

Overview of Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster (Black)

Slowhand Sound and Style

There's no bigger name in the entire guitar world than Eric Clapton! The man is a legend with a career that spans over 40 years! So, as you can imagine, this is one musician that can play any instrument he chooses - and he chooses the Fender Eric Clapton Artist Series Strat. That's right, the same guitar you can own (though his comes with a custom paint job these days).

Experience the peerless Strat® style of Slowhand himself with the Eric Clapton Stratocaster, one of our most acclaimed and enduring artist signature models. With classic design and special features that give it exceptional tonal versatility and effortless feel worthy of one of the world's greatest names in rock and blues, it puts pure Clapton Stratocaster tone and feel straight into your hands. Features include an alder body, three Vintage Noiseless™ pickups, active mid-boost (25 db) and TBX circuits, special soft "V"-shaped neck, and blocked original vintage synchronized tremolo.

Just like Eric's Own Guitar

You might think that a famous guitarist like Eric Clapton would pick some amazingly figured maple and ash, but in truth, other than the custom paint jobs, this is Eric's guitar. And once you play it, you'll see why he never asked for anything more. You start with a lightweight alder body with an Black polyurethane finish and single-ply white pickguard. Next, thanks to the active 25dB midrange boost and TBX circuitry, you can go from crystal clear tone to a full-throated growl with the simple spin of a knob. Combine that with three of the latest versions of fender's Vintage Noiseless pickups and Eric's personal choice of a "blocked" American vintage synchronized tremolo, and you have the makings of a truly soulful instrument that sounds as great in the studio as it does up on stage!

Vintage Tones Plus Midrange Boost

The original Strat had three single coil pickups, so it was able to produce sounds that no other guitar could deliver, particularly once players discovered they could lodge the three-position blade switch in those "in-between" positions to access neck / middle and bridge / middle pickup combinations. These were often erroneously referred to as the "out-of-phase" settings. The Eric Clapton Strat comes standard with a modern five-way blade switch, making it easy to access all the pickup combinations, but then adds a special active 25dB midrange boost on one tone control to give this guitar the extra "meat" you might expect from a humbucker. In addition, the second tone knob functions as a standard Fender TBX master tone control, which can smoothly go from bright and glossy to dark and smoky by rolling off the highs!

Fast Playing Maple Neck with Soft "V" Shape

Leo Fender wasn't afraid to "think outside the box" when it came to guitar designs - after all, he was an engineer, not a guitar player. In the 1950s and well into the 1970s, the blond natural maple neck became almost synonymous with Fender guitars. The Eric Clapton Stratocaster comes with a one-piece maple neck and fingerboard with 22 vintage style frets and Eric's personal favorite soft "V" shape. In keeping with contemporary player preferences, the fast playing neck is finished in a smooth satin polyurethane.

Features

• Alder body
• Vintage Noiseless™ pickups
• Active mid-boost and TBX tone circuits
• Special "soft V" neck profile
• Vintage-style blocked synchronized tremolo bridge

Specifications

Body

• Body Material: Alder
• Body Finish: Gloss Urethane
• Body Shape: Stratocaster®

Neck

• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Finish: Satin Urethane
• Neck Shape: Soft "V"
• Scale Length: 25.5" (64.77 cm)
• Fingerboard Material: Maple
• Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
• Number of Frets: 22
• Fret Size: Vintage-Style
• Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
• Position Inlays: Black Dot
• Truss Rod: Standard

Electronics

• Bridge Pickup: Vintage Noiseless™ Single-Coil Strat®
• Middle Pickup: Vintage Noiseless™ Single-Coil Strat®
• Neck Pickup: Vintage Noiseless™ Single-Coil Strat®
• Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. Master TBX™ Tone Control, Tone 2. Master Active Mid Boost (0-25dB). Mid boost kit
• 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
• Configuration: SSS
• Special Electronics: Active Electronics

Hardware

• Bridge: 6-Saddle American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
• Hardware Finish: Chrome
• Tuning Machines: 6-in-Line American Vintage
• Pickguard: 1-Ply White
• Control Knobs: White Plastic
• Switch Tip: White
• Neck Plate: 4-Bolt with Micro-Tilt™ Adjustment

Miscellaneous

• Strings: Fender® USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges), PN 0730250406
• Other Features: Special Soft "V" Shape Neck, Blocked Tremolo, Active Mid-Boost Circuit

Accessories

• Case/Gig Bag: Vintage-Style Tweed Case
• Included Accessories: Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable