Eric Clapton Stratocaster
Encyclopedia
The Eric Clapton Stratocaster is the signature model electric guitar
of English guitarist
Eric Clapton
, and was the first signature model guitar
ever released by Fender.
; however, this would not come to be until 1990. Jeff Beck
had also been offered a signature model Stratocaster
, but he rejected the idea until 1991, when he opted for an Artist Series signature guitar based on the Fender Stratocaster Plus
Series models of 1987.
Eric Clapton, though he had played Fender Telecasters and Jazzmasters in his brief career with The Yardbirds
, would attain "guitar god" status while playing models such as the Gibson Les Paul
, Firebird, ES-335 and SG
whilst a member of Cream
. However, in 1970, for his landmark Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
with a new band, Derek and the Dominos
, Clapton switched to a tobacco sunburst Stratocaster
from 1956, nicknamed "Brownie
". This was in part due to the influence of his former Blind Faith
bandmate Steve Winwood
. He later assembled the best parts of three mid-'50s Strats to create his favorite guitar, the famous "Blackie", a black composite Stratocaster which he played for many years. Both guitars would later sell for record prices at auction. When Blackie finally wore out, Eric and the Fender Custom Shop
began to work on a signature guitar modeled after the artist's original instrument.
In 1985, Dan Smith approached Clapton to discuss a plan to create a signature guitar built to his own specifications and market it under his name. Clapton told them to make an exact copy of Blackie, his favorite stage guitar at the time. Clapton's personal preference for the neck shape was the soft "V" of the early Martin
s. Fender made up a neck and put it on an Elite Stratocaster
body. In the meantime, another prototype has been made with a softer V neck that Clapton liked even more. Among the Elite's features was a 12dB MDX mid-boost circuit (designed by James Demeter and John Carruthers) which makes the single-coils to sound like a humbucker
. Clapton liked the boost (which he called a "compressor") and told Fender to keep it, but wanted more "compression", prompting Fender to replace the "Elite" pickups with Gold Lace Sensor
pickups and an updated MDX circuit that had been tweaked up to 25dB boost in the midrange at around 500 Hz
.
Clapton first used Gold Lace Sensor
s on three prototype signature models built by George Blanda - one was finished in Torino Red and the other two in Pewter Grey Metallic - in the "Prince Trust Live Aid", "Live in Montreux" and "Eric Clapton and friends Live 1986" DVDs from 1986. The two Pewter guitars had been refitted with 22-fret necks made from birdseye and flame maple built by Texas luthier Michael Stevens two years later (the flame neck was installed in February 1988; the birdseye neck went on the other guitar in early September of that year), with the body of the latter refinished in Candy Green for a short time in 1989.
At Clapton's personal request, the flame maple neck has been removed from one of his two Pewter Stratocasters and put on a new black alder body built by master builder Jay W. Black in 1990. The "smoker's models" (nicknamed for their cigarette holder placed on the back of the headstock) would become the basis for the final production version (which was initially offered in Torino Red, Candy Green and Pewter, followed by Black in 1991 and Olympic White in 1994) and were Clapton's main instruments of choice for live and studio use from 1988 to 1993.
, explaining everything else about the famous "woman tone" he had developed during his stint with Cream
in the late '60s, a playing technique almost synonymous with various Gibson models such as the ES-335, Les Paul
Standard, Explorer
, Byrdland
, SG
and Firebird
, all sporting a pair of humbucking pickups. The first early prototypes made around 1986/87 featured a 21-fret neck, a 21dB mid-boost circuit, an active/passive toggle switch (which has been deleted on the final release) and Schaller locking strap buttons. The final product (released in 1988) is essentially a vintage 1957 reissue Stratocaster featuring a deeply contoured select alder body, a 1-piece soft "V"-shaped maple neck fitted with 22 vintage-style frets, flat 9,5" radius and BiFlex truss-rod system, a "blocked" original American Vintage synchronized tremolo, Gotoh/Kluson tuning machines, 1-ply white pickguard and three Fender Gold Lace Sensor
pickups powered by an active MDX mid-boost circuit with 25dB of gain and TBX tone controls, which helped augment the tone of the sound delivered, opening up a wider tonal range Clapton desired.
One of the unique features of this guitar (and perhaps the most interesting) was the inclusion of an original vintage synchronized tremolo bridge blocked off to tremolo arms by a small piece of wood wedged into the bridge cavity. This idea came about as Clapton liked the tone and tuning stability of hardtail Stratocasters and had no use for the whammy bar. In 1991 Eric agreed to have his signature model with a rosewood fretboard as well to suit the needs of players disliking the feel of maple-neck models. Only 94 of these short-lived guitars were made and their production finally came into a halt.
Reflecting the changes Clapton had made to his own guitar in 2000, the Lace Sensor
s were replaced with Fender Vintage Noiseless
pickups the following year. These pickups were previously available as a standard equipment material on the Fender American Deluxe Series
guitars produced before 2004. The Custom Shop version (introduced in 2004) is available in Midnight Blue, Mercedes Blue, Black and Gold Leaf with gold-plated hardware (also available with a "Thinskin" nitrocelluse lacquer finish in Olympic White, Torino Red and Pewter, as well as a left-handed version).
Since their introduction in 2004, all Custom Shop Clapton Stratocasters (Team Built and Master Built) used a standard tone control instead of a TBX tone circuit. The TBX feature has been re-introduced in 2009 on "Team Built" versions; only the "Master Built" models had a normal tone control.
In 1998, Fender Japan
released the ST54-LS. This guitar is a 1954 vintage reissue loaded with the same features as the early 1990s' USA-made Clapton Strats, such as a 7.25" radius 22-fret soft V-shape maple neck and three Gold Lace Sensor
pickups with 25dB active mid-boost and TBX electronics. The battery is located in a special compartment routed on the back of the body instead of the tremolo cavity and a round string tree replaces the original butterfly-style of the American-made models. The bridge is a diecast block S5D vintage-style tremolo system. Available in Black, Vintage White, Torino Red and Gun Metal Blue.
of Antigua, the drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation facility founded on the small, idyllic Caribbean island in 1998. They include the Gold Leaf Stratocaster of 1996 (used during the Legends and Montserrat concerts in 1997) and the Crashocasters
(signature model Stratocasters hand-painted by New York-based street artist John Matos
, better known as Crash
), used by Clapton from 2001 to 2004.
The Gold Leaf Stratocaster
The original Gold Leaf guitar was built by Fender Master Builder Mark Kendrick as a custom order for Eric Clapton at the time of the 50th Anniversary of the firm in 1996 and was Clapton's main instrument of choice during the Legends period in 1997. Clapton used the guitar for the last time during his One More Car, One More Rider
world tour of 2001 before selling it to Christies for US $455,000.
The Fender Custom Shop
reissued the Gold Leaf Stratocaster after 8 years of absence as a limited-edition run of 50 pieces. Each guitar was built to Eric's exacting specifications, with Fender's Vintage Noiseless
pickups and a standard tone control instead of the Gold Lace Sensor pickups and TBX tone circuit (re-introduced in 2009) found on the original 1996 model.
Bacchus BST-GL
This Japanese tribute guitar is a faithful reproduction of the original Gold Leaf Stratocaster (using genuine USA electronics, Gold Fender Lace Sensor
pickups and hardware - also available with Vintage Noiseless
pickups as an option), except for the "Bacchus Custom Guitars" decal on the headstock rather than the "Fender" spaghetti logo found on Clapton's gold-finished signature model. The BST-GL was among the first tribute guitars made by Deviser at the Asuka factory in Japan; it was actually produced between 1998 and 2003. As of 2005, Bacchus no longer uses its own decal on the guitar's headstock, after few customers requested to have the Fender logo put on for reasons of authenticity. http://www.guitarsjapan.com/2005_Bacchus_BST-GL_Stratocaster.html
The commemorative Crossroads '57 Twin-Amps are modeled after the original '57 Twin. This limited-edition amplifier features a custom engraved commemorative "Crossroads 2007" badge autographed by Eric and his "Crossroads Antigua" graphic is artistically embedded on the grill cloth.
The latest copy of the Stratocaster was made to Clapton's current exacting specifications. Bearing in mind the number of changes he makes with regards to neck dimensions, Clapton fans purchasing this will be getting an exact replica as used at the Crossroads Guitar Festival
2007 & 2010.
pickups, active mid-boost circuit and a "blocked" original vintage synchronized vibrato.
In 2008 Sam Ash incorporated the spirit of the Eric Clapton Stratocaster with the spirit of the Crossroads Centre
, commissioning a limited run of only 100 pieces of the signature model in the classic Antigua finish along with a commitment to donate $100,000 to the Crossroads Centre. This exclusive instrument is currently being built by the Fender Custom Shop
to Clapton's exacting specifications.
Features include a select alder body, 1-piece maple neck with soft “V” shape, 22 vintage style frets, 3 Vintage Noiseless
pickups, “blocked” American Vintage synchronized tremolo, active mid-boost circuit (with a TBX tone control as of 2009) and vintage black case. Each instrument is individually numbered from 1 through 100 and comes with an official certificate of authenticity.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
of English guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, and was the first signature model guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ever released by Fender.
Background
In 1981, Fender had informally discussed the idea of a signature model Telecaster with the legendary James BurtonJames Burton
James Burton is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame...
; however, this would not come to be until 1990. Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
had also been offered a signature model Stratocaster
Fender Jeff Beck Stratocaster
The Jeff Beck Stratocaster is an electric solid body guitar made by Fender Musical Instruments for British rock guitarist Jeff Beck. This Artist Signature guitar was introduced in 1991 and upgraded ten years later...
, but he rejected the idea until 1991, when he opted for an Artist Series signature guitar based on the Fender Stratocaster Plus
Strat Plus
The Strat Plus is a series of electric guitars made by Fender from 1987 to 1999. It is also the name of a specific guitar model made by the same company. The guitars are a variation of the Fender Stratocaster model...
Series models of 1987.
Eric Clapton, though he had played Fender Telecasters and Jazzmasters in his brief career with The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, would attain "guitar god" status while playing models such as the Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
, Firebird, ES-335 and SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
whilst a member of Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
. However, in 1970, for his landmark Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a blues-rock album by Derek and the Dominos, released in November 1970, best known for its eponymous title track, "Layla"...
with a new band, Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos were a blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends...
, Clapton switched to a tobacco sunburst Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
from 1956, nicknamed "Brownie
Brownie (guitar)
Brownie was the affectionate name to a Fender Stratocaster that was used extensively by Eric Clapton during the early 70's, most notably with Derek and the Dominos on their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs....
". This was in part due to the influence of his former Blind Faith
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969...
bandmate Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
. He later assembled the best parts of three mid-'50s Strats to create his favorite guitar, the famous "Blackie", a black composite Stratocaster which he played for many years. Both guitars would later sell for record prices at auction. When Blackie finally wore out, Eric and the Fender Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
began to work on a signature guitar modeled after the artist's original instrument.
In 1985, Dan Smith approached Clapton to discuss a plan to create a signature guitar built to his own specifications and market it under his name. Clapton told them to make an exact copy of Blackie, his favorite stage guitar at the time. Clapton's personal preference for the neck shape was the soft "V" of the early Martin
C. F. Martin & Company
C.F. Martin & Company is a US guitar manufacturer established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. Martin is highly regarded for its steel-string guitars, and is a leading mass manufacturer of flattop acoustics with models that retail for thousands of dollars and vintage instruments that often...
s. Fender made up a neck and put it on an Elite Stratocaster
Elite Stratocaster
The Elite Stratocaster is an electric solid body guitar manufactured by Fender.-History:The Elite Stratocaster was introduced in 1983 and discontinued in 1984. It served as a template for the Eric Clapton signature model of 1988....
body. In the meantime, another prototype has been made with a softer V neck that Clapton liked even more. Among the Elite's features was a 12dB MDX mid-boost circuit (designed by James Demeter and John Carruthers) which makes the single-coils to sound like a humbucker
Humbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
. Clapton liked the boost (which he called a "compressor") and told Fender to keep it, but wanted more "compression", prompting Fender to replace the "Elite" pickups with Gold Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
pickups and an updated MDX circuit that had been tweaked up to 25dB boost in the midrange at around 500 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
.
Clapton first used Gold Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
s on three prototype signature models built by George Blanda - one was finished in Torino Red and the other two in Pewter Grey Metallic - in the "Prince Trust Live Aid", "Live in Montreux" and "Eric Clapton and friends Live 1986" DVDs from 1986. The two Pewter guitars had been refitted with 22-fret necks made from birdseye and flame maple built by Texas luthier Michael Stevens two years later (the flame neck was installed in February 1988; the birdseye neck went on the other guitar in early September of that year), with the body of the latter refinished in Candy Green for a short time in 1989.
At Clapton's personal request, the flame maple neck has been removed from one of his two Pewter Stratocasters and put on a new black alder body built by master builder Jay W. Black in 1990. The "smoker's models" (nicknamed for their cigarette holder placed on the back of the headstock) would become the basis for the final production version (which was initially offered in Torino Red, Candy Green and Pewter, followed by Black in 1991 and Olympic White in 1994) and were Clapton's main instruments of choice for live and studio use from 1988 to 1993.
Features
Clapton asked Fender for a V-shaped neck similar to his Martin acoustic guitar and what he called a "compressed" pickup sound, similar to that of a humbuckerHumbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
, explaining everything else about the famous "woman tone" he had developed during his stint with Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
in the late '60s, a playing technique almost synonymous with various Gibson models such as the ES-335, Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
Standard, Explorer
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Flying V. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The...
, Byrdland
Gibson Byrdland
The Byrdland is an electric guitar, made by Gibson. Its name derives from the names of guitarists Billy Byrd and Hank Garland for whom the guitar was originally custom built by Gibson.-Thinline series:...
, SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
and Firebird
Gibson Firebird
The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
, all sporting a pair of humbucking pickups. The first early prototypes made around 1986/87 featured a 21-fret neck, a 21dB mid-boost circuit, an active/passive toggle switch (which has been deleted on the final release) and Schaller locking strap buttons. The final product (released in 1988) is essentially a vintage 1957 reissue Stratocaster featuring a deeply contoured select alder body, a 1-piece soft "V"-shaped maple neck fitted with 22 vintage-style frets, flat 9,5" radius and BiFlex truss-rod system, a "blocked" original American Vintage synchronized tremolo, Gotoh/Kluson tuning machines, 1-ply white pickguard and three Fender Gold Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
pickups powered by an active MDX mid-boost circuit with 25dB of gain and TBX tone controls, which helped augment the tone of the sound delivered, opening up a wider tonal range Clapton desired.
One of the unique features of this guitar (and perhaps the most interesting) was the inclusion of an original vintage synchronized tremolo bridge blocked off to tremolo arms by a small piece of wood wedged into the bridge cavity. This idea came about as Clapton liked the tone and tuning stability of hardtail Stratocasters and had no use for the whammy bar. In 1991 Eric agreed to have his signature model with a rosewood fretboard as well to suit the needs of players disliking the feel of maple-neck models. Only 94 of these short-lived guitars were made and their production finally came into a halt.
Reflecting the changes Clapton had made to his own guitar in 2000, the Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
s were replaced with Fender Vintage Noiseless
Vintage Noiseless
The Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups the following year. These pickups were previously available as a standard equipment material on the Fender American Deluxe Series
Fender American Deluxe Series
The Fender American Deluxe Series is a line of middle-range electric guitars and basses introduced by Fender in 1998 and upgraded in 2004 and again in 2010.The American Deluxe line replaced the Plus Series models of 1987....
guitars produced before 2004. The Custom Shop version (introduced in 2004) is available in Midnight Blue, Mercedes Blue, Black and Gold Leaf with gold-plated hardware (also available with a "Thinskin" nitrocelluse lacquer finish in Olympic White, Torino Red and Pewter, as well as a left-handed version).
Since their introduction in 2004, all Custom Shop Clapton Stratocasters (Team Built and Master Built) used a standard tone control instead of a TBX tone circuit. The TBX feature has been re-introduced in 2009 on "Team Built" versions; only the "Master Built" models had a normal tone control.
In 1998, Fender Japan
Fender Japan
Fender Japan is the Japanese division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.-History:Fender Japan was officially created in March 1982 and consists of two Japanese Music companies that handle the ordering and distribution. The two companies are Yamano Gakki and Kanda Shokai...
released the ST54-LS. This guitar is a 1954 vintage reissue loaded with the same features as the early 1990s' USA-made Clapton Strats, such as a 7.25" radius 22-fret soft V-shape maple neck and three Gold Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
pickups with 25dB active mid-boost and TBX electronics. The battery is located in a special compartment routed on the back of the body instead of the tremolo cavity and a round string tree replaces the original butterfly-style of the American-made models. The bridge is a diecast block S5D vintage-style tremolo system. Available in Black, Vintage White, Torino Red and Gun Metal Blue.
Construction and design variations
Several variations of Clapton's personal guitar were made by the Fender Custom Shop throughout the years, including fancy versions with ash bodies, quilted or maple tops, abalone dot position inlays, matching headstocks, gold hardware and white pearloid pickguards, made by Senior Master Builder J. W. Black. Many of these guitars were sold for charity auctions for the Crossroads CentreCrossroads Centre
The Crossroads Centre is a drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation centre located on the Caribbean island of Antigua. The centre was founded by guitarist Eric Clapton & Richard Conte, CEO of The Priory Hospitals Group and Transitional Hospitals Corporation . All development of the facility was...
of Antigua, the drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation facility founded on the small, idyllic Caribbean island in 1998. They include the Gold Leaf Stratocaster of 1996 (used during the Legends and Montserrat concerts in 1997) and the Crashocasters
John Matos
Crash is a graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains, the full image art as opposed to simpler tagging soon transferred to silk screened canvas. He was first noticed through his murals on subway cars and dilapidated buildings, he is now regarded as a...
(signature model Stratocasters hand-painted by New York-based street artist John Matos
John Matos
Crash is a graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains, the full image art as opposed to simpler tagging soon transferred to silk screened canvas. He was first noticed through his murals on subway cars and dilapidated buildings, he is now regarded as a...
, better known as Crash
John Matos
Crash is a graffiti artist. As early as 13, John Matos was spray painting New York City trains, the full image art as opposed to simpler tagging soon transferred to silk screened canvas. He was first noticed through his murals on subway cars and dilapidated buildings, he is now regarded as a...
), used by Clapton from 2001 to 2004.
The Gold Leaf Stratocaster
The original Gold Leaf guitar was built by Fender Master Builder Mark Kendrick as a custom order for Eric Clapton at the time of the 50th Anniversary of the firm in 1996 and was Clapton's main instrument of choice during the Legends period in 1997. Clapton used the guitar for the last time during his One More Car, One More Rider
One More Car, One More Rider
One More Car, One More Rider is a double live album by Eric Clapton, released on November 5, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. The album contains songs performed during Clapton's 2001 world tour. The recordings on this album are from two nights at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, August 18 & 19 of 2001...
world tour of 2001 before selling it to Christies for US $455,000.
The Fender Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
reissued the Gold Leaf Stratocaster after 8 years of absence as a limited-edition run of 50 pieces. Each guitar was built to Eric's exacting specifications, with Fender's Vintage Noiseless
Vintage Noiseless
The Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups and a standard tone control instead of the Gold Lace Sensor pickups and TBX tone circuit (re-introduced in 2009) found on the original 1996 model.
Bacchus BST-GL
This Japanese tribute guitar is a faithful reproduction of the original Gold Leaf Stratocaster (using genuine USA electronics, Gold Fender Lace Sensor
Lace Sensor
The Lace Sensor is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and manufactured by AGI since 1985.This line of electric guitar pickups was used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996....
pickups and hardware - also available with Vintage Noiseless
Vintage Noiseless
The Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups as an option), except for the "Bacchus Custom Guitars" decal on the headstock rather than the "Fender" spaghetti logo found on Clapton's gold-finished signature model. The BST-GL was among the first tribute guitars made by Deviser at the Asuka factory in Japan; it was actually produced between 1998 and 2003. As of 2005, Bacchus no longer uses its own decal on the guitar's headstock, after few customers requested to have the Fender logo put on for reasons of authenticity. http://www.guitarsjapan.com/2005_Bacchus_BST-GL_Stratocaster.html
Limited Edition Crossroads Signature Guitar and Amp Set
Fender introduced a matching set of limited-edition Crossroads instruments, which consisted of an Eric Clapton Crossroads Signature Stratocaster (better known as the "Sun Strat" and produced in a limited run of 100 instruments globally) and a Crossroads '57 Twin-Amp (produced in a limited run of 50 pieces). Each guitar is crafted to Clapton's exacting specifications and bear a unique "Crossroads Antigua" smiling sun graphic designed and originally hand-drawn by Eric Clapton himself.The commemorative Crossroads '57 Twin-Amps are modeled after the original '57 Twin. This limited-edition amplifier features a custom engraved commemorative "Crossroads 2007" badge autographed by Eric and his "Crossroads Antigua" graphic is artistically embedded on the grill cloth.
The latest copy of the Stratocaster was made to Clapton's current exacting specifications. Bearing in mind the number of changes he makes with regards to neck dimensions, Clapton fans purchasing this will be getting an exact replica as used at the Crossroads Guitar Festival
Crossroads Guitar Festival
The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a music festival and benefit concert first held in 2004 and again in 2007 and 2010. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center located in Antigua. The concerts are also intended to be a showcase for a variety of...
2007 & 2010.
2009 Limited Edition Daphne Blue & EC Grey Stratocasters
In 2009, the Custom Shop released an exact representation of Clapton's Daphne Blue Stratocaster used during his recent Australasian tours held from February 12 to March 10, 2009, as well as a faithful replication of the EC Grey model he uses since his 2006/07 world tours. The EC Grey finish is slightly darker than Pewter. These limited-edition guitars feature a select alder body, a soft V-shape maple neck with 22 vintage frets, bone nut, three Vintage NoiselessVintage Noiseless
The Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups, active mid-boost circuit and a "blocked" original vintage synchronized vibrato.
10th Anniversary Crossroads Antigua Stratocaster
In 1978 Fender introduced the Antigua finish on a number of models from the flagship Stratocaster to the classic Coronado Bass. Described as a “rich antique-white finish with halo-mist shading,” it became highly prized among collectors around the world. The first Antigua prototype model was awarded to its creator Martin DeCasas who worked on color schemes for Fender from July 1964 til its closing in Fullerton, California in February 1985.In 2008 Sam Ash incorporated the spirit of the Eric Clapton Stratocaster with the spirit of the Crossroads Centre
Crossroads Centre
The Crossroads Centre is a drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation centre located on the Caribbean island of Antigua. The centre was founded by guitarist Eric Clapton & Richard Conte, CEO of The Priory Hospitals Group and Transitional Hospitals Corporation . All development of the facility was...
, commissioning a limited run of only 100 pieces of the signature model in the classic Antigua finish along with a commitment to donate $100,000 to the Crossroads Centre. This exclusive instrument is currently being built by the Fender Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
to Clapton's exacting specifications.
Features include a select alder body, 1-piece maple neck with soft “V” shape, 22 vintage style frets, 3 Vintage Noiseless
Vintage Noiseless
The Vintage Noiseless series is a line of electric guitar pickups made by Fender. Introduced in 1998, they feature a stacked-coil design. The range includes models for electric guitars and basses. The Vintage Noiseless pickups were an original equipment material on the American Deluxe series...
pickups, “blocked” American Vintage synchronized tremolo, active mid-boost circuit (with a TBX tone control as of 2009) and vintage black case. Each instrument is individually numbered from 1 through 100 and comes with an official certificate of authenticity.