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Post subject: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:26 am
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So I have an opportunity to purchase an Eric Clapton Signature Edition in Black from 2012. Here is my question it has Lace Sensor Pickups and not he noiseless version. I don't see that as an option from 2012 and I'm wondering if any of you know if Fender offered those pickups in 2012 or is it someone upgraded them


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:11 am
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StratoChuckster wrote:
So I have an opportunity to purchase an Eric Clapton Signature Edition in Black from 2012. Here is my question it has Lace Sensor Pickups and not he noiseless version. I don't see that as an option from 2012 and I'm wondering if any of you know if Fender offered those pickups in 2012 or is it someone upgraded them


Fender switched from the Lace Sensors to Vintage Noiseless in 2001; they don't offer Lace Sensors as an option. If a 2012 has them, then it has been modded.


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 11:04 am
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Mine is from around 89 or so and the Lace Sensors are good. I don't know about the Noiseless pickup's i've heard some like them and some don't. Maybe the guy who has the guitar didn't like the noiseless one's and fitted the older style instead.


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 5:45 am
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Vintage Toneless pickups are pretty useless

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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:51 am
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nikininja wrote:
Vintage Toneless pickups are pretty useless


I agree - I also prefered the Clapton with Lace Sensors but never got around to getting one back in the late 80s/early 90s; I really wanted one in that 7-Up green/candy green color.

I had a first-year American Deluxe back in 1998; I sold it and replaced it with an AVRI '62 Strat because I never got with the pickups, and by then I wanted a vintage-style Strat instead of a Clapton.


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 8:11 am
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nikininja wrote:
Vintage Toneless pickups are pretty useless

Yeah i've heard a lot of folks saying that and saying they preferred the Gold Lace Sensors in the original. The only thing i can say i prefer about the Noiseless one's is aesthetically i prefer them for a more traditional strat look. I like seeing the pole pieces like on a normal strat and never liked the all plastic type look of the LS's. But sound wise the LS's are cool. Never understood why Clapton agreed to switch. Someone said the deal with Don Lace of LS's was running out and Fender wanted to make everything in house?


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 9:30 am
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Well that's certainly what they did with SCN's and Bill Lawrence. Got him on a short deal and manufactured them in house as soon as his contract was up.
I've BL SCN's in my 2004 Deluxe. The first year those pickups were used. They sound tremendous, really fierce.
I also have Fender ones in my 2007 Vintage Hotrod. They do not sound the same. They have less treble than the BL ones.

That Clapton plays what Fender tell him to, isn't a stretch too far to my mind. He gets as many guitars, amps and a metric tonne of free advertising in exchange for Fender having their products seen by a guitar god.

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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 12:30 pm
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nikininja wrote:
...That Clapton plays what Fender tell him to, isn't a stretch too far to my mind. He gets as many guitars, amps and a metric tonne of free advertising in exchange for Fender having their products seen by a guitar god.


Really? Clapton was very clear about the contract with Fender, hence no "Blackie" early on and a lack of Sunburst. I think Fender OFFERED and he accepted, Clapton wasn't knocking down Fenders door to have them build guitars for him. The amp line the same, Clapton had a Tweed Twin he loved but was aging and no longer as reliable as he needed so they custom built him some amps! He liked em and they went with a line of those amps.

At a net worth of $250M+ I don't think Eric is being told anything by Fender.

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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 1:07 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
At a net worth of $250M+ I don't think Eric is being told anything by Fender.


+1!

With a quarter of a mil in assets (assuming a substantial share is negotiable liquidity) Clapner could buy 25% of the company.

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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:25 pm
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If that is the case, why has he been tied to playing only Fender or acoustics for sop long. In 30 years I've seen him with a Ric once. That he nearly lost the Fender deal with. And a Les Paul once.
You can't tell me it's because Fender make vastly superior instruments to other manufacturers, they don't.

The simple fact is, his heyday has gone, mostly. I'd wager that the majority of his sales are to musicians rather than the normal music buying public. That both he and Fender find that mutually beneficial.

Please don't try and make out to me that Clapton is bigger than the 2nd or 4th biggest musical equipment manufacturer of 2015. Or that Fender need him. I'll guarantee you that Fender influence artists on what to use and what spec to have their instruments. Just to push sales. Why else does the Clapton not use Lace pickups anymore? You can't tell anyone that isn't deaf it's because the VN's sound better.

Here's a copy and paste of the top 10 just from US sales.

1 Gibson Brands $1,725,000,000
2 Harman Professional $1,048,964,00
3 Yamaha Corp of America $607,672,000
4 Fender Musical Instruments $525,000,000
5 Shure Inc. $515,000,000
6 Jam Industries $405,000,000
7 Steinway Musical instruments $390,000,000
8 inMusic Brands $320,000,000
9 QSC $210,000,000
10 Sennheiser USA $192,000,000

Here's the current top 10 world wide, which paints a different picture

1
Akai Musical Instrument Corp.
The home of Akai Musical Instruments.

2
Fender Musical Instruments
Official page of Fender guitars. Manufacturer of guitars, basses, amps and more.

3
Gibson Musical Instruments
Gibson Musical Instruments Home Page - official site.

4
Ibanez
The official Ibanez company page for guitars, basses, effects and more.

5
Peavey Electronics
Home of Peavey Electronics.

6
Roland U.S.
The U.S. Home of Roland Products.

7
Best Travel Guitar
A round-up of the best guitars to keep you company wherever you go.

8
Infinity Systems
High-performance speakers for home audio, home theater, and car audio applications.

9
Korg
Makers of famous Korg electrical music equipment.

10
Mackie Designs

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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:51 pm
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I agree with Niki. Funnily enough i always thought Eric sounded better when he played a LP or a 335. Much as i love the EC strat i felt he sounded and played better when he used those other instruments.


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 2:26 am
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Well it seems to me a combination of both for mutual benefit.
I think you should use what works for you be it vintage or lace.
I prefer the Layla album recorded I think with Brownie which uses neither.
Having said that here is Erics old guitar tech talking remembering these are not Erics words...
Lee Dickson 2004. "He’s changed pickups over the years, and circuitry. The past couple of years he’s been playing what we call the "graffiti Strats". As far as pickups, he’ll play pretty much whatever Fender puts in them - he’s generally happy with what Fender provides."


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 8:54 am
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nikininja wrote:
If that is the case, why has he been tied to playing only Fender or acoustics for sop long. In 30 years I've seen him with a Ric once. That he nearly lost the Fender deal with. And a Les Paul once.
You can't tell me it's because Fender make vastly superior instruments to other manufacturers, they don't.

The simple fact is, his heyday has gone, mostly. I'd wager that the majority of his sales are to musicians rather than the normal music buying public. That both he and Fender find that mutually beneficial.

Please don't try and make out to me that Clapton is bigger than the 2nd or 4th biggest musical equipment manufacturer of 2015. Or that Fender need him. I'll guarantee you that Fender influence artists on what to use and what spec to have their instruments. Just to push sales. Why else does the Clapton not use Lace pickups anymore? You can't tell anyone that isn't deaf it's because the VN's sound better.

Here's a copy and paste of the top 10 just from US sales.

1 Gibson Brands $1,725,000,000
2 Harman Professional $1,048,964,00
3 Yamaha Corp of America $607,672,000
4 Fender Musical Instruments $525,000,000
5 Shure Inc. $515,000,000
6 Jam Industries $405,000,000
7 Steinway Musical instruments $390,000,000
8 inMusic Brands $320,000,000
9 QSC $210,000,000
10 Sennheiser USA $192,000,000

Here's the current top 10 world wide, which paints a different picture

1
Akai Musical Instrument Corp.
The home of Akai Musical Instruments.

2
Fender Musical Instruments
Official page of Fender guitars. Manufacturer of guitars, basses, amps and more.

3
Gibson Musical Instruments
Gibson Musical Instruments Home Page - official site.

4
Ibanez
The official Ibanez company page for guitars, basses, effects and more.

5
Peavey Electronics
Home of Peavey Electronics.

6
Roland U.S.
The U.S. Home of Roland Products.

7
Best Travel Guitar
A round-up of the best guitars to keep you company wherever you go.

8
Infinity Systems
High-performance speakers for home audio, home theater, and car audio applications.

9
Korg
Makers of famous Korg electrical music equipment.

10
Mackie Designs


Wow, that was a TON of conjecture on your part. First off, Fender approached Clapton for the deal, documented and factual. As for the Ric comment, nice guitars, but not one that lends itself to playing blues (or much beyond a little slide and some jangly rhythm). As for the insinuation that Clapton only plays Fenders...are you kidding? Pay Attention. I guess the Gibson Les Paul Bluesbreaker model was just a fricking figment of everyone's imagination ...as was his use of ES-335's, Firebirds, SGs, Explorers and Telecasters over the years.

With his money, EC can play anything he wants, but if he plays Fenders, he must like them. I don't like PRS, so I don't play one and sold the only one I ever owned, its all a matter of personal taste. Not that it wasn't a good guitar, it just didn't do anything for me. Fender has received more from the relationship than Clapton has. How many guitars have been sold over the years due to Clapton's association with the company even before his formal contract was enacted. Fender has made millions from sales due to his representation.

Gibson pioneered the Model Representation decades ago for a reason, it helped them sell guitars. Les Paul tried to get the company to build a solid body guitar, but they turned him away until Fender showed it was viable, then Gibson chased Les down and worked a contract. Good enough for Les, good enough for Eric!

As for the company stats, sales doesn't include overhead, etc. My answer was above, Clapton can afford any guitar he wants, so he is not keeping his contract just to score a couple Strats and amps.

No venom attached here, I just whole-heartily disagree with your statements.

T2

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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 11:33 am
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Ahem... maybe time to get a little closer to the topic...

To the OP: I'd like to know if everything else checks out with the guitar - besides the pickups that don't belong to it ..?
And BTW, on a 2012 guitar you could email consumerrelations@fender.com with the serial, they'll send back the original specs for that number.


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Post subject: Re: 2012 Eric Clapton Validation
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 10:11 am
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Yes everything else seemed to match up, the neck was maple and set up very low, yet very playable, The signature was on the Head Stock front side no "Blackie" underneath. It was a hard tail and the tuners were correct. The rear battery cavity plate had the correct number of screws and all in the right place. All three tone controls were right an man it played great. But I knew for the year 2012 Lace Sensor PU's were not standard to my knowledge due to the switchover to Noiseless at least documented and offered on site or a catalog. I think whomever owned it was just trying to capture Slow Hand's original sound with the Lace P/Us. But, I have it stuck in my crawl is it live or is it Memorex....leaning on not getting this and going with a brand new one


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