I just got my EC a few months ago. It is by far the best-feeling and best-sounding guitar I've played in my 26 years as a guitarist. The neck is as smooth as silk and the sustain is unbelievable. The mid-boost allows you to go from classic Strat sound to humbucker in an instant. The guitar has allowed me to throw out a rack effects processor and plug directly into my Hot Rod Deville and get the sound I've always been chasing. Here it is in action, with no effects between it and the amp.

http://youtu.be/ItDuabpRmHA

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Eric Clapton "Blackie" Stratocaster, 50th Anniversary Gold Stratocaster, Epiphone Riviera Custom P93 Royale. Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II, Epiphone 1966 G-400 Reissue, Squier Telecaster Custom II, Takamine EF341SC, Fender Hot Rod DeVille

Paris and I are always in agreement about the Lace Sensors, however ME made it clear that when the sent the VN's to Eric for a try, they were preferred. Different strokes I guess. Purists will have to have them, but my early model Pewter guitar is a 'classic' Clapton and that's the one for me. The feel of the guitar has more to do with that neck than anything else I can identify with and, of course, the tonal coloration is unique. I've used the EMG Gilmour pickguard in a Stratocaster but found popping the pickguard to change the battery a nuisance. If I were going for that tone again I'd get myself a used Clapton and swap out the electronics. That would give me both the guitar I prefer, and the convenience of the battery rout in the trem cavity, minus the moto pickguard. My only critique of the guitar I own is that it lacks the classic soft contours and deep belly cut of a true '57 body.

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"Another day in paradise!"

...or the more recent (but a tad darker) one?

The mid boost can also be used with regular humbuckers.

ZZDoc,

You always have my respect. You always give fair, accurate and honest information to people who come to this forum.

I just put my Clapton Strat back together and man I have missed it. I was using the neck and pickguard for a Strat project I did about 6 months ago.

I agree, Clapton's sound from the late '80s - early '90s is different than his current sound, which he seems to have picked up since he started using the VNs.

Also the neck of the Clapton Strat is perfection in my mind, but I'm bias.

Finally, I'm blad that Fender rounded the contours of their current Stratocasters. The earlier ones are bit too flat for my taste.

The picture doesn't do the guitar justice.

http://s1068.photobucket.com/albums/u45 ... ars371.jpg

I had special ordered the guitar from a Fender dealer and had to wait a month because they didn't have it in my color. The guy called me us and said, "You can have it in any of ther other colors, but green will take a month." I considered getting black or pewder, but then thought about how much I always wanted the green one. It was worth waiting a month. Of all my guitars it's THE one I would never part with.

Yo Paris!! You're most kind with your cudos. As I said earlier, we do agree. The '57VHR and the generic soft-V are decent players but the Clapton neck is the best in my hand. As for that Candy Apple aka 7-Up Green. That's a rare bird and most sought after. I've seen Eric use it once, on Saturday Night Live, during The Journeyman tour. [I expect that Chromeface will grace us with a pic of that in short order. ]

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"Another day in paradise!"

Actually.....that finish looks much better on the car. Saw one in California last summer.
Killer...

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"Another day in paradise!"

Night Music

Lovely stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5oUivQ0hzo

PS not seen you here for a while Doc, good to see you back

Ditto...Night Music!! You're encroaching on Chromefaces' turf! Thanks for the 'hello'...finally found some common this weekend. I do a four-day week M-Th start at 7:30 am and supposed to quit at 5:30[4:30] on Thursdays. Hasn't been happening. Need to get at least 5 hours sleep so hit the mattress at 9:30pm to awake at 3:30. Breakfast and a few odds and end before leaving around 5:20 to make a 5:44 train. The plus is 'off' Fri-Sun but all my personal business has to be done in that window, plus I'm in FL roughly every 3rd weekend. I'm not having fun yet, but I'm 'taking care of business'.

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"Another day in paradise!"

By the way, Lefty, and Paris too....observe that Eric uses the second finger of his left hand to fret notes that most players would use their third finger for. It's very subtle, and you have to look for it, but I caught that years ago.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Here ya go!!!



The SNL gig you're talking about dates from 1990.

[

The SNL gig you're talking about dates from 1990.[/quote]
My computer blocked this...???

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"Another day in paradise!"

The normal plastic plate that you thread the strings through, just unscrew it and the battery is right there. The salesman at the shop is an idiot if the scratchplate had to be taken off for a battery change no one would ever buy the model, it'd be too inconvenient.

Also the battery lasts like forever, not literally but i've had a battery lasting a year or more. You get the picture they last a long time

Edit: Just saw when this was originally posted wonder if the op bought the EC or not?

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

Agreed. Just make sure that you unplug the guitar when you're not playing it. When you plug the cable into the guitar it activates the mid-range boost. I think I changed the battery in my Clapton Strat about 7 months ago and it still works.