MALSMTEEN HELL YEAAA !!

The Clapton Strat can literally play anything. The most versatile guitar I have ever gotten my hands on.

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

Seriously? These are two drastically different guitars. The answer should be quite obvious to you - whichever one it is. For me, it is the Clapton ... scalloped fretboards freak me out a little ...

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

I would pick the Clapton one - can be used for many musical sytles - the YM model - you have to love the scalloped fretboard - and if you haven't played one - you will be in for a suprise.

Just my 2 cents

Gil

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Where ever you go, there you are

1998 Ovation 1861 Standard Balladeer Natural
Taka - 2005 Squier '51 Black
Yume - 2006 Squier Strat Cherryburst
Houbi - 2008 Fender VG Strat Blizzard Pearl - won here
Fender Super Champ XD; Vox DA-5

Clapton for me. The mid-boost just makes it such a versatile instrument. If your worried about not being able to use the tremolo on the EC you can always unblock it.

Nothing wrong with the Yngwie, but Clapton gets my vote.

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No matter how much you pay for an instrument, in the wrong hands it will always sound "cheap."

Gear:
2007 MIM Stratocaster (Lace Sensor Golds)
Peavey Valveking 112
Behringer TU300, CS100, NR100
Dunlop Crybaby Classic
Marshall BB-2
Ibanez TS-9

Absolutely......The Malmsteen. It is beautiful!!! It is like a peice of art that plays like a demon. The neck is amazing. The scallops beg for bending and vibrato. The pickups sound amazing. Value wise.....it's no question....you are getting a unique strat well worth the price. It plays better than any strat I've played. Sound wise, if you like to play metal or shred, the YJM kills the Clapton. I love mine more every time I play. I normally play Ibanez, Because they are so fast, but I can play better on the YJM.

Personally, I'd buy the Malmsteen. I love the scalloped necks.
I think the Malmsteen Strat and the Clapton Strat are closer to one another than either is to, say, a Les Paul Custom.............
Whose tone do you prefer? Even putting their different playing styles aside, as well as the fact that different amps and pedals will change things quite a bit, it's a good start to see which one provides inspiration to you, tone-wise.
I think there are some good videos on YouTube of Yngwie sitting in his studio, which could give you a closer peek at how it works in his hands and with his style.
If you like Eric's version, have you looked at the Buddy Guy Strat? They are quite similar to the Clapton one, but there are a couple of different models, one of which may offer what you fancy?

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" The spoken form is in fact a very restrained representation of what is possible in the musical language. "
- Robert Fripp

Get the Gilmoure sig.

CLAPTON... u wont regret it....[/b]

+1. Since the o.p. didn't give us enough info, I'm going to give him a straight up answer. Forget those 2 sigs and get a Gilmour strat.

I'd definately go for the Clapton strat. Although one of these days I'm going to try a YM and see how weird it must feel.

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Clapton. But I agree that those are about as far away from each other as you can get. I didnt think that Malmsteen sold that much, Im surprised those are the 2 most available.

Actually, I think the reason why Malmsteen strats are popular is mainly consists of the unique scalloped neck stock aside from the Ritchie Blackmore ones. Clapton's the same way. Not very many come with a tbx and midrange active electronics stock.

I got a scalloped necked strat a while ago. Adapted to it in short order. It is not for everyone. Make sure you play one first. One thing I have discovered is most people love them or HATE them. There is no in between. I guess my answer would be "which artists tone do you like better"? And tone really is in the fingers. Yngwie Playing Claptons strat would sound like Yngwie playing claptons strat, and visa versa. But he basic set up pickup and tone wise on either would give you the basic ingredients. It is a matter of whose sound you wanna be closer to, playing like YOU sound.

I would go for the original Clapton model with the Lace Sensor pups. In Pewter.