Fender Stratocaster Eric Clapton Signature guitars.

I am seeing lot's of these on Ebay where they are being offered up as say a 1989 Clapton Strat because the neck has an SE9xxxx serial number, yet they take the neck off and it says Oct 11 1994.

Are people buying decals and adding them to the necks, they can't possibly be a 1989 with a 1994 neck stamp!

I have what I thought is a 1989 Pewter strat but I am afraid to drop the neck to make sure....

Are these actual ripoffs?

Interested in knowing what is going on here.

Thx... JW

I checked ebay on 8/2 and everything I saw appeared authentic.

How about a linkey to what you saw?

Here is one example on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1989-FENDER-USA-ERI ... 286.c0.m14

The price on this is way out of bounds and the shipping amount is another issue because of the location when figured into the overall price.

That's why they call it fleabay.

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Well , i actually sent this seller an email.What he has is actually a 94 EC.He knows this , but to entice someone , he has the listing as a 89, which most people is the first model year.That would make it a collectable.However being a 94 makes it just a 94 .Also the color is not really rare as much as it is not really popular.Stores will only stock what they know they can sell.Since people want mostly the black one and the white one, thats what mostly you will find.If you look , you will see the guitar has been on ebay since march.

Yes, I know it has been there for a while and the price is a good reason why. Actually 1988 is the first year model SE8xxxx. So did someone just stick a decal for a 1989 on there and thus the serial number really means nothing on the headstock? I am afraid to drop the neck on my supposed 1989 as I only looked at the decal when I purchased it. Regardless at this point according to the Vintage Guitar Prioce Guide for 2009, pretty much all the Clapton signature series are valued in excellent condition from $975 - $1200 for 1988 and 1989 and $950-$1150 for the later models, so at this point no real difference in price and collectability. Thanks for your input. JW

From what i have read on the web, it was not uncommon to have some older necks hanging around the factory.So they just put on what they have around, which in this case ended up being a 89 neck.Thats why the date on the heel of the neck is the one you go by.I believe they had the same issue with the SRV strats.

Interesting, so the neck doesn't get stamped until it is actually put on a guitar, although it may have actually been made earlier. Thanks again for the information. Jw

i have that exact guitar mine say Sep 14 1989 Serial SE 803937
but all the pots/bridge/neck/body/wiring look just like mine.
so i would say its 100% real....so i would say your getting an 89 neck with 94 body and parts....

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USA 1989 Clapton Signature Strat in 7up Green
USA Standard Telecaster all Blk w EMG 81/85
ESP Eclipse II w EMG 81/60
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier & Road king 4x12

Great, so I guess it is safe to say, don't believe the serial number decal. Check the body, pots and the stamp on the neck...

yea everything has to match ...
its kinda hard when you have a front view picture..
but when you have it taken apart like that guy on ebay
it makes very easy to see if its real..

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USA 1989 Clapton Signature Strat in 7up Green
USA Standard Telecaster all Blk w EMG 81/85
ESP Eclipse II w EMG 81/60
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier & Road king 4x12

Exactly.The issue is when you start getting close to the first year a particular was made.Those go for more money.Especially like the SRV , due to the first yr had Brazillian rosewood necks.Any guitar though, all the pots ,pickups , etc should tell you the date it was made.The EC that that particular person is selling is clearly a 94, but he is still trying to represent it as a 89.Hence the price.There are several PPL on ebay that are selling overpriced guitars hoping to snag the unsuspecting.My advice is Buyer Beware.

One could almost purchase the Custom Shop version for what this seller is asking! LOL

Yep, he must have gotten into some rancid kangaroo meat.

I've noticed that guitar... the thing you have to remember with that particular seller is that dealing guitars through eBay appears to be his primary source of income (and a very good one, at that). He's basically an eBay store in all but name. He never needs to reduce his asking price for a quick sale -- sooner or later, someone will buy it. Some of the Dan Smith Strats he's got there have been there off and on for over a year now. Check his user comments and work out his average monthly turnover... he must be doing something right. My guess is that he appeals to buyers for whom cash isn't that much of an obstacle, but availability might be... or perhaps they're not into spending all their free time chasing up a bargain. Time still equals money for a lot of people...