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Post subject: Eric Clapton Signature Models
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:37 pm
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Have all the EC Sig Strats had 9.5 V shape Necks?...Did the early one's have 7.5 V necks?...Have they all been 22 fret neck from the begining?... :?:


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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:51 pm
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I believe that is correct.

Soft V, 9.5 radius, 22 frets.


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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:03 pm
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Except the very limited edition Blackie replica (not to be confused with the regular EC blackies). That had 21 frets, I think the radius of that guitar was flattened out though.

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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:10 pm
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This here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 500wt_1182

Says it's a replica but has 22 frets. ???


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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:27 pm
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No not that, this replica (costs around 5 times more)
http://www.fender.com/features/blackie/blackie_home.html

A guitar so significant it gets its own page long after they became unavailable. 275 in total, 185 for GC, 90 for the rest of the world.

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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:47 pm
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Here are some useful infos about Blackie and the signature EC Strats on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Clapton_Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: Eric Clapton Signature Models
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:01 pm
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Mountaintwanger wrote:
Have they all been 22 fret neck from the begining?... :?:


No, two of the early prototypes George Blanda had built for him in 1985/86 had 21 frets.

In fact, the so-called "Smoker's model" has been refitted with a 22-fret neck built by former master builder Michael Stevens, founder and actual owner of Stevens Guitars. This guitar has been used extensively by Clapton between 1988 and 1993, serving as a basis for the final production version, which was introduced in 1988.

Michael was chiefly responsible for the infamous 6-string green Slant bass guitar used by Texas session bassist Roscoe Beck.

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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:33 am
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Niki thanks for that link, as I had never seen that video before and really enjoyed it.


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Post subject: Re: Eric Clapton Signature Models
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:44 am
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chromeface wrote:

No, two of the early prototypes George Blanda had built for him in 1985/86 had 21 frets.

In fact, the so-called "Smoker's model" has been refitted with a 22-fret neck built by former master builder Michael Stevens...


If what you refer to as "Smokers model" is the grey 21 fret prototype, then it's unlikely the neck on that guitar was changed to a 22 fret neck. As I have posted elsewhere on this forum, I have footage of Clapton playing both guitars (i.e. the 21 fret proto and 22 fret definite model with the flame neck) at the Concert for Nelson Mandela in June 1988 where he joined Dire Straits. EC changes guitars midway in "Money for Nothing" after breaking a string.

Elsewhere on the web I have found information that the 22 fret flame neck of the first definite grey guitar was transferred to a black body made by Jay Black in 1990 or 1991. So far could not find any official confirmation on this though...... anybody knows any more on this?


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Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:59 am
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Robert R. wrote:
If what you refer to as "Smokers model" is the grey 21 fret prototype, then it's unlikely the neck on that guitar was changed to a 22 fret neck. As I have posted elsewhere on this forum, I have footage of Clapton playing both guitars (i.e. the 21 fret proto and 22 fret definite model with the flame neck) at the Concert for Nelson Mandela in June 1988 where he joined Dire Straits. EC changes guitars midway in "Money for Nothing" after breaking a string.


According to George Blanda of Fender, he made one red and two pewter Clapton Signature Stratocaster prototypes in 1986. They had serial numbers V000007, V000008 and V000009. These were presented to Clapton who apparently used them for recording August and for stage work throughout 1986 and 1987. The pewter Strat V000009 in this lot is one of these prototypes. (According to Lee Dickson, the red prototype was given by Clapton to English cricketer Ian Botham as a gift in exchange for his bat.) This guitar originally had a 21-fret neck and an 'Original Contour Body' decal on the headstock and was pictured on the cover of A.R. Duchossoir's book, with that neck in 1988. The original 21-fret neck was subsequently exchanged for a 22-fret neck, put on by Mike Stevens of Fender Custom Shop later that year. This guitar with its present neck served as Clapton's main stage guitar during his 1989 Royal Albert Hall season. It remained as the back up guitar with the introduction of the black signature models in mid-1990.

Clapton used the 21-fret prototype during a gig at Philadelphia in September 7th, 1988. He also used a 22-fret candy green Strat for slide on "Motherless Children" featuring Mark Knopfler on a Dakota Red Telecaster.

As of September 21st, EC definitely used the Pewter prototype now fitted with the 22-fret Stevens flamed neck. The other 22-fret Pewter guitar sported a birdseye neck and served as a backup to the "flamed" neck prototype.

Since that time Clapton relies on his two Pewter Strats, one of which has been used for the rest of the Knebworth show after a string break occurred in the middle of "Before You Accuse Me". Later, the flamed maple neck has been put on a black alder body made by Jay W. Black. This guitar has been used extensively by Clapton until 1993.


Last edited by chromeface on Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:23 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Eric Clapton Signature Models
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:16 am
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Robert R. wrote:
Elsewhere on the web I have found information that the 22 fret flame neck of the first definite grey guitar was transferred to a black body made by Jay Black in 1990 or 1991. So far could not find any official confirmation on this though...... anybody knows any more on this?


During rehearsals for the Eric Clapton/George Harrison Japan Tour at Bray Studios, Windsor, October, 1991, Clapton and Harrison discussed this guitar in a Japanese television interview with Subarashiki Nakamatachi, TBS (Japan). Harrison jokes with Clapton, saying "..Get the one with the ash tray on it.." Harrison picks up one of Clapton's black signature model Strats and shows the headstock to the camera saying "...This bit here is burned because this naughty boy smokes cigarettes and he puts his cigarettes in there and Fender have made him one with a little hole here [showing the place on the headstock] so he can put his cigarette in there. I have one [he jokes] - it has a cupboard in the back with my sandwiches and tea..."
Eric Clapton then shows the smoker's model: "Here's the smoker's guitar..." and demonstrates where the cigarette holder is by placing a burning cigarette in it. He adds that these guitars are available in shops in Japan, suggesting all you'd have to do to get one is to ask for the smoking or the non-smoking version. The smoker's model however, never went into production.


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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:58 pm
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Was Eric ever photographed with the candy green model

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Post subject: Re: Eric Clapton Signature Models
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:05 pm
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chromeface wrote:
Robert R. wrote:
The smoker's model however, never went into production.



Yes, they certainly made them. I almost bought one at Medley Music in Bryn Mawr, PA in 1992 or 1993 when I was in college. It was the only one that I ever saw. The cigarette "hole" was a little brass insert.


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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:22 pm
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jaguar 58 wrote:
Was Eric ever photographed with the candy green model


YES SIR, Slowhand has been indeed photographed with the candy green model for the Rolling Stone magazine, here's the cover with him showing the guitar in action:

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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:30 pm
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Here's a nice pic of this naughty boy (George's famous quote is plenty of fun, really!) playing the smoker's model during his Japanese tour with George Harrison in 1991/92. Eric has stopped smoking cigarettes since many long years ago (around 1993/94).

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