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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 4:03 am
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To Dunhill,

I just looked up the Serial number of your Clapton Strat on the Fender websites equipment dating page.

I copied this from the page:
Signature Series Instruments
SE8(XXXXX)-1988, SE9(XXXXX)-1989
SN0(XXXXX)-'90, SN1(XXXXX)-'90, SN2(XXXXX)-'92, etc.
SZ0(XXXXX)-2000, SZ1(XXXXX)-2001, SZ2(XXXXX)-2002, etc.

I'm not sure what's the story with your EC Strat. Pewter was a color the guitar came in. As to 22 frets. I'm not sure if the guitar came with 21 or 22. I'd ask the Fender staff. I'm not an expert, but it seems to me that there should be more numbers and a letter at the beginning of the S/N. I own a Candy Green 2001 EC Strat.

Coiuld you please post some pictures of the guitar.
I'd like to see the following:
1. Neck pick up and the base of the neck.
2. The back of he head stock where the serial number is located and the from of the head stock.
3. The bridge
4. The neck plate.

I'd like to know more about this guitar.


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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:07 am
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Hi Paris,

Thanks for quick response,

The serialnumber starts with se9 indeed.

Im sorry for the confusion but I thought that the se9 was for all claptonstrats.....turns out to be a year indication.

so the number of my guitar is se900439.

I will trie to make some pics this weekend.

Cheers!
Frits


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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 4:11 pm
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dunhill wrote:
Hi Paris,

Thanks for quick response,
The serial number starts with se9 indeed.
Im sorry for the confusion but I thought that the se9 was for all claptonstrats.....turns out to be a year indication.
so the number of my guitar is se900439.
I will trie to make some pics this weekend.
Cheers!
Frits

Hey Frits, we would love to see some pictures your EC Strat. Many people did not know there was a short run 1st issue of the guitar. I am sure they are collectible or at least will become more so in the near future as it becomes more known that they are what they are! :idea:

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Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:04 pm
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Xhefri wrote:
dunhill wrote:
Hi Paris,

Thanks for quick response,
The serial number starts with se9 indeed.
Im sorry for the confusion but I thought that the se9 was for all claptonstrats.....turns out to be a year indication.
so the number of my guitar is se900439.
I will trie to make some pics this weekend.
Cheers!
Frits

Hey Frits, we would love to see some pictures your EC Strat. Many people did not know there was a short run 1st issue of the guitar. I am sure they are collectible or at least will become more so in the near future as it becomes more known that they are what they are! :idea:

Welcome to The Forum. Mine, also Pewter ...SE 900891. You should also check the dates in the body cavities, and perhaps the neck end. These Claptons are the first of the Signature Series guitars of which there were originally three: Clapton, Malmsteen, and Gregory. The Clapton contract was signed on May 7, 1987 but production was delayed until Spring 1988. Pewter was originally to be labeled Anthracite. Fret numbers started at 21 in the prototype but ended with 22. The very early models are shown with a toggle switch to activate the midboost circuit, but that eventually became active always, through the jack. Remember to uplug your guitar when not in use. The information above is gleaned from A.R.Duchossoir's book on the Stratocaster, whose first edition cover bears the image of the Pewter prototype, cigarette burns and all. Personally, I would have preferred a 21 fret one piece maple neck. What the guitar gleans from the additional fret in this particularly case I fail to see.
Doc :wink:

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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:43 am
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Hello again,

Thanks for the info,
I have made some pics but need some kind of host to post them?
Will trie to figure this out.

Its funny that I never looked at the serialmr before!
Will trie to conact my tech for the neckdate etc. The guitar is in repair at the moment because of a failing volume pot and it is in need of some adjustments because when I bought it, it was strung with 11.
I am a sissy so I play 009..... so does mr Clapton himself I have heard.

In the mean time: Cheerio!

Frits


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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:38 pm
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I just happened to be looking in a book of mine titled: The Fender electric guitar handbook (2007) by Tony Bacon. And I found a reference to the first version Clapton strat 1988-2001. It states that it has a Signature on headstock, lace sensors, and active circuit. It also says "Earliest examples with 21 frets and/or mini-switch" pg. 148. I know this is not the final authority on the guitar in question but, I am glad to see a mention of the 21 fret version as a possible production model. Is there anyone that would know the approximate production numbers of the 21 fret models with or without the mini-switch? I am also curious about identification since the first models may have not had a signature on the headstock, and a possibly different serial scheme. Does anyone know the serial scheme for the 21 fret Clapton strats?

Once again thanks for the great info!


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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:00 pm
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Hi hondalvr, I am no expert on this subject but have dug around some. I know the picture below is from A.R. Duchossoir's book The Fender Stratocaster which shows the "Early production sample of the Eric Clapton model, Note 21-fret fingerboard and active/passive electronics mini=switch" (That is what the caption by the guitars says. Also I posted earlier on this thread an fender advertisement that shows the release of the new EC Strat and gives is same specs as the one shown in this picture (below). Then I have seen one on eBay some time back. So I know they are out there. There seems to be some conflict about this in some of the literature and on Wikipedia, for instance.

Maybe try contacting someone at Fender. You need to get someone who has been around there for awhile and anot a new worker who might say, "Well, I think that....." :lol:

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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 8:45 am
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Hello Xhefri, Thanks for the picture and all the great info! Before you posted those pics up I had never seen a Clapton strat with the toggle switch. I'll keep looking around for video and pictures to see if I can find any other variants. I do know that the 21fret red and pewter prototype Clapton plays in 86 to 88 does not have his signature on it but, instead has the "custom contour body" stamp and Fender spaghetti logo. I know I have a great pic of the 21 fret pewter strat from a program I picked up at the Los Angeles Forum during the August tour 1987. However, the program is in Los Angeles and I am in London for a few months...

Once again, thanks for all the great info...

:D :D
Hondalvr


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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 8:49 am
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An add from Fender in 1988:
Image
From what I gathered, they did not produce many of these in 1988, but they are out there. It would be odd for Fender to invest the money into advertising and then have people order one and get something different. If you find more info, picts, videos, etc, please come back and post them here!

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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 3:58 pm
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Hello Xhefri, Just wanted to let you know that I was looking up Fender start Plus guitars and I came across the Wikipedia site that has you twice mentioned as a reference. It is great to know that we have awesome people like you in this forum... Thanks for all the help!

Here is the article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strat_Plus


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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:06 am
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The 21-fret Pewter prototype has been used by Eric for 2 years. Around September 1988 the original neck has been exchanged for a new 22-fret neck built by Michael Stevens. This guitar became the basis for the final version. Eric played the "smoker's model" extensively from 1988 to 1993.

Not sure about, but I saw EC using some 22 fretters in June, a couple of months before the prototype being refitted with the Stevens neck.


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Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:06 am
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mojoredfoot,


I waited a month to get my EC Strat in Green. It's a beautiful guitar.

The maple does look great.

Paris


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Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:57 am
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chromeface wrote:
The 21-fret Pewter prototype has been used by Eric for 2 years. Around September 1988 the original neck has been exchanged for a new 22-fret neck built by Michael Stevens. This guitar became the basis for the final version. Eric played the "smoker's model" extensively from 1988 to 1993.

Not sure about, but I saw EC using some 22 fretters in June, a couple of months before the prototype being refitted with the Stevens neck.


You certainly did. One of the original Pewter strats already had the updated Mike Stevens FLAMED neck (dated Feb 88 ) fitted at that time. Eric used it at the RAH in June 1988 (Prince's Trust gig). I have pics of it.
I'm not sure when the Mike Stevens BIRDSEYE neck went onto the other Pewter strat, perhaps Sept like you say, but the flame one at least was done earlier that year.


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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:15 am
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I would rather have seen this guitar done with a 21 fret one piece solid maple neck, and if I were going to have TK build that guitar for me, it would be the guitar spec'd out in that ad. I don't know what one expects to get out of that fret board extension. It hasn't changes the pickup placement which the node positioning requires on a 24 (e.g.PRS) and I never see him go up there. :? I also suspect that a one-piece neck would impart a slightly different tonal character to the guitar. The active/passive switch isn't a bad idea either. It lends some tonal versatility in that you never quite cut the boost circuit out just by turning the pot down, and if the switch shuts off the battery, it eliminates having to unplug the guitar, if so desired, when not in use. :idea:

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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:29 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
I would rather have seen this guitar done with a 21 fret one piece solid maple neck, and if I were going to have TK build that guitar for me, it would be the guitar spec'd out in that ad. I don't know what one expects to get out of that fret board extension. It hasn't changes the pickup placement which the node positioning requires on a 24 (e.g.PRS) and I never see him go up there. :? I also suspect that a one-piece neck would impart a slightly different tonal character to the guitar. The active/passive switch isn't a bad idea either. It lends some tonal versatility in that you never quite cut the boost circuit out just by turning the pot down, and if the switch shuts off the battery, it eliminates having to unplug the guitar, if so desired, when not in use. :idea:

I agree ZZ. I especially like the idea of the mini switch, to be able to turn off the board on the fly. I do not like unplugging the guitar every time I sit it down to take a break. And the activating plug is a harder to pop the guitar cord into than a standard jack. Sure like the sounds you can get with the pre-amp though!

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