I nearly bought a Jeff Beck Sig Strat on Ebay. I got sniped by $3 with 6 seconds left. Anyway, the Jeff Beck and the Clapton signature strats were the two models I was never able to find to play. Actually, I played a Clapton but wasn't crazy about the neck and didn't plug it in. With all the threads about pickups lately, I wonder if anyone can tell me how the pickups on these two models compare. I see the Jeff Beck are dual coil but look like single coil. Are they like humbuckers? How much hotter are the Clapton pups, and do they require a battery? Just wondering in case I find I need another strat someday. After making the transition from my Guild to the Am Dlx, I'm thinking I could probably handle the Clapton V neck if I really tried.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Okay - both the Beck and the Clapton use variations of the original Fender Noiseless pickups. These pickups are stacked humbuckers - one coil on top of the other coil - so it blocks the hum while supposedly retaining a single coil type sound.

The pickups on the Beck are "Hot Noiseless" - they are hotter pickups using ceramic magnets.

The Clapton uses "Vintage Noiseless" pickups that have more of 50s Strat sound. However, the Clapton also has an active 25 db mid boost circuit, so it does require a battery. The pickups are passive; the boost is a separate circuit in the guitar.

I've played several Claptons over the years so I've tried both the original Lace Sensor version and the Vintage Noiseless version - I actually liked the Lace Sensor version a bit better (and I prefer the slightly "sharper" V-neck shape used for those first few years). I haven't tried out a Beck since the original version with the huge neck shape, which I didn't like at all. I've never found a current-spec Beck anywhere around me to try out so I can't really give you any comparisons. Hope the spec info helps.

Thanks John, I understand them both a little better now. Yea, the Beck Strat seems to be a rare bird. I bid on a Surf Green one. Then I went to see Clapton a few days later and he spent most of the night playing a Surf Green Strat. I now have an itch.

_________________
'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue