Anyone out here have any links or spec's on overall set up for action, neck, string height
ect ? the guitar is fretting out from 10th fret on up..specially fron the high E, B and g. Bought it used, never played...not a scratch...no pickgaurd use...seriosly great guitar! I generally practice unplugged...living in apartment...its really obvious unplugged.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,

Start here:

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/ ... etup-guide

Best strat I have ever owned

Are you anywhere near a Showcase Dealer? They should have a reputable guitar tech.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

A good set up will probably cure the problem. It could be the neck or the saddles.

I own a '01 Candy Green Clapton Strat, just before the pickup change over.

It's my favorite guitar.

Thanks to everyone...Mike

you have the "best" in guitars !
I have been playing Clapton Strats since they came out in 1988.
I have a CS Daphne blue Clapton now.
I always set them up by "feel" but the Fender link would be a great starting point.
I like the neck, like Eric does, almost straight! I know this from talking to his tech., Lee Dickson. But, as I said, everyone's "feel" is different. If it feels and plays great for YOU, that is the answer.

Not any more.

Lee Dickson has quit that function a few years ago. He was been replaced by Jeff Beck's former guitar tech Daniel Dearnley as of February 13, 2010.

Bah all Eric had to do was ask, I'd have sorted it all out for him.

In truth, I can't believe being EC's guitar tech is at all a easy job.

To the OP.

What I've found a lot with guitars bought used is that a previous owner will have installed a shim between the neck and body. Without one being needed. If I were you, I'd take the neck off and check.

Seems like everyone trying to get the ultimate setup, with less than all the facts resorts to the shim, round here. I even had a maple capped CS 54 RI to sort out that had a incorrect, not needed shim that was ruining upper fret playability.

That said to echo everyone elses suggestion, raising the string height for those strings won't hurt.

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No no and no

You and I have kicked neck specs around at times. The one thing I've never had fully sorted out is a statement attributed to Clapton that he likes the string height at a constant 1/8'' from the nut to the bridge saddles. If so then the bridge saddles are a no brainer but it seems to me that a custom cut nut would be in order. It would also explain how he is able to generate that long vibrato with hand moving at 90 degrees to the long axis of the neck. I've already observed, in these pages, that his intonation is set such that, from pictures of the various Stratocasters he's played, the positions of each bridge is exactly the same from guitar to guitar.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Doc that could well be true, about the 1/8th action.

It would mean that low fret notes were a no-no on his guitars, but open ones would be fine. The neck would need to be straight to maintain the constant string height. Which means you couldn't hit the strings with any force until you got above the 8th fret.

Certainly sounds like his live performance techniques to me.

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No no and no

Yet I have seen him play runs which take him down to the third fret on the lower strings.
It's trying to solve a Rubick's Cube with this player. Some years ago, when I still owned my Fender Concert Amp, I had it biased by a guy named Alex Aguilar, now of Aguilar Electronics. During pleasant conversation he told me that he had seen Clapton's guitar and that the strings were set 'high'. There was no clarification beyond that simple statement.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

Very interesting conversations here...fun how things take on a life of their own, at times!
I have not been on for a while, the one thing that I may add to the conversation would be that, I bought the guitar through Guitar Center In Indiana from a collecter whose worked for Fender and knew Clapton...working relationship...This man retired from Fender,
went to work for PRS...but, he had every production color, every year, from beginning to today. He has slowly sold off some of the oldest...feeling that he has had them to himself long enough and needs to let them go, to be played. Mine had never been played.
there was absolutly no marking of the pick guard...nothing anywhere...It was imaculate in every way. I play it...it isnt so imaculate now, but literally folks, it was brand new! Strings had to go! So no shims, IMO why would some one shim a neck on a guitar they never played?

I'll say it again...thanks for all the imput, from every one!

Mike

I looked back through the thread and failed to find any details on the guitar you bought. I have an '89 Pewter, and there are several of us who have these early first generation guitars who feel that not only do they belong to a genre of their own, having been literally the top of the line in their time, but likely the most versatile and unique Stratocaster Fender has to offer.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Hey Mr. Star, I agree with just about,if not all of your statements...Saw him in 78/with
blackie...then with this version in 98...then with a crash in 01...and recently in Portland Ore. the end of feb. andhe had a Daphney (sp) blue current version. Blackie was great. crash & daph were great, but the first version W/ lace sensors was the tops. I have played all but blackie (obviously!) and I much prefer mine/ours, hands down.

Thanks for writting

Mike