Greetings,

I'm in the market for an old EC Strat with Lace Sensors. If I had my dream guitar it would be both black and made in 1989.

From everywhere that I read on the internet, black was not added as a color option per Clapton's request until 1991. However, there are many "1989" Blackie models online. I'm curious how this happened or if the information on sites like Wikipedia is simply incorrect.

In my research I've found that the confusion could be due to necks with Serials SE9xxxxx being used as late as 1992 or 1993 -- yet this still doesn't explain why a 1989 neck would bear the "Blackie" name if Clapton wouldn't allow it until 1991? Was that touch added later?

Needless to say, I'm very confused. I'm looking for an original 1989 (as confirmed by body dates) Clapton "Blackie" Strat. Does such a thing exist? Thank you!

http://www.themusiczoo.com/product/2637/1989-Fender-Eric-Clapton-Artist-Signature-Stratocaster-Black/
Musiczoo is where I go look for any specific model,I don't know if you're familiar witjh it.
I've been dreaming about one of these,I bought myself a black/maple strat under the influence of EC.
I hope this will help.
Keep on jammin'

All the best

Max

_________________
2006 MiM Strat Black/Maple
1982 Alhambra 6P Classical
The Gibson L-1
Ovation Celebrity Acoustic
Epiphone Black Beauty Les Paul HHH

maybe someone but an old clapton neck on a newer "blackie" body. they are on e-bay all the time.

What you have read is correct, there were no black Clapton Strats in 1989.

Also I doubt that anyone did a neck swap on this guitar.

Remember, the serial number is only an approximation of when the guitar was built. Actually - even though Fender's "Date Your Guitar" page doesn't state this - Fender used the "SE9XXXXXX" serial number decals well into 1992 simply because there weren't that many Signature guitars back then (just the Clapton and Malmsteen until the Beck came out in 1991 and the SRV in 1992) so it took them a while to use them up - and Fender tends to use the serial number decals up before changing over to the next year. Therefore it would be perfectly acceptable for a 1991 Clapton "Blackie" to have an "SE9" serial number and there are plent of them out there. There are even plenty of SRV Strats, which did not come out until 1992, with "SE9" serial numbers. The only way to know for sure is to remove the neck and check the date.

That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!