More like at the customer's behest... They moved Clapton and Guy to VNs when the relations went sour. Now no production guitars carry them.

Fender still sell Lace pickups under the Fender Lace name. Not Lace Sensor. The same pickup different name. It's still available on the CustomShop's order form.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_lacesensorred.htm

Just seems to me that they offer no production line guitar that has them. Not a surprise really. When I think of a Strat I imagine six slugs, a 21 fret neck and a old tremolo. Not a floyd copy and some EMG lookalikes.

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Niki having a bad day? Why so negative? As for Clapton, he has certainly given more money and time to charities than the likes of Bono and his ilk, and Clapton doesn't want the praise for doing it either...truely a classy human being. As I understand it, his royalties from Fender go to the Crossroads Center. And Fender is a manufacturer of musical equipment...not much room in that business model for giving guitars away or making ones people won't buy...No offense here, just saying.

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

Nah I'm not (and wasn't) having a bad day. I don't have bad days, except for some Sundays and the occasional Wednesday at around 2:43pm. But we won't go into that.

The reason Clapton gives so much money away is he offsets charitable donation against his income tax. And when you've got as much as him, when there's nothing left to buy. What else are you going to do with it other than kill yourself slowly? You wouldn't believe the number of rich people who would rather give their money away to the animal rescue or druggy kids with no hope charities rather than give it to lazy bureaucrats and politicians through the Inland Revenue.

Even if he had to buy guitars he wouldn't. He's got more than he needs. So Fender tie him into a contract where he gets instruments to use for nothing. In return they get free advertising. Not like he'd buy em anyway. So in effect his revenue from his Fender deal goes towards offsetting his tax on the money he makes from appearances and sales.

Don't confuse negativity with realism. There are very few saintly people on the planet. I'm not saying that EC isn't one of them. Just that I can see how he's lost a tax headache for playing a certain brand and come out of it looking good.

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Hahaha! That might be just a little bit cynical. To be fair to Clapton, Townshend and many others they often give quite a lot of their time to charities as well as money diverted from the taxman. And more than just playing gigs, which they were going to do anyway.

The best I've ever heard of is Carlos Santana, who apparently has given half his income to the charity he set up for many decades, and without shouting it from the rooftops. That is amazingly generous and vastly exceeds any tax write off. There must be something bad to say about that guy - but I've never heard it!

By the way, ladies and gentlemen, don't be mislead by Mr Ninja's bluff exterior. He himself is one of the most good hearted and generous people I've met. He has nothing to learn from the above named celebs...

Cheers - C

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This is interesting. When you talk about how these guys have the wealth they do and can afford to buy any guitar or amp, or, more likely, have it given to them for free, do you not think that the joy of getting a great guitar must be lost on them?

Half the fun, or whatever you want to call it, is in saving for it and finally you reach the time when you can afford it, there's a sense of achieving something there. If you can afford any instrument at any time don't you think you'd have a blase attitude to it all?

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

I can see that they are generous people. Time and land are two commodities that are definitely finite. And I'm not trying to make out that Clapton, Townsend or any other rockstar is a bit of a skinflint. I just see how they are using a situation to (ok I'll admit it) aid those less fortunate, reduce the tax bill. And do a great bit of PR work. All whilst doing nothing more than giving away what they've been given as well as doing their charity works.

I wouldn't even argue that it's in any way a negative thing. The re-distribution of wealth from the rich to the needy is always a good thing and we can't rely on politicians and bankers to do it without lining their own pockets.

Gorgon that is another aspect of these charitable donations. When you're so rich you've run out of stuff to buy what do you do next? Buying yet another Todd Krause masterpiece just aint gonna get that consumerist monkey off your back. So what do you do?

Like I said it's not a bad thing...

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Folks, Nick's going to kill me for doing this, but I just can't help myself: the world has to know. Sorry, Nick; but...

At some point while the last couple of posts were taking place it so happened I was talking to Nick on the phone. During that conversation for no reason at all he tried extremely hard to give me an expensive distortion pedal, hand signed by its maker, which is so new it hasn't even hit the stores yet. I have done nothing to deserve that generosity (by far not the first of its kind); while Nick worked hard to earn the pedal as part-payment for a certain job well done at short notice.

And be clear, I am definitely not one of the world's deserving unfortunates and Nick is (unjustly) not a millionaire rock star who writes stuff off against tax. He's just a very nice guy (and a very naughty boy).

There you have the measure of the man. You just need to be able to read the previous posts in the light of a bit of behind-the-scenes information...

See you later, Nick.

Cheers - C

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But you see Ceri- Nick is a true mate through and through you have there..

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Nick is giving away distortion pedals, now that is generous, what kind is it or can't you say because it's still not been released?

Talking of which, and this is a little off topic, what's the best distortion pedal you've used?

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

Yessssssssss.......anyWHO (geddit?) I don't want anybody to fall out here. I couldn't give a fig about how much rock stars earn, or the price of lard etc. I just believe that there is enough justification and market for Fender to produce this guitar. Jim Root has his own signature, and he's very nearly as good as Pete Townshend

When i think of P townsend, Strat isnt what comes to mind as much as Les Paul does, regardless of how long he's played them. Maybe that's whey. Though, Gibson did make an incredibley overpriced (but really nice) signature Les Paul for Jeff Beck based on the one he played decades ago, and i think we can all agree that most people (and from a recent interview with the man himself) consider him a Strat man.

As for signature strats, for the most part, i find them to be pointless. Working on them, seeing SO MANY come through, i see so many overlaps from one 'signature' to another. Example; the MIA Buddy Guy strat, vs the EC sig. The only real difference is that the B.Guy still uses Lace (which id rather use than V.Noiseless), and his active boost is +12dBs instead of 25. Besides that its the same.

Again, i know i speak of it a lot, but its only because it deserves to be recognized, is that the Eric Johnson strat is one of the few Artist Series that has actual strutural changes to it from a regular Artist Strat. The thinned headstock, quarter-sawn neck, only a 2-piece body. Plus its just one the best thought out Strats Ive come across, including Custom Shops.

But for the most part, there are so many redundencies in these models, its rediculous. Im not singling out Fender; Gibson, Jackson, Ibanez, they all do the same thing.

The single best distortion/drive I've heard is the Carl Martin Plexitone.
It has completely ruined me towards other devices.

The distortion Ceri has is a Fretking unit. Which I suspect will be released in the new year or at Christmas.

And for revenge I may just tell everyone about the gig, accommodation, food, gorgeous coffee, artwork and guitar repair that Ceri treated me to. As well as an in depth lesson in cutting and fitting nuts.

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Did you guys know each other before you came on the forum? You sound like good mates.

The best distortion box i've tried is an EH English Muff'n, real beautiful valve overdrive, clotted cream scones but for the ears!

So does Ceri do all his own repair work and stuff? i have to find out more about you guys.

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

We've developed a significant mutual admiration society around these parts since 2007 and fortune has seen to many of us coming face to face. Ceri's been here and I've supped with him and his wife. I endeavor to have lunch with some of the Florida members at the end of every year, and one of 'em was over there this past July. You UK guys ought to endeavor a once in a while pint or two. Ceri and Nick will definitely take you up on that in a blink. What you've yet to learn about these two, and Andy Bighair as well, is just going to definitely amaze you. IMHO, we're really good friends, whom I regret not being able to get together with often.

Couple of things I'd like to put my tuppence in about:
-I've always had the inner feeling that there was an issue between Actodyne Industries and Fender. Eldred claims that they sent the VN's to Clapton to try out, and he liked them better. I never pressed Eldred as to why. I sometimes pull my cynical side on him, but he's such a good bloke that I hate to bust his buns. I just let it go. Clapton also pulled the TBX out of his guitar when the VN's were installed. There's been some talk on another thread about this to the effect that the swap out brightened the tone all around.
I prefer the throaty sound of the Laces, but then, I didn't write 'Layla'. So what the hell do I know?
-Yes, the MIA Guy guitar and the first Clapton were exactly the same electronically, but the MIA version is no longer in the products section. The midboost was the same...25db. It was upped years ago when BG went to that blond guitar [no not the one he's playing now...Keep your eyes on that one, by the way ]The original BG signature Strat, which didn't last long, was what we came to know eventually as the Powerhouse, with a 12db boost.I purchased the BG MIM Polka Dot version the year it was issued, and dropped a set of DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Blues and Heavy Blues pickups in there. Got rid of the hum, and gave the guitar a great sound.

You guys across the pond should be ready for breakfast by now. I have yet to hit the pillow. Ciao!

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"Another day in paradise!"