I finally found the Stratocaster I really want at a local Guitar Center. I played the Clapton signature and loved everything about it except the color. To be honest, I don't even really care if it has Clapton's signature on it, but I want that EXACT guitar in sunburst. I've found a couple of stock guitars that come close but either the frets or the radius or the tailpiece is slightly differenet. Can Fender make me a Strat exactly like the Clapton signature only in sunburst with NO other changes ?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

BTW: Guitar Center has a new one for $1,599 and that's about all I'm willing to part with.

Since the Custom Shop doesn't had EC's own authorization for making his signature model in tobacco sunburst, they can't build one - unless you get rid of his personal signature in the back of the headstock.

Don't expect for a signature "Brownie" in the future - you must wait a long time until Eric finally approves the tobacco sunburst finish as an addition to the already existing colour schemes.

Yeah, they'll make you one like that without his signature. It's called a Masterbuilt and will run you $5K to $6K.

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Bill

......Or you can build your own for about $2500.



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Fender used to make a Buddy Guy Strat in 2-color-sunburst up until about a year or so ago.

It's vertually the same guitar as the EC Strat only with Buddy's signature on the headstock.

My advice would be to do the following:
1. Buy a 3-color-sunburst Hwy 1 body and shine it up with some rubbing compound, a cotton t-shirt and elbow grease. Do some routing for the mid-range boost parts.
2. Buy a Clapton neck.
3. Buy the pickups that came on the EC Strat (I prefer the gold Lace Sensors myself).

I recently took my '06 black Hwy1 body and bridge, my '01 EC Strat neck and some CS '54 pickups off my 50th Anniversary American Series Strat to make my personal Strat.

This has become my favorite guitar and I've never been happier.

Get friendly with a woodworker who's good with a router if you go the build your own plan.

Decent battery access and a bit more room for the circuit are a must in my experience.

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No no and no

If you can't find the Buddy Guy Strat. Try a Jimmy Vaughan Strat. Its made in Sunburst. While it doesn't have the boost system in it. The Neck profile is about the same. Its got Tex Mex pups, but they sound good. You could put the EC circuit in it and find the noisless pups and put in it. The JV Strat is inexpesinve too. Around $700 I believe. I've got a white one that I bought a few years ago and I love it!!