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Post subject: Clapton Custom Shop w/ lace question
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:51 pm
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I'm a noob to this forum, so please don't flame me if i did something wrong. Also, these might seem like stupid questions, but i just can't find answers about this guitar anywhere.

I want to buy a Clapton Strat so I went to guitar center looking for one. When I was there, they had an older Custom Shop Clapton Strat behind the glass with the lace pickups, and gold hardware. They wanted 3600. The color was some sort of goldish green which i didn't like. Flame Maple Neck. I played the newer Signature Clapton without the lace (post 2001) and it didn't seem to compare. Prob because I was comparing a "consumer" model to a Custom Shop. I can't find any info on the pre 2001 Clapton Strat.

1) Is this a rare guitar
2) Did they make a Non Custom Shop version that also had the lace?
3) Is that a ridiculous price?

Also the guy working there who actually seemed quite knowledgeable said very few were made. Any info would be great.


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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 3:28 pm
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Not sure why nobody posted on this, but I'll take a guess and say that the EC Custom Shop was a true custom job. Never seen an EC with gold harware and the color you described. Could have been a limited run?

The Claptons did come stock with lace sensors, but now come with vintage noiseless. Not sure when the change was made, but I'm guessing two or three years ago, both Custom Shop and Artist Series versions.

Price? Depends on what you're willing to spend on a guitar. I would personally go for the Artist series ($1500.) If that does not do it for you, return it and order an EC Custom Shop. IMO you could buy two really good guitars for $3600. And they can be unique from each other.


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Post subject: strat w/lace sensors
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:20 am
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sounds like the strat that eric clapton gave to steve windwood.
the on he came out with in ec crossroads guitar festival.
very light green, maple neck w/lace sensors.


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Post subject: Custom Shop Strat with lace sensors
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:49 pm
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So I have what I think might be the same thing... Shoreline Gold with a flamed maple neck and the Eric signature on the front of the headstock, whereas all the later CS Clapton strats seem to have them on the back, or not at all.

Not sure about the one you saw, but mine was masterbuilt... built by the Japanese dude that worked in the CS in the '80s (can't remember the name, and I'm not home to check the guitar... sorry).

It's a fantastic guitar. I had one of the gold leaf specials built by Mark Kendrick for awhile (which also came with lace sensors) and this one knocked that one into a paper hat both for playing and sonically.

I know nothing about its genealogy since I bought it used. I always assumed it was a special order, but maybe there was a short run of these?


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Custom Shop w/ lace question
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:20 pm
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calivintage wrote:
I'm a noob to this forum, so please don't flame me if i did something wrong. Also, these might seem like stupid questions, but i just can't find answers about this guitar anywhere.

I want to buy a Clapton Strat so I went to guitar center looking for one. When I was there, they had an older Custom Shop Clapton Strat behind the glass with the lace pickups, and gold hardware. They wanted 3600. The color was some sort of goldish green which i didn't like. Flame Maple Neck. I played the newer Signature Clapton without the lace (post 2001) and it didn't seem to compare. Prob because I was comparing a "consumer" model to a Custom Shop. I can't find any info on the pre 2001 Clapton Strat.

1) Is this a rare guitar
2) Did they make a Non Custom Shop version that also had the lace?
3) Is that a ridiculous price?

Also the guy working there who actually seemed quite knowledgeable said
very few were made. Any info would be great.




I OWNED A GENERATION ONE CLAPTON AND HAVE POSTED THE SAME INQUIRY ELSEWHERE WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE.....SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS MY ADDITIONAL 1K BUYING IN A CS CLAPTON. WITH RESPECT TO THE PICKUPS, I AM OF THE OPINION THAT THE LACE SENSORS GAVE THIS GUITAR IT'S SOUND. THEY WERE THE END PRODUCT OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT FENDER DID IN DEVELOPING THE CLAPTON GUITAR AND THEY MADE QUITE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THEIR UNIQUENESS WHEN FIRST PRODUCED, IN THE SAME FASHION THAT FENDER SANG THE PRAISES OF THE 'NOISELESS' AND THE 'SCN' PICKUPS WHICH FOLLOWED. NOW THAT I HAVE TRADED MY CLAPTON UP TO A CS STRAT OF MY OWN SPECS I AM BEING TOLD BY DEALERS THAT THE OLD CLAPTON IS BECOMING SOMETHING OF A COLLECTOR'S ITEM.

YOU'LL FIND THE SAME LACE SENSOR POWERPLANT IN THE BUDDY GUY ARTIST SERIES GUITAR IF THAT INTERESTS YOU.

AFTER A CLOSE LOOK AT THE WINWOOD GUITAR IT APPEARS THAT HE IS PLAYING A STRAT PLUS. THE GUITAR IS FITTED WITH THE ROLLER NUT AND THE LACE SENSOR PICKUPS AS WELL AS THE SINTERED SADDLES WHICH THESE GUITARS CARRIED UNTIL RECENTLY.


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Post subject: Lace Sensors
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:34 pm
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Just to agree with zzdoc - Lace Sensors are in my view the only way to go on a Clapton. The circuit - although based on the Elite preamp - was optimized for the Lace Sensor (Golds in current nomenclature), and they didn't change it when they moved to the Noiseless, which was a completely different design of pickup with a very different sound. The Clapton circuit is never 'off' and does influence the tone of the guitar quite signficantly, so it's not as disasterous as when they are used without the circuit, but personally I cannot stand the Noiseless pickups. To my ears, the SCNs are much better than Noiseless, but as far as I know they've never fitted those to a Clapton. Hmm... there's an experiment to try. :wink:


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:49 am
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1 no
2 yes
3 no


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:46 pm
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As jstenlak supposed, there likely was a short run of masterbuilt flamed-neck, gold-plated hardware, Lace Sensor-equipped Clapton Strats.

Mine is a pewter finish built by Jay Black in 1992. It originally came with two flamed necks with Clapton's signature on the front of the headstock—one with a glossy nitro finish and one with a satin finish.

Image
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It's an awesome guitar but, as I wrote in another thread, I actually prefer playing my Eric Johnson Strat more.

I built a psuedo Mary Kaye Strat with the satin neck and sold it years ago.

Image


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Post subject: Re: Lace Sensors
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:52 pm
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jstenlak wrote:
Just to agree with zzdoc - Lace Sensors are in my view the only way to go on a Clapton. The circuit - although based on the Elite preamp - was optimized for the Lace Sensor (Golds in current nomenclature), and they didn't change it when they moved to the Noiseless, which was a completely different design of pickup with a very different sound. The Clapton circuit is never 'off' and does influence the tone of the guitar quite signficantly, so it's not as disasterous as when they are used without the circuit, but personally I cannot stand the Noiseless pickups. To my ears, the SCNs are much better than Noiseless, but as far as I know they've never fitted those to a Clapton. Hmm... there's an experiment to try. :wink:


BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!! THE CS GUITAR OF WHICH I SPOKE IS ESSENTIALLY A CLAPTON WITH SCN's. IT IS FINISHED LIKE AN SRV WITH RESPECT TO BODY AND NECK, ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD, 22-MEDIUM-JUMBO FRETS, 9.5 RADIUS, VINTAGE GOLD HARDWARE, ALL PLASTIC PARTS ARE BLACK, INCLUDING PU'S; BLOCKED TREM. THE FINGERBOARD AND PAINT ARE GOING TO INFLUENCE THE TONE OF THAT GUITAR SO WE ARE KIND OF COMPARING DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLES.

I PUT THE SCN'S IN BECAUSE THE GUITAR WAS BUILT NOT LONG AFTER THE AMERICAN DELUXE'S WERE RELEASED AND THE COMPANY WAS MAKING SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT THESE NEW PICKUPS LIKE THEY WERE THE BEST THING TO COME DOWN THE FENDER PIKE SINCE SLICED BREAD!.....well......SO WERE THE SENSORS BACK IN THEIR DAY. IN ADDITION, I PREFER THE V-NECK AND THEY WERE NOT OFFERING ONE AT THAT TIME. I ALSO HAVE THE FEELING THAT THE V-NECK ON MY CS IS JUST A TAD LESS SHARP THAN THE CLAPTON'S. THIS IS WHY I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON WHAT IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE CLAPTON ARTIST AND CLAPTON CS ARTIST. A SALES PERSON SUGGESTED THAT THE CS GUITAR HAS A SLIGHTLY SHARPER V.

MINE IS A GREAT GUITAR BUT I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE LACE EQUIPPED 'BLACKIE' IS THE GOLD STANDARD NOT WITHSTANDING ANYTHING ERIC PLAYS THESE DAYS, SHOULD HAVE REMAINED WITH ME.

YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND HE'S GOT ANOTHER CREATION SLUNG OVER HIS SHOULDER SO I'M REALLY BEGINNING TO WONDER ABOUT THIS ARTIST SERIES STUFF.

THERE'S ANOTHER THING I'M A BIT SUSPICIOUS ABOUT. I HAVE PLAYED THE '57 HOT ROD AND READ THE COMMENTS ON THE FORUM FROM OTHER WHO NOW OWN IT. FROM WHAT I KNOW OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HANDLED ''THE'' BLACKIE, THIS '57 VINTAGE HOTROD NECK MAY BE BORROWED FROM THAT MONGREL STAR.


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