Whats a New 1989 Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster with tweed

T2Stratman · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:14 pm

ZZDoc wrote:

T2Stratman wrote:

ZZ...I would agree whole heartedly that the Pewter (called Anthrocyte back then) is the best color from the first version...but I wouldn't mind having one of the custom shop daphe blue versions too :mrgreen:

X...That is one clean example and nice photography of it too! I did not know there were any black guitars prior to the official release. I read that EC didn't want to do the black at first.

FWIW

T2

At inception black was not included. Then he got to thinking that a black guitar was in order. The first prototype, built by Mike Stevens, was sold at auction as Lot #86 in 2004. The neck end is stamped 2/23/88. It was one of two neck Stevens had built. It was Eric's main stage guitar from the summer of 1990 until March of 1993...used on the Journeyman tour, 24 Nights, and the Japan Tour with George Harrison, to name a few. There's a thread entitled '1987 Clapton Signature Strat Prototype George Blanda 7 of 12 which was posted on the Let' Talk Custom Shop Forum by jk456 on August 14, 2009 in which we carried on a rather intense discussion which came to include this guitar. It will serve to read the entire thread including the links which are included in some of the posts because the chronology of the evolution of this model is a bit convoluted in terms of dates, parts, and finishes.

ZZDoc...Thanks for the heads up, guess I got some reading to do! I thought the evolution was fairly straight forward, but apparently not.

T2

JasonSD · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:27 pm

Quote:

At inception black was not included. Then he got to thinking that a black guitar was in order. The first prototype, built by Mike Stevens, was sold at auction as Lot #86 in 2004. The neck end is stamped 2/23/88. It was one of two neck Stevens had built. It was Eric's main stage guitar from the summer of 1990 until March of 1993...used on the Journeyman tour, 24 Nights, and the Japan Tour with George Harrison, to name a few. There's a thread entitled '1987 Clapton Signature Strat Prototype George Blanda 7 of 12 which was posted on the Let' Talk Custom Shop Forum by jk456 on August 14, 2009 in which we carried on a rather intense discussion which came to include this guitar. It will serve to read the entire thread including the links which are included in some of the posts because the chronology of the evolution of this model is a bit convoluted in terms of dates, parts, and finishes.

How many pictures did Chromeface post in that thread?

Xhefri · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:35 pm

JasonSD wrote:

Quote:

At inception black was not included. Then he got to thinking that a black guitar was in order. The first prototype, built by Mike Stevens, was sold at auction as Lot #86 in 2004. The neck end is stamped 2/23/88. It was one of two neck Stevens had built. It was Eric's main stage guitar from the summer of 1990 until March of 1993...used on the Journeyman tour, 24 Nights, and the Japan Tour with George Harrison, to name a few. There's a thread entitled '1987 Clapton Signature Strat Prototype George Blanda 7 of 12 which was posted on the Let' Talk Custom Shop Forum by jk456 on August 14, 2009 in which we carried on a rather intense discussion which came to include this guitar. It will serve to read the entire thread including the links which are included in some of the posts because the chronology of the evolution of this model is a bit convoluted in terms of dates, parts, and finishes.

How many pictures did Chromeface post in that thread?

I think I only saw one this time! I remember a few other threads where we all went round and round about how many types of EC Strats was put out by Fender, not counting custom shop variations. I know of three variations. Some think the first one was a proto-type yet Fender listed it and showed it in their advertisement when they first came out.

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:39 am

Xhefri wrote:

JasonSD wrote:

Quote:

At inception black was not included. Then he got to thinking that a black guitar was in order. The first prototype, built by Mike Stevens, was sold at auction as Lot #86 in 2004. The neck end is stamped 2/23/88. It was one of two neck Stevens had built. It was Eric's main stage guitar from the summer of 1990 until March of 1993...used on the Journeyman tour, 24 Nights, and the Japan Tour with George Harrison, to name a few. There's a thread entitled '1987 Clapton Signature Strat Prototype George Blanda 7 of 12 which was posted on the Let' Talk Custom Shop Forum by jk456 on August 14, 2009 in which we carried on a rather intense discussion which came to include this guitar. It will serve to read the entire thread including the links which are included in some of the posts because the chronology of the evolution of this model is a bit convoluted in terms of dates, parts, and finishes.

How many pictures did Chromeface post in that thread?

I think I only saw one this time! I remember a few other threads where we all went round and round about how many types of EC Strats was put out by Fender, not counting custom shop variations. I know of three variations. Some think the first one was a proto-type yet Fender listed it and showed it in their advertisement when they first came out.

That would be the version which had the micro-switch to turn the midboost on and off. It didn't go into production but they did use it in the 35th Anniversary Stratocaster.

Xhefri · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:53 am

ZZDoc wrote:

That would be the version which had the micro-switch to turn the midboost on and off. It didn't go into production but they did use it in the 35th Anniversary Stratocaster.

yeppers Doc, that is the one. But here is the thing, a few years ago I saw this type of EC Strat on eBay, not once but twice! I should have bought one of them as the person did not seem to know that it was a first issue 1988 Eric Clapton Strat.

Here is the advertisement from 1988. (Note the mini-switch and 21 frets as advertised, and also note what the last line says on the add! Eric wouldn't change a thing! :lol:

):

Here is a picture of the first production model as shown in the book The Fender Stratocaster by A.R. Duchossier with a forward by Eric Clapton (You would think they would get the Clapton story straight, eh?) it mentions early sample s of the guitar had 21 Frets and +21dB boost and then in a matter of months switched to 22 frets, a bi-flex truss rod, mini-switch was replaced with activating jack plug and boost was increased to +25dB. So did they go into production or not? That is where the confusion is. And what were the two I saw in one year on eBay? Ummm... Did Fender release a limited amount or where they in full scale production for 3 months and then stopped?

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:28 am

This guitar does not appear pictured in the first edition of his book. Only by description. I personally do not care for the 22 fret board and would have preferred leaving it as a solid maple 21 fret neck. The miniswitch does not concern me. Duchossior comments that Eric would play active all the time, hence the change to a active jack. Why the 22 fret neck? I've never seen an explanation for it anywhere.

AS for finding these early models out and about....well....in the five years visiting these forums we have come to see the occasional 'rogue' guitar...witness that early Strat Plus
[was it black or dark grey??] which was posted. There may have been a few 'starters' which made it to market before the changes.

Looks like this is second 'Corvette' you missed out on. :wink:

T2Stratman · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:01 pm

Xhefri wrote:

ZZDoc wrote:

That would be the version which had the micro-switch to turn the midboost on and off. It didn't go into production but they did use it in the 35th Anniversary Stratocaster.

yeppers Doc, that is the one. But here is the thing, a few years ago I saw this type of EC Strat on eBay, not once but twice! I should have bought one of them as the person did not seem to know that it was a first issue 1988 Eric Clapton Strat.

Here is the advertisement from 1988. (Note the mini-switch and 21 frets as advertised, and also note what the last line says on the add! Eric wouldn't change a thing! :lol:

):

Here is a picture of the first production model as shown in the book The Fender Stratocaster by A.R. Duchossier with a forward by Eric Clapton (You would think they would get the Clapton story straight, eh?) it mentions early sample s of the guitar had 21 Frets and +21dB boost and then in a matter of months switched to 22 frets, a bi-flex truss rod, mini-switch was replaced with activating jack plug and boost was increased to +25dB. So did they go into production or not? That is where the confusion is. And what were the two I saw in one year on eBay? Ummm... Did Fender release a limited amount or where they in full scale production for 3 months and then stopped?

+1...I read the other post, informative, as has this one been, and I did find out I knew more than I thought I did about this guitar. I worked at a Fender Dealer in Florida during the time the EC came out and I have in fact saw (even unpacked and set it up) the first version, and it had the switch for turning boost on/off mini switch and 21 Fret neck (sharp V). The wierd thing at the time was the next one we got a few months later had no switch and the bi-flex truss rod and the owner called Fender and the answer he got was EC changed his mind and did not like the switch as he played active all the time and chose the second neck they had sent that was not as much as a V shape...and according to Fender at the time was that the contract with EC basically said he had final say on specs and as he was on tour, he had not been back in contact with them to pass his preferences...hence the changes.

Of course this is all second hand from the Music Store owner to me, but it does follow what I saw at the time, and he had nothing to gain from it. He was just trying to find out what was going on and that is what Fender told him.

FWIW/HTH

T2

chromeface · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:55 pm

The Candy Green EC prototype shown in the 1986 ad with the 21-fret neck and the active/passive switch got also 22 frets. Eric used that guitar (Lot #78) for slide during a concert at Philadelphia (7/9/1988); this particular Strat was featured on a Rolling Stone cover from that era.

Not to be confused with "Night Music" Strat, which is an all-active guitar without the mid boost bypass switch.

chromeface · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:57 pm

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:21 pm

A most eclectic and well informed group of individuals as I have ever had the pleasure of knowning. Personally, if I ever had the Custom Shop do another one of those for me I'd have them do it as originally conceived. :idea:

Of course, they wouldn't put the signature on it, but that's not an issue for me.

chromeface · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:15 pm

It's a shame Fender discontinued the Candy Green ECs.

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:24 pm

chromeface wrote:

It's a shame Fender discontinued the Candy Green ECs.

Not still a Custom Shop option??

chromeface · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:26 am

The Custom Shop did EC signatures in Candy Green for Wildwood. These guitars featured a "thinskin" nitrocellulose lacquer.

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:41 am

chromeface wrote:

The Custom Shop did EC signatures in Candy Green for Wildwood. These guitars featured a "thinskin" nitrocellulose lacquer.

My guess is that there was more of a demand for the black guitar in the Artist series. One hardly sees anything other than that on the wall in my experience shopping around.

chromeface · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2012 6:09 am

Any thoughts for a 2013 limited-edition run of EC Customs in the so-called "EC Red" finish matching Eric's custom Ferrari SP12EC?

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