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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 5:58 am
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Accepting the veracity of Duchossior's datings:
-contracts signed in May '87
-shown as a prototype at NAMM Conventions in 1987; pre-series examples [as] shown at the 1988 Winter NAMM and the 1988 catalogue
-production delayed until 'Spring' '88

Given that"
-the neck date on my guitar being 12/87, the neck pocket stamp being not too clear
-the back of the headstock bearing the first generation Custom Shop logo
-the final rendering of the guitar having 22 frets and no mode switch
-not being certain precisely when the company ceased to apply the Custom Shop logo to the
neck, or moved the manufacture out of the Shop

I would guess that this guitar is either a preproduction model, part of the lot that was built for the '88 Winter Namm, or an early production model. As you suggest...hard to know exactly how many of those made it out the door. I do remember the first one I ever played at a dealer was around '88-'89. It was red, and had no mode switch.

It might be interesting to learn what characteristics of the preamp board could be spotted easily enough to differentiate it as 21 or 25 db. :idea: If I knew that, I have my tech check that out when I finally find the time to have it rewired to correct that glitch we found. Yes, I know....life does have a way of interfering with life. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:15 am
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Xhefri wrote:
I think your on to something. If Fender was going to add a "trunk" to a Strat, the British would call it a "boot." :lol: :lol: :lol: Just like Eric got his "fringe" cut the other day..... So yes, "anthracite" could be Britain's way of saying "grey"! 8)


Not really my friend! Last time I used 'anthracite' was in relation to the seats in an M3 CSL I owned a few years ago :D They were actually called that.
We mostly just say 'grey'


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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:37 am
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LeftyElliot wrote:
Xhefri wrote:
I think your on to something. If Fender was going to add a "trunk" to a Strat, the British would call it a "boot." :lol: :lol: :lol: Just like Eric got his "fringe" cut the other day..... So yes, "anthracite" could be Britain's way of saying "grey"! 8)


Not really my friend! Last time I used 'anthracite' was in relation to the seats in an M3 CSL I owned a few years ago :D They were actually called that.
We mostly just say 'grey'

Nice! A M3! I was hoping that post would get someone over the pond to respond... :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 9:16 am
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LeftyElliot wrote:
.....We mostly just say 'grey'

Recall that Fender began the marketing of the LTD Strat, of which finish we are discussing, in the UK. The adverts were posted here. The finish was clearly stated as EC Grey[Gray]. Then the clamoring from stateside began.

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:10 pm
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Xhefri wrote:
Yeppers this one has that picture on page 43. The caption by the picture says: "Early production sample of the Eric Clapton model. Note 21-fret fingerboard and the active/passive electronics mini-switch." What I find interesting is the word "production." I have seen a couple of these for sale of the years but EXTREMELY RARE! So i do think a limited amount made production and you prove that Custom Shop did released a few as YOU OWN ONE! LOL.... See pict below:

Image

And here is an add for the Clapton Strats when they first came out. I have in my filed notes that this add was from late - 1988. Note again: the mini-switch and 21 fret fingerboard BUT this time in Candy Green (aka, 7-Up Green). Funny thing is, the caption on this add tells all about this new EC Strat. Then it ends with saying: "But not Eric. He wouldn't change a thing." :lol: :lol: LOL but he did! he change the boost from 21dB to 25bB and added a fret!!! Also note that these were Custom Shop releases according to the advertisement. You have a lucky find there ZZ.

Image


Also note that the ad says satin finish V Neck, and it clearly has a shiny (probably lacquer like the then Vintage Reissues) and no Bi-Flex truss rod yet either! Definitely a "Rare Bird".

T2

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:51 pm
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I hope ZZ does not mind me posting picts of his lovely 87-88 Version 1 Clapton Strat. So interesting to look over what Fender did on this model. Under the hood it is a bit different than my 89 pewter with the channel route. I had pictures given to me buy permission from the seller of this guitar before he sold it. Note the early Lace Sensors and the neck socket. The neck does appear to be satin. I can also tell, ZZ, why there was a slight wiring error. The 5-way switch is a bit messed up and I am sure it came that way from Fender's Custom Shop. Can't remember what it was doing when I was at your house. Lovely guitar. Now you have me wishing I would have bought it!!! :mrgreen:
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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:26 am
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Xhefri wrote:
You are saying that the darker EC LTD 2010 was used by EC more recently (after 2010 I guess) while the picture of him playing a darker colored (anthracite) guitar while he is clearly much younger than the other picture.


In fact Clapton ordered the EC Grey in late 2005 and brought it to the public in 2006. This guitar served as a backup to the Daphne Blue Strat in 2009 before becoming his main stage and studio axe after the retirement of the former in November 2011, as the stage shot from the Kanazawa gig suggests.

The other stage shot was taken at Bray Studios in 1989 and if my memory serves Eric did rehearsals for the RAH shows in January and February (pictured below). You'll even notice the Music Man head behind the Soldano SLO100 piggyback/Marshall EV cabinet combo; it was used to push the front end of the Leslie cab.

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:04 am
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This neck, in the 'flesh', appears to have a tad more gloss than the bleached maple on the Pewter guitar, but not as 'sticky' as my Gilmour. This guitars neck carve is just a tad less tapered than the Pewter. As far as the 'glitch', I'll follow up later with a comment on that.

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:46 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
As far as the 'glitch', I'll follow up later with a comment on that.

You could always email me too. We should have started a Eric Clapton Version 1thread!

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:59 am
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Xhefri wrote:
ZZDoc wrote:
As far as the 'glitch', I'll follow up later with a comment on that.

You could always email me too. We should have started a Eric Clapton Version 1thread!

It's the way things float. Like skipping from pg.12 to pg 36 in the Kinsey Manual. :oops:

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 6:36 pm
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On further evaluation, the gloss is more than a tad compared to the Pewter's neck and identical in feel to my Gilmour. The neck on the Pewter guitar has a matte finish and feels 'smoother'.

I've looked at the circuitry again and methinks I've being thinking the mode switch wrong way 'round. Likely prejudiced by the practice of flipping the pickup selector switch away from hand to the 1 position [ which for years I thought was the 3 or 5 position] for lead, I was flipping the mode switch 'down' to engage the mid-boost when it appears that I should be flipping it up which is the way most vertically positioned switches are engaged. Tomorrow, during the day when I can avoid disturbing my father-in-law whose bedroom is adjacent to my 'office', and whose hearing loss is 70%. I'll compare and contrast the mid-boosts in both guitars and report. I'll have to change the 9V's in both guitars first because my error in thinking about the position of the mini-toggle has likely had the active circuit engaged for nearly a year and that battery depleted. :? :? :?

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 8:56 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
This neck, in the 'flesh', appears to have a tad more gloss than the bleached maple on the Pewter guitar, but not as 'sticky' as my Gilmour. This guitars neck carve is just a tad less tapered than the Pewter. As far as the 'glitch', I'll follow up later with a comment on that.


Looks to be a bit of nice birdseye in that neck?
Very nice looking & a very special instrument you have there :)


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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:23 pm
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LeftyElliot wrote:
Looks to be a bit of nice birdseye in that neck?
Very nice looking & a very special instrument you have there :)

Muchaz gratzias...... 8)

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:31 pm
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OK...it goes like this. All you Clapton owners will comprende immediatamente. [Para ingles...oprima dos]

Dos: With the mode switch in the down position, which I believe disengages the preamp, the second tone pot appears to act as a conventional tone control. With the tone pot in the up position, there appears to be more gain to the signal, but the second tone pot, contrary to the model which went into production, is out of the circuit completely.

I've sent to FMIC to inquire, not only about this, but how to differentiate between a 21db and 25 db board. I'm curious as to what's in this guitar.

Stay tuned to this station. :)

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Post subject: Re: Need your help guys!1989 Fender EC Strat Signature Serie
Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 9:34 pm
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ZZDoc wrote:
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This neck, in the 'flesh', appears to have a tad more gloss than the bleached maple on the Pewter guitar, but not as 'sticky' as my Gilmour. This guitars neck carve is just a tad less tapered than the Pewter. As far as the 'glitch', I'll follow up later with a comment on that.


Very nice guitar there ZZ, beautiful.


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