Conference napalm::guitar

    What are they asking for an EC Strat?  Do I need to apply for a loan to
    buy one??
    
    Kevin.

    In Salem N.H., they want $1089 w/tweed hard case.
    
    
    
    
    Don

    
    Factory music in Rockland (mail order) had them for $850.

    May's GFTPM has a Clapton configuration in it for the sounds used on
    his new "Journeyman" album.  The strat has 3 lace sensor pickups in it.
    Here it is:
    
    strat -> overdrive pedal -> EQ --> flanger 
              50% level        boosts  25% delay
                               set at  50% depth
              50% tone         400Hz,  10% spd
              80% gain         1.6KHz, 50-75% rgn
                               800Hz
    
    BTW - He's on tour and is appearing in Phoenix the end of the month.
    
    Mike

    What color is Eric Clapton's strat?
    
                              Rick
    

   You mean the one he plays or the "Fender Eric Clapton Signature Model"?

   When I saw him at Great Woods he was playing a white one, but I believe
   he picked up a different one at one point during the show.  The other
   guitarist was using some pointy-headstocked thingy...  :-)

   I don't know what colors are offered by Fender for the Signature model.

   -- Sam

>    What color is Eric Clapton's strat?

He has several. The main ones that replaced 'Blackie' are sea-green and blue, 
if I remember correctly. But he does use a lot of other guitars, depending upon
the song....

alan

According to catalogs I've seen, the EC model comes in Pewter, Red, Green, 
and (relatively new) Black.  There may be others.

A few replies back suggested that Eric does not actually play an EC Signature
Series.  I thought I've seen the "signature on the headstock" in pictures/video
of his playing.  Can anyone elaborate?  I'll bet that he uses Blackie and other
more vintage guitars in the studio, but live I thought he did use the EC model.
Also, I thought I read that David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and/or Pete Townshend
were also using the EC signature model on the road.  Is any of this true?

Thanks for any insight.

- John -

    Last Clapton interview I saw he mentioned that the neck on Blackie was
    worn out, thus why he uses the new Strats.   I've certainly seen him
    playing 'em in various live clips over the last couple of years.
    
    						Brian

    How would you wear out a guitar neck?  I wonder what he ment exactly?
    
    I do remember reading something from him that basically said that
    Blackie was retired and he was using the new guitars all the time.
    
    Greg

    I think it was due to refrets.  A neck will only take so many fret
    jobs.

   re: .11

   Not only that, but I've seen (and owned) guitars whose fretboards had
   troughs worn in them, under "popular" string positions.  (A mid 1930's
   Gibson archtop acousitc, in particular.)  Granted, you could replace the
   fretboard, but when you consider the price of repair vs. replacement it
   could be a tough decision (unless you're into scalloped fretboards :-)).
   I don't think this would be as big a problem on maple (vs. rosewood)
   boards, but you never know...

   -- Sam

    RE: .8
    
    It's certainly true that Townshend used EC signature Strats on last
    year's Who tour - he had 2 of them in red.
    
    Nick

    I was listening to EC's Journeyman this morning on my way to work. I'll
    tell you something that strikes me is that I'm not particularly
    wild about the sound he gets out of his guitar(s). Maybe it all sounds
    better live I dunno, I haven't seen him since Cream. I would agree that
    he does have a signature sound, however I like the sound he had with
    Cream much better than I ever did with his sound from Strats. Somehow
    it sounds too thin for what he plays, and a return to a LP in my mind
    would enhance his music. 
    
    "sakman"

    All right, I'm not alone!  I love Clapton's playing, but his tone has
    gotten steadily thinner ever since Cream.  Even Derek and the Dominos
    sounds a little wimpy - not his notes, just the tone.  I blame it on
    Blackie and all his kin, but then there are plenty of Stratmeisters who
    get better tone (Knopfler comes to mind).  I've also seen Clapton live
    on TV, and he gets a better tone playing the blues live than on the
    more commercial songs on the albums.  Maybe he just sounds better live.
    
    Dave

    Me thinks Sakman is getting sick of the Strat and is trying to justify
    a new Axe maybe????  Like maybe a Gibson????   Go for it..
    
    Bruce
    

    I like the way you think Bruce. I surely do believe that I would look
    good wearin a reissue '60 gold top. But actually I don't see myself giving 
    up my Strat. It just suits me too well. I'd love a reason to justify a LP
    but it won't come by sacrificing the Strat. Now what I might do is get
    me one of these Epiphone clones of a LP. Used, I betcha I could get a
    nice one for $200. Install some PAF's or something and I'd be a happy
    enough camper.  
    
    "sakman"

    Sak,
    
    hold out for the Gibson!  Save yer dimes and nickels, check the pawn
    shops...there's too many used LP's out there to "settle" for an
    imitiation!
    
    Steve the brand slut who loves his LP Deluxe and Am Std....8^)

    I agree about ECs sound, but I don't believe it has much to do with the
    Strat. I have no trouble at all getting sounds very much like his Cream
    days with my mid-sixties Strat with stock its pickups. Me thinks it's
    more to do with his relying on that rack-o-crap he uses. He says that he
    needs effects on his guitar to feel like playing. He says that he likes
    listening to other players straight up. Straight up works for me. Lose
    the effects. Yuck.

    Seems like on EC's recordings over the past few years, he seems to have
    more and more effects and more of a "processed" sound.  For someone who
    started out with basically straight blues, that seems unusual. 
    Whatever he want's to do, I guess, not my thing.
    
    Greg

      I dunno, maybe we are all just going through phases. I remember reading
    about David Gilmore and how he looks for anything to make him sound
    better. Huh? I like Gilmore's style alot with or without the effects
    and although he's not a quick, or flash guitarist by any means he has
    this great tone (listen to "Dark Side Of The Moon" for example). EC
    doesn't need them, but at the same time he may have just gotten tired
    of the "same old sound". I thought the old Cream tone was really cool,
    but then again time changes alot of things, so then EC went to Strats
    with his 1st solo album and had this really thin tone which at first
    was hard to accept, but EC fans adjusted. Now (or should I say for
    years now) he has this processed tone and although this is again hard
    to accept for some you know who's playing guitar when you hear it...
    right? It's the tone that grabs me first and THEN it's what is being
    played in EC's case. I personally like the new EC tone and although
    it's not a tone I'd use for every song I do like to use it for tunes
    that "fit" the tone. It's different ya know?
      As far as the EC Model Strat...  I've played two or three and like
    like them, especially nice having that extra fret which is missing on 
    my old plank guitar  ;^), the p/u's were quiet and had a nice tone, the 
    neck felt good along with the balance of the whole package but is it worth
    $1000.00 (best price I could find in Mass, NH and NY) to me???? Well,
    I didn't buy one yet, so I guess not. 
    JMHO
    
    Rock on,
    	    Fred (who does alot of EC covers in the "db wilfred band")

    I saw EC live 2 weeks ago at Great Woods; he had a phenomenal tone.
    Very FAT; it sounded like he was using a chorus or flanger some of the
    time too. Much better tone than he's had on record recently.
    
    - Dave

    	Interesting opinions regarding E.C.'s 'NEW' tone.
    For those who didn't like it that much....I'm floored! Didn't you folks
    here that leadbreak in the title track !???!....WOW! That has got to be
    one of the fatest tones I've ever heard from a strat. Putting aside
    that SMOKIN' lead in itself, I think Clapton can dial in one pretty big
    sound with those strats.....King tone.
    
    				Kevin ,Ottawa

    re .-1
    
    A lot of the tracks were cut with a 335; maybe that explains it?