Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster (with Case)

Slowhand's Own
In a 2004 auction, Eric Clapton's favorite stage instrument from the 1970s and 1980s, a custom Fender Strat known as Blackie for its distinctive color, went on the Christie's auction block. The iconic guitar sold for almost a million dollars, making it, at the time, the world's most expensive guitar.

Clapton had assembled Blackie himself in the early 1970s from the best parts of three vintage '56 and '57 Strats that he had purchased for a hundred bucks each. After debuting it onstage in 1973, it became his favorite guitar until 1985. That was the year Fender asked if he would like to design a custom Stratocaster that would be built to his own precise specifications. Clapton told them to build him a new version of Blackie, with a slightly softer and more comfortable version of the v-shaped neck profile from his favorite Martin acoustic, and pickups that could emulate the legendary "woman tone" he developed while playing with Cream. And so, in 1987, Fender introduced their first artist model, and Clapton has used them onstage ever since. Modifications have been made on the Clapton models over the years, but they're still made to Slowhand's own exact specifications. Contrary to what the graffiti says, Clapton may not actually be God, but he's the god of the Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster.

The Stratocaster - A Legend In Its Own Time
The 1950 release of the Fender Telecaster may have changed the world, but Leo Fender and his partner, George Fullerton, were always looking for ways to improve their instruments. By day, they worked long hours in the shop, refining their designs, and at night, they'd haunt juke joints, dance halls and blues clubs to find out--straight from the guitarists themselves--exactly what features guitarists truly wanted from their electric guitars. Released in 1954, the Stratocaster introduced several new features to Fender guitars, including a contoured body for more comfortable playing, a double cutaway to make the higher frets easier to reach, a third pickup between the bridge and the neck to make even more tones available, and a tremolo bar to make notes easier than ever to bend. The large, 8-screw pickguard allowed almost all of the Stratocaster's electronic components to be mounted on one metal plate, making them especially easy to service. By the time Buddy Holly appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show playing one, Strats were well on their way to becoming icons.

Eric Clapton first made a name for himself playing Gibson guitars, but in 1970, Steve Winwood helped convince him to turn to Strats. It was on his '56 Strat, which he nicknamed "Brownie" for its tobacco sunburst finish, that he played the famous licks on "Layla." But Blackie, the Frankenstein-like custom Strat that he made from vintage Strat parts became the template for the signature model he developed with Fender, continuing Fender's tradition of making guitars the way guitarists wanted them. Only this time the design didn't come from a pool of suggestions from random guitarists--they were from one guitarist. The one that some say was the greatest of them all.

The Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster
The Clapton model has all of the features you expect from any Strat--a lightweight alder body, comfortable contoured design, sparkling tone, and stunning versatility. The three vintage noiseless pickups bring that searing vintage single-coil sound without that annoying hum, reproducing Eric's bright, clean tones with ease.

Let's just go ahead and state the obvious: even though Eric Clapton could probably make a guitar made from a cigar box and a rubber band sound amazing, you know that Clapton isn't going to go around playing a guitar that he doesn't think is perfect. He can play any kind of guitar he wants--and the one he wants is available to you in this signature model. Clapton didn't simply sign his name to a nice guitar that Fender built; he works with the company to make sure every single Eric Clapton signature Strat is made to his own exact specifications. After all, he uses these guitars onstage and in the studio. And he's not the only one--Pete Townshend of The Who has used the Clapton model exclusively for over 20 years. Every time you buy a guitar, you have to ask yourself some important questions: "Is this guitar really, truly good enough for what I have in mind? Will I be able to play my best on it? Can I finally stop worrying that my guitar is holding me back?" For rock and blues guitarists with the Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Signature Strat, there can be no doubt.

Built to Slowhand’s exacting specifications, the Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster guitar—among the “Cream” of the Fender crop, so to speak—is powered by three Vintage Noiseless pickups and features a special soft V-shaped maple neck, blocked tremolo and Clapton’s signature on the headstock.

Technical Info

Series: Custom Artist Series

Model Name: Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster

Model Number: 015-0082-(Color)

Color: (806) Black

Body: Select Alder

Neck: 1-Piece Maple, Soft “V” Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)

Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)

No. of Frets: 22 Vintage Style Frets

Pickups: 3 Vintage Noiseless™ Pickups (Neck, Middle, Bridge)

Controls:
Master Volume,
- Tone 1. Master Tone Control,
- Tone 2. Master Active Mid Boost (0-25dB)

Pickup Switching:
5-Position Blade:
- Position 1. Bridge Pickup
- Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
- Position 3. Middle Pickup
- Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
- Position 5. Neck Pickup

Bridge: “Blocked” American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo

Machine Heads: Fender®/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines

Hardware: Nickel/Chrome

Pickguard: 1-Ply White

Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.650 in. (42 mm)

Unique Features:
- Special Soft "V" Shape Neck,
- Blocked Tremolo,
- Active Mid-Boost Circuit,
- Eric Clapton’s Signature on Headstock

Strings: Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel,
Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046), p/n 073-0250-006

Accessories Included: Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable

Case: Vintage Tweed Case with Orange Interior

Introduced: 1/2004

Notice: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice

It takes a Slowhand to design a guitar this classy. Select Alder body with 1-piece 'soft-V' Maple neck. Vintage noiseless pickups with active mid-boost and blocked tremolo deliver that classic Cream-y attack . Includes Vintage Tweed case, strap, and cable.