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Thread: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Wondering what folks think about the active electronics. I like the flexibility but it felt like I was playing a Strat with a built-in Klon. Maybe a tad, I don’t know- artificial?

    Nice guitar overall. I may pick one up and play a few shows to see how it works.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Are you talking about the 25dB midboost kit? I just read about that, and how Clapton had one installed but it wasn't known for a bit. Now Fender offers an official kit.

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    I put the exact EC electronics and the vintage noiseless pickups in a Strat a few years back, and I didn't like it at all. My guitar sounded sterile and synthetic to me, with the boost or without. However, a buddy of mine has 2 EC Strats--one with the Lace Sensors and one of the high end ECs of recent years. The earlier one with the Lace S. sounds the best of the two. He loves the V shape neck too. He has played that one so much that it has well-used marks on the fretboard like Clapton's original Blackie. It's a great Strat, and I might start looking for one myself and convert it to a lefty.
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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    I have a 2016 Fender Artist Signature Eric Clapton Strat (in Olympic White) I bought brand new. I don't recall it having the Active Mid Boost, but Fender says it's standard on their current web page. Since it isn't obvious just by looking, I guess I'll have to pull it out and test it a bit. Hmmm.

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    I have a 2016 Fender Artist Signature Eric Clapton Strat (in Olympic White) I bought brand new. I don't recall it having the Active Mid Boost, but Fender says it's standard on their current web page. Since it isn't obvious just by looking, I guess I'll have to pull it out and test it a bit. Hmmm.

    You can tell if it has a battery.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    I put the exact EC electronics and the vintage noiseless pickups in a Strat a few years back, and I didn't like it at all. My guitar sounded sterile and synthetic to me, with the boost or without. However, a buddy of mine has 2 EC Strats--one with the Lace Sensors and one of the high end ECs of recent years. The earlier one with the Lace S. sounds the best of the two. He loves the V shape neck too. He has played that one so much that it has well-used marks on the fretboard like Clapton's original Blackie. It's a great Strat, and I might start looking for one myself and convert it to a lefty.
    Where did you mount the PC board?
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    Are you talking about the 25dB midboost kit? I just read about that, and how Clapton had one installed but it wasn't known for a bit. Now Fender offers an official kit.


    it's no secret his had mid-boost and 25 dB boost kit. His VN equipped guitars sounded like Strats on steroids. Last time I saw him he was plugged directly into the amp so we knew something was going on. a 59 Bassman Reissue doesn't break up and clean up that much on its own without a lot of volume change.

    I dislike having guitars wrangled during a show, so I'm wondering if I can just buy a couple EC Strats and be able to play one for each set. They do seem pretty darned versatile. While the active boost (for as little as I've tried one) seems like it will work just fine for covering LP stuff, the glassiness and articulate prescience of the cleans was what impressed me. I've been using a treble boosted Strat a lot lately for live. I dig the cut it has.

    I'm going to see if I can borrow one for a couple shows this weekend and see if I like them.

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Forum Member Michael Smith's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    I'm curious if there is an access panel on the rear to change the battery, or do you have to remove the pick guard each time?
    "When You're Riding Down the Highway at Night, And You're Feeling that Wild Turkey's Bite" ZZ Top

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Next step: Remove the screws and find out.

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Turns out opening the plate isn't really necessary, as the 9V label is readily apparent if one just looks. But just for grins and giggles (and it's time to change the battery, anyway).

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    I'm really glad this topic came up. One reason I haven't been playing my EC Strat (the first Strat I ever owned) is that the controls started giving "funky" results. By funky, I mean sort of "scratchy" and inconsistent tones. Now I realize the battery should be changed. Duh!

    When I bought the guitar seven years ago, I was more interested in the neck shape and Noiseless pickups than I was in the active electronics, which completely went over my head at the time. Lesson learned!



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    Forum Member Michael Smith's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Is your tremelo (vibrato) blocked, or is that an optical illusion? Or was it blocked from the factory?
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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Smith View Post
    Is your tremelo (vibrato) blocked, or is that an optical illusion? Or was it blocked from the factory?

    Yes, and it came that way from the factory. I don't use a whammy bar, so it's not an issue for me.
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, all my TFF friends! After reading this thread and exploring my own 2016 EC Signature Stratocaster, I went to the battery store today and bought a replacement 9v battery. That's all it took! Plugged it in, and remembered why I chose this to be my very first Stratocaster! The 25db boost is actually felt through the middle (top?) tone knob. Turn it past the "clickstop" and presto! Now I have to completely re-familiarize myself with the five-way selector switch and the various tones possible through this guitar, but my as-yet-unamed Eric Clapton Signature Strat is now sitting within arm's reach, ready to hold forth!

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    Forum Member Michael Smith's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post

    Yes, and it came that way from the factory. I don't use a whammy bar, so it's not an issue for me.
    I'm glad the vibrato was blocked from the factory. If you did it yourself and didn't see the 9V battery I would begin to worry about your eyesight.

    I imagine the battery is in circuit whenever there is a guitar cord is plugged in to the input jack, so unplug it when not in use to prolong the battery life.


    Edit: or perhaps the battery is only in circuit when the tone knob is turned beyond the "clickstop". You could test this with a multimeter set to milliamps. Touching one probe to the positive battery terminal and the other to the positive "socket" where the battery plugs into and see when it starts drawing current. (Leave the negative battery terminal connected to it's socket).
    Last edited by Michael Smith; 01-19-2023 at 03:37 PM. Reason: Added information
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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Smith View Post
    I imagine the battery is in circuit whenever there is a guitar cord is plugged in to the input jack, so unplug it when not in use to prolong the battery life.
    I have the Powerhouse Strat which is equipped with a similar active boost module and that's the way the circuit is disabled and shut down. However it employs a conventional flip-open compartment to permit battery access.
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    Forum Member Michael Smith's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    I have the Powerhouse Strat which is equipped with a similar active boost module and that's the way the circuit is disabled and shut down. However it employs a conventional flip-open compartment to permit battery access.
    I edited my last post, perhaps while you were typing your latest post.
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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    On mine there is a detent on the #1 tone control but it's never seemed to positively engage when the knob was rolled all the way down. Thus, I rely on unplugging the guitar just to be sure.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Oldstrummer,

    what are your thoughts on the vintage frets? Like 'em? Hate 'em? Do you even notice?

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  20. #20
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Angler View Post
    Oldstrummer,

    what are your thoughts on the vintage frets? Like 'em? Hate 'em? Do you even notice?

    Chuck

    Truth be told, I don't really notice them. I'm a pretty dumb guitar player, so when I pick one up to play, I just kind of adjust to the guitar, and don't really look for a guitar that suits my hands or playing style. The EC Strat just feels great in my hands! I think for me, frets and inlays are more like guideposts than anything else.

    I feel pretty much the same way about pickups. If they produce sound out of an amplifier speaker, that's what's important to me.

    Same thing with neck profiles. I do think that after trying several, I don't like the steep radius (7.25") necks. My acoustics are almost all 12," but a 9.5" on an electric doesn't bother me, either.

    I'm probably the last guy to ask about specs, since I may be aware of them, but then I just try to play to the guitar and adjust where I need to. Some guitars I like better than others, but I couldn't tell you why. It's like the old definition of pornography: I may not be able to define it, but I know it when I see it.
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    Forum Member OLD GUITAR PLAYER's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    I have the Powerhouse Strat which is equipped with a similar active boost module and that's the way the circuit is disabled and shut down. However it employs a conventional flip-open compartment to permit battery access.
    I currently have a 2020 MIM Deluxe HSS Strat with Clapton Noiseless pickups and a vintage Shawbucker (so no need for a boost). I also added an Ultra snap-in Tremolo system. Back In 1990 I ordered an American Standard Deluxe Plus from the Custom Shop (with Blue-Silver-Red Laces & Jumbo Frets) and they offered me the option of a mid-boost circuit. I passed because I didn't want to have to remember to put a 9 volt battery IN my guitar (and change it regularly). With my luck I figured I'd be at a gig and it would crap out.

  22. #22
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Eric Clapton Signature Opinions

    Quote Originally Posted by OLD GUITAR PLAYER View Post
    With my luck I figured I'd be at a gig and it would crap out.
    When I was still gigging I used to keep several new BA90's in my gig bag. Most of the devices on my pedal board were AC-powered via a 9/18 VDC brick but my Nady wireless guitar transmitter required a fresh battery every weekend. It was only good for about ten to twelve hours.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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