Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster Review – The Most Versatile Guitar Ever?
Unless you’ve lived in a closet for the past 15 years, you know that Fender has had no deficit of Artist-inspired guitars. One of their oldest offerings is still one of their greatest, the Eric Clapton model Stratocaster. Though it’s had a few refinements over the years, its versatility and quality remain extremely high.
If you’re reading this, you likely already are familiar with a basic Fender Strat, so let’s focus on the differences between a stock model and the Clapton.
For starters, there’s the electronics. Throughout his great career, Eric Clapton has played a variety of instruments, including a Gibson Les Paul, a Gibson SG, a Gibson ES-335, and, of course, a Fender Stratocaster. So it goes without saying that Slowhand needs a guitar that can cover a lot of sonic territory.
While the Fender Eric Clapton model may look like a mild-mannered Stratocaster, there’s a lot of audio wizardry under the hood. The Clapton Strat is furnished with an active 25db mid-boost controlled by what is usually the middle-pickup tone control.
The mid-boost adds enough versatility, but that’s not all the Clapton Strat offers. You’ve also got quality Fender Noiseless pickups and a master TBX tone control. The Clapton Stratocaster might just be the most versatile instrument you ever play. Seriously.
The tones are only part of the picture, though. The playability is top rate as well, owing in no little part to the V-shaped neck with 9.5″ radius. The neck is fantastically smooth and notes fret and bend with ease. It truly is one of the most comfortable necks we’ve ever seen.
We simply can’t extol the tones and playability of the Clapton Strat enough. You’d be hard pressed to ever find a guitar with the range of tones and ease of play as this one.
Still, there are some minor suggestions we could make if Fender was listening. We would appreciate some more modern tuners. Sure, the vintage tuners add to the instrument’s charm, but locking tuners would be better for an instrument as modern as the Clapton Strat.
Similarly, it would be nice if the vibrato wasn’t blocked by default, but that’s the way Clapton likes it, so that’s the way it is.
Aside from these small suggestions, we think the Eric Clapton model Stratocaster represents the best of Fender’s present-day offerings. We recommend it without qualification.
If you’ve enjoyed this discussion and wish to purchase your very own Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster, then please visit Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the cheapest prices on all new and used Fender electric guitars available anywhere on the Internet.
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