NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!! Fender EC Blackie Tribute Stratocaster Custom Shop, 2006

This is a real treat! One of only 275 built during 2006, here is a Fender EC Blackie Tribute Custom Shop Stratocaster, complete with Duck Bros flight case, Certificate of Authenticity and all of the related materials.

The Fender EC Blackie is based very closely on Clapton’s original ‘Blackie’, itself pieced together by Clapton from three 1950’s Strats. That guitar was ultimately sold at auction to Guitar Center by Christie’s on June 24, 2004, in support of Crossroads Center Antigua,  the addiction recovery center Clapton helped found in 1998.

Fender subsequently added it to their ‘Tribute’ series and spent close to a year reviewing the guitar. A reproduction prototype was built based on its condition then, not as it had originally been built. This extends to details like the use of co-axial cable at the output jack and a single, wide piece of copper foil for shielding the underside of the single-layer pickguard (this turned out to be surprisingly hard to find).

That first prototype was shown to Clapton prior to a show at the Royal Albert Hall, and wound up being used that evening – a clear sign of approval. All of the rest of this run are extremely close to that first guitar.

The Fender EC Blackie pickups are custom made, staggered pole set. The prototype pickups were hand made by Abigail Ybarra, who had been making pickups with Fender since 1956. Once the design was complete, she oversaw the construction of the 275 sets.

The body, like the original, is built up of three pieces of Alder, selected to match the weight and density. The neck reproduces wear and refinish, and the natural staining from years of use.

This guitar is in as-new, perhaps ‘mint’ condition, though those terms do not in this case mean smooth and glossy!  It appears to have been only lightly  and infrequently played.

The Fender EC Blackie Tribute Stratocaster is sold with its original “Duck Bros” branded flight case, itself a copy of the case Clapton used on many tours. All the original case candy, strap, trem arm, bridge cover, extra spring, and Certificate of Authenticity (COA) folder with DVD is included. Also included is a Crossroads Guitar Festival brochure, covering letter, Christie’s Auction catalog for Clapton’s guitars, the Eric Clapton Crossroads 4-CD set, and two Guitar Center posters from the time of purchase.