Although there are countless legendary musicians throughout the last 100 years of music history, there are few instruments that achieve iconic status to match their player. Today we're taking a look at a guitar that was so integral to it's player's career, that it too became a piece of rock history.
Eric Clapton's 'Blackie' Stratocaster began it's life in 1970. Clapton picked up a whole rack of '50s Strats from a Nashville guitar shop at a time when they were cheap and out of fashion. He gifted one to Pete Townsend, one to Steve Winwood, and one to George Harrison, before deconstructing the rest and combining the best parts of each to create Blackie, a patchwork masterpiece that would go on to feature on multiple hits and grace the biggest stages in the world.
This mongrel guitar took a lot of wear and tear over the years, as all great guitars do - it continued it's Frankenstein roots seeing many changes to the hardware and electronics over the decades.
Let's jump in and build your own Eric Clapton ‘Blackie’ Replica!
Build Your Own!
Whether you're a huge Clapton fan, or you just love the aesthetics of his classic black Strat; we've got everything you need to build your own replica 'Blackie'.
A classic Strat style body, which is the base of many iconic guitars - this one included. Although the routing allows for a Tremolo, Clapton has blocked his off for stability, so you've got the option whether or not you want to use your Tremolo!
Meeting the exact specifications, this neck plays fantastically and is faithful to the original upgrade Clapton made when constructing his iconic Strat!
Crank up the volume and don't worry about the hum, with these genius Vintage Noiseless Fender Pickups.
As a pioneer of classic rock, Clapton's piercing tone was massively helped along by these classic pickups!
This circuit is colloquially known as the Clapton Boost. The Mid Boost knob allows you to adjust the gain from 0 dB (no boost) to 25 dB (maximum mid-range boost). This enhancement delivers exceptional clarity when used with a clean tone and provides precise control over distortion.
Give yourself a variety of tonal range with this industry-standard Oak Grigsby 5-Way Selector Switch.
Although 'Blackie' sported an original Fender trem, Clapton had it blocked off for stability. With this WV6 you get the best of both worlds, retaining the stability, but with the option of playing 'Layla' in the style of Dimebag Darrell.
Achieve the vintage look of Clapton's original tuners, with the added benefit of modern engineering.
Nicely contrast the glossy black body of your own Clapton replica with this striking white pickguard, perfect for picking up wear and tear that would make your favourite guitarists proud!
Finishing Pieces
We've covered the main parts, but that's not it - we've also got knobs, neck plates, back plates, string ferrules; all the bits of hardware you need to complete your very own version of Eric Clapton's iconic ‘Blackie’!