With its Stacked Humbuckers ( Fender vintage noice less ) its active circutry run by a battery and incredible 25 DB midboost the Clapton Signature Stratocaster is a monster. Active guitars get very hot. Its Said that the Clapton signature Stratocaster is between 25 to 30 times more powerful than a Gibson Les Paul with the 25 DB boost. Even with the boost off its a lot more powerful than a Gibson Les Paul Humbucker wise.
I tried one and it was much much more powerful than my Gibson Les Paul. Did not matter if the boost was on or not. Since the guitar is run by a battery it Will always have 12 DB mid boost even when the boost is off. Thats more powerful than a Humbucker. Then it goes up to 25 DB mid boost. Since Humbucker power doubles with every 3 DB mid boost its easy to see how incredibly powerful this guitar is. At 12 DB mid boost ( starting point) its more powerful than a Regular Humbucker ( and the Clapton signature Stratocasters Also has Humbuckers only Stacked but compared to a PAF Humbucker it has much more output. A PAF has 7,4 or 7,5 Kohm. The vintage noice less Stacked Humbuckers has 9,8 Kohm out put). So when at 3 DB mid boost the Humbucker power doubles. At 15 DB its double as powerful as at 12 DB. At 18 its 4 times as powerful as at 12. At 21 its 8 times more powerful than at 12. At 24 DB mid boost its 16 times more powerful than at 12 DB mid boost. And the Clapton Signature Stratocaster goes even higher up to 25 DB mid boost. A Gibson Les Paul has the eauivalent of 7 DB mid boost at its lowest and 11 DB mid boost at its highest. Counting it that way the Clapton signature Stratocaster should be about 25 to 30 times more powerful than a Gibson Les Paul Humbucker wise.
So the Clapton Stratocaster is as far away from a regular Stratocaster you posdibly could come. Clapton according to his auto biography only played a real Stratocaster for 8 to 11 years, he was under contract with another guitar company for a while, hence the period 8 to 11 years.
Anyone tried the Clapton Signature Stratocaster ?
