Fender Eric Clapton Signature or '52 Hot Rod Telecaster

[guitarboy883]

choices choices choices ...

I seriously change my mind every 1 or 2 days. My ideal choice would be to have both of them, but I only have enough money for one so your opinions and expierences would be greatly appreciated.

The first option is a Eric Clapton Sig Stratocaster (2001 model) with STK-S4 pluses in all three positions (in black of course). I really like the versitility of this instrument (TBX circut and 25 db midboost).

Second choice is a '52 Hot Rod Telecaster in butterscotch blonde. I would swap out the bridge pickup with a Jerry Donahue and the neck pickup with the Seth Lover instead of the mini-humbucker.

Styles I play are jazz, alternative/indie (The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie, and Tokyo Police Club), classic rock/blues (Clapton, hence the guitar choice, David Gilmour, The Who, and Led Zeppelin). I need the guitar to be able to play all of the aforementioned styles. I think both of these are capable of doing that.

My amp is a Reeves (Hiwatt clone) Custom 12 bt-dub.

[super rad stuff]

if you get the tele, you may as well just get a cheap one in butterscotch and mod it out since you'd be doing that regardless. personally, i think the tele would serve you better, as i see them as being more versatile than strats.

[darnright]

I too love Tele's. The Strat will have more tones plus having a tremelo. If it's going to be your main guitar, just because of the versatility, I'd go with the strat. From my personal "I gotta love it and play it", I would get the Tele.

-dave

[FuseG4]

if you were gonna change the mini-bucker to a full sized, what's the point of getting such an expensive tele? Get an american standard or something that feels good and do the same thing. Those '52s have rather chunky necks if i've heard right, that can be good or bad. It is thin-skin nitro-on-ash though. Thats a solid plus.

The clapton strat has the custom v shape? I'd love to know how that feels. The boost could be cool but you can put that in cheaper guitars easily. Sounds like more axe for the $$$ as far as versatility.

[Empty Pockets]

the neck minibucker in the 52 hot rod is the entire reason to buy that guitar.

100% of the reason

to buy
it

so i'd get it and leave that pickup in it.

the Clapton Strats are pretty cool but they're not Telecasters with minihumbuckers in the neck.

[guitarboy883]

im one of the very few that actually likes the neck on the tele. I've played the hot rod, some American standards, and some highway ones, and i honestly like the hot rod better. As far as the strat, the vibrato is blocked, which is fine cause i dont really use it.

[Empty Pockets]

i love the neck on the 52 hot rod as well but you gotta remember that all necks are SLIGHTLY different...heh.

just sayin that it's probably possible to find a chunky 50's neck Tele that's more affordable and modify-friendly than that thing. but y'know, whatever you wanna do bro, it's your money

[Will S-T]

Versatility tells me the strat, but hey.......a Tele brings out a less reserved side in me.

MAKE NOISE!!!!!!

[B2D]

the neck minibucker in the 52 hot rod is the entire reason to buy that guitar.

100% of the reason

to buy
it

so i'd get it and leave that pickup in it.

the Clapton Strats are pretty cool but they're not Telecasters with minihumbuckers in the neck.

I agree completely with this statement. Plus, those mini-sized frets on the Clapton strat drive me friggen crazy. And the trem's blocked anyways.

[ImmortalSix]

Telecaster.

Completely.

[Bludave]

choices choices choices ...

I seriously change my mind every 1 or 2 days. My ideal choice would be to have both of them, but I only have enough money for one so your opinions and expierences would be greatly appreciated.

The first option is a Eric Clapton Sig Stratocaster (2001 model) with STK-S4 pluses in all three positions (in black of course). I really like the versitility of this instrument (TBX circut and 25 db midboost).

Second choice is a '52 Hot Rod Telecaster in butterscotch blonde. I would swap out the bridge pickup with a Jerry Donahue and the neck pickup with the Seth Lover instead of the mini-humbucker.

Styles I play are jazz, alternative/indie (The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie, and Tokyo Police Club), classic rock/blues (Clapton, hence the guitar choice, David Gilmour, The Who, and Led Zeppelin). I need the guitar to be able to play all of the aforementioned styles. I think both of these are capable of doing that.

My amp is a Reeves (Hiwatt clone) Custom 12 bt-dub.

Well I have 2 EC Strats. One black & one metal flake Green. Both are from 88 & 89. The Blcak one is a monster guitar. Its my favorite electric I own. It is completely stock except for a pickguard change (vintage pearl) and I have graphite saddles. This guitar is huge in its tone. I love the lace sensor version of this guitar. Every one that I have played that has the Fender noiseless pickups just sounds sterile to me. I have had both refretted with 6105 fretwire. Just a personal choice the skinny vintage Fender frets are to small for me. I rarely use the preamp, but on occasions I do kick it in. The concept of the preamp was to be able to get a humbucker type of tone out of it and quite honestly it doesn't work all that well. It adds an interesting flavor to overdrive tones, but clean it just gets muddy. Bit I really love the feel of the "V" neck and the overall neck shape. Its a great guitar.

I have a Telecaster that was modded by Mike (Xssive) he named it the Twistedcaster. It has a Firebird minihum & and Hotrail. The hotrail is a tad to hot for my taste and I have toyed with the idea of putting a Jerry Donahue bridge pickup in. I have the JD in another Tele and it is one of the best Tele pickups I have heard. I love this in a Tele. I would recommend leaving the Minihum in or at least go with the Duncan Firebird thats whta I have in mine and it really does a Tele justice. I think the Seth would be to dark in a guitar like this.

[Seth Pearly]

Have you thought about the Nashville Telecaster? I couldn't decide on whether I wanted a Strat or Tele to compliment my 335 (sweet blues) and Carvin (Hard rock) humbucking guitars. The Nashville comes with a 3 pickup configuration, tele bridge and neck, strat middle. It quacks like a strat in 2,3,4 - twangs like a tele in 1 and 5. Even better, in your case, it has the swimming pool route underneath the pickguard. As you are already planning on changing the pickups, all you need to do is buy the right pickguard off WD and you're good to go. Swap out the bridgeplate/saddles with a callaham or glendale when you put in the Jerry Donahue, throw in a superswitch and you've got a very versatile guitar for a reasonable price. You may want to upgrade the tuners as well - it's got the vintage pings. They hold well, but are a pain to load. The only downside is its MIM, so you want to play it before buying... I couldn't be happier. I've even kept the pickups stock. I even like the stock tex-mex's. They work really well with just a little bit o grit. I'd only change them out to try to reduce the hum...

[guitfiddle]

I'd get the '52 and leave it as-is cause it's one of the best takes on the Tele Fender has ever put out, but if you're determined to change it then you might get something less pricy. Although the necks on those 52s ARE badass...never gonna get that feel from a MIM

[guitarboy883]

yes i agree the tele is a little pricy to mess with but its the physical playability and feel of the instrument that sets it above the other teles. same with the stratocaster. (plus the clapton circut)

[rts99]

I think you should base your decision on the rareness of each. If the 52 Tele is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a rare guitar that you want & that you are happy with I would go with it. The Clapton models will be around. You can also create your own Clapton version if you really want one. Not to claim one is "better" than the other, just that I suspect the opportunity to own this Tele won't come along again. But you should be able to acquire the Clapton (or Clapton parts-caster) at a later time if you wish. You can make a tele copy as well but it may not have the desireability of a real Tele. A Clapton parts-caster won't have the desireability of a real Clapton signature either, but I suspect there are more Clapton signature guitars around than 52 Teles.

Happy Choosing.

[super rad stuff]

you could always just go the cheaper route, by getting a MIM and a new neck with a chunky profile like the hot rod's neck.

[Iron Horse]

Telecaster is the one you'd want to cover those things, but two guitars would be even better.

[JordanM82]

TELE!!!! I love the 52 tele's, thats my next guitar honestly...


-J

[B2D]

I went to the local Guitar Center and played both guitars side by side. I really did like the Tele more. There's so much more mojo and tone in it!

[guitarboy883]

yes i agree. i have been persuaded to get the tele. hopefully i will have the money to purchase the strat in a few months!