Well Eric being born in '45 and starting Cream in '66 after having played already in The Yardbirds and John Mayals Bluesbreakers. Pretty sure he developed his secret weapon in approximately twelve, thirteen years or so of practice
Watched a recent rig rundown, he just uses a 3 way switch live, and only has one pedal on the floor and leaves the mid boost on. Just punches the tubes on his dumbles. Thats it. Its OG… Its just all him.. Doing what he does.
I definitely over simplified it, but it doesn’t get much more “OG” as far as setups go, that’s for sure. Make sure you check out my 10k subscriber giveaway video too! Giving stuff away from PRS, Martin, & more.
It’s a genius concept…and Eric’s thought instead of putting a Humbucker in bridge like many did…He got Fender to add a circuitry that pushes the midrange db…and the tbx tone control compensates the loss of treble …pretty awesome..I think it’s the best all around Stratocaster…for stage use…😊
We all know how the tone knobs works. Try something harder like a Zappa sound. I've been playing for 50 years and I don't need no stinking pedals,except maybe a wah
I have owned and played an Eric Clapton 'Blackie' Strat since mid-90s. It's been a great workhorse for what I am using it for. What he did not mention is that the neck is thinner in the middle, worked down to allow easier play and fingering.
OMG! I CANT BELIEVE THIS! Back in 1998, I made this EXACT GUITAR! 97 Am. Standard with the Clapton electronics dropped in, and I play it every day!! I used to think my guitar was one of a kind, but now it’s at least 2, excellent taste dude!
That’s awesome! Mines actually a mid-90’s MIJ 50’s reissue Strat, so yours is still one of a kind! Thanks for watching. Hope you’ll stick around and subscribe.
My blackie is a custom shop body. Double shielded electronics & heavier wiring, gold lace sensors , & an EC neck which doesn’t match serial numbers of course . I love it. Not sure how many parts were bastardized from other Claptons . Lol
His original "blackie" strat was actually comprised of the best parts of 3 stratocasters. He had it "custom buit." He found a guitar shop that was selling them cheap and bought six. One He gave to George Harrison, another he gave to Steve Winwood, and another to Pete Townshend.
I saw an interview with Clapton recently wherein he talked about buying Strats in pawn shops when he was on tour in the US because they weren't available in the UK at the time. I sat there in stunned silence as I realized that there was nothing special about the guitars he played back then. Once again, It's all in the hands.
@@corneliuscrewe677 Brownie was also built with some of the guitars that he had bought through that time - mostly bought in NYC and a few other places.
Gilmour used a similar mod on his red strat from the 80s, you can hear it all over Delicate Sound of thunder. I had the mod on one of my guitars back in the day, definitely gets you closer to that sound - you can use the bridge pickup and get some bite, but with a warm fatness to it that's not like the dark chunkiness of the classic middle and neck pickup sound of a strat. Great for soaring leads.
I have a 1982-84 (Checked the serial number online) Squier Stratocaster and one of the pus was dead, so I installed the DG-20 on it. Totally new guitar.
I own a “Blackie” and the Lace sensors are like comparing CD’s to cassettes. They were ahead of their time. I love humbuckers and traditionally wound pickups. The Lace sensors are so forgiving and clean. Fantastic on stage. I’m rarely use the tone boost but there are those moments when it’s great!
Clapton's Strat tone on the 'Just One Night' double live album(with Albert Lee) was IMHO his best Strat tone. It had sparkle, stinging clarity, and sounded awesome with the Wah. After that as far as I'm concerned it lost some of its mojo. It morphed into this mid rangey tone that sounded like the neck pickup on an SG or LP with the tone rolled off. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan. I learned how to play guitar by copping Clapton's licks reaching back to the Cream era and by incorporating Just One Night into my DNA. I'm just expressing my personal opinion, everybody's got one. Cheers.
You pretty much hit the nail on the head here. In 1980, for Just One Night, that was a "real" Strat with single coils and none of the mid boost circuitry. Funny enough, his goal and challenge to Fender was to get his Strat to sound like that rolled off, neck hum bucker on the SG/LP. So, I guess they got pretty close then! These guitars are a really weird middle ground. Not quite a Strat...not quite a humbucker guitar. I loved mine for a long time and played tons of gigs with it, but I've since gravitated back to traditional single coils or humbuckers and gotten away from the "do it all" guitar that I think Clapton's intends to be. Appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@TomButwin Thanks man, I wasn't sure how that comment was going to go over. I've got a 70's era SG and Strat I've had since I was a teenager(I'm 60 now), I've had many other guitars but I kept them because it's nice to have the best of both worlds. Cheers :)
@@TomButwinThey are both tobacco bursts so they are kinda a matching set. The Strat has the trem decked with three springs(i use .09's) and a maple neck that is just scoured. I recently put a Floyd FRX trem system on the SG, I just love it. They are both authentic relics now. Someone can pry them from my dead cold hands. :)
@@TomButwin it’s like a super dark green metallic sparkle. Was surprised to find out it’s NOS. Funny thing about that mid boost. When I was first trying it out I was totally unaware of it and thought it sounded muddy and kind of unclear for a strat😅
I might sound a little old fashioned but I want my Strat to sound like a Strat and my Les Paul to sound like a Les Paul. You need one of each and a Telecaster too lol. I get the gain Db thing but it’s still a Strat with a boost. I think people want to get his Strat to sound like Clapton. We all are guilty of this rabbit hole once it comes from our hero’s lol
Got myself a 99 Fender Deluxe Powerhouse Strat, which was the “budget” slightly neutered Clapton Strat. It was a (VERY WELL MADE) Mexico Strat with a 12 db md boost with American standard pickups. The mid boost is actually the same 25 db boost, but with an extra resister added to half the boost.
oh I have one too I didn't know how similar it was. When I first got it, I had no idea what it was. I only knew it was awesome that I have like active pickups with a boost knob.
Very informative, thanks. In this case with the special third knob, the second tone knob must work for all 3 pickups then, because the regular use of the third knob has been changed to such an extent. I have to say that I noticed that when Eric switched to these "all white" pickups, the notes would sound more "sonic", to me, without the normal "note decay" I was used to, being played through a large stack, like the classic 60s, 70s sound. Which I do prefer to the new "sonic" sounding notes. These non decaying notes sound too futuristic to me. I like "Brownie" better. But, that's just me.
Hey Alan! Yes, the TBX tone circuit is sort of a “master” tone. It’s got a detent for a neutral position. If you go up, it’s boosting highs and if you go down, it’s cutting them. Really helps to get clarity that can be lost with such a big boost in the midrange from the other knob. As far as those all white Lace Sensor pickups, your ears are correct. They have a hifi/HD quality to them…almost too much. And, your comparison to that more traditional/vintage Strat tone of Brownie is right on. These midboost circuit guitars don’t really sound like a “real” Strat, which can be cool, but I tend to agree with you. I like that vintage vibe more.
I saw Clapton New Years Eve, he played a Charity Gig for Alcoholics Anonymous, in a Sports hall about half mile from my house, small gig, maybe 1k people max, he totally smashed it, doesn't get better!
@@GAFloppa yeah, but Clapton and the Leisure Centre staff handled it well, tbh, given the number of oldies in the audience, there should have been chairs, I'm cool with standing for 5 hours on a solid concrete floor, they ain't, he should have done an encore though.
@@LOFIGSD yes it did end rather abruptly. Would have been nice to hear him play at least one of his self-penned classics. The setlist fell a bit flat for me
@@GAFloppa I kinda get what he is doing, going back to the songs that inspired him and stripping it right back, it was done really well, however, as a Musician, most of those songs have been done to death by old blokes at Jam sessions, Im not being too critical, chance to see Clapton 5 minutes walk from where I live, HUGE RESPECT for him doing that gig and to all his Band. Warm up pub band could have played longer, also would have been nice to see an originals warm up Band, rather than covers.
1:58 Clapton does this same thing when he played Layla with bassist Nathan East onstage in a black 2 piece suit, that concert when Clapton launched into the riff Nathan got startled. All Clapton did was he rolled a knob to get that tone.
You should check out Jerry Garcia's guitars and what they had. Jerry had a OBEL (ONboard Effects Loops) on the guitar itself. Also the guitar had a preamp in it as well and a buffer. Theres more musicians than you think out there using some very unique approaches to getting their tone. :-)
To me, ECs sound reminds me of an old buckboard racing down a mountain trail with the wheels about to fall off. I always think "that can't be normal...". Thanks for the info.
One reason I believe why Clapton's sound changed is his hearing loss. With pretty much most hearing loss it is the upper mids and high end that goes. So he boosted em.
@@TomButwin Yeah he said he tried hearing aids as he was about 80% deaf in one ear, he didn't like them as he said they didn't sound natural. My friend was the same way, get in his car and the radio was at max treble. I am old and am in the same boat. I cannot even hear the microwave beep if I am not using my hearing aids.
Found you through Ward Carroll's channel. Dude that outro you did for him is so damn good it gets stuck in my head, and I don't mind at all! I encourage you to check out my dear friend Tim Templeton. I served with him on a Med float in '85. We did a few numbers together and he was good then. He's amazing now. Thanks for the great content. Just subbed. ✌🐸
There's still one of this available in a shop in my country (2-3 days shipping to where I live). It's a new old stock, black, with Lace Sensor. It cost $1300 complete set. It has some minor conditions though but nothing that impair its playability nor structural integrity.
I put Fender mid boost on my active dimarzio PU set.... it is amazing as you pointed out thru VDO.... love that brought this up .....simple things that make different practically
I'm grateful for yt recommending me this video on my yt search for 50s strat wiring btw. On the search about building the ultimate guitar. And u just added something totally new, another knob, unrelated to pots caps or phase switches ect, which hasn't happened in a pretty long time I think. So thanks lol. Let's see if ur other secret weapon videos contain other electronic/building, well, secret weapons lol. Cheers everyone reading (I'm not Bri ish or Canadian lol)
Of course, artists such as Eric Clapton seek guitars that feel right to them and aid them to produce what they want to produce. However, these guitarists would and do sound great on virtually any guitar. Their gear is refined to suit them and to make their efforts easier, but it is their individual talent that makes whatever they are playing on sound so great. Using a recent film as an example, a great race-car driver can win in a Ferrari or a Ford. Gear is fun and does make a difference in the final sound, but it is the musician's talent that drives the car, gear is what he/she is driving.
The analogy with race cars doesn't really work. Ford and Ferrari both showed up with cars capable of an overall victory, but other teams came with cars that were competing for class victories. If the Ford and Ferrari drivers were driving 906s or 911s or Alpines they wouldn't have stood a chance of winning unless all of the GT40s and P4s DNF'd. Individual talent won't overcome a several second per lap deficit, a competitive platform is required. That's why most motorsports puts so much effort into ensuring parity between different cars that are raced in the same class. In many ways it's the exact opposite situation as music. Music involves a balance of all sorts of factors, that's why musicians who aren't skilled in some areas can still produce really interesting music. A really good musical instrument might inspire an artist, or might be slightly easier to play on, but ultimately it won't be conclusive. A good musician can almost certainly make music no matter what instruments they have access to, given that quality is largely subjective in this context. Meanwhile, for motorsports, having a competitive vehicle that's well set-up might be the difference between competing for a victory and finishing poorly. Quality is much more narrowly defined and objective in this context.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Yes, it does. Of course, the gear that a musician uses must be good enough to help him or he make music. A poorly made guitar, etc. will not do so and he or she would not use one. The race car analogy assumes that the cars are of roughly equal quality and that it is the driver who wins the race by the application of his or her ability. Of course, an ordinary family sedan cannot compete with a racing-purpose-designed Ferrari. Similarly, I assume (yes, I know the joke about "assume") that we are discussing professional grade gear. I thought that that was understood in my analogy.
@@Glicksman1 To be fair, I'm talking entirely about purpose built race cars, not a regular family sedan (unless it's prepped for racing like TCR or Group A, etc). I think you might be understanding my criticism backwards, because I agree with your point about instruments; it just doesn't apply to race cars. The best driver in NASCAR or IMSA or what have you can't take the worst performing car in their class to a victory. A reigning champ will finish mid-pack in a car that consistently runs in the back half of the field. Talent only rarely overcomes the deficit on it's own. The best team might be able to in a spec series (since they'd just apply their setup, everyone drives identical cars), but not the driver alone. The best team wouldn't be able to polish the slowest car in a bespoke or production based series into a winner all at once though. Having the best tool available matters a lot more in racing than it does in music because the competition is judged on a very narrow criteria. Music isn't even a competition, it's judged on very different criteria. That's why one doesn't even require 'professional' grade gear, merely adequate gear.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Alright, not racing cars. I bow to your interest and expertise regarding them. My analogy was not intended to be taken literally, but as an example of how it is the player who matters more than the gear (the driver more than the car). I think that you might agree that the better driver in a lesser car stands a better chance to win than the lesser driver in a better car. However, I do appreciate that you agree with what I wrote, however poorly stated.
When it comes to a stratocaster 🎸.... Jeff Beck can make a stratocaster sing like nobody else can. Yeah Clapton 👍 but Beck is in a league of his own 🎸🎶🎵‼️
I had the same thing done to my Strat along with Noiseless pickups installed,, the change is amazing and very cool to use when playing,, thanks for the vid!!
Does anyone know what strat eric used in the recording of bad love. There is a tone in the leaf break I can't replicate....I've heard him play it multiple times live and he's only replicated the sound twice
I built a "Clapton Strat" from scratch. I couldn't get from your description as to whether you put in PCB but it does sound like it. One point for guys that want try this mod is that you need to rout out a decent sized pocket under the pickguard for the PCB and use noise cancelling pups. The pups need a bit more taken out under the depth of the originals. Using typical single coils will give quite a noisy result. Great explanation of the Clapton Strat Tom !
I did! It's the full kit, to include the circuit board. There was definitely some serious routing that had to be done. In my ignorance, and my habit of taking off the trem spring covers, my tech installed the battery under the pick guard (along with the PCB). So, you can imagine, things are pretty tight in there and battery changes are not easy. Poor decision on my part, in hindsight lol. As far as pickup routing, the Lace Sensors fit just fine in the MIJ 50's reissue body I have. Awesome to hear of another build like this!
@@TomButwin I did the same in my Deluxe Plus Strat, PCB and battery under the pickguard. The pickups were the originals Lace Sensor (Blue, Silver and Red). After some time I removed it and sold it, and now it has Fralin Blues pickups. But... I bought a Custom Shop Eric Clapton Strat, maybe the best Strat I've ever had in my hands. Although I think the lace sensor gold would be a better option. I'll try those pickups one day.
Hi Andrew, I have also installed this TBX pcb in a strat and I got some serious humming/buzzing. I thought I wired it up wrong but I haven't. Today I routed out a pocket for the pcb to fit in as I had it under/in between the pups and thought maybe that was causing the humming. I've not yet finished putting it together and I just happened to randomly see this video and then comments. I'm now guessing that I have to have noiseless pups? I have an SSL5 and 2 fat 50's.
I was able to jam the circuit board in the cavity beneath the pots. Just had to cut the corner off to make it fit. 2018 Roadworn Olympic white strat with Tex mex pickups ( which I did not like in my Jimmy Vaughn model) sound great with this circuit. Routed a pocket in the back beneath the trem spring cover for the battery. Also modded a 2015 classic player 50’s strat in shoreline gold with the circuit and installed Vintera 60’s pickups. Also sounds great. Good secret weapon for gigs or when you show up at a blues jam and use some random amp
The Tone knob works slightly different: you might have noticed it "dents" around the 5 mark. Settings 0-5 behave like your regular tone knob as in it is a low pass filter which rolls off the highs. However, past the dent (6-10) it works as a high pass filter: a tone knob in reverse. It is not that more high frequencies are added, it is that low frequencies are scooped out giving you the impression of more brightness (because you just take out the "mud"). I suspect the idea behind this is that low frequencies generate additional harmonics upon break-up which are still in a lower range than high frequencies (not sure if low frequencies also distort faster). So if you clean up the lows on the input side, you get more clarity in your distortion (= definition) while you can still add "warmth" by adjusting the EQ on your amp and boosting the lows. The difference being that an EQ just amplifies certain frequencies which exist in the signal and a distortion generates additional frequencies which happen to be in that low-mid range for low frequencies. I added such electronics (except not the boost mechanism as that needed a 9v battery which i couldn't house) to my PRS EG. It's a great tone.
The same effect can be applied if you use a lace sensor strat with a lead sound DI (like a DG Stomp and roll off the volume. This will clean up the tone with the volume nob only. Crank the knob and voila; instant lead tone. Roll down the volume knob instant clear tones
Try it out! My only two pieces of advice would be: 1. Mount the battery in the trem cavity, like stock models (I didn’t do this. 🤦🏻♂️) 2. Have a normal Strat too if you like that sound, because these guitars are Strat-like…but not that classic single coil sound.
I once tried a Clapton Strat with the 25 db boost on it and it turned out real hard to me, to set it back on 0 db after using the boost. It felt so goddamm naked and cold 🎸🌬 very addictiv thing that boost 😃
My guitar teacher got a black EC strat with the Lace pickups and the mid boost when he was invited to buy some stuff when Joe Walsh was clearing excess stuff out of his storage. When I heard that sound, I immediately took my Squire Strat and had the Lace/midboost/tone knob installed on it. Love that guitar. The only thing left of the original Squire is the body & neck at this point. Then about a year later my teacher had a real need for a new washer & dryer, and made a great deal on the EC Blackie (with right of first refusal if I ever want to sell it, which I can't imagine I ever will)!
Ima get the eric’s pewter signature strat and a costum shop v neck rw… I just want a 10 way switch ( it’s freeway switch ) and it gives real Les Paul tone on neck and bridge even if it’s a strat just one mod and changes everything
The Fender mid boost first came out in the Dan Smith era Stratocaster Elite, along with the TBX tone circuit. Basically it's +25db of boost @500hz, and the pot blends the boosted signal with the dry signal. So if you dont want to rout a hole in your Strat and achieve the same effect, you can just get an EQ pedal and boost a bunch of 500hz. But then you dont have it available on a knob right on your guitar. The TBX tone circuit helps clear it up as well, as it OS a normal tone control from 0-5, but from 5-10 it changes the resistance and kind of acts like a bass roll off, but doesnt get too thin. Just a MDX mid boost can get a little muddy depending on the setup, so the TBX in addition to it certainly helps. Fender also put the mid boost in the old Powerhouse Strats, but it was only a 12.5db boost. Apparently you can modify them by cutting a resistor out to make it the full 25db boost, but I've never done it. Strats are very mid-scoopy sounding by default, so a mid boost really helps fill out the sound and makes it thicker.
@@TomButwin Yeah, ya know I'm not sure which they had. Being a massive Ty Tabor (of Kings X) fan, I was a huge fan of the Strat Elite. I just assumed it was the same 25db one that ended up in the Clapton.
I’ve seen eric Clapton signature start with noiseless pick ups. Would it have the same sounds as if the 3rd knob is open up? Or only on those particular pick ups?
Lace Sensors (like in my demo) were used through 2001 and then replaced with the noiseless pickups. Everything else with the 25db mid boost on that third knob is the same! The second knob had changed from a TBX tone control, like mine, to a normal tone control for a few years, but only on certain custom shop models. Thanks for watching and hope you’ll subscribe (if you haven’t already)!
@@TomButwin do you think the lace sensors are better than noiseless pick ups. A friend of mine might sell his eric Clapton strat to me but it has the noiseless pick ups
So, the vintage noiseless pickups are actually made by stacking two magnets on top of one another, which makes them more humbucker-like in tone, in some ways. People say that the VN pickups have more bottom end vs. the Lace Sensors (which are true single coils, in the magnet sense). Both pickups are really great and I can’t say that one is better, necessarily. I think the tonal differences are pretty minor between the two, to be honest.
Great video on Eric’s strat. He was able to get a bit of a Humbucker sound with single coil pickups. I totally agree straight through the amp is really the way to go. I’m old and learned along the way, pedal boards are really cool. The problem is that you will be screwing around trying to find a sound you are looking for, and guess what? You’ll just trying to tweak tones. You’ll almost never be happy with the tones. Robert Cray does not use effects nor does Angus Young. So, I am told. Angus uses a wireless system to play to his Marshall stacks. Some say it is the wireless system that does it, Marshall’s are their own animal..don’t know 🤷♂️Whatever!
I have to agree that pedals and such can be a huge distraction from just playing! That’s why I love acoustics so much. Just you and the guitar and nothing else. I will say, though, when you get the right pedal combination dialed in, it can be incredible! Just have to resist the urge to constantly twist knobs! Haha. Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comment very much.
This is relatable. It's so easy to get overwhelmed with options and waste all of one's initiative on trying out different sounds instead of creating music. After years of chasing a specific tone I'm basically there, it's just a stereo blend of two 90s era solid state amps - settings haven't been touched in years. Technically it's two (analog) pedals that imitate those amps and two cab sim boxes, but all and all, it's smaller than most people's pedal boards. I just need distortion.
1992, Springfield, MA: Mr. B.B. King put his hand on my shoulder & said, "Don't worry about your tone. Just play & it will sound like you.". To this day, I always fall back on Mr. King's expert direction.
its a great circuit , i like it for clean , like with the neck pu or position 4 , playing up past the 12th you get this bell like attack and a sound you just cant get otherwise . one can just as soon build your own circuit and mount it in your guitar or in a pedal . i recommend the demeter fat control - i have one built into a guitar and i have one in a pedal , also this same circuit CAN work wonders for a bass guitar . i have one on my wifes pedal board and it makes certain effects come to life , like the phaser on her board animates and justifies its spot on the board ONLY with that mid boost , same with the auto wah stuff . now mind you i have found it works in some instances and in others i wasnt so hot on it , as with this stuff YMWV . its great when we have the bass running direct into the pa . when we run the pedal into a mixer and then a headphone amp for practice in the apartment , it sounded awful with the mid boost . its one of those effects that is kind of under the radar though but yeah its a really cool effect that totally changes the tone . you can find the layout for the demeter fat control on tagboard effects and its a pretty simple low parts count build based around an op amp so ... its beginner to moderate skill level build . tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/09/demeter-fat-control.html
I wouldn’t even classify my ability to work on electronics/solder as “beginner.” What’s one step below beginner? Lol always impressed when people can build their own stuff.
it seems that Eric Clapton semi retired after Derek and the dominoes. I haven’t heard a ripping blaring tone out of any of his guitars since the early 1970s.. He change the music, he set the standard, then he disappeared
@@TomButwin On the other hand I use volume pot a lot! Having another “volume” pot is actually a great idea. Plus it’s a pot variable. A pedal is on off. You’re video starts to convince me. Where can I buy a legit circuit for a mid output boost and tbx?
Will this work at all if you do not have a tube amp? I use a Yamaha 30watt amp and would love to do away with pedals. But I somehow doubt I would get anything like this sound.
I would say the majority of solid state amps won’t react in the same way with being overdriven. Big, high headroom tube amps are similar. The tone of the guitar will definitely get “fatter” and louder, but it won’t drive the amp in the same way. It could still be cool/interesting with your amp, but it’ll definitely be different than this.
You’re not wrong, but not everyone knows about what’s lurking under his pickguard. Gear obsessed guitar players (me included) do, but your average Clapton listener or hobbyist might not.
Makes load-in and setup a little easier, that’s for sure! Ha! I’d be lost on that bass of yours, but it looks like a really cool instrument. Thanks, David!
Don't forget Ty Tabor of King's X. Part of his secret recipe. This was in the Strat Elite from early 80's. So what is great, is this MBX and THX mod is available as a kit for your Strat
I kind of have a loose grasp on guitar electronics. Could you have the mid range boost tone pot and then have a TBX control as the second tone pot? Then have it to where you could dial one off and on and vice versa or even blend them together?
My grasp is even looser lol. The first tone knob (middle knob) is actually a TBX. Toy knowledge, both are “always on” type things in this setup. Even the midboost, when rolled all the way off, is still affecting the signal.
Hey Thanks for this Awesome INFORMATIVE video I will get my New Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Stratocaster tomorrow Saturday November 12 I have a MIM Fender Stratocaster with Fender Hot Noiseless pickups I decided to get serious about Blues music and Blues guitar by buying a Custom Shop Eric Clapton Stratocaster
I have a standard American Stratocaster and I usually use the volume knob at 5 to clean up my tone. But for the tone knobs I never use them and keep them at 10. Why? Because when I adjust them, I don't seem to get any tone difference. I get the muddy tone with the bottom one but with the top tone knob I don't hear any tone difference. Is this normal for a standard Stratocaster?
So the upper tone knob should control the neck pickup, the lower tone knob should control the middle pickup. Depending on where you have the 5 way switch, it'll change how everything interacts. There are many ways to wire up a Strat though and, admittedly, I don't know what they are up to these days with the American Standard stuff. My guess is it changed depending the year.
@@TomButwin Thanks, I appreciate your comment. I get my guitar setup usually once a year and I never inquiry about the tone knobs to the servicemen. I'm surprised Fender hasn't done at least one instructional video on their tone knobs in recent years. Just some basic settings would be nice.
I have a ‘79 25th Anniversary Strat that in 1985, I put a set of EMG SA pickups that has a 400hz mid boost under lower tone knob, and it rocks. The db output is not 25, maybe not even 12 db but enough to make a good difference. I’d love to learn how to make that circuit hotter. I take that guitar to every gig and play it most of the night…
So we should all go and put our own personal choice of boost/EQ/Drive circuit into our guitars. Really though, unless you use midi or really like squatting. having that control at your finger tips makes sense. Zappa did similar stuff, even to the point of having a Ring Mod built in. a Green Ringer in the Baby Snakes SG It sure looks cool to when you can dial in the dirt too.
Hi Tom! I am trying to implement a midboost circuit. Now, I have been having some problems with that. I had a more experienced person install the midboost, but I think something went wrong. I am getting a tone boost all the time. It has to much trebble now, I compared it to another strat. It is a lot louder without engaging the midboost and the tone is unbearable, my pickups now sound too thin and strong. Nothing like your audios. I guess it is comparable to the audio on Crossroads at the Royal Albert Hall in the '90s, but it does that without any pedals. When I do engage the midboost, the tone fattens up, but becomes completely unclear. There is no feeling of this kind of overladed tone that Clapton uses. Any advice on possible installment mistakes and how to fix them?
Did you have the official Fender mid boost kit installed? As far as the treble goes, is it extreme? Like, does it sound broken? The tone can be a little “glassier” for sure, but it should still be pretty similar to a standard Strat without the boost engaged. As far as dialing in the boost, the TBX tone control is there to add clarity with the boost. I find myself bringing the tone up when I have the boost engaged. To actually drive a tube amp and get distortion with this boost, you need a pretty low wattage amp that’s on the edge of breakup. As a workaround, I used to have an MXR Dyna Comp pedal at the front and I’d dial in the boost and overdrive the compressor. Sounded decent when I had an amp that wouldn’t break up with the boost.
Well, it does sound broken. I connected it to a 100 W amp, it is twice as loud compared to a normal strat. I had to dile down the amp volume for the sound to be a little less unpleasant. I don't really get slight distortion with the boost like you do, I just get a muddy and fat tone. And yes, it is the official kit. I ordered it from Thomann.
@@uricavecek4048 I would take it back to the person who installed it to make sure everything is correct. The system isn’t going to overdrive a 100W tube amp like I demonstrate. That’s way too much headroom. The best way to get overdrive from only the mid boost in the guitar is a smaller wattage amp. Anything over 10w tube is going to either be crazy loud or won’t breakup the way you want it to. Clapton uses relatively small amps with this. He’s playing arenas, so he can get louder without it being crazy, but for the rest of us, small, low watt tune amps are the way to go for this.
very good video.Some clapton deep dive.Stufff alot dont know.pure genuis.Thanks for your video and what you put into music.And i am gonna start with this video, suscribed now, be safe, stay blessed :)
My friend beat Fender by about 3 years when he put a mid boost on my 1984 custom guitar he made for me. I do have a stellar '91 Strat Plus and just leave the TBX control on all the time.
The original blackie had pickups that were not fender. But they look like the ones you have in your guitar. Clapton put the mid range amp in blackie. But you did forget one thing comparing it to the original blackie. You don’t have a cigarette holder. How could you forget. Some of the hardware on Clapton’s Strat looks like it came of a Squire Strat. But I do like the sound.
You explained that adding the booster is what gives it the unique sound but I didn't hear any explanation on how Fender added that the boost? How do you do that? Did I miss it? What kind of parts gives you that boost?
You didn’t miss it. This video is less technical than it could be, for the sake of simplicity. The traditional Strat electronics are replaced with an active preamp run off of a little circuit board, a special tone knob, and then the midboost knob itself. Fender actually sells the kit for retrofits. I think it’s around $100.
Lovely, well explained. I used to use a FP graphic eq on the floor, specifically for mid range boost in soloing. Going to build me a Tele with mid range boost .. wicked!
@@TomButwin yep, who cares he,s a multi millionaire an im 67 an have had so many strats an plexis an expandoras,an everything an have nearly no rythm abilities, but like blackmore the worlds best,an clapton an gibbons an others, there them an im me, there rich as hell, an i have made only a few bucks in 30 years..
Clapton started down this road when he got Fender’s original Strat Elite. It had a 12dB MDX boost and the TBX boost circuit along with prototype rectangular pickups allegedly made by EMG and individual on/off switches for each pickup. It also came with their horrible FreeFlyte tremolo system. I found one locally and sold it after a few years for 2 1/2 times what I paid for it. Other notable users include Tommy Shaw and of course Ty Tabor, who set out to buy as many OEM parts as he could get ahold of for his Elites and subsequent guitars made for him by Hamer and Yamaha. He eventually mounted the controls in a box and used them thusly for years. These Elites are completely different from the more recent Elite line.
Clapton was renowned for travelling light this boost built in enables him to just go plug in wherever he plays. When testing out guitars I always just plug it in to a good amp no need for all the other stuff to mask the tone for me if a guitar don’t sound great straight into an amp in not fussed about it. Now I’m not rubbishing off pedal boards in anyway they’re a necessity to guitar players doing their studio stuff live and a band can change their sound over time so to carry on achieving those differences live is probably impossible for some players on just one guitar. But Eric does it
Great vid, what's the exact mod you did. In terms of actual pickup setup what was done. I have a Squire Strat and would like to do this mod, please share details if you can.
Thank you. Appreciate you watching! I actually found a wired pickguard on eBay that had been stripped out of a Clapton Strat. The unique thing about this setup is there’s a circuit board and 9v battery underneath the pickguard. This makes it a little more involved than just buying a pickguard with everything wired up and dropping it in. You need to route some additional space in most guitars to make room for the circuit board and 9v battery. The actual Clapton Strats have the battery in the rear cavity. Mine is hidden in the front under the pickguard. I’d recommend having a professional guitar tech install it. There’s a decent amount involved. Another option is the Fender Powerhouse Strat. They were made in the 00’s I think. They only have a 14db boost (not quite enough to breakup most amps), but they sound really good and are versatile. Hope that helps!
You can buy the electronics directly from Fender (prewired to the correct tone and volume pots) and install it yourself. But you will have to find room for the (small) circuit board and a 9V battery) Works fine on regular Strat pickups although EC signature guitars currently have the Vintage Noiseless pickups. Also, Tom didn't mention that the middle control (tone knob) is normally set to "5" with a slight indent so that you can find it easily. Going from 5 down to 0 gives a regular tone control effect (cuts treble) but going from 5 to 10 boosts the treble.
Thanks for adding this! Admittedly, I left out some major details on the TBX tone control. I explained it very clumsily and ended up editing it out. So, appreciate the assist! Thanks for watching.
I have a Japanese version of the Clapton strat. It came with gold lace sensors and the midboost. It has a V neck as well. I am not certain but I think it is actually a little fuller than Clapton's soft V but I like that. It is the old Fender Japan 54 style with the Clapton electronics. I think it is from 2002. It looks close to the Torino Red that is one of the colors that Clapton strats come in but not certain the exact color.
Good choice! I have the 25db boost electronics out of Eric's guitar, installed in my Japanese Strat. How did I get it? It was a gift. I have a single coil size hot rail in the bridge. I put an early Texas special bridge pickup in the neck slot & left the middle pickup stock. I love it!
I tend to agree on the Lace Sensors. I liked them at first, but they lack a warmth/roundness that I like (also partially due to the active circuit). A boost pedal can definitely drive the front end of an amp. Keeley/Xotic type boosts have some tone shaping options where you could accentuate a little mid range, but the big difference with this circuit is that 25db of boost is very midrange focused. It’s also gradual with a knob, as opposed to a on/off foot switch.
I had the EMG DG20s active pickups which had the same features (bass/treble booster and a mids boost) but I wasn't keen on it. I went from having Gilmour's Black Strat setup and there was something about the active I wasn't keen on. I realised it was because I didn't like the sound of the neck pickup. Once I changed it back it was clear. Clapton's are Vintage Noiseless, however, or, at least, the ones in his guitar now are vintage noiseless and I'd really like to give them a go. Having the boosters as the tone knobs is a great thing and the battery lasts forever. I think I had the EMGs in for 6 months and didn't change the battery once, despite playing daily. As long as you don't leave the cable in the guitar jack, the battery will last.
Mid Boost Circuit: sweetwater.sjv.io/PyNz5z
Clapton Strat from Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/k02WP3
Clapton Strat from Zzounds: www.zzounds.com/a--3980673/item--FEN117602
Where and what is that control, are they available frim music shops. The title of that control is what i am interested in. Jimmy in Johannesburg.
There you go! Finally the Truth 😅
@@myjames48TBX
Actually Clapton secret weapon is Clapton himself.
Super secret
Groan...🙄
True
Totally agree.👌
And your secret weapon is you. Just keep working on it.
Actually Eric's secret weapon is 50+ years of practice!
True. Let’s all get off RUclips and practice. Watch all my videos and subscribe first, tho😉
Yup, Clapton also sounds pretty good using just a wooden acoustic box with NO onboard electronics.
He sure does! Mics an acoustic in an arena. Boss move.
Well Eric being born in '45 and starting Cream in '66 after having played already in The Yardbirds and John Mayals Bluesbreakers. Pretty sure he developed his secret weapon in approximately twelve, thirteen years or so of practice
@@TomButwin I’ll make an exception for your videos sometimes!
Watched a recent rig rundown, he just uses a 3 way switch live, and only has one pedal on the floor and leaves the mid boost on. Just punches the tubes on his dumbles. Thats it. Its OG… Its just all him.. Doing what he does.
I definitely over simplified it, but it doesn’t get much more “OG” as far as setups go, that’s for sure. Make sure you check out my 10k subscriber giveaway video too! Giving stuff away from PRS, Martin, & more.
Third position always - the guitar tech said
A wah peddle is used on his recent work with Ozzy.
Also has his amp all set to 7 all other sounds are from guitar.
Most of the the great ones use bare bones equipment, and push the tubes.. Awesome stuff.
It’s a genius concept…and Eric’s thought instead of putting a Humbucker in bridge like many did…He got Fender to add a circuitry that pushes the midrange db…and the tbx tone control compensates the loss of treble …pretty awesome..I think it’s the best all around Stratocaster…for stage use…😊
Blocking the tremolo is also his calling card.
I have one, but i have replaced the pickups with Fender Hot Noiseless PU's
If you dont have much power like clapton to ask fender doing what you want, they gonna kick your ass immediately like what they did to john mayer
Clapton could take a $30 electric guitar and make is sound like a million bucks.
He could buy a 30 dollar guitar and sell it for a million bucks as well
If it wasn't set up properly he'd put it down in 3 seconds just like I would.
We all know how the tone knobs works. Try something harder like a Zappa sound. I've been playing for 50 years and I don't need no stinking pedals,except maybe a wah
@@duster71 lol 😂 calm down old boy 😊
not to comment on technique tho but the tone
I have owned and played an Eric Clapton 'Blackie' Strat since mid-90s. It's been a great workhorse for what I am using it for. What he did not mention is that the neck is thinner in the middle, worked down to allow easier play and fingering.
OMG! I CANT BELIEVE THIS! Back in 1998, I made this EXACT GUITAR! 97 Am. Standard with the Clapton electronics dropped in, and I play it every day!! I used to think my guitar was one of a kind, but now it’s at least 2, excellent taste dude!
That’s awesome! Mines actually a mid-90’s MIJ 50’s reissue Strat, so yours is still one of a kind! Thanks for watching. Hope you’ll stick around and subscribe.
@@TomButwin very cool!!! mij?! damn!
Yeah, I kind of feel bad for modding it, honestly. 😬 Still have the original wired pickguard and neck. Maybe I’ll reassemble it someday lol.
My blackie is a custom shop body. Double shielded electronics & heavier wiring, gold lace sensors , & an EC neck which doesn’t match serial numbers of course .
I love it. Not sure how many parts were bastardized from other Claptons . Lol
lol
His original "blackie" strat was actually comprised of the best parts of 3 stratocasters. He had it "custom buit." He found a guitar shop that was selling them cheap and bought six. One He gave to George Harrison, another he gave to Steve Winwood, and another to Pete Townshend.
I saw an interview with Clapton recently wherein he talked about buying Strats in pawn shops when he was on tour in the US because they weren't available in the UK at the time. I sat there in stunned silence as I realized that there was nothing special about the guitars he played back then. Once again, It's all in the hands.
My first Strat, bought new in 1975, cost $320 including the case,
This is before there were Mexican, Japanese, Korean Fenders or Squiers
I always wondered what happened to the leftover parts from the Blackie donors.
@@peacefulruler1 wow. -- during the gas lines / oil embargo and the recession. -- what was gas 89 cents or something like that. ?
@@corneliuscrewe677 Brownie was also built with some of the guitars that he had bought through that time - mostly bought in NYC and a few other places.
Those early Lace Sensors are getting very hard to find, take care of them.
#truth I just hope mine keep working lol
His secret weapon is his fingers hands and soul! Eric Clapton is Eric Clapton a gifted great guitarist!!!🎸
Gilmour used a similar mod on his red strat from the 80s, you can hear it all over Delicate Sound of thunder. I had the mod on one of my guitars back in the day, definitely gets you closer to that sound - you can use the bridge pickup and get some bite, but with a warm fatness to it that's not like the dark chunkiness of the classic middle and neck pickup sound of a strat. Great for soaring leads.
Clapton was definitely channeling (and lusting after, I’d say) some other Strat legends’ tone around that time. Gilmour, Knoplfer, etc.
I have a 1982-84 (Checked the serial number online) Squier Stratocaster and one of the pus was dead, so I installed the DG-20 on it. Totally new guitar.
The EMG SPC and EXG controls Gilmour uses with his EMG SA pickups is otherworldly. I have the same in one of my Strats. Very useful and versatile.
SRV played with a circuit excitor too
The earliest models were the best in my opinion ... not so much gain and the LACE pickups were fabulous.
The newer ones with the noiseless pickups feel more sterile to me too.
Yeh , have both. Neither sounds like a traditional strat. All sound great & different
@@TomButwinhow long u been playin . Didn’t know about the secret. Grew up on em .
I own a “Blackie” and the Lace sensors are like comparing CD’s to cassettes. They were ahead of their time. I love humbuckers and traditionally wound pickups. The Lace sensors are so forgiving and clean. Fantastic on stage. I’m rarely use the tone boost but there are those moments when it’s great!
I always describe them as almost an “HD” pickup. Totally different animal that any traditional pickup, like you said!
Clapton's Strat tone on the 'Just One Night' double live album(with Albert Lee) was IMHO his best Strat tone. It had sparkle, stinging clarity, and sounded awesome with the Wah. After that as far as I'm concerned it lost some of its mojo. It morphed into this mid rangey tone that sounded like the neck pickup on an SG or LP with the tone rolled off. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan. I learned how to play guitar by copping Clapton's licks reaching back to the Cream era and by incorporating Just One Night into my DNA. I'm just expressing my personal opinion, everybody's got one. Cheers.
You pretty much hit the nail on the head here. In 1980, for Just One Night, that was a "real" Strat with single coils and none of the mid boost circuitry. Funny enough, his goal and challenge to Fender was to get his Strat to sound like that rolled off, neck hum bucker on the SG/LP. So, I guess they got pretty close then! These guitars are a really weird middle ground. Not quite a Strat...not quite a humbucker guitar. I loved mine for a long time and played tons of gigs with it, but I've since gravitated back to traditional single coils or humbuckers and gotten away from the "do it all" guitar that I think Clapton's intends to be. Appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@TomButwin Thanks man, I wasn't sure how that comment was going to go over. I've got a 70's era SG and Strat I've had since I was a teenager(I'm 60 now), I've had many other guitars but I kept them because it's nice to have the best of both worlds. Cheers :)
I agree with you!!!!!
Oh man, those two guitars are probably amazing. How cool. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
@@TomButwinThey are both tobacco bursts so they are kinda a matching set. The Strat has the trem decked with three springs(i use .09's) and a maple neck that is just scoured. I recently put a Floyd FRX trem system on the SG, I just love it. They are both authentic relics now. Someone can pry them from my dead cold hands. :)
Recently got a 2004 Eric Clapton custom shop and I absolutely fell in love with the sound.
Amazing. What color?
@@TomButwin it’s like a super dark green metallic sparkle. Was surprised to find out it’s NOS. Funny thing about that mid boost. When I was first trying it out I was totally unaware of it and thought it sounded muddy and kind of unclear for a strat😅
Ha! That’s awesome. I can only imagine how that went not knowing you had an extra 25db of midrange going. How cool. Congrats on that guitar!
I might sound a little old fashioned but I want my Strat to sound like a Strat and my Les Paul to sound like a Les Paul. You need one of each and a Telecaster too lol. I get the gain Db thing but it’s still a Strat with a boost. I think people want to get his Strat to sound like Clapton. We all are guilty of this rabbit hole once it comes from our hero’s lol
I can tell you, after playing my Strat with these electronics for 15 years, you’re exactly right lol.
Great video dude! Very interesting. Been loving your stuff ever since stumbling upon your Silver Sky content. Keep up the great work.
Really appreciate that. Thank you!
Got myself a 99 Fender Deluxe Powerhouse Strat, which was the “budget” slightly neutered Clapton Strat. It was a (VERY WELL MADE) Mexico Strat with a 12 db md boost with American standard pickups. The mid boost is actually the same 25 db boost, but with an extra resister added to half the boost.
I had a Powerhouse Strat for a brief period! Loved the guitar, but I wanted that extra boost.
😳
oh I have one too I didn't know how similar it was. When I first got it, I had no idea what it was. I only knew it was awesome that I have like active pickups with a boost knob.
Very informative, thanks. In this case with the special third knob, the second tone knob must work for all 3 pickups then, because the regular use of the third knob has been changed to such an extent. I have to say that I noticed that when Eric switched to these "all white" pickups, the notes would sound more "sonic", to me, without the normal "note decay" I was used to, being played through a large stack, like the classic 60s, 70s sound. Which I do prefer to the new "sonic" sounding notes. These non decaying notes sound too futuristic to me. I like "Brownie" better. But, that's just me.
Hey Alan! Yes, the TBX tone circuit is sort of a “master” tone. It’s got a detent for a neutral position. If you go up, it’s boosting highs and if you go down, it’s cutting them. Really helps to get clarity that can be lost with such a big boost in the midrange from the other knob. As far as those all white Lace Sensor pickups, your ears are correct. They have a hifi/HD quality to them…almost too much. And, your comparison to that more traditional/vintage Strat tone of Brownie is right on. These midboost circuit guitars don’t really sound like a “real” Strat, which can be cool, but I tend to agree with you. I like that vintage vibe more.
I saw Clapton New Years Eve, he played a Charity Gig for Alcoholics Anonymous, in a Sports hall about half mile from my house, small gig, maybe 1k people max, he totally smashed it, doesn't get better!
Wow! Sounds like an incredible and memorable experience. Not many people can say they’ve seen him in a setting like that.
All going great until that dude in the audience collapsed
@@GAFloppa yeah, but Clapton and the Leisure Centre staff handled it well, tbh, given the number of oldies in the audience, there should have been chairs, I'm cool with standing for 5 hours on a solid concrete floor, they ain't, he should have done an encore though.
@@LOFIGSD yes it did end rather abruptly. Would have been nice to hear him play at least one of his self-penned classics. The setlist fell a bit flat for me
@@GAFloppa I kinda get what he is doing, going back to the songs that inspired him and stripping it right back, it was done really well, however, as a Musician, most of those songs have been done to death by old blokes at Jam sessions, Im not being too critical, chance to see Clapton 5 minutes walk from where I live, HUGE RESPECT for him doing that gig and to all his Band. Warm up pub band could have played longer, also would have been nice to see an originals warm up Band, rather than covers.
The secret weapon to cop anyone's style is to 1st practice. ALOT!!!
It's a secret so don't tell anyone.
You’re not wrong! Still need that mid-boost, tho 😉
That’s no secret.
Tony Iommi had Laney put a boost in his Amp, Brian May and Rory Gallagher both used Dallas Rangemaster Pedals.
It’s just the name of the video series. Check it out! ruclips.net/p/PLjNIskxVP-fOCcN4ajomLpli2EiW5zYtp
1:58 Clapton does this same thing when he played Layla with bassist Nathan East onstage in a black 2 piece suit, that concert when Clapton launched into the riff Nathan got startled. All Clapton did was he rolled a knob to get that tone.
You should check out Jerry Garcia's guitars and what they had. Jerry had a OBEL (ONboard Effects Loops) on the guitar itself. Also the guitar had a preamp in it as well and a buffer. Theres more musicians than you think out there using some very unique approaches to getting their tone. :-)
Oh man, Jerry is/was the king of this type of stuff! You’re 100% right.
To me, ECs sound reminds me of an old buckboard racing down a mountain trail with the wheels about to fall off. I always think "that can't be normal...". Thanks for the info.
Glad you enjoyed! Love the analogy.
One reason I believe why Clapton's sound changed is his hearing loss. With pretty much most hearing loss it is the upper mids and high end that goes. So he boosted em.
Could have been! That was the 80s, so I’m sure his hearing isn’t better now. Happens to all of us eventually.
@@TomButwin Yeah he said he tried hearing aids as he was about 80% deaf in one ear, he didn't like them as he said they didn't sound natural. My friend was the same way, get in his car and the radio was at max treble. I am old and am in the same boat. I cannot even hear the microwave beep if I am not using my hearing aids.
Found you through Ward Carroll's channel. Dude that outro you did for him is so damn good it gets stuck in my head, and I don't mind at all! I encourage you to check out my dear friend Tim Templeton. I served with him on a Med float in '85. We did a few numbers together and he was good then. He's amazing now. Thanks for the great content. Just subbed. ✌🐸
Amazing! Welcome and thanks so much. Ward is the man! I’ll check Tim out too. Appreciate it.
I’ve seen several interviews with Clapton himself, and he says very simply, “My technique is in my hands…my tone is in my equipment” I agree.
There's still one of this available in a shop in my country (2-3 days shipping to where I live). It's a new old stock, black, with Lace Sensor. It cost $1300 complete set. It has some minor conditions though but nothing that impair its playability nor structural integrity.
Ooooo what year? That sounds incredible. Black is a great color too.
No greater homage to Fender than to request “can you make iit sound like a Gibson”? /sarc
I put Fender mid boost on my active dimarzio PU set.... it is amazing as you pointed out thru VDO.... love that brought this up .....simple things that make different practically
Nice! Thank you for watching.
I'm grateful for yt recommending me this video on my yt search for 50s strat wiring btw. On the search about building the ultimate guitar. And u just added something totally new, another knob, unrelated to pots caps or phase switches ect, which hasn't happened in a pretty long time I think. So thanks lol. Let's see if ur other secret weapon videos contain other electronic/building, well, secret weapons lol. Cheers everyone reading (I'm not Bri ish or Canadian lol)
Of course, artists such as Eric Clapton seek guitars that feel right to them and aid them to produce what they want to produce. However, these guitarists would and do sound great on virtually any guitar. Their gear is refined to suit them and to make their efforts easier, but it is their individual talent that makes whatever they are playing on sound so great.
Using a recent film as an example, a great race-car driver can win in a Ferrari or a Ford.
Gear is fun and does make a difference in the final sound, but it is the musician's talent that drives the car, gear is what he/she is driving.
☝🏻☝🏻This. 👏🏻
The analogy with race cars doesn't really work. Ford and Ferrari both showed up with cars capable of an overall victory, but other teams came with cars that were competing for class victories. If the Ford and Ferrari drivers were driving 906s or 911s or Alpines they wouldn't have stood a chance of winning unless all of the GT40s and P4s DNF'd.
Individual talent won't overcome a several second per lap deficit, a competitive platform is required. That's why most motorsports puts so much effort into ensuring parity between different cars that are raced in the same class.
In many ways it's the exact opposite situation as music. Music involves a balance of all sorts of factors, that's why musicians who aren't skilled in some areas can still produce really interesting music. A really good musical instrument might inspire an artist, or might be slightly easier to play on, but ultimately it won't be conclusive. A good musician can almost certainly make music no matter what instruments they have access to, given that quality is largely subjective in this context.
Meanwhile, for motorsports, having a competitive vehicle that's well set-up might be the difference between competing for a victory and finishing poorly. Quality is much more narrowly defined and objective in this context.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Yes, it does. Of course, the gear that a musician uses must be good enough to help him or he make music. A poorly made guitar, etc. will not do so and he or she would not use one.
The race car analogy assumes that the cars are of roughly equal quality and that it is the driver who wins the race by the application of his or her ability. Of course, an ordinary family sedan cannot compete with a racing-purpose-designed Ferrari.
Similarly, I assume (yes, I know the joke about "assume") that we are discussing professional grade gear. I thought that that was understood in my analogy.
@@Glicksman1 To be fair, I'm talking entirely about purpose built race cars, not a regular family sedan (unless it's prepped for racing like TCR or Group A, etc).
I think you might be understanding my criticism backwards, because I agree with your point about instruments; it just doesn't apply to race cars.
The best driver in NASCAR or IMSA or what have you can't take the worst performing car in their class to a victory. A reigning champ will finish mid-pack in a car that consistently runs in the back half of the field. Talent only rarely overcomes the deficit on it's own.
The best team might be able to in a spec series (since they'd just apply their setup, everyone drives identical cars), but not the driver alone. The best team wouldn't be able to polish the slowest car in a bespoke or production based series into a winner all at once though.
Having the best tool available matters a lot more in racing than it does in music because the competition is judged on a very narrow criteria. Music isn't even a competition, it's judged on very different criteria. That's why one doesn't even require 'professional' grade gear, merely adequate gear.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Alright, not racing cars. I bow to your interest and expertise regarding them. My analogy was not intended to be taken literally, but as an example of how it is the player who matters more than the gear (the driver more than the car). I think that you might agree that the better driver in a lesser car stands a better chance to win than the lesser driver in a better car.
However, I do appreciate that you agree with what I wrote, however poorly stated.
When it comes to a stratocaster 🎸.... Jeff Beck can make a stratocaster sing like nobody else can. Yeah Clapton 👍 but Beck is in a league of his own 🎸🎶🎵‼️
#Truth Beck’s playing was from another dimension. Absolutely unmatched and impossible to really imitate.
i really like gilmour
I had the same thing done to my Strat along with Noiseless pickups installed,, the change is amazing and very cool to use when playing,, thanks for the vid!!
Do you like the Noiseless pickups? Thanks for watching! Appreciate it.
@@TomButwin I love them!!! thank you!!
Does anyone know what strat eric used in the recording of bad love.
There is a tone in the leaf break I can't replicate....I've heard him play it multiple times live and he's only replicated the sound twice
Great question.
I built a "Clapton Strat" from scratch. I couldn't get from your description as to whether you put in PCB but it does sound like it. One point for guys that want try this mod is that you need to rout out a decent sized pocket under the pickguard for the PCB and use noise cancelling pups. The pups need a bit more taken out under the depth of the originals. Using typical single coils will give quite a noisy result. Great explanation of the Clapton Strat Tom !
I did! It's the full kit, to include the circuit board. There was definitely some serious routing that had to be done. In my ignorance, and my habit of taking off the trem spring covers, my tech installed the battery under the pick guard (along with the PCB). So, you can imagine, things are pretty tight in there and battery changes are not easy. Poor decision on my part, in hindsight lol. As far as pickup routing, the Lace Sensors fit just fine in the MIJ 50's reissue body I have. Awesome to hear of another build like this!
@@TomButwin I did the same in my Deluxe Plus Strat, PCB and battery under the pickguard. The pickups were the originals Lace Sensor (Blue, Silver and Red). After some time I removed it and sold it, and now it has Fralin Blues pickups. But... I bought a Custom Shop Eric Clapton Strat, maybe the best Strat I've ever had in my hands. Although I think the lace sensor gold would be a better option. I'll try those pickups one day.
Hi Andrew, I have also installed this TBX pcb in a strat and I got some serious humming/buzzing. I thought I wired it up wrong but I haven't. Today I routed out a pocket for the pcb to fit in as I had it under/in between the pups and thought maybe that was causing the humming. I've not yet finished putting it together and I just happened to randomly see this video and then comments. I'm now guessing that I have to have noiseless pups? I have an SSL5 and 2 fat 50's.
The Lace Sensors ARE true single coils. Probably the "purest" sounding you can buy.
I was able to jam the circuit board in the cavity beneath the pots. Just had to cut the corner off to make it fit. 2018 Roadworn Olympic white strat with Tex mex pickups ( which I did not like in my Jimmy Vaughn model) sound great with this circuit. Routed a pocket in the back beneath the trem spring cover for the battery. Also modded a 2015 classic player 50’s strat in shoreline gold with the circuit and installed Vintera 60’s pickups. Also sounds great. Good secret weapon for gigs or when you show up at a blues jam and use some random amp
The Tone knob works slightly different: you might have noticed it "dents" around the 5 mark. Settings 0-5 behave like your regular tone knob as in it is a low pass filter which rolls off the highs. However, past the dent (6-10) it works as a high pass filter: a tone knob in reverse. It is not that more high frequencies are added, it is that low frequencies are scooped out giving you the impression of more brightness (because you just take out the "mud"). I suspect the idea behind this is that low frequencies generate additional harmonics upon break-up which are still in a lower range than high frequencies (not sure if low frequencies also distort faster). So if you clean up the lows on the input side, you get more clarity in your distortion (= definition) while you can still add "warmth" by adjusting the EQ on your amp and boosting the lows. The difference being that an EQ just amplifies certain frequencies which exist in the signal and a distortion generates additional frequencies which happen to be in that low-mid range for low frequencies.
I added such electronics (except not the boost mechanism as that needed a 9v battery which i couldn't house) to my PRS EG. It's a great tone.
Thanks for this! Appreciate the detailed comment. I think you’re right on.
The TBX is like a tone pot that becomes a "no load" type of tone pot.
The same effect can be applied if you use a lace sensor strat with a lead sound DI (like a DG Stomp and roll off the volume. This will clean up the tone with the volume nob only. Crank the knob and voila; instant lead tone. Roll down the volume knob instant clear tones
I really need to give this a try on my next Strat. Thanks!
Try it out! My only two pieces of advice would be: 1. Mount the battery in the trem cavity, like stock models (I didn’t do this. 🤦🏻♂️) 2. Have a normal Strat too if you like that sound, because these guitars are Strat-like…but not that classic single coil sound.
It's a mid range boost. Similar to the Ibanez tube screamer.
It’s a mid boost, but very different than a TS, tonally.
I once tried a Clapton Strat with the 25 db boost on it and it turned out real hard to me, to set it back on 0 db after using the boost. It felt so goddamm naked and cold 🎸🌬 very addictiv thing that boost 😃
I’ve had a very similar experience.
My guitar teacher got a black EC strat with the Lace pickups and the mid boost when he was invited to buy some stuff when Joe Walsh was clearing excess stuff out of his storage. When I heard that sound, I immediately took my Squire Strat and had the Lace/midboost/tone knob installed on it. Love that guitar. The only thing left of the original Squire is the body & neck at this point. Then about a year later my teacher had a real need for a new washer & dryer, and made a great deal on the EC Blackie (with right of first refusal if I ever want to sell it, which I can't imagine I ever will)!
Love it! How different do the two sound?
I done that to mine, i have Lace Sensors to, their out of a Clapton signature Strat. It's a cool mod for sure.
I have a clapton strat in the mail ,it will be here tommorow I'm very excited
Awesome! What year and color? Really exciting. Congrats!
@@TomButwin brand new ,I went with the classic black
@@TomButwin I feel like a very lucky man to have a silver sky and now a clapton
Awesome choice. Would love to hear your thoughts on it when you get it!
@@TomButwin will do ty
Ima get the eric’s pewter signature strat and a costum shop v neck rw… I just want a 10 way switch ( it’s freeway switch ) and it gives real Les Paul tone on neck and bridge even if it’s a strat just one mod and changes everything
That's brilliant, actually. Get that middle position LP tone! Awesome color choice too. That's my favorite, by far.
Nah, it won’t make you better. Maybe a little louder.
Great job, thanks for posting!
Thank you for watching! Hope you’ll subscribe, if you haven’t yet.
Anyone know what the center frequency of the boost is? How wide it is?
If he'd never switched from Gibsons and Humbuckers, he wouldn't have needed a preamp.
True. Odd trajectory. Went to a Strat, played it for awhile, then wanted the Strat to sound more like the LP/SG thing.
The Fender mid boost first came out in the Dan Smith era Stratocaster Elite, along with the TBX tone circuit. Basically it's +25db of boost @500hz, and the pot blends the boosted signal with the dry signal. So if you dont want to rout a hole in your Strat and achieve the same effect, you can just get an EQ pedal and boost a bunch of 500hz. But then you dont have it available on a knob right on your guitar.
The TBX tone circuit helps clear it up as well, as it OS a normal tone control from 0-5, but from 5-10 it changes the resistance and kind of acts like a bass roll off, but doesnt get too thin. Just a MDX mid boost can get a little muddy depending on the setup, so the TBX in addition to it certainly helps.
Fender also put the mid boost in the old Powerhouse Strats, but it was only a 12.5db boost. Apparently you can modify them by cutting a resistor out to make it the full 25db boost, but I've never done it.
Strats are very mid-scoopy sounding by default, so a mid boost really helps fill out the sound and makes it thicker.
Those original 80s Elites had only 12db tho, if I’m not mistaken. Usually not enough for any breakup.
@@TomButwin Yeah, ya know I'm not sure which they had. Being a massive Ty Tabor (of Kings X) fan, I was a huge fan of the Strat Elite. I just assumed it was the same 25db one that ended up in the Clapton.
It was certainly the precursor!
Awesome break down of his mod and what it does
Thanks, Craig!
I’ve seen eric Clapton signature start with noiseless pick ups. Would it have the same sounds as if the 3rd knob is open up? Or only on those particular pick ups?
Lace Sensors (like in my demo) were used through 2001 and then replaced with the noiseless pickups. Everything else with the 25db mid boost on that third knob is the same! The second knob had changed from a TBX tone control, like mine, to a normal tone control for a few years, but only on certain custom shop models.
Thanks for watching and hope you’ll subscribe (if you haven’t already)!
@@TomButwin do you think the lace sensors are better than noiseless pick ups. A friend of mine might sell his eric Clapton strat to me but it has the noiseless pick ups
So, the vintage noiseless pickups are actually made by stacking two magnets on top of one another, which makes them more humbucker-like in tone, in some ways. People say that the VN pickups have more bottom end vs. the Lace Sensors (which are true single coils, in the magnet sense).
Both pickups are really great and I can’t say that one is better, necessarily. I think the tonal differences are pretty minor between the two, to be honest.
"Secret Weapon" that literally everyone who is remotely interested in Clapton and /or Strats knows about
It’s the name of the video series, Jack. ruclips.net/p/PLjNIskxVP-fOCcN4ajomLpli2EiW5zYtp
Great video on Eric’s strat. He was able to get a bit of a Humbucker sound with single coil pickups. I totally agree straight through the amp is really the way to go. I’m old and learned along the way, pedal boards are really cool. The problem is that you will be screwing around trying to find a sound you are looking for, and guess what? You’ll just trying to tweak tones. You’ll almost never be happy with the tones. Robert Cray does not use effects nor does Angus Young. So, I am told. Angus uses a wireless system to play to his Marshall stacks. Some say it is the wireless system that does it, Marshall’s are their own animal..don’t know 🤷♂️Whatever!
I have to agree that pedals and such can be a huge distraction from just playing! That’s why I love acoustics so much. Just you and the guitar and nothing else. I will say, though, when you get the right pedal combination dialed in, it can be incredible! Just have to resist the urge to constantly twist knobs! Haha. Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comment very much.
This is relatable. It's so easy to get overwhelmed with options and waste all of one's initiative on trying out different sounds instead of creating music.
After years of chasing a specific tone I'm basically there, it's just a stereo blend of two 90s era solid state amps - settings haven't been touched in years.
Technically it's two (analog) pedals that imitate those amps and two cab sim boxes, but all and all, it's smaller than most people's pedal boards.
I just need distortion.
1992, Springfield, MA: Mr. B.B. King put his hand on my shoulder & said, "Don't worry about your tone. Just play & it will sound like you.". To this day, I always fall back on Mr. King's expert direction.
its a great circuit , i like it for clean , like with the neck pu or position 4 , playing up past the 12th you get this bell like attack and a sound you just cant get otherwise . one can just as soon build your own circuit and mount it in your guitar or in a pedal . i recommend the demeter fat control - i have one built into a guitar and i have one in a pedal , also this same circuit CAN work wonders for a bass guitar . i have one on my wifes pedal board and it makes certain effects come to life , like the phaser on her board animates and justifies its spot on the board ONLY with that mid boost , same with the auto wah stuff . now mind you i have found it works in some instances and in others i wasnt so hot on it , as with this stuff YMWV . its great when we have the bass running direct into the pa . when we run the pedal into a mixer and then a headphone amp for practice in the apartment , it sounded awful with the mid boost . its one of those effects that is kind of under the radar though but yeah its a really cool effect that totally changes the tone . you can find the layout for the demeter fat control on tagboard effects and its a pretty simple low parts count build based around an op amp so ... its beginner to moderate skill level build . tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/09/demeter-fat-control.html
I wouldn’t even classify my ability to work on electronics/solder as “beginner.” What’s one step below beginner? Lol always impressed when people can build their own stuff.
it seems that Eric Clapton semi retired after Derek and the dominoes. I haven’t heard a ripping blaring tone out of any of his guitars since the early 1970s..
He change the music, he set the standard, then he disappeared
Much cheaper option to buy a boss eq pedal and boost the output and mids. Plus you can do much more with an eq pedal than a mid boost
True! The onboard boost is overall a different animal than pedal based stuff, but there are certainly other ways to get this sound.
@@TomButwin On the other hand I use volume pot a lot! Having another “volume” pot is actually a great idea. Plus it’s a pot variable. A pedal is on off. You’re video starts to convince me.
Where can I buy a legit circuit for a mid output boost and tbx?
Sounds really muddy and unpleasant?
Yep
Will this work at all if you do not have a tube amp? I use a Yamaha 30watt amp and would love to do away with pedals. But I somehow doubt I would get anything like this sound.
I would say the majority of solid state amps won’t react in the same way with being overdriven. Big, high headroom tube amps are similar. The tone of the guitar will definitely get “fatter” and louder, but it won’t drive the amp in the same way. It could still be cool/interesting with your amp, but it’ll definitely be different than this.
I put this boost circuit in my mim strat with vintage noiseless pups, I absolutely love it
It might be Clayton’s Secret weapon but sure ain’t working for you.
If it’s good enough for “Clayton” it’s good enough for me. 🤷🏻
Yes we all know about the Clapton strat, but it is Clapton that makes it sound different from mine and more than likely everybody else’s
You’re not wrong, but not everyone knows about what’s lurking under his pickguard. Gear obsessed guitar players (me included) do, but your average Clapton listener or hobbyist might not.
I didn't know that Clapton is such a great composer cause of that knob :))))
All you have to do is install it and you’ll write tons of hits and instantly be a legend.
Nice tones!🎸🎵
Just plugging into an amp direct is beautiful, especially on tour. (NS Design CR6-string Radius fretless bass guitar here)
Makes load-in and setup a little easier, that’s for sure! Ha! I’d be lost on that bass of yours, but it looks like a really cool instrument. Thanks, David!
i love the tone on the jouneymen record.
Me. Too.
Don't forget Ty Tabor of King's X. Part of his secret recipe. This was in the Strat Elite from early 80's. So what is great, is this MBX and THX mod is available as a kit for your Strat
I kind of have a loose grasp on guitar electronics. Could you have the mid range boost tone pot and then have a TBX control as the second tone pot? Then have it to where you could dial one off and on and vice versa or even blend them together?
My grasp is even looser lol. The first tone knob (middle knob) is actually a TBX. Toy knowledge, both are “always on” type things in this setup. Even the midboost, when rolled all the way off, is still affecting the signal.
Great video. I love EC's Strat music but my fav music he did was his Gibson ES 335.
Love that 335 sound (and look).
Hey Thanks for this Awesome INFORMATIVE video I will get my New Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Stratocaster tomorrow Saturday November 12 I have a MIM Fender Stratocaster with Fender Hot Noiseless pickups I decided to get serious about Blues music and Blues guitar by buying a Custom Shop Eric Clapton Stratocaster
Nice! Congrats on the guitar. You’re going to love it.
So where can I get a tone button like that ?
I have a standard American Stratocaster and I usually use the volume knob at 5 to clean up my tone. But for the tone knobs I never use them and keep them at 10. Why? Because when I adjust them, I don't seem to get any tone difference. I get the muddy tone with the bottom one but with the top tone knob I don't hear any tone difference. Is this normal for a standard Stratocaster?
So the upper tone knob should control the neck pickup, the lower tone knob should control the middle pickup. Depending on where you have the 5 way switch, it'll change how everything interacts. There are many ways to wire up a Strat though and, admittedly, I don't know what they are up to these days with the American Standard stuff. My guess is it changed depending the year.
@@TomButwin Thanks, I appreciate your comment. I get my guitar setup usually once a year and I never inquiry about the tone knobs to the servicemen. I'm surprised Fender hasn't done at least one instructional video on their tone knobs in recent years. Just some basic settings would be nice.
Maybe I’ll do one!
The secret weapon of Clapton’s Stratocaster are His FINGERS
I have a ‘79 25th Anniversary Strat that in 1985, I put a set of EMG SA pickups that has a 400hz mid boost under lower tone knob, and it rocks. The db output is not 25, maybe not even 12 db but enough to make a good difference. I’d love to learn how to make that circuit hotter. I take that guitar to every gig and play it most of the night…
I think it can be done, but I’m not sure. A fellow commenter might have mentioned it, I think. You’re guitar sounds super cool!
So we should all go and put our own personal choice of boost/EQ/Drive circuit into our guitars.
Really though, unless you use midi or really like squatting. having that control at your finger tips makes sense.
Zappa did similar stuff, even to the point of having a Ring Mod built in. a Green Ringer in the Baby Snakes SG
It sure looks cool to when you can dial in the dirt too.
Love the clean sound .. not breaking up
Hi Tom! I am trying to implement a midboost circuit. Now, I have been having some problems with that. I had a more experienced person install the midboost, but I think something went wrong. I am getting a tone boost all the time. It has to much trebble now, I compared it to another strat. It is a lot louder without engaging the midboost and the tone is unbearable, my pickups now sound too thin and strong. Nothing like your audios. I guess it is comparable to the audio on Crossroads at the Royal Albert Hall in the '90s, but it does that without any pedals. When I do engage the midboost, the tone fattens up, but becomes completely unclear. There is no feeling of this kind of overladed tone that Clapton uses. Any advice on possible installment mistakes and how to fix them?
Did you have the official Fender mid boost kit installed? As far as the treble goes, is it extreme? Like, does it sound broken? The tone can be a little “glassier” for sure, but it should still be pretty similar to a standard Strat without the boost engaged. As far as dialing in the boost, the TBX tone control is there to add clarity with the boost. I find myself bringing the tone up when I have the boost engaged. To actually drive a tube amp and get distortion with this boost, you need a pretty low wattage amp that’s on the edge of breakup. As a workaround, I used to have an MXR Dyna Comp pedal at the front and I’d dial in the boost and overdrive the compressor. Sounded decent when I had an amp that wouldn’t break up with the boost.
Well, it does sound broken. I connected it to a 100 W amp, it is twice as loud compared to a normal strat. I had to dile down the amp volume for the sound to be a little less unpleasant. I don't really get slight distortion with the boost like you do, I just get a muddy and fat tone. And yes, it is the official kit. I ordered it from Thomann.
@@uricavecek4048 I would take it back to the person who installed it to make sure everything is correct. The system isn’t going to overdrive a 100W tube amp like I demonstrate. That’s way too much headroom. The best way to get overdrive from only the mid boost in the guitar is a smaller wattage amp. Anything over 10w tube is going to either be crazy loud or won’t breakup the way you want it to. Clapton uses relatively small amps with this. He’s playing arenas, so he can get louder without it being crazy, but for the rest of us, small, low watt tune amps are the way to go for this.
My #1 guitar had a TBX circuit built in originally... quite a cool feature for extra gain... but ultimately I got rid and implemented a coil tap.
Wow that thing sounds AWESOME!
It’s really a cool instrument. Definitely not a “normal “ Strat, that’s for sure.
very good video.Some clapton deep dive.Stufff alot dont know.pure genuis.Thanks for your video and what you put into music.And i am gonna start with this video, suscribed now, be safe, stay blessed :)
Thank you!
My friend beat Fender by about 3 years when he put a mid boost on my 1984 custom guitar he made for me. I do have a stellar '91 Strat Plus and just leave the TBX control on all the time.
He was ahead of his time. Call the lawyers!
this is a GREAT demo.
Thank you. Appreciate that very much.
The original blackie had pickups that were not fender. But they look like the ones you have in your guitar. Clapton put the mid range amp in blackie. But you did forget one thing comparing it to the original blackie. You don’t have a cigarette holder. How could you forget. Some of the hardware on Clapton’s Strat looks like it came of a Squire Strat. But I do like the sound.
lol how could I forget the cigarette! Just tuck it between the low E string and the headstock and you're good to go.
You explained that adding the booster is what gives it the unique sound but I didn't hear any explanation on how Fender added that the boost? How do you do that? Did I miss it? What kind of parts gives you that boost?
You didn’t miss it. This video is less technical than it could be, for the sake of simplicity. The traditional Strat electronics are replaced with an active preamp run off of a little circuit board, a special tone knob, and then the midboost knob itself. Fender actually sells the kit for retrofits. I think it’s around $100.
@@TomButwin Thanks, Tom. That helps. I was also thinking I could dial in that booster on my Boss Katana amp and get pretty close too.
Lovely, well explained. I used to use a FP graphic eq on the floor, specifically for mid range boost in soloing. Going to build me a Tele with mid range boost .. wicked!
Thanks, Dave! Good luck on the tele build!
@@TomButwin yep, who cares he,s a multi millionaire an im 67 an have had so many strats an plexis an expandoras,an everything an have nearly no rythm abilities, but like blackmore the worlds best,an clapton an gibbons an others, there them an im me, there rich as hell, an i have made only a few bucks in 30 years..
So how is it wired? Would it work with a split humbucker at the bridge?
This is a good question. I don't see why it wouldn't, but then again, I'm not well-versed in wiring on guitars, honestly.
Clapton started down this road when he got Fender’s original Strat Elite. It had a 12dB MDX boost and the TBX boost circuit along with prototype rectangular pickups allegedly made by EMG and individual on/off switches for each pickup. It also came with their horrible FreeFlyte tremolo system. I found one locally and sold it after a few years for 2 1/2 times what I paid for it. Other notable users include Tommy Shaw and of course Ty Tabor, who set out to buy as many OEM parts as he could get ahold of for his Elites and subsequent guitars made for him by Hamer and Yamaha. He eventually mounted the controls in a box and used them thusly for years. These Elites are completely different from the more recent Elite line.
Props, man. This is perfect.
Appreciate the kind words. Hope you’ll consider subscribing!
You can do that lower pot thing with a simple boost pedal that has a midrange punch or control. The JHS Haunting Mids is a great example.
Pedal just switches on/off. The knob allows for a gradual onset of boost.
Clapton was renowned for travelling light this boost built in enables him to just go plug in wherever he plays.
When testing out guitars I always just plug it in to a good amp no need for all the other stuff to mask the tone for me if a guitar don’t sound great straight into an amp in not fussed about it.
Now I’m not rubbishing off pedal boards in anyway they’re a necessity to guitar players doing their studio stuff live and a band can change their sound over time so to carry on achieving those differences live is probably impossible for some players on just one guitar.
But Eric does it
Great vid, what's the exact mod you did. In terms of actual pickup setup what was done. I have a Squire Strat and would like to do this mod, please share details if you can.
Thank you. Appreciate you watching! I actually found a wired pickguard on eBay that had been stripped out of a Clapton Strat. The unique thing about this setup is there’s a circuit board and 9v battery underneath the pickguard.
This makes it a little more involved than just buying a pickguard with everything wired up and dropping it in. You need to route some additional space in most guitars to make room for the circuit board and 9v battery. The actual Clapton Strats have the battery in the rear cavity. Mine is hidden in the front under the pickguard.
I’d recommend having a professional guitar tech install it. There’s a decent amount involved.
Another option is the Fender Powerhouse Strat. They were made in the 00’s I think. They only have a 14db boost (not quite enough to breakup most amps), but they sound really good and are versatile. Hope that helps!
Correction: 12db mid boost on the Powerhouse and they were made in the ‘90s.
You can buy the electronics directly from Fender (prewired to the correct tone and volume pots) and install it yourself. But you will have to find room for the (small) circuit board and a 9V battery) Works fine on regular Strat pickups although EC signature guitars currently have the Vintage Noiseless pickups. Also, Tom didn't mention that the middle control (tone knob) is normally set to "5" with a slight indent so that you can find it easily. Going from 5 down to 0 gives a regular tone control effect (cuts treble) but going from 5 to 10 boosts the treble.
Thanks for adding this! Admittedly, I left out some major details on the TBX tone control. I explained it very clumsily and ended up editing it out. So, appreciate the assist! Thanks for watching.
I have a "lone Star" strat with a Seymore Duncan humbucker on the bridge. It just has all kinds of tone.
I have a Japanese version of the Clapton strat. It came with gold lace sensors and the midboost. It has a V neck as well. I am not certain but I think it is actually a little fuller than Clapton's soft V but I like that. It is the old Fender Japan 54 style with the Clapton electronics. I think it is from 2002. It looks close to the Torino Red that is one of the colors that Clapton strats come in but not certain the exact color.
Oh wow. That’s awesome. I love MIJ Strats!
Id love to have an extra knob set up for this and a "King Tone" treble bleed. That would be a beast.
Good choice! I have the 25db boost electronics out of Eric's guitar, installed in my Japanese Strat. How did I get it? It was a gift. I have a single coil size hot rail in the bridge. I put an early Texas special bridge pickup in the neck slot & left the middle pickup stock. I love it!
Nice! Mines a MIJ Strat too!
It seems like a boost pedal would have achieved the same thing. Also, Clapton was never a fan of the Lace Sensor pick ups.
I tend to agree on the Lace Sensors. I liked them at first, but they lack a warmth/roundness that I like (also partially due to the active circuit).
A boost pedal can definitely drive the front end of an amp. Keeley/Xotic type boosts have some tone shaping options where you could accentuate a little mid range, but the big difference with this circuit is that 25db of boost is very midrange focused. It’s also gradual with a knob, as opposed to a on/off foot switch.
The Heartfield Talon II has it too. It's super useful. Like an Ibanez RG with an inbuilt musical boost.
I had the EMG DG20s active pickups which had the same features (bass/treble booster and a mids boost) but I wasn't keen on it. I went from having Gilmour's Black Strat setup and there was something about the active I wasn't keen on. I realised it was because I didn't like the sound of the neck pickup. Once I changed it back it was clear.
Clapton's are Vintage Noiseless, however, or, at least, the ones in his guitar now are vintage noiseless and I'd really like to give them a go. Having the boosters as the tone knobs is a great thing and the battery lasts forever. I think I had the EMGs in for 6 months and didn't change the battery once, despite playing daily. As long as you don't leave the cable in the guitar jack, the battery will last.
It might be his mod, but...
His secret weapon,
Is in his hands.
A good argument can be made for that, that’s for sure.