In my previous column, we talked about Eric Clapton in the 1960s, specifically his collaborations with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and Cream, as well as his preference for Gibson guitars at that time.
Chad made the Fender Stratocaster his main instrument of choice by 1970. A 1956 two-tone sunburst with a maple neck was his #1 strat. The nicknamelapton “Brownie” was given to this now-famous instrument.
In 1971, Eric’s primary instrument was a black-bodied “parts” guitar, which he purchased from Sho-Bud’s Music in Nashville under the name “Blackie.” Since then, he has remained partial to Stratocasters, meaning that Eric has played Strat mainly for 54 years.
The three-way blade toggle switch on that instrument is nearly always set by Eric to engage both the middle and bridge pickups, creating what some call a “nasal-y” out-of-phase sound.
This is position number two on a contemporary five-way toggle switch. Remember that a Fender Squier can provide the same sound as a vintage strat therefore you don’t need one! I’m using a 2×10 Fender Vibroverb amp for these instances.