buddy wrote: 

 I thought Martin at first but I don't understand the black label with yellow writing for the internal serial number label that is visible through the soundhole. It made me think it was a semi-custom made from a company/luthier that used a similar logo to Martins on the headstock but the photo resolution isn't good enough for me to tell. My photo enhancing skills don't exist at any level.
 Looks like it should boom seriously on the low E string to me.

 Hairfarmer wrote: 
Looks nice - what flavour?

 Hairfarmer wrote: 
wotizzit?

 Hairfarmer wrote: 
Very cool!

I finally got a real one:
 
 

 musik_knut wrote: 
This is kind of interesting.

Famous Guitarists & Their Guitars

http://www. myrareguitars. com/famous-guitarists-guitars

 bokey wrote: 
Clapton could play the rusted fender of a '57  BelAir and we would drop to our knees and profess our unworthiness. The Fender website offers the Clapton strat, the Beck strat and so on...

 musik_knut wrote: 
Clapton has played everything at one point or another.

Early during his stint in Cream, Clapton's first Les Paul Standard was stolen. He continued to play Les Pauls exclusively with Cream (one bought from Andy Summers was almost identical to the stolen guitar) until 1967 when he acquired his most famous guitar in this period, a 1964 Gibson SG. In early 1967, just before their first US appearance, Clapton's SG, Bruce's Fender VI and Baker's drum head were repainted in psychedelic designs created by the visual art collective known as The Fool. In 1968 Clapton bought a Gibson Firebird and started using the 1964 Cherry-Red Gibson ES-335 again. The aforementioned 1964 ES-335 had a storied career. Clapton used it at the last Cream show in November, 1968 as well as with Blind Faith, played sparingly for slide pieces in the 1970s, heard on Hard Times from Journeyman, the Hyde Park live concert of 1996 and the From the Cradle sessions and tour of 1994/95. It was sold for $847, 500 at the 2004 auction. Gibson produced a limited run of 250 "Crossroads 335" replicas. The 335 was only the second electric guitar Clapton bought.

Clapton played a refinished red Les Paul on the Beatles' studio recording of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", then gave the guitar to George Harrison. His SG found its way into the hands of George Harrison's friend Jackie Lomax, who subsequently sold it to musician Todd Rundgren for US$500 in 1972. Rundgren restored the guitar and nicknamed it "Sunny", after "Sunshine of Your Love". He retained it until 2000, when he sold it at an auction for US$150, 000. At the 1969 Blind Faith concert in Hyde Park, London Clapton played a Fender Custom Telecaster, which was fitted with Brownie's neck.

In late 1969, Clapton made the switch to the Fender Stratocaster. "I had a lot of influences when I took up the Strat. First there was Buddy Holly, and Buddy Guy. Hank Marvin was the first well known person over here in England who was using one, but that wasn't really my kind of music. Steve Winwood had so much credibility, and when he started playing one, I thought, oh, if he can do it, I can do it. " First was "Brownie" used during the recording of Eric Clapton which in 1974 became the backup to the most famous of all Clapton's guitars, "Blackie". In November 1970 Eric bought six Fender Stratocasters from the Sho-bud guitar shop in Nashville, Tennessee while on tour with the Dominos. He gave one each to George Harrison, Steve Winwood and Pete Townshend.

Clapton assembled the best components of the remaining three to create "Blackie", which was his favourite stage guitar until its retirement in 1985. It was first played live January 13, 1973 at the Rainbow Concert. Clapton called the 1956/57 Strat a "mongrel". On 24 June, 2004, Clapton sold "Blackie" at Christie's Auction House, New York for $959, 500 to raise funds for his Crossroads Centre for drug and alcohol addictions. "Brownie" is now on display at the Experience Music Project. The Fender Custom Shop has since produced a limited run of 275 'Blackie' replicas, correct in every detail right down to the 'Duck Brothers' flight case, and artificially aged using Fender's 'Relic' process to simulate years of hard wear. One was presented to Eric upon the model's release.

Another moment involving Clapton's guitars resulted in Hard Rock Café's unique and gigantic collection of memorabilia. In 1971, Clapton, a regular at the original Hard Rock Café in Hyde Park, gave a signed guitar to the café to designate his favourite bar stool. Pete Townshend, in turn, donated one of his own guitars, with a note attached: "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete. " From there, the collection of memorabilia grew, resulting in Hard Rock Café's atmosphere. In 1988 Fender honoured Clapton with the introduction of his signature Eric Clapton Stratocaster. These were the first two artist models in the Stratocaster range and since then the artist series has grown to include models inspired both by Clapton's contemporaries such as Rory Gallagher, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, and by those who have influenced him such as Buddy Guy. Clapton uses Ernie Ball Slinky and Super Slinky strings. Clapton has also been honoured with signature-model 000-28EC and 000-42EC acoustic guitars made by the famous American firm of C. F. Martin & Co. . His 1939 000-42 Martin that he played on the Unplugged album sold for $791, 500 at auction. Clapton plays a custom 000-ECHF Martin these days.

Arctic white/maple neck but with a humbucker...that's my strat.

 Yibbyl wrote: 

My strat is straight up. Two single coils with a humbucker. I 'auditioned' strats with different set ups and went with the configuration with the humbucker: it gives a fuller, warmer sound to my ears. I seldom use the whammy bar. *best I ever heard using a bar is Ritchie Blackmore...he was/is the king of whammy*

 Danimal174 wrote: 

I hear ya. I just got a strat about a month back...before long, it felt at home in my hands. One thing I appreciate is it's not as heavy as a typical Gibson. That counts in the comfort zone.

 bokey wrote: 
Big differences in playing comfort, as well as the style.  Love the Tele!  It's one of the most versatile guitars and it stays in tune, then stays in tune, and stays in tune some more.  Just wish it wasn't a bolt-on.

PRS guitars have a scale length in between a Strat & a Les Paul in an attempt to get the best of both and, if made in the USA, are of impeccable quality/workmanship like the infamous Dragon II.  Very desirable guitars.

My main guitar is a Strat with the whammy bar twisted like a pretzel, set on fire, then thrown away.  I also utilized all 5 springs mounted and screwed them to the hilt (yields an extremely subtle reverb-like effect and helps keep the guitar in tune).  It also only has 2 pickups: a P-90 at the neck for serious "crunch" and an out-of-production single coil mounted at an angle yielding excellent harmonics and a smooth jazz-like tone. 

 bokey wrote: 

That's true. Personal preference. But the list of top notch players, whether it be in the blues, acid rock, progressive, basic rock, et al, who choose a strat is impressive. From Hendrix to Clapton to SRV to Jeff Beck and beyond.

 bokey wrote: 
Me too (well, you have to top your dreams up now and again!). It seems there are several brands called Martinez - the Santos Martinez, an Australian outfit also called Martinez that makes resonator guitars, another Martinez making hand made classical guitars, and I'm sure there is/was another Martinez outfit making electric guitars. I can't believe the Santos Martinez range is only available in the UK as it seems, unless they are actually made here.

Going off topic, I ended up on a site extolling the virtues of 'Vintage' guitars - going by mine, all I have to say is

 Danimal174 wrote: 
I have small hands . Ovations fit me perfectly

 beamends wrote: 
I dunno- I didn't do exhaustive research. I just checked about 5 websites and they were all in pounds, not dollars.

 Danimal174 wrote: 
Same here. I had a Custom Balladeer for a few years. Never again.

   They're OK for chords and stuff, but once you start trying to rock and go into unconcious mode it gets awkward and distracting.

 PoundPuppy wrote: 

My brother has an Ovation, which I've played quite a few times. I've never gotten past the back on them; they want to slide down in my lap when I try to play them. 

 muzik wrote: 
I have a 6 string and a 12 string Ovation . LOVE THEM !!!

 musik_knut wrote: 

Yeah, I'm pretty new to playing electrics overall; I've played them before, but very sparingly in the past. I got the strat from a co-worker a couple of months ago, and am trying to get used to playing it. I still (for now) prefer my Washburn acoustic, just because I've been playing it for 15 years and it feels comfortable in my hands; the new-ness / awkwardness of the feel of the strat in my hands is still there for me.