Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
One of the world's most influential electric guitars, the Fender Stratocaster(R) guitar once owned by Eric Clapton and affectionately known as BLACKIE(R), will be recreated and made available to the public this November 24 from Fender's renowned Custom Shop. This iconic piece of rock 'n' roll history commanded a record price of $959,500 in 2004 at a Christie's auction that benefited the Crossroads Centre, Antigua -- a charity founded by Clapton and which remains close to his heart -- and this marks the first and only time that the guitar will ever be recreated.
BLACKIE(R), a mid-1950s Fender Stratocaster guitar pieced together by Clapton himself from numerous individual guitars, was Clapton's main instrument throughout the 1970s and '80s. Clapton's albums 461 Ocean Boulevard, Slowhand, No Reason To Cry and Just One Night, among others, were all recorded with BLACKIE(R). And in addition to memorable solo tours, Clapton and BLACKIE(R) shared the stage with the likes of Pete Townshend, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters and The Band.
This historic addition to the Custom Shop Tribute Series will replicate BLACKIE(R) down to the smallest of details -- from the worn-to-the-wood body, to the neck re-shaped by Eric's hand as he played a thousand heartfelt solos, to the unmistakable cigarette burns on the headstock.
Said Mike Eldred of Fender's Custom Shop, "This is a dream come true, to work so closely with this magical piece of rock history. To hold BLACKIE and to think about all it has been through and how much fantastic music has come out of it, it's really an indescribable feeling. The Tribute Series BLACKIE guitar is instantly collectible and we're thrilled that it's now available to Eric's fans."
Only 90 pieces will be made for a limited number of Fender retailers outside of the United States. Retail stores from around the world will introduce the guitar on "Black Friday" -- November 24, 2006, with a portion of the proceeds to go to the Crossroads Centre, Antigua. For more information about this guitar, visit http://www.fender.com/blackie, and for more information about Crossroads Centre, Antigua, please visit http://www.crossroadsantigua.org.
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CONTACT: Fender Jason Farrell 480-596-7130 (Media) jfarrell@fender.com
Source: Business Wire (Business Wire India)