Eric Clapton's guitar strings: the Stratocaster rig, sourced
Documented string gauges, brands, and tunings Eric Clapton uses on his Fender Stratocaster (Blackie / Brownie / current sigs) and acoustic Martin. With citations.
Solo / ex-Cream / ex-Yardbirds / ex-Derek and the Dominos · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Eric Clapton uses Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010–.046) on his electric guitars per his long-time guitar tech Lee Dickson. He moved up from Ernie Ball Super Slinky (.009–.042), the gauge he played in the 1970 Cream / early-solo era documented in a Guitar Player interview at the time, to .010s in his later career. On acoustic, Martin & Co. light-gauge phosphor bronze (.012–.054) is his standard, and he has spoken about endorsing Martin acoustic strings publicly.
Who Eric Clapton is
Eric Clapton is one of the most documented blues-rock guitarists in recorded history, six decades of catalog from the Yardbirds (1963–1965) through Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, and a solo career that reached commercial peaks with 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), Slowhand (1977), and Unplugged (1992). His Fender Stratocaster signature is the production version of the spec he played for decades on the hybrid 'Blackie' Strat.
This page documents his current string setup as confirmed by his guitar tech, Lee Dickson, plus the historical gauge change he made earlier in his career.
What he plays
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046) is the current set across his electric guitars. Per his guitar tech, this has been his standard for the modern era of his playing.
The earlier-career gauge he played, .009–.042 (Super Slinky), is documented in a 1970 Guitar Player interview where Clapton confirmed Ernie Ball Super Slinky on his Stratocaster "Brownie." The move from .009s to .010s in his later career is widely discussed as a feel-and-stability decision rather than a tone choice; lighter sets bend easier but drift more under sustained vibrato.
On acoustic, he plays Martin & Co. light-gauge phosphor bronze (.012–.054). Martin Guitar has publicly confirmed his endorsement.
Electric guitars
Three decades built on one design. Sourced from Fender's own history of the guitar and a 2021 Premier Guitar rig rundown with longtime tech Dan Dearnley.
Current touring rig · Custom Shop, built by Todd Krause
Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster
Per tech Dan Dearnley, Clapton tours with three of these and usually plays just one all night. Fender's Blocked American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo, Vintage Noiseless Single-Coil Strat pickups, and a TBX active tone circuit with a mid-boost, plus an old-school 3-way pickup switch Clapton has swapped in for the stock 5-way. Finished in classic sports-car colors he picked himself: one in a Porsche-style dark blue, a spare in Aston Martin almond green from a run of five built in 2019 for a five-night Tokyo Budokan stand.
1970 to 1985 · retired · sold at auction in 2004
"Blackie," the template Strat
Assembled in 1970 by Nashville luthier Ted Newman Jones from the best parts of three vintage-1950s Stratocasters Clapton bought at Sho-Bud: a 1956 alder body in black lacquer, a one-piece 1957 maple neck, and a mix of original pickups. It debuted live on January 13, 1973 at the Rainbow Concert, carried Clapton through the ARMS tour and Live Aid, and was retired in 1985 as the neck wore too thin to keep playing. Sold at Christie's in 2004 for $959,500 to Guitar Center, where it still lives today. Blackie is the direct template for the production Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster he has played since 1988.
Acoustic guitars
Two Martins, both played unplugged whenever the room allows it. Sourced from the same 2021 Premier Guitar rundown.
Current favorite · no onboard electronics
Martin 000-42K Goro Custom Tribute
Built to honor Japanese designer Goro Takahashi, with a flamed koa back and sides and an Italian alpine spruce top bound in sea-water turquoise. It carries no pickup or preamp. Live, Dearnley mics it with two DPA 4011TL cardioid condensers on a single stand rather than running a DI signal.
His own signature model · since 1995
Martin 000-28EC
His long-running signature model, built in East Indian rosewood. It has an under-saddle pickup fitted, but per the same rundown Clapton prefers its natural acoustic sound miked up over the DI output, the same preference as the Goro.
Amps and effects
A famously small footprint for a player this famous. Sourced from the same 2021 rundown.
Built for him · Dumble-modified
Two Fender '57 Bandmaster Custom combos
Built to Clapton's spec by amp designer Alexander Dumble. He runs one live and keeps an identical, miked spare on stage. Dearnley says Dumble voiced the amps so their sweet spot lands with every control set to 7. Earlier eras of his career are tied to other Fender combos and, at points, Music Man and Marshall heads, but the Dumble-built Bandmasters are his current documented rig.
One switcher, two effects, nothing else
Dunlop Cry Baby wah + Leslie rotary speaker
Clapton, who helped make the wah pedal famous alongside Hendrix, runs almost no other effects. A custom switch pedal from tech Mike Hill splits his signal to a Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95F wah and his amp; engaging the wah also routes the signal to a Hammond Leslie 122XB rotary speaker cabinet for the swirling tone he has used since the Cream era.
Strings
Two documented sets, one per guitar type, both wired to full CYS reviews below.
Electric · verified-use · .010–.046
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky
Confirmed by longtime guitar tech Lee Dickson as the set on all his electrics, and independently confirmed by Premier Guitar's 2021 rundown: "They're all strung with Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys (.010 to .046)." He played the lighter Super Slinky (.009–.042) earlier in his career before moving up for feel and tuning stability.
Source: Ground Guitar; Premier Guitar, 2021.
Acoustic · endorsed · .012–.054
Martin SP Phosphor Bronze Light
Clapton has spoken on the record about his Martin acoustic-string endorsement; light-gauge phosphor bronze is his standard, matching the .012 to .054 gauge on Martin's own SP Phosphor Bronze Light set. Phosphor bronze's warmer midrange over 80/20 bronze suits the natural, un-miked-DI tone he prefers live on both his Martins.
Source: Where's Eric!.
Off the strings, Clapton has also used heavy-gauge Ernie Ball picks for decades, per his longtime tech and management team.
Why this fits the rig
The Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster launched in 1988 with Lace Sensor pickups. Fender has since updated the production spec, and Clapton's own Custom Shop touring guitars carry Vintage Noiseless Single-Coil Strat pickups with the same TBX active tone circuit and mid-boost, voiced for the warm, vocal lead tone he built his solo career on. .010-gauge nickel-plated steel with a 25.5-inch scale gives him the bend feel his blues vocabulary depends on without the pitch-stability cost of going lighter. The .046 low E is heavy enough that aggressive rhythm work in E standard doesn't go floppy.
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