John Mayer and Eric Clapton Introduce the Sun Strat Guitar

by Staff.

On Friday, July 20, 2007, release of the 100 limited edition Fender Eric Clapton Crossroads Stratocaster, also known as the Sun Strat, for sale to the public was celebrated by Eric Clapton's special appearance during John Mayer's GMA Summer Concert set on ABC in which Clapton and Mayer performed "Crossroads", each playing a Sun Strat. An online video of the event, which was broadcast live by ABC and its affiliates, is available on ABC's website. The guitar is the result of a collaboration between Eric Clapton and Fender's Custom Shop and gets its nickname from the sun face graphic on the front of the body derived from an original drawing by Clapton. While the limited edition Sun Strat features a maple fretboard, Mayer's has been customized with a rosewood board.

The Sun Strat can only be purchased directly from Fender through a special area of its website. No retailers or middlemen are involved as Fender and Eric Clapton have pledged that all proceeds from the sale of the Sun Strats will benefit The Crossroads Centre, Antigua, the drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation facility founded by Clapton in 1998 on the small Caribbean island.

The Crossroads Centre, Antigua, also serves as the focal point of this coming Saturday's 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago that will feature, in addition to Clapton and Mayer, guitarists Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Hubert Sumlin, Derek Trucks, Jimmie Vaughan, and many others. Profits from the festival concert are also earmarked for The Crossroads Centre.

John Mayer and Eric Clapton perform "Crossroads" with Sun Strats on Good Morning America. Photo: Dave Allocca/startraksphoto.com.

Closeup of Sun Strat and matching amp showing graphic. Photo: Steve Pitkin.

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