J
Joe12343
New member
The Clapton signature Stratocaster has 80 Db boost ( 73 Db boost without the mid boost ). The way Db boost is counted by Fender is decibels more than a normal passive Stratocaster. I measured my Clapton signature Stratocaster from 2018 to 80 Db boost. I was very surprised when my Stock Clapton Signature Statocaster at the absolute lowest master setting on the volume hit the roof of my amp at 117 decibels on the Clean channel. My normal Stratocaster got to 41 decibels on the exact same settings. But I felt that Thf Clapton signature Stratocaster had more to give so I tried it on an amp that had more decibels available and then I got 80 decibels more than the normal passive Stratocaster. Without the mid boost I had 73 decibels more. That means that at 80 Db boost The Clapton signature Stratocaster is 256 times louder than a normal Stratocaster. Without the mid boost at 73 decibels more its 160 times louder than a passive Stratocaster. I measured it with a Sciloscop as well and got 80 Db boost ( 73 Db boost without mid boost). As I am electrician I wanted to see the active cuircuit and then it all made sense. The Clapton signature Stratocasters active cuircuite is gigantic ( not in size but what they have put into it ). You have 3 cascading 2N6429 TO-92 transistors. Thats an incredible amount of voltage gain you get from that. You can actually if its biased that way get with hfe 500 get theoretically a gain of 125 000 000. Cascading means 500X500x500 =125 000 000. Off course its not biased that way but much lower but just to get an Idea of what 3 cascading 2N6429 TO-92 transistors can do. In The Clapton Signature Stratocasters case they have the guitar 60 Db boost. Then there is a discrete op amp topology that gave the guitar another 13 Db boost. The last gain producing unit is the 2N5087 transistor that controlls the mid boost that gave 7 Db boost for a total of 80 Db boost. Thats a total of 1 500 volt thats inside the cuircuit. That is made possible by transistor voltage boost. The Transistors along with the discrete op amp topology and ( this is very important ) with The help of the collectors and resistors inside the cuircuit transistor voltage boosts the cuicuit to 1500 volt. It actually voltage boosts it a bit more for safety. I read 1 550 volt inside the cuircuit which means it has 50 volt extra as safety. Thats what active cuircuits do they always have safety. Spontaneously you dont have to do this big of an investigation to hear that there are incredibly much more Db than the 25 Db Fender claimes. Just use a Db reader and measure decibels vs a normal Stratocaster. You Will see how extremely much more Db boost there is than what Fender claimes. But you have to do it on the Clean channel. The distorted channel cannot handle 1 500 volt output and shuts the guitar down directly to a normal guitars volume to protect itself. It cannot protect itself from some of the effects of the extreme output though. You Will get the absolute fattest tone you have ever heard in a guitar, a sustain far far longer than any guitar comes close to produce, controlled Feed back and extreme distortion especially when you hit volume button at 7 where there is a boost put in. You Will never need a distortion pedal. Like on the Clean channel The Clapton signature Stratocaster at 4 in volume is about 5 decibels louder than a normal Stratocaster at 10 in volume. The Clapton signature Stratocaster at 5 is 13 decibels louder than the normal Strat at 10. At 6 in volume its 26 decibels louder. Then with the volume at 7 comes the boost and you get to 56 decibels more. Then you obviously get more in 8 in volume but not at all as drastically as the volume at 7 boost. At 10 you have 73 decibels more than a passive Stratocaster and with the mid boost 80 decibels more. The step from 9 to 10 on the volume knob is hardly noticable. Thats the way a non linear system works. Fender cannot even write how they got to their 25 Db boost because its a paper product a made up number by people who thinks they cant sell an incredibly powerful guitar. Their worst mistake however was coming up with the complete lie the Clapton signature Stratocaster has 0 Db boost without the mid boost. First an active guitar with active electronics and no by pass can never have 0 Db boost thats common knowledge. Physics does not allow it. So it would at least have 8-15 Db boost the Clapton signature Stratocaster is extreme with its 73 Db boost. The only thing thats passive in the Clapton signature Stratocaster is the Stacked Humbuckers ( Vintage Noiceless ). So this guitar can never come close to sound like a normal Stratocster. The incredible boost colours the sound incredibly much and Humbuckers can never sound like single coils stacked or not.
