Eric Clapton "Blackie" guitar reissue out in November

If you need to buy a special gift for the guitarist in your life, make sure you're awake early on "Black Friday" (November 24th), the day after Thanksgiving (November 23rd). That's when the Guitar Center chain will begin selling the new reissue of Eric Clapton's Fender Stratocaster that he nicknamed "Blackie." The reproductions, which are exact down to the cigarette burn marks on the headstock, have a list price of $24,000, but Guitar Center, which is the exclusive retailer, will sell them for $20,000 on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT. Only 185 instruments will be made available in the U.S. A portion of the proceeds will go to Clapton's Crossroads Centre substance-abuse facility in Antigua.

Blackie, which Clapton assembled from the parts of three other Strats, was his main guitar through the '70s and '80s on tour and on albums including 461 Ocean Boulevard, Slowhand, and Just One Night. Guitar Center bought Blackie at Clapton's Crossroads auction in 2004 for $959,500.

The legendary guitarist recently finished a North American tour, and he kicks off a three-week Japanese run on November 11th.