Under the bed hold the stuff of dear dreams. Keep family in the family.
Look what I pulled out from under my bed? Custom made for me 10 years back, 1 3/4 wide flat neck, and more. I fell out of love with it, but no guitar stays closer to me when I sleep . Yup, under the bed! Thinking of selling it now, but have played it and only it for the last four days. I'd be silly to sell it. . I even use the Bigsby and it stays in tune! It is better than ever, but I do come and go as to wanting to play it or the others.
Keep your EC. The beauty of a Strat is all the modding you can do and undo so quickly. Hell, b uy another pickguard and pups. Make it an easy in/out change and have some fun. You can always go abck to stock. I did that with my mid Eighties '62 Reissue Strat. Took out the pickguard and pups, put in a whole EMG setup with a mother of toilet seat pickguard. Funny thing is, after 15 years, I've never gone back to stock, but it made me keep my guitar.