Eric Clapton? ..and not a Fender to be seen?

[Fretz]

Hi Guys

So I watched Clapton performing on Jools Holland last Friday night. He played 3 songs...2 from the new "Clapton" album and Crossroads. But the interesting thing is he only played Gibsons! He used a different Gibson on each song! And I have to say his tone on Crossroads was sounding pretty damn good!

Is something going on here? Is he moving towards playing more Gibsons again?
...that would be interesting!

 

[NWBasser]

Hmm, very interesting.

I'd like to hear how he sounds with a LP in his hands.

Maybe Gibson is going around throwing $$ at artists for endorsements.

I've noted that Alex Lifeson is playing Gibsons exclusively these days.

 

[Fretz]

Hmm, very interesting.

I'd like to hear how he sounds with a LP in his hands.

Maybe Gibson is going around throwing $$ at artists for endorsements.

I've noted that Alex Lifeson is playing Gibsons exclusively these days.

Actually there were 4 songs...all Gibsons though
Pretty good version of Crossroads, I think...good tone!

 

[Tig]

Does this mean Fender will be blowing out their supply of Eric Clapton Signature Strat's?

Yeah, right! :nope :whatever:

As a lover of both company's guitars (most, not all), I'm always happy. :dance

 

[NWBasser]

Hey, the LP sounds quite good in his hands. I like that he's using the neck pu.

Of course, I'm somewhat biased towards LPs.

I hope that LP is heavily chambered for him at his advanced age.

 

[Jx2]

Hmmm....maybe it was just one of those things. Maybe its a bit of a exploration or he just wanted to use something diffrent. Who knows, but its pretty cool imo.

 

[poodlesrule]

Maybe to cocky, newly-hired young punk in the Fender Marketing Dept got him mad...?

 

[mapka]

I am loving the Jazz box in the last two videos!

 

[wingsdad]

Actually...it was quite a while til EC went away from Gibson to a Strat...he mainly used an LP before splitting from his breakout with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to form Cream... with whom he'd also use an SG, a Firebird...early on, as seen here in a mix of vid and stills backed by the audio-- he'd also move on to a 335 in this era:

Steppin' Out - Cream 1966

 

[Commodore 64]

Nice hair. Lol. He looks like Darth Vader.

 

[Jimi75]

Visiting Eric's homepage it says the following under news:

Gibson to Reproduce Eric Clapton’s Classic “Beano” Les Paul
November 10th, 2010

Gibson USA has announced that they will release one of the most important guitars in the history of rock and blues this December: Eric Clapton's 1960 "Beano" Les Paul. The Gibson Custom Shop has recreated the legendary instrument that Clapton wielded on the classic album, "John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton." It will be available in stores next month. Stay tuned as more details are expected.

They must do everything possible to make people identify Eric with Gibson again. To me he's a Fender Man and he remains a Fender man. He had his reasons to go Fender and to drop the 335 and the LP.

 

[guitarhack]

Thanks, Fretz! Most enjoyable. I can look forward to the rerun.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Gibson to Reproduce Eric Clapton’s Classic “Beano” Les Paul
November 10th, 2010

Gibson USA has announced that they will release one of the most important guitars in the history of rock and blues this December: Eric Clapton's 1960 "Beano" Les Paul. The Gibson Custom Shop has recreated the legendary instrument that Clapton wielded on the classic album, "John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton." It will be available in stores next month. Stay tuned as more details are expected.

Anybody wanna guess how much Gibson will gouge the public for that one? I'm guessing $8 - 10K....

And, really, how can they claim to have "recreated" a guitar that disappeared in 1966, when it was only 6 years old? These recreations are supposed to be done from meticulous examination & measurements taken on the original instrument--obviously an impossibility here. Just more Gibson marketing malarkey.... :whatever:

 

[wingsdad]

... And I have to say his tone on Crossroads was sounding pretty damn good! ...

EC had 'found' the 'woman tone' ala Crossroads with Cream well before that...when he was with Mayall, post Yardbirds, with his LP's neck pickup with the tone control spun down to 0.

The 'Beano' album was practically a "Holy Grail", a "Book of Revelations" to me and several of my garage band buddy fledgling guitar slingers chasing dreams of glory; we all had to have it, and we all wore its grooves down to the point of the sound drenched in 'frying eggs', as we'd sit like a circle of pilgrims around a portable record player, turn the speed down to 16rpm struggling to cop note for note, beat by beat, his delivery of interpreative but faithful blues licks.

And we realized if we were really gonna do it, we'd have to cut more lawns, deliver more newspapers, shovel more snow to save up to move from our Sears Silvertone Danelectros, Kays and Harmonys and pawn shop Kents & Teiscos and get us Gibsons. I ended up moving my Harmony for an ES-330 (cuz it was a lot cheaper than a 335, SG or LP, and I wasn't patient enough to save any more. P-90's, not buckers. But through a cranked Deluxe Reverb, it drove me forward.

As shot as it is, that vinyl disc rests in peace among its brethren on my shelves, in its torn-up, scotch-taped jacket glory.

So, to me, EC's always been a Gibson player first who ran off from his first love for an affair with the Strat. In the end, it doesn't matter what axe he grinds.

 

[Tig]

In the end, it doesn't matter what axe he grinds.

'Zackly!

That was a great story, wingsdad. Just a few years ahead of me, but I can relate to certain LP's that captured me until they sounded like "frying eggs" (love that sound image!).

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I was interested to note that during this thread, Fender (on my facebook notices) has been running a Classic Clapton giveaway to award an EC strat. Contest ended the other day I guess.

 

[kidsmoke]

Yeah, as noted, Both EC and Lifeson made their names on Gibsons. Nothin' new there.

I can tell you though, I was at Crossroads this summer and Clapton was all Fender all the time.

 

[deeaa]

Much as I appreciate his status and all, but...seriously, if I heard those in a local bar I'd shake my head does anybody really play such tired blues with such messy blurry sounds this day and age...liked the organs though...the guitar sounds like any cheapo bucker axe neck pup thru a valve Jr.

But, at the solo bit I'd lift my ear and go, well that was a stylish little clip.

 

[otaypanky]

My copy of Beano melted in a house fire in the late 70's, and was probably as worn out as Wingsdad's was.
I have always been a fan of both. My first LP was a 68 or 69 LP goldtop Deluxe my father got for me when I was 16. A few years later that was foolishly traded away for a bastardized Esquire, a total piece of crap that had a worn out maple neck that 'called' to me. I had never played a maple neck, it was a good one, unfortunately the rest of the guitar was junk. Ever since then it's been both for me, I have to have both ~

 

[ZMAN]

A lot of the guys over at the Les Paul forum trashed his tone with the Les Paul.
I have always said that Eric's Signature guitar was an attempt at making the Strat sound more "Humbucky" The mid boost circuit was all about that.
I think he like the feel of the Strat but not the tone. Maybe I am wrong but I always thought his tone with that circuit, sounded a lot like a humbucker.
With the new Chambered series maybe he will be playing more Gibbies.
I like him using the 335, don't like his Lp tone on those cuts either.

 

[Fretz]

Wonder if this guy has the original Beano Les Paul ?

 

[R_of_G]

While I've enjoyed Clapton's playing on many different songs throughout his career, the only tone of his I ever really liked was his Bluesbreakers' tone.