Why Eric Clapton Stopped playing Gibsons

[@pharmerdavid1432]

I'm an old guy, 67 next week, and have followed Clapton's career since the 1960's. I've seen him play many times on video, and a couple times live. The one time I'll never forget was the early-mid 1980's at the Inglewood Forum (Los Angeles) with Albert Lee (still playing a telecaster) and a rhythm section of Duck Dunn and Al Jackson Jr. (played with James Burton as studio musicians). Clapton had been out of circulation for many years at the time, and lost his popularity, so the Forum was less than half filled. After the first set the band took a long break, when they came back out seemly energized by "something", Eric said to the crowd spread all over the Forum: "why don't you all come down here by the stage and let's have a party!". We all rushed the stage trying to get better seats, me and my friend were about 20-30 row back slightly off to the side, with an excellent perspective, behind two pretty girls who danced the entire time. I've never seen Clapton play as good as he did that night, and Albert Lee was just as good - Lee seemed to spur Eric to play his best. They were both playing a mix of Music Mann and Fender amps and cabs. After seeing him play that night, I can understand why people wrote "Clapton is God" graffiti. Perhaps the Forum being so empty was a catalyst, but for whatever reason - Clapton was on fire that night.....!

[@DeOmnibusDubitandum76]

So right, EC's playing always seems to blossom in a sparring situation.

[@RosaLichtenstein01]

Ok, thanks for that. I saw him live with Cream in 1968, and I have never seen him that brilliant since. Nowhere near.

[@MrChopsticktech]

I agree about Albert Lee spurring Eric. Just One Night is one of my favourite live albums.

[@ikestoddard2458]

Me, too. Wish I could have been there. Still on bucket list to see him live, and I know he is ailing.

[@MisterTMH]

@@ikestoddard2458 Front Row Clapton LIVE 1987 Melbourne Australia. He fired up that night and was only being backed by bass, keys and drums so he had to play lead, rhythm and sing all night. He was rightly applauded. Subsequent shows I have seen him play LIVE were not so good.On that night back in1987 he was inspired and not going through the motions at all.

[@cloudbudget]

I respect everything Clapton explained about Strats, but it does not change that I miss the tones he got when he played Gibsons. To me the Strat sounds just got too shrill at times, like the end of Layla. I feel the same about Townshend and Jeff Beck who both also moved to playing Strats almost exclusively. My ear liked their previous Gibson tones better. But that's just one opinion. Thanks so much for this awesome video.

[@joashtunison351]

Ditto and amen!

[@maximusindicusoblivious180]

I agree with your opinion. I also think that a lot of what was not mentioned is that Hendrix was burning up the Stratocaster on stage and on records from 66 until his death and other guitarist were trying to distance themselves from the Stratocaster because of his influence. The Gibsons were associated with jazz and r&b players in the early days for their warm and fat tones. It wasn't until after Jimi's death in 1970 that the Les Paul and other Gibson models became as prominent during the Page/Frampton era of stadium rock in my humble opinion.

[@joashtunison351]

@Maximus Indicus Oblivious slow hand just didn't have the sustain using a strat. It's kinda sad, but his whole career changed anyway. My favourite strat tone of his might be his number on the Last Waltz. That was quite ok!

[@monadyne]

I agree, as well.

[@brigwood7658]

Totally agree. That beautiful warm Gibson sound that guys like Clapton, Mick Taylor (my all time favourite), Paul Kossof had in the late 60's; just cut through in a way that so suited the epic blues rock playing these guys were inventing (steeped in the 'blues greats', sure, but they were clearly taking it somewhere else). It was a 'sweet-spot' time to me, just before the Chicago blues sound gave way to straight rock playing in the 70's. Hendrix, knopfler etc; wow! but for me Clapton lost a certain edge when he got 'strated' up (Bell bottom blues being the 'exact' case in point).

[@Jodyrides]

A better question would be, why did Clapton quit playing the type of music that got him out of the small bars and onto the record charts around the world. he was setting the pace of music… he changed music, mixing blues with rock..He was one of the best guitar players with ripping leads and piercing riffs. After Derek and the dominoes, he became a Strummer. What happened? I saw Clapton Play in Pittsburgh at the civic arena.. they had the roof opened to let all the smoke out probably. that was the place that had the nickname of the igloo where i saw bands like traffic, iron butterfly, the doors,the Stones, Robin Trower,This was in the early 70s. Talk about perfect timing. Clapton started off with Layla. then it started raining. actually raining on the stage. The perfect time to bust out with “let it rain”… I think I paid less than 20 bucks a ticket to see all of those bands.. Times change. They tore down the Civic Arena, they replaced it with PPG events arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins across the street.. my son took my grandson there in November here in 2022 to see wrestling, he’s five years old and likes that kind of stuff. He wanted popcorn. My son bought a box of popcorn from the vendor that goes up and down the isles. A box of popcorn was $17.. A bottle of water was six dollars… The tickets were $82 each, no discount for children.. Times have changed

[@sirkayda7205]

I'm at a loss how Clapton could be described as a strummer....

[@Jodyrides]

@@sirkayda7205 I guess you’re not a guitar player.. creams music had a pounding driving force.. he was the gimmic, The reason for the song period songs like spoonful on the wheels of fire album. their music coined the phrase, heavy music.. A couple of bands later, and his music barely has a pulse. It’s almost like country western music where the focus of the music is the lyrics.. I suppose the same thing that Hendrix said happened to him, happened to Clapton.. Hendrix said, it’s very hard to come up with another foxy Lady or all along the watchtower.. I don’t know how old you are, but I know exactly where I was the first time I heard foxy lady on the radio of my 59 Chevy.. I was going north on Union Avenue out of Avalon into West view. I was not only mesmerized. I could not believe it.. I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard sunshine of your love. I was sunbathing at Bellevue pool when that came over the PA system that they always had the radio on. I could not have been more stunned by that riff , my reaction would have been exactly the same if a UFO has landed beside the pool..I had the same concussion from the impact of the first time I heard a band called Led Zeppelin’s first album. The first song was good times bad times. I plugged my turntable into my fender super reverb which is how I listened to albums in my room then. And I heard those intro power chords- blaring.. Every time I hear that song, those chords, It has the same impact.. Clapton was one of those guitar players that had that effect.. his guitar gradually toned down, and his style went from bolero rising to a crescendo- to ballads..You wouldn’t categorize any of his later music after cream or blind faith as heavy metal that makes you not only tap your foot, cream’s music made you want to rip your shirt off and do a war dance around raging tribal fires.. clapton / cream created heavy metal, that is what he is known for. But his music today and in the years following cream, is the music he will be forgotten for.. oh sure he’s had a few catchy tunes that hit the top 40 charts, but that’s not the music I think of when I hear the name Clapton.. Robin Trower never deserted his style, Stevie Ray Vaughan never deserted his style, Eddie Van Halen never deserted his style, Alvin Lee, Jimmy page,, they all kept the pressure up.. Clapton on the other hand, figuratively let the air out of his tires. He should’ve kept cranking the way Joe Bonamassa does, but clapton throttled back in the early 70s, and I have never seen or heard him turn up the pressure since.. when I went to see Clapton live, I expected to see and hear a thunderstorm on stage..The music was great and on time and he was accompanied by real pros in every phase, lighting, the soundman, you could hear every instrument, every microphone, but it was not a thunderstorm. It was merely a light shower

[@shable1436]

@@Jodyrides Eric evolved with the times is why, you should know this being a guitar player. He made himself relevant each decade he had hits, so with age he changed to playing with different sounds and genres

[@lshort8842]

@@Jodyrides What happened was Eric came to Tulsa, and was influenced by the Bramletts , JJ Cale, and Leon Russell. Eric learned how to put a little soul, a little "roll" in his rock. The older albums are still there to be enjoyed if you like louder and faster music.

[@MrSmiley1964]

@@Jodyrides I feel your pain I grew up too late to see Eric in his glory years. I saw him once, ONCE! It was the summer of '82 after a forgetful album a forgetful tour called Money for Whiskey and Cigarettes or something like that. He was slow and lacked any passion. It was the first and only time I had seen assigned seating on the coliseum floor. The only time the audience got excited was when he played my least favorite song he had, "Cocaine". The only good things I can say about the show are 1- The band was tight, even if I can't remember who was in it. and 2- The ticket was only about $12. It's sad that I don't remember him playing any of the songs that anybody would think of when you think of Eric Clapton. And I was such a fan of his before that night.

[@thecaveofthedead]

He does nail, in your one quote, the fact that Strats sound their best clean. It's a very unusual sound. You can mimic a lot of tones on a Strat - but not perfectly the way you can with a Telecaster. They're at their best clean, making use of their odd sound - and many of he most famous Strat players really show that - Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin, Dick Dale, Mark Knopfler. Where the Strat just cleans up is in ergonomics. It's unbeatable in that sense for the reasons Clapton mentions and how well it hangs on a strap, sits on your leg. It's a very solid vibrato tailpiece too - even though it's 'jumpier' than a jazzmaster or bigsby tail. Now that we have the internet to tell us how to set them up you can work them like hell without losing tune. But really, the world fell for Clapton because of the rock 'n roll power of a Gibson pickup into a Marshall. The proportion of people who took up guitar from hearing the oddball jangle of Clapton playing Strats into twins must be minute. A strat always sounds a bit rough through a pushed amp. I even prefer Hendrix on a Gibson like on Red House.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Great comment, thanks.

[@stanstolarski8325]

My opine: Clapton was at his best during his Gibson/Marshall stack days. Listening to Disraeli Gears "Sunshine" is what pushed me into learning to play guitar & many of us tried to emulate his unique style & tone. Goodbye Cream & Wheels of Fire were the apex of his career.

[@budgreen7764]

Yes! I started my guitar journey after hearing "Sunshine of Your Love ". I was a drummer prior to that day .

[@plynbass1292]

The red Gibson 335 with the Marshalls was the best tone. Watch the Last Cream Concert footage from the Royal Albert Hall which I believe was their farewell concert. His sound is amazing. When they did the reunion between Clapton using the Strat and Fender amps and Jack Bruce using a fretless bass with clean Mesa Boogie amps (again no Marshalls) they just didn't have the sound.

[@tompease8810]

Yes I think Eric's best work was with Cream No Doubt

[@Martos59]

@@tompease8810 His solos with a Gibson were astounding. The live crossroads playing is so inspired and as good a tone as you’ll ever hear!! Not that he hasn’t made great music with a Strat, we all know he went in a different direction after he heard “The Band”. He’s a great singer and a good slide player so he had plenty of avenues to explore. It’s just his solos became more generic from that point on in my opinion

[@tonybraines7172]

Defo his most vicious licks with the Gibson and Marshall. They spat fire

[@davidpaz9389]

There's a video of Cream performing "We're Going Wrong" from a performance in Paris. At least I believe it was Paris. Clapton was playing his Gibson SG. He sounded awesome.

[@1960fusion]

I always loved his tone with Gibsons through Marshal amps, but i have to admit, my all time favorite tone was on Let it Rain with a Strat through a little Fender Champ amp...amazing!

[@PaulSter]

Studio recordings are one thing, playing live is another. Ever heard a live version of it that sounded remotely close to the studio version? If you do, please share it with me. I'd love to hear it.

[@1960fusion]

@@PaulSter i have seen him play live ,many times and unfortunately i have n ever heard him come close to the studio version,

[@nickg2431]

@@PaulSter Thats so true.....Its often suprising how fiddling around with something you didnt expect gets the sound much closer and many studios often use plate reverb which sounds waaay different than spring.

[@stratolestele7611]

@Rebel Edsel I'm referring to EC only. Tons of bands nail their studio performances. AC/DC definitely one of them who did it for decades. Only in later years did they drop down a half-step; very likely to help Brian Johnson with the high notes, but I really liked the heavier tone it gave them.

[@MaizenBlue81]

My favorite Clapton song next to Keep on Growing

[@revelationsoundstudio]

The best sound Clapton ever got was with John Mayall and Cream. This is when he played the Gibson guitars. Then he went to the thinner Fender guitar sound. It took until Rock the Cradle where he went with a red 335 guitar and he got back to that great sound. He also played Les Paul when he played the Princeses Trust Concert with George Harrison. Preferring a Strat is fine but many wished he went to a Gibson more often especially with Cream reunion concert.

[@cycomiles4225]

Dunno why he never put humbuckers in his strat for that kind of stuff. Thats the difference...not a brand name.

[@josephgriffin2388]

From the Cradle, is my favorite album of his. Unplugged being a close 2nd.

[@cycomiles4225]

@Gus Shredney Yes. Im aware of that, but seeing how much of heavier music is produced by strats or strat like guitars. I doubt anybody knows the difference untill they see the actual player. It doesnt matter that much. Humbucker and single coils, now thats an audible difference.

[@Allan-et5ig]

Totally agree. Eric said they tried Gibsons during rehearsals for the reunion concert but Bruce said they made his ears ring and hurt them. Big irony - Bruce's volume in the 60's caused deafness or near in EC and partial in Baker.

[@johnr.b.murray3417]

Spot on, Keef. That’s a fact. Disraeli Gears confirms your comment.

[@314jrock]

I love what is said at 4:37 - "What I appreciate about the band was that they were more concerned with the songs and singing. They would have three and four part harmonies, and the guitar was put back into perspective as being a compliment. That suited me well because I'd gotten so tired of the virtuosity or the pseudo virtuosity thing of long boring guitar solos just because they were expected. The band brought things back into perspective. The priority was the song." This statement is still relevant today because I see so many rock bands and blues singers play these long boring guitar solos that do nothing for the song.

[@recuperacion420]

Clapton fell in love with the Stratocasters clean tones. It inspired much of his first solo albums.

[@briandietrich1373]

Personally, I think Ed Van Halen got it right. Gibson Humbucker on a Strat style body. Best of both worlds!

[@recuperacion420]

@@briandietrich1373 he sure did

[@SeanJepson7]

Yeah. And it suited his playing and writing at that time.

[@BROOKS39]

The sound Clapton got out of his hybrid Tele in the Blind Faith 69 Hyde Park concert was the best

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

I saw Cream at the Camden County (NJ) Music Circus/Fair in June of 1968. Clapton played a Gibson Firebird that night. I was fifteen at the time, and knew basically nothing about the band, but I did get to meet them briefly back stage prior to the show. Seeing them up close made me realize that these weren't kids like me, they were full grown men, and Ginger Baker's wild appearance scared me half to death. I left about a half hour after the show began because my ears were ringing so much from the incredibly loud volume at that small venue . . . fun times.

[@josephgriffin2388]

The volume thing happened to me in Austin, watching Johnny Winter. I had to move to the back. He was running through a six speaker Music Man cab. Ridiculously loud.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

@@josephgriffin2388 Yep. I saw him and his brother Edgar at an event in Miami, and they played super loud! By then I was in my twenties and had gotten a bit more used to it, but I never really liked it that much.

[@es2056]

I saw Aerosmith in 1976 when I was a senior in high school. I had already been to many concerts, but this one was the loudest I had ever attended. A stayed for the whole show but it became very uncomfortable as the concert wore on. Afterwards my ears were ringing for two days and I had a terrible headache. Later in my thirties I developed tinnitus - not just from loud music but from shooting firearms A LOT without hearing protection. Oh well, we do stupid things when we are young and we think we will live forever.

[@emmettmckenna4565]

@@es2056Don’t change perspective (person) in midstream. If you say, “ . . . one does stupid things . . .” continue to say “when ‘one’ is younger” not “when ‘you’ are younger.”

[@grahamjarman]

earplugs

[@charliegglines3965]

His tone with blind faith at that concert in Hyde park is freaking unmatched! Always loved his work with fender in that and Layla and other assorted love songs

[@svbarr]

I love them both. BIG Les Paul Junior fan.At one time I had SEVEN of them. But one thing about 50's-60's Fenders. THEY STAY IN TUNE. I swear after WWIII when the cockroaches are the only thing left and some Alien comes into my house and finds my refin 51 Nocaster, they will pull it out of the burned out rubble, open the tweed case AND IT WILL BE IN TUNE. Amazing how Leo designed a thing that was bolted together that just worked as a tool.

[@MrVbobby]

The lead singer in my band convinced me to start giving my extra guitars to people who needs them. Some went to prisoners. They really should be played and everyone should get a chance to play

[@ferox965]

My 2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard stays in tune and is gigged hard.

[@ikestoddard2458]

I feel his tone was mellower when he played humbuckers, so I found those songs more appealing. That is the way my ears processed it.

[@PaulSter]

I'm with you Ike

[@jeffrogers5929]

That's because humbuckers are more mellow than single coils. You can make a Strat sound pretty close to a Les Paul with help from overdrive, but you can't make an LP sound like a Strat!

[@stratolestele7611]

@@jeffrogers5929 Eric's tone was thicker without those transient highs vs a Strat. I've got plenty of Strats with humbuckers. It's the harmonics based on the placement of the pickups. Same reason SGs sound different from Les Pauls. I've never heard a Strat sound like Les Paul or vice-versa.

[@TheNoncritical1]

Was Clapton's tone not mellow on the songs Bad Love, or Pretending?

[@ikestoddard2458]

@@TheNoncritical1 Maybe. I did not check out all his recordings. Did he use a Strat on those tracks.

[@richardfinney3179]

I love my blackie strat with the maple neck just like claptons its an Iconic axe that sounds great its a 93 and im stuck to it its family now

[@TheGuitarShow]

nice Richard!

[@jroc2201]

My favorite clapton stuff is with John Mayhall ,on the Beano album and Cream stuff, its played on a Gibson, but I think what I like about that stuff has more to do with the style of the music he's playing than what kind of guitar he's using

[@MrCherryJuice]

Yes, the styles were purer. On the 'Beano' album he was playing nothing but the blues. And as he says of those days, he was an angry, egotistical, self-centred arrogant bastard in search of attention, thus the aggressive go-for-the-throat aggression of his playing. In Cream he was the junior partner and was in awe - and rightfully so - of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, who he idolised from his days of seeing them with the Graham Bond Organisation and doing a short stint with Bruce when the bassist was also in the Bluesbreakers (late '65, replacing John McVie, who was in and out of the band a couple times due to his excessive drinking). With Delaney & Bonnie the Stratocaster (and occasional Les Paul) was fine. Ditto much of his solo material, particularly the more countrified tunes ('Tulsa Time', 'Lay Down Sally' etc.). But listening to him doing the blues on a 335 is a reminder that THAT is the guitar with which he, IMO, plays the most expressively and sounds the most authentic. Check out 'Reconsider Baby' from the Jools Holland show and the same tune from San Francisco (1994). Videos for both are on KZbin. Despite my first album (1965) being 'Five Live Yardbirds (with Clapton)' and me loving Cream (mainly Jack Bruce's great tunes) and having everything from Delaney & Bonnie (including the 4-disc version of 'On Tour with Eric Clapton') I've never been an EC fan. Still, the aforementioned clips do the trick.

[@Baci302]

@@MrCherryJuice Then listen to the Layla album. That might change your mind.

[@jroc2201]

@@MrCherryJuice cool, yeah I checked that stuff out, I guess I think he really fits better with the Gibson stuff, I'll bet it comes down to mostly the differences in the pickups between Fender and Gibson , the fender single coils on a strat, always remind me of a sound that's coming out of a lucite tube, kind of a hollow sound, they are weaker pickups and produce a clear sound, ethereal, the Gibson humbuckers always sound thick and smoother to me like it has a thicker quality, less transparent like it's a more solid sound,

[@MrCherryJuice]

@@Baci302 I was one of the few who purchased that album when it came out (it was a commercial flop), and only because the Dominos were the Delaney & Bonnie rhythm section. I didn't like it then, and aside from 'I Looked Away', 'Bell Bottom Blues' and the title track I don't like it now. IMO it is not a great album. I still have a copy, now on CD, though only for the aforementioned tunes. The jammy blues tunes on it and others subsequently released (some featuring members of the Allman Brothers Band) are tedious meanderings by players who were too out of it too much of the time to make the album they could have made. Indeed, the band's live album captures some of what might have been...though some sharp editing would have been welcome. I mean, if I want to listen to extended tunes, the Allman Brothers win outright in that department. And thankfully Duane didn't take up Clapton's offer to become a Domino.

[@MrCherryJuice]

@@jroc2201 Yes, though the irony is that Clapton has a boost in his Strats that makes them sound somewhat like a Gibson. It's a sound I dislike - too thick and lacking in transparency. Yes, Gibson's humbuckers also sound thick, but there is a richness to the tone that I do not hear in those boosted humbuckers. It is quite different when Jeff Beck is on his Strat - he can get into thick-tone territory and make it sound authentic because he will adjust his playing in order to facilitate a more authentic tone. The first two tunes here are great examples of the sounds he can pull out of a Strat. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH2UaKGuq6eneLs

[@jeffholliday8304]

I’m 65 years old. I’ve been a Clapton fan since I was 10. I’ve heard all the stories 100 times great video bro.

[@TweedSuit]

Clapton's first Gibson was the Standard LP in 1965 with Mayall. He didn't acquire the red ES335 until the end of Cream in late 68.

[@peterwynn7270]

He had a 335 before a les Paul

[@TweedSuit]

@@peterwynn7270 Nope. Show me real evidence.

[@JamesClarkPlaysHimself]

@@TweedSuit He bought the 335 when he was in the Yardbirds in 1964, he mentions it in is biography if you search for this 335 the auction where it was sold also notes this.

[@dukeford]

@@JamesClarkPlaysHimself Maybe he did and maybe he didn't. He mentions a few things in his biography that are flat-out wrong. The guy's memory is not the best.

[@martygould5114]

I have 4 guitars. I bought my strat brand new in 1987. It has been my main axe ever since. It was listening to Clapton that inspired me to learn the guitar.

[@michaels.chupka9411]

mine's a '78 (had the neck stabilized by a genius luthier) purchased in '79/'80. had a Gibson Paul before that. punted the Paul to my best friend and never let the Strat out of my sight. the Strat puts out tones the Paul never could. referencing the Clapton quotation above about how versatile the guitar is. and haven't even mentioned how comforatable it is when you're playing for a long spell.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@michaels.chupka9411 I modded a cheap (but nice) 'overseas' acoustic that was difficult to play. Once I dropped the action by half its factory number, it became a great guitar! Then I got the notion to measure my US-made, modern Fender 'Pro' guitars ... what a shock to find their factory parts and action were easily as cheap-o high as the mall acoustic! It took much convincing to 'techs' to file down nut slots and drop relief by half.

[@Notawhitchhunt]

He found what works for him and stuck with it, his sound is his own, he knows what he likes

[@MrCherryJuice]

True, and those of us who grew up listening to early Eric know what we like. I think that if he'd moved away from the blues, which at times he did to some degree, then the Fender versus Gibson debate would be moot. But when he does Cream at the Royal Albert on a gaudy looking Strat through Tweed amps (probably Fender, I've not seen the video for some time), well it's kind of like Superman showing up as Jerry Seinfeld. They both have their own powers, though if one is expecting Superman.... The upside is that EC is happy, 95% of his fans don't know the difference between a Fender and a Gibson, and that debates like this give us something to do. 🙂

[@nickg2431]

@@MrCherryJuice but we cant help it can we...because itsVERY important to us LOL

[@bolt4694]

Favorite Clapton sound. Live Crossroads on Wheels Of Fire. Gibson 335 through Marshals.

[@alexh3153]

I just re wired my strat with his active eq & boost + some good pickups and it is amazing. It can do anything, my pickups are great but his electronics make it roar like no strat I have every played. you can turn it into a les paul or a tele if that what you want with the tone knobs

[@PaulSter]

Sorry, but owing to simple physics, aka-scale length, one can never sound like the other.

[@lazyrrr2411]

you've got all that garbage packed in , to give it a sound it's intrinsically incapable of ... glorified on-board foot pedals

[@larrypower8659]

Count me as someone who wishes Clapton stayed with Gibsons. He ALWAYS had a great sound with a Gibson; not so much once he went to Strats. To me, his Stratocaster sounds are inconsistent especially post-Layla and his first solo record. His sound and feel just seemed to be smoother and more beneficial to what he wanted to do on a Gibson. Sustain and touch were what set him apart from all the other Brits, also what he made his well deserved reputation with. I know he still plays his 335 but only at certain times. But that’s just me …

[@maxwellfan55]

Agree.

[@PaulSter]

I 100% agree with you brother

[@mikemurdock7234]

100% agree with this. His Strat tones are all over the place and inconsistent. Even on the Layla album, Duane Allman's lead playing on Little Wing has such a beautiful, dreamy sound to it. You completely forget about Clapton's Strat on that track as Allman just soars over the song and delivers beautiful melodic solo fills.

[@PaulSter]

@@mikemurdock7234 absolutely true. Eric didn't know where to go with the essence of the song. Duane, and his Les Paul, took it by the horns and made it legendary.

[@shable1436]

It's the neck pick-up on starts that has that glassy tone, and the pop sound when you use a pick, it's that sound that Eric loved, Eric Johnson does the same thing, it depends on the 5 way switch as well

[@jacoboreyes3160]

I always wondered 2 things: 1) why he never simply put humbuckers in his strats? At least in the bridge position. And 2: why he didn't use gibsons for the cream reunion? At least for a few songs. I was expecting that, and I was disappointed. I even thought it was cringey!!

[@Guitar5986]

Thanks for this video. I enjoy all incarnations of Clapton. However, I do believe his best tones have always been with a Gibson.

[@sdkee]

In the history of guitar, there is a short list of legendary tones. Eddie's brown sound. Eric Johnson's violin tone. Greeny's out of phase tone. SRV. Any sane version of that list has two Clapton tones on it, neither of which used a strat.

[@MrChopsticktech]

@@sdkee SRV and Eric Johnson both used Strats (Eric Johnson may still). I don't understand your comment.

[@hudsonrilke]

@@MrChopsticktech his comment about strats refers to Clapton.

[@garfmaul3327]

I think he plays both pretty good

[@donaldglover8540]

Hello from Texas. Long time between views. I have moved, remarried , got a new knee and a new G and L with a spider V 30 to noodle on.I still spend most time with acoustic Epi playing flamenca. Im glad you are stiill here, Merry christmas or happy Boxing day.

[@felliperockz7857]

Beautiful backing track playing during the video. Fits right with the pictures and the style of narration. 👍

[@NachoCastro-Topic]

which is the song?

[@NachoCastro-Topic]

bell bottom blues?

[@larryfisher]

Eric one of my favorites of all time,just by hearing the tone I know it's him,even if it's not his song or band❤

[@yujihosoi837]

Dear E.C. So happy to hearing you will be back to Japan spring 2023 and your 100th gigs at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Approx capacity of Budokan is over 10,000people. So over million people enjoyed your gigs at Budokan. See you soon E.C. !!!!!

[@radjaradjenovic4689]

Because it's not the same Clapton.. Not only the type of guitar has changed, but also the playing style.. It's clear that it's not the same man.

[@emmettmckenna4565]

Uh-oh! I feel a kind of ‘Paul is dead’ hoax coming on! 😂

[@sonclearbrahman-ar1461]

So when did 'the change' occur?

[@kevinlittrell3407]

@@sonclearbrahman-ar1461 the flu vaccine made him like single coils. That’s why he’s anti-vax now.

[@robertcurragh790]

I’d never seen a Les Paul before. Went to a small dancehall in harpenden to see this band. Couldn’t take my eyes off the guy playing this guitar- I learned it was a Les Paul and the young guy playing it was Peter Green. I was stunned by his playing and I’ve never forgotten that magical night nor him. The band was John Mayalls blues breakers. When I saw him on tv playing his wonderful albatross he played his Les Paul- he later stated he used a fender Stratocaster for the actual recording.

[@PennyLane43]

I love your videos, and this perticular subject I have been wondering and reaserching for a while, so Thank you for making this video!

[@timmotel5804]

Good Day. One Year Later; I just revisited this video. Excellent video. I Loved this. Thank You & Best Regards I do play a Strat. I'm 72

[@keithfr7095]

Any good Marshall will make either a Gibson humbucker equipped, p90’s or a single coil guitar sound great, the amp is more important to the sound than the exact guitar

[@jltrem]

Well done Master Goose. Happy holidays to you & yours. Oh yeah, and to that old Wootton guy as well.

[@shannynwells2068]

I saw Eric in the 90s and he had 9 guitars and played 3-4 songs on each. It was Awesome.

[@catholiccowboy8545]

... lol ... of course he's a guitarist and the guitars are to be tuned up.

[@rays57232]

That was the "nothing but the blues" tour. He used the type of guitar used on the original recording by the original artist. That gave him the ability to have the same sound as the original. Brilliant. Saw him a few times then. Many times before and after that time. Never ever a disappointment. But am a little biased. Love him.

[@gaspersignorelli3724]

@@rays57232 I didn't know that. That period was Eric's peak.

[@malectric]

Very interesting. First time I've heard these details. Thanks.

[@larrypower8659]

Also, I don’t believe Eric played that Strat all the time with Delaney and Bonnie. There are photos of him playing a 3 pickup Les Paul Custom and a Firebird with D & B.

[@richardbosworth6635]

I saw Cream twice and Blond Faith once and every time Clapton played the one pickup Firebird.

[@mixville2]

Interesting. I too prefer Clapton's sound when he played Gibsons. But interestingly, Jimmy Page moved in the opposite direction at about the same time - moving from the Telecaster to the Les Paul. And unlike with Clapton, I much prefer Jimmy's playing on the Telecaster (late Yardbirds/early Zeppelin) to the Gibson (Led Zeppelin II onwards)! The Tele just has a sharp attack that to me, sounds really good with Jimmy's style of playing. The LP is creamier, but also much softer on the note attacks.

[@TheGuitarShow]

great comment thanks!

[@geschickt]

As a musical artist, Clapton's always been a restless explorer: Tele w/ the Yardbirds (also when he bought the red 335); Les Paul w/ Mayall; and Les Paul/SG/Firebird/335 w/ Cream. His switch to Strats coincided with his shift away from the gunslinging "lead guitarist" thing to more of a singer-songwriter modality--which is a factor of why "Strat Eric" (perhaps esp 70's Strat Eric) tends to be sniffed at a bit by some guitar players. Of course, EC's career has always been peppered with flights of lead guitar brilliance...I think he just had to get away from it for a while. That said, what's always struck me about his Strat thing was that it was his _playing_ that was always more recognizable than his (Strat) tone per se. Hendrix, Beck, Knopfler, SRV--you can ID them by their tone as much as their playing, whereas with Clapton, it's more about his playing than a conspicuous Strat sound he gets, if that makes sense.

[@johnnewman8412]

Makes a lot of sense to me. I saw him at the Montreal Forum in 1988-ish when he toured with Mark Knopfler in his band. He played a Strat the entire night and the Cream stuff he played sounded as good as when he played it on the albums with a Gibson. I tend to think a lot of the tone mythology in the Gibson v Fender debate is exactly that: mythology. Crank up a Strat through a tube screamer into a Marshall amp and your tone will be as ballsy as you could ever want. What separates the Clapton's of the world from the rest of us isn't the guitar or the pedal or the amp, it's the feel.

[@artmanjohn2]

Back when Eric Clapton did the Cream Reunion concert at Albert Hall I always felt there was something lost in that concert because Eric played a Fender instead of a Gibson, which to me changed the sound and feel of Cream in concert! I feel if he'd played a similar Gibson like he did back in the Cream days, the Reunion Concert would have sounded more like authentic Cream than what was presented at the concert. I felt like it was a lost opportunity to recapture the magic sound of Cream that made them so great and recognizable back in the day!

[@soundscapematrix]

And no Marshall amps

[@jimihendrix3143]

I have to agree. The sound of the reunion concert was thin and wimpy. Even though all three members of Cream are truly awesome musicians, the energy just wasn't there for me.

[@dixiefallas7799]

I concur!

[@STSGuitar16]

As far as I’m concerned, they should’ve been playing through the exact same rigs as they used in the 60s. Full stacks absolutely cranked up is the only way to hear Cream as they were meant to be heard. No one on earth would ever tell Eric that he isn’t allowed to play as loudly as he wants/needs to in order for the whole thing to work as it should. Yeah it would’ve been insanely loud, so what? Rock was just straight up LOUD back in those days and there wasn’t much getting around it. Wear some earplugs if you’re worried about the volume and let the band do what was needed to be done to recapture that 60s power and sound. I imagine the earth-rumbling loudness was a huge draw for the band back then; no one had ever heard (and felt) volume levels that high ever before, and I’m sure it was absolutely incredible to feel that live in person. Plus, in order to sound full and massive as a trio like they were, it really requires a huge, thick guitar tone that fender strats and amps don’t really do as well as Marshall’s and gibsons. Trios don’t work as well when you’ve only got that thin single coil tone going on, especially considering that the guitar is required to fill up a massive part of the frequency spectrum as the main melodic instrument in a trio. PS. Should’ve said this earlier, but obviously there are several examples of strat players successfully filling out the space in a trio. Hendrix, and SRV are great examples of that. They work in those settings because their tones were absolutely and deliberately massive. Cranked Marshalls with fuzz pedals or cranked Super Reverbs with Tube Screamers will undoubtedly be able to pull their weight in a trio. But Clapton’s tone there lacked that fullness, as many here have said. I would have LOVED to see him pull out an SG for at least a song or two.

[@Superchixxx]

That concert sounded more like skimmed milk than Cream

[@BlueSkies32]

Really well researched and insightful, thank you. And I loved the Bell Bottom Blues backing track! 👏🏼👏🏼 a lovely tribute.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Richard!

[@kravitz1999]

It's been said that Clapton stopped being Clapton in 70, I agree. I love everything he did in the 60's with Gibson, he was on fire, then when he started playing Strat's, he disappeared... he went adult contemporary

[@Foofang65]

First off, this piece was very well done.👍 I always wondered why it seemed like he was playing fenders over Gibson’s in his solo career. I totally get what he’s reaching for with his tone. But man I really love all his early Gibson stuff. Oh well to each their own. Still love the dudes playing. Great piece…✌️

[@CHlEFFIN]

The ‘Bell Bottom Blue’ backing track by ‘Ramon Goose’ is absolutely gorgeous… I had to pause the video and give it a thorough listen.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you very much

[@peterlangworthy6183]

I'm glad you mentioned it - it is a beautiful rendition of that classic song. It doesn't come up on KZbin which is disappointing. I don't know anything about Ramon Goose, I'll have to check him out further.

[@GregWallis]

I asked Clapton why he now played a Strat, in 1979/80 after a gig at London's Hammersmith Odeon, and his reply was a very short "Because it's f*cking hard!" referring to the longer neck length making the strings tauter and harder to play. He then got into his limo with Patti and off they went. It was a great gig.

[@keithclark486]

I was driving the limo and I was also his guitar tech' at that time he played 8's it was 2 years later before he changed string gauge. I remember almost running over you in the parking lot.

[@hammer44head]

Cant forget what a powerful impact The Band had on Clapton and Robbie played a Fender also, may have been a factor in the sound or sounds Eric was looking to express himself through. Eric even wanted to quit Cream and join the Band, thats how much their sound and what they were playing had such an impact on him.

[@MrCherryJuice]

Very true. I for one tend to forget Clapton's infatuation with The Band, even to the point of visiting the lads at Big Pink in an effort to join them. I always cite Hank Marvin of the Shadows and Buddy Guy as being influences in the choice of Strat, and note his time with Delaney & Bonnie as a great opportunity to use one was being the basis of his decision to make the switch.

[@Baci302]

@@MrCherryJuice Excellent post.

[@johnburke5053]

Eric joining your band was a curse. Read his biography. He dumped everyone he worked with and just walked away when the project was over. He was already in another band before anyone noticed he wandered off.

[@markhunter8554]

Actually, Robbie used a Tele until the mid seventies.

[@MrCherryJuice]

@@markhunter8554 Yes, Dylan was the Strat player. Ironically, Robertson switched to a Strat and Dylan went to a Telecaster.

[@grahamt33]

Great bonus video, Ramon ! Now, for the Firebird....!!!!

[@gfgranja]

His best tone ( by far ) was playing Gibsons with Marshall amps.

[@silentforest7147]

Very true

[@electropainted]

tell the truth, brother

[@e.l.norton]

Yep! His tone has SUCKED ever since. His guitar sounds like khaki pants with pickups in them. Just the sound of bland and boring.

[@gfgranja]

@@e.l.norton great definition

[@fullmetta2764]

I agree, not sure what the word for that thinner cleaner sound is, but Eric's preference later in his career apparently wasn't for heavy or dark tone. The strat suited him.

[@aarfeld]

Thanks for making this video. I had often wondered about this question.

[@senseofstile]

At least 10 years ago, I was at a huge Guitar Center store in Northridge, California. I asked the counter guy what item did they sell the most. He replied; "Fender Stratocaster. Everybody wants to be Jimi Hendrix."

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

He wasn't wrong. I bought a Strat because I was into Jimi. Although I should add that I'm also a fan of Clapton and David Gilmour.

[@senseofstile]

@@DinsdalePiranha67 It interesting that the Stratocaster is timeless and people will never abandon it.

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

@@senseofstile It doesn't hurt that it's also versatile.

[@senseofstile]

@@DinsdalePiranha67 Yes

[@chriswilson8062]

Not everyone. I play a strat more to mimic a Rory Gallagher sound.

[@solerso68]

Clapton started playing a strat becasue of Hendrix..same reason Blackmore and Peter Green and many others did.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

He stopped using them because he got tired of having roaring tone. His early stuff with Bluesbreakers and cream kicked ass. Nothing he's done with a strat touched the Gibbies

[@brigwood7658]

Completely agree! That beautiful warm Gibson sound that guys like Clapton, Mick Taylor, Paul Kossof had in the late 60's; just cut through in a way that so suited the epic blues rock playing these guys were inventing (steeped in the 'blues greats', sure, but they were clearly taking it somewhere else). It was a 'sweet-spot' time to me, just before the Chicago blues sound gave way to straight rock playing in the 70's. Hendrix, knopfler; wow! but for me Clapton lost a certain edge when he got strated up (Bell bottom blues being the 'exact' case in point).

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

@@brigwood7658 absolutely my friend. Thank God for recording technology. Listen to Crossroads for instance. That was a live performance and sounds better than any new studio track put out since. Just roaring tube amps and the right guitar for the job. A strat has its place but when it comes to roaring tone a vintage gibson delivers best

[@tomslick2058]

@@brigwood7658 k

[@anyone-f2r]

Your opinion has been noted.

[@soofitnsexy]

@@alexwoolridge94aw was that his 335????

[@steved1099]

Learnt listening to clapton, kossof, green, gary moore etc and I have played strats for 20 years (and love them) but recently got a LP and a PRS with humbuckers and they immediately took me back to those full powerful sounds and re-inspired me. Why, oh, why did it take me so long......

[@johnnorth9355]

I have a trinity of guitar players from my youth that I had the privilege to see early on. Clapton , Green and Hendrix. Despite an otherwise very ordinary life I class myself as extremely blessed with fortune.

[@federicolopezmusic]

I couldn,t agree more with Eric. Ma first guitar was a black Strat long before discovering his music and I've never looked back ever since

[@finishin.my.coffee8780]

I always figured it was because the Strat was so much easier and more comfortable to play, and most likely stayed in tune longer.

[@baron34gr]

I agree with you. As a guitarist who has played LPs, ES335s, Strats and Teles in bands, the LP sounds great but kills your back. When I play a Strat or Tele, I can play 3 long sets with no ill effects. The Gibson sound is more pleasing to my ears, but the lighter, more comfortable Fender guitars will extend your career. My solution is that I installed Seymour Duncan stack (humbucker) pickups on my Tele, and it solves both problems.

[@finishin.my.coffee8780]

@@baron34gr I should have done that to the Jimmy Page Tele I had a couple of years ago. Honestly though, I prefer a guitar without a crazy 1960s paint job so if I ever buy another Tele, it's gonna have a solid color.

[@shaunw9270]

Great video to wake up to this morning! When I was a young teen beginning guitar ,early 80's I loved The Yardbirds and Cream . A few years later my girlfriend was into the Layla LP, Slowhand and August and I was all ears ! Then I got into Jimi Hendrix... Strats can do just about anything 👌 Merry Christmas Ramon ❤️

[@TheSavagederek]

My guitar hero and the reason I love Strats. My favourite is my US Series from 1999 with a Rosewood board. And I have a fiesta red 50s reissue with Maple board and soft V shape neck that Eric loves and its got gold hardware.

[@johngerson7335]

"Once you learn to play a strat and figure out just what it can really do, you sort've can't ever do without one" - Eric Clapton Happy Holidays Goose!

[@maxwellfan55]

Exactly Eric's problem.

[@MrCherryJuice]

Yes, but with that in mind, why doesn't Clapton do much with his? I mean, look at Jeff Beck - he has been actively figuring out just what a Strat can do for the past 50 years. I don't mean that as a negative on Clapton, just an observation. IMO he plays and sounds better on a 335.

[@nickg2431]

@@MrCherryJuice i could never figure out why he did the cream reunion on a strat they are such different guitars in sound and feel

[@TheRockinDonkey]

Thanks for saving me 20 minutes

[@deanmlshredder]

It's about dynamics for me. It's hard to move seamlessly between a strat and most other guitar styles just because strats have such wide dynamic range. Your fingering and pick velocity change so much about the sound, fidelity, and volume of each note that the higher output of even a 50s PAF doesn't feel very expressive next to a strat. Plus the rounder fretboard and longer scale length give them a unique tension puts them right in my sweet spot. Idk if that's what Clapton was talking about but it's right where my brain went when I read this.

[@macarius8802]

I feel like it has to do with Hendrix passing away too ... I'm VERY glad he switched to strats.

[@MrCherryJuice]

I always felt that he went with the Strat because at the time he was with Delaney & Bonnie, and American rock 'n' soul band whose set list included covers of late 50s American rock 'n' roll tunes. Plus, like most other British guitar greats he had grown up hearing Hank Marvin's fabulous Strat playing and tone on records by the Shadows. Indeed, pretty well every guitarist from Clapton, Beck and Page, to Peter Green, Mark Knopfler, Brian May, etc. lusted after Marvin's tone and melodic style. And he was a massive Buddy Guy fan, which is surely 99% of his initial rationale for going to a Strat.

[@flyonwall360]

I've tried to like Stratocasters but still haven't played one that doesn't suck. I've played quite a few. I've tried the reissues, several of them. I've tried a couple of custom shop Stratocasters as well. I still go back to my Les Paul. The only Fender I liked was a friend's 1967 Telecaster.

[@thegreatdonaldo9925]

Yeah some people are Fender players and some Gibson, and Eric's really a Gibson player - he just doesn't know it

[@jac9843]

Discovering the secrets of time signature for each phrase of melodies is what makes him GOAT...

[@DeOmnibusDubitandum76]

He had "the touch"---not the most technically accomplished, theory grounded, or creative guitar player by a long shot, but when he bends a note... you feel it deep. Some music journalist put it very well: EC is like the president of the US---you don't necessarily agree with everything he does, but the influence... that's undeniable to any pop music aficionado worth his salt.

[@roderickbalt8993]

Well written, I do think that his whole spirit is the embodiment of creativity though: keeping things simple and not wasting any energy on anything else but pure soul!

[@TheFman43]

I remember in the first Guitar World magazine…an article about Eric Clapton where he mentions that he didn’t like Fenders because they sounded too “fiddley”…and tinny… He latter changed his tune…

[@MrCherryJuice]

He has boosters built into his Strats, so he get get a hotter, more Gibson-like sound. When I got the 'Five Live Yardbirds' album in '65 I was disappointed by the aggravating sound of Clapton's Telecaster - and that he was ripping out so many notes so quickly. It was painful at the time. Jeff Beck also played a Fender (Esquire) during much of his time with the Yardbirds, so he too had a thin sound (typically boosted with a fuzz or overdrive pedal). Both he and Clapton sounded much better when they switched to Les Pauls, as that was the thing to do at the time (a trend started by Clapton). But let us also remember that these players grew up listening to Hank Marvin with the Shadows. The wonderful tone and melodic playing that are his legacy provided the benchmark for everyone from Clapton and Beck, to Page, Knopfler, Green, Taylor, Marsden, Blackmore and so many more. Indeed, Marvin's sound epitomised all that is great about the Stratocaster. Yes, Hendrix took it to another planet, but even his finest sounds were essentially Hank Marvin's on Marshall-powered steroids.

[@HernanieLegaste]

Everything has changed

[@blucheer8743]

Eric and Eddie Van Halen very similar approach when it came to gear preferring to create their own gear and own sound. The tone he gets from a strat and a fender champ amp on his solo album and on the Layla album is incredible very understated but literally perfect.

[@roberttejkel8543]

Clapton was quoted as saying:When I first saw Jimi,I didn'twant to be like him;I wanted to BE HIM! That's why he switched to strats when everyone,including himself knows that Gibson is his weapon.

[@roberttejkel8543]

All else is whitewash and b.s.

[@stevehughes1510]

From The Cradle and Me and Mr Johnson, great albums and Gibson used songs, love them both. Cheers Ramon

[@Pooch1069]

Anybody can make up anything and put it on the internet. What a time to be alive.

[@lightningstrikes7314]

Nothing's been 'made up' here: the presenter gives his opinion which is presented as an assertion but still implicitly recognised as an opinion.

[@Mordecai06]

Such as your comment.

[@mattilangofficial]

I have an EC signature strat with noiseless PUs, a 1990 with Lace Sensor and a Brownie Replica. All with EC Booster set. AWESOME 🎸🎸🎸

[@davidonna11]

He really ought to have used Gibsons for the Cream reunion.

[@Martos59]

Yes!! Playing the Strat sounded lame, really lost the vibe completely

[@jimzeleny7213]

Apparently there were a number of Gibsons available on stage but he never used any of them.

[@jeremyortman9202]

You can have humbuckers on strats. That would of been cool for the Cream reunion.

[@Doubrelle]

you are right - in fact his guitar tech set up a Marshall stack for him at the Cream rehearsals and Clapton angrily told him to take it down and replace them with his tweed set up, a lovely sound but not at the races if you are trying to recreate the Cream sounds of the 60s and he clearly wasnt interested in doing that - A bit like the horrible swing version of the Crossroads

[@derekclacton]

Great video, as always, Ramon! Nice background music 🎸👍 Merry Christmas! 🎄

[@canopy-guitars_and_gear]

No one ever mentions that before Beano he was playing a Esquire/Telecaster in The Yardbirds - so he went back to Fender! (even if that wasn’t his)

[@toneyisaiah3556]

It doesn't matter to me which one sounds good.

[@toneyisaiah3556]

Eric played a Fender Stratocaster on many records.

[@toneyisaiah3556]

Whether Cream era Clapton or post Fender Stratocaster Clapton years.

[@michaelpond6386]

It’s the 25db mid boost on those noiseless pickups the sound is like a humbucker with a touch of overdrive. Fender designed it just for him. Played through a vintage twin, it’s all he needs, it’s his sound.

[@thomasslaughter7766]

Dumble amps….

[@nickg2431]

correct its his and sounds nothing at all like his cream rig...thats the problem

[@michaelpond6386]

@@nickg2431 right on the mark. I liked Cream and the Yardbirds. More of a blues/ rock sound. I even liked his work with Mayall and Delaney and Bonnie. My favorite KP is from 72 Clapton at his best. I really like his JJ Cale stuff, and unplugged. I saw his 35th anniversary concert where he played a ton by of his old stuff but was using his Strat, too Shrill. Knoffler played in those concerts. Bonus!

[@cpfs936]

"Theoretically" like a humbucker. I understand that was the intent, (and Fender's marketing) but I've never found those "fauxbucker" boosts to sound like one. I'm also including Gilmour's EMGs in that.

[@nickg2431]

@@michaelpond6386 Thanks mike,I have owned a ton of vintage and modern gear and play a strat type guitar as my main guitar.It all sounds good but SOME of the cream sound was the equipment.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i went to kingston poly doing graphic design in the early 80's, and our illustration lecturer told us of his predecessor who is reputed to have said "you're not going to get anywhere until you put that guitar down, clapton"

[@stephendiferrante7663]

EC's "Woman Tone" was all Gibson with the tone knob(s) turned way back The " Beano" LP was stolen, never to resurface. Gibson is why EC was said to be "God" Thank you: Seth Lover, Ted McCarty and Lester Paulfus and Leonardo Fender as well. (Leo did not even play guitar)

[@sirvicemanone]

Another old guy here enjoyed your video and research very much! Best luck and terrific channel

[@limpindug]

Hi Ramon, I remember Clapton said the reason fot maple necks was smoother bends, where the grain in rosewood just didn't feel as smooth or something to that effect, thanks for sharing bud. 👍👍👍🥃Respect to you mate.

[@maxwellfan55]

I get that too, for me has to be maple on Tele's.

[@kedd7636]

Journeyman tour: Saw the man two nights running -first night Charlotte, second night Chapel Hill. Loved every minute.

[@garygraves7353]

JIMMI HENDRIX is why!🤣

[@Monkeyboy2457]

Yes

[@MrCherryJuice]

Hank Marvin of the Shadows and Buddy Guy - both noted Strat players - were huge influences on Clapton prior to the arrival of Hendrix. That doesn't mean that Jimi's choice of guitar didn't influence EC's, but is a reminder that there were likely numerous factors...including Clapton playing with American rock 'n' soul band Delaney & Bonnie, where the Fender sound made perfect sense. BTW, Jeff Beck also cites Hank Marvin and Buddy Guy as major inspiration for his own love of Strats.

[@garygraves7353]

@@MrCherryJuice After Hendrix first time playing with Cream Eric got a perm & started using way more Fuzz & gain! 🤔

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Jimi Hendrix 🎸

[@kevinyerrick1447]

Not true. Get your facts right.

[@ArtLogins]

Takes me back to my Fender and Gibson days....

[@billyz5088]

It can be tough to go back - Buck Dharma from Blue Öyster Cult has mostly played a Steinberger for many years now - but like Clapton - in the early days he often played a Gibson SG - and then mostly a Les Paul in the band's heyday of the mid 70's - but during a filmed show in more recent years - he tried playing the old Les Paul again for an old track from early in the band's catalogue - and was noticeably less comfortable than on his much more familiar Steinberger ..

[@aschule5684]

Funny you should mention this. Although he abandoned the SG some time ago I will forever remember him as and relate to Buck as being a SG player. A fellow guitar player friend of mine was a HUGE fan of his and actually owned a white SG just like the one he used to play. He for some reason sold it later on and will go to his grave regretting that. I never got to see Buck play when he used SG'S I never got to see him until later years but I will still always think of him as an SG man!

[@es330]

I saw Clapton say in an interview on a Buddy Guy documentary that he saw Buddy live in England in 1965 I think it was ; and the next day he went out and bought a strat and put his Gibson in the cupboard.

[@robertdusziii4125]

Explain using gibsons until Cream broke up. In 1968.

[@dukeford]

@@robertdusziii4125 Eric has never completely stopped playing Gibsons.

[@anthonysilva5312]

I must be stupid, but, why did he stop playing Gibsons?

[@keeroe2020]

Read the following comment.

[@emmettmckenna4565]

They’re heavy as hell, for one reason. Three times heavier than a Fender. Gotta give those shoulders a rest!

[@khiemvu8667]

@@emmettmckenna4565 SG's are very light though

[@tylerwillison4962]

Excellent compilation of info and photos!

[@bimwopbarn47]

he peaked in 1966 on the les paul/marshall combination. he was never the same on a strat.

[@iehen]

I totally understand the ergonomic factor, the stratocaster is the perfect guitar. But, in leaving Gibson, he lost his tone. Maybe an HSH guitar would have been better

[@jimini2419]

Wow !! I am truely amazed that so many of you have expressed exactly what I’ve been thinking and feeling. I thought I was alone in preferring Clapton’s earlier sound when he played Gibsons through Marshall Amps. Undoubtedly it was Hendrix and what he could do with a Strat, that must have influenced Clapton …. problem is, Eric is not Jimi Hendrix !! Of course it is always gonna be a bit of a compromise, whether you use a Strat or Les Paul …. it depends on the music. I am gonna stick my neck out by saying that perhaps The Strat is better suited to ‘Songs’, in general, and specifically ‘Pop’ type Songs ….. or anywhere where a cleaner, thinner sound is required. Yes, it’s true that you can find a ‘Work-Around’, with a Strat …. e.g. use it with pedals an/or a Marshall, if you need to thicken up the sound or boost sustain, which is what Hendrix did when he required more of a ‘power’ virtuoso lead guitar sound on his Solos. The Strat is a great ‘WorkHorse’ guitar, that requires little care on the road and is easily repairable. A Gibson requires a lot of tender loving care and isn’t so ‘roadworthy’. Fender and Gibson both have their place …. but for me, nothing beats the sound of a Les Paul through a Marshall, just for the sheer joy, inspiration and sense of artistic satisfaction and musical fulfillment !!

[@lilajagears8317]

Well stated, and I completely agree.

[@lazyrrr2411]

Hendrix had a custom shop, lefty Flying V that he dearly loved, near the end . . . but people kept saying "Jimi , where's your Strat - Where's your upside-down strat !?" and kept him chained to the old dog

[@chriscollectsthings9040]

as an experienced musician the best performance I ever saw was Clapton playing Layla live in Sydney about 2007.

[@vayabroder729]

I dig all of Slowhand’s phases but prefer his younger years on a Gibson; his stint with John Mayall and early Cream period (1966) he was absolutely ON FIRE. Not sure if it had to do with his being young and vital and relatively drug and alcohol free at the time but he was incendiary. At the end of Blind Faith, which coincides with his picking up the Strat, as the video well states, his whole approach switched to a funkier more laid back sound which is great as well but doesn’t match the fire of the early period. It was like his touch matched perfectly a Gibson guitar with humbuckers.

[@MrCherryJuice]

Yes, Clapton has noted that during his Bluesbreakers days he played so aggressively because he was an arrogant, egotistical and insecure bastard in search of attention (his words, not mine). After Cream, where he the novice of the band, he did lose the ferocity we heard on the 'Beano' album. He was surely exhausted after Cream. Also, the music he was playing by the end of the 60s - Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie' - called for playing that was more straight-up rock 'n' roll, not blistering blues. The irony about him not using humbuckers is that his Strat pickups are fed through a built-in boost in an effort to give them a more Gibson-like 'hot' sound. Yes, he gets a hotter sound but it remains a modified Strat sound, not a humbucker. There is a big difference, and that is evident whenever he plays a 335. Possibly it is the guitar, possibly it is the response of the pickups, but his playing - physically, musically and tonally - takes on a different life...the kind of life many of us who remember the 60s actually prefer. Go watch KZbin clips of 'Reconsider Baby' on the Jools Holland show and also live in San Francisco in '94. Nice stuff.

[@vayabroder729]

@@MrCherryJuice You are absolutely spot on! The mid boost circuitry on his Strats and his signature amps basically try to make the Strat sound like a Gibson.

[@donkloos9078]

My favorite Clapton tone is iive in concert sound from Cream: Wheels of Fire and also Goodbye Cream. Especially Crossroads tone which is also my favorite live solo. The only way I've duplicated that sound over the years was to plug my '69 SG Standard Gibson directly into a full Marshall stack and turn it up to 10.

[@alexplorer]

There's a parallel story with a lot of guitarists who started out playing Gibsons but are now predominantly Strat players. Jeff Beck is probably the closest one to Clapton, but you can cast a wider net and include Eddie Van Halen who played a Les Paul on the first record but wanted a maple neck, tremolo, etc., so he modified a Strat body to accommodate a Gibson pickup (from a 335). Admittedly, Eddie eventually moved beyond Strats (e.g., Floyd Rose trems and all that), but he always loved maple necks with no finish on the fingerboard. I started out on a Strat, and I have plenty other guitars that aren't very Strat-like. However, I always feel more comfortable playing a Strat or something derived some that lineage. The ergonomics are great, the versatility in sounds (i.e., just having 3 pickups/5 stock combinations instead of 2 and a 3-way switch), and the tremolo, all put Strats ahead of most of what else was available until you get to the '80s and beyond, but then we're talking about Super-Strats, and that's just Strats with extras, so either way Strats come out ahead. And like Clapton, EVH, and others, I love maple necks. Not sure why more guitar makers don't incorporate maple into their instrument lines other than the aesthetics and tradition.

[@LfunkeyA]

both types of guitar are good. i started out on strat, and moved on to gibson. people like bonamassa did too. maple is nice, so is rosewood. etc.

[@nickg2431]

The amp makes such a big difference,beck generally plays marshalls these days for his main sound and they really"fill it out" as you probably know

[@robiacullo4141]

I have a 2005 reissue of the 1961 SG that Clapton played during the Cream days. I love it.

[@TheGuitarShow]

so cool I love SGs

[@martinreid1740]

Eric's guitar tech back then is Scottish and I know him, back when he had Albert Lee on rhythm, I saw him playing a gig in Edinburgh, after he played his his final song Lee, gave me me his plectrum, it says, "This is is my fucking pick" on it. I Still have and treasure these happy memories.

[@paulcochrane1028]

Money and Cigarettes Tour with most of the Blues Brothers band?

[@martinreid1740]

@@paulcochrane1028 No it wasn't. It's such along time ago.

[@histoiretraduite]

That'a a great, great video for a little guitarist like myself. Talking about preferences, tuning and fears in front of a unknown instrument. Tks!

[@iamanovercomer3253]

Jeff Beck and Robin Trower went to Fender stratocaster also 👍❗

[@MrCherryJuice]

Yes, Trower sounded killer on a 335 when he joined Procol Harum (listen to 'Outside the Gates of Cerdes') and then also great on his SG and in the end a Les Paul (the 'Broken Barricades' album). I saw him play Leeds Uni in about '74/'75. His Strat sounded great, though after a few minutes - and with just bass and drums backing him - it became very uni-dimension...even despite his use of a Uni-vibe 😉. I know there are those who love his playing on a Strat, though I reckon he sounded best on his Gibsons. As for Jeff Beck, he sounds great regardless of what guitar is in his hands. And that is because it is his hands that create the sounds, not the guitars.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

​@@MrCherryJuice yes Beck can play anything but I think Beck got better when he got rid of the pick and picked up the strat

[@MrCherryJuice]

@@iamanovercomer3253 Yes, though Beck was using a Strat long before most people realise. Go all the way back to 'Beck-Ola'. He pulled out the Les Paul for BB&A and some of 'Blow by Blow'...that era. But the Strat was always there too. As for ditching the pick, yes, that opened up his potential to be more expressive. I read where he said that during the 'Blow by Blow' and 'Wired' tours he was often dropping his pick and felt it was uncool to bend over and retrieve it from the floor. So he started making greater use of his thumb and fingers, which is something he had been doing though not to a great degree. Once he integrated the whammy bar and control knobs, then things truly got interesting. And he would go back to using a pick when needed, like for the Gene Vincent material.

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

his live sound was screwed since he started using the custom shop strat (90's) with the active mid boost, sounds awful. his best tone was with john mayall at 1966 :a burst into a bluesbreaker i don't understand why he stopped using that tone.

[@nigelduckworth4419]

The Stratocaster is a much more versatile guitar than the Les Paul and SG and 365 in that it can produce very mellow sounds or hard rock and roll. I have had the same one-a 62- from 1965 and tried in vain, thankfully, in 67/68 to exchange it for a Les Paul which I wanted for Cream/blues based numbers.. The Les Paul might be a one trick pony in comparison but I find that it's a much more "authentic" blues guitar-much more full bodied and attack based if you want that. The Mayall albums can't be bettered for that. Clapton came to my son's (and his daughter's) school in the UK some years ago to do a concert acoustically and I tabled a question exactly on the title of this video. Unfortunately the organisers were not sufficiently clued up to understand the import of the question or they thought it would not be of general appeal. So we had a lot of anodyne questions which I am sure Clapton was inwardly disdainful of, though of course he didn't show it.

[@ferox965]

The Les Paul can also produce very mellow or hard hard rock.

[@diffbreak2366]

Give an LP to Page (Rain song) or Knopfler (Brothers in arms) and you'll know how soft or hard can it go. Strat plays easy but Gibson is the lord of tone.

[@SuperStrik9]

Hell, it's not even Gibson guitars but why has Eric stopped playing guitars with humbuckers? I'm not the biggest Clapton fan so I could be wrong but it seems like he hasn't played any guitar, Gibson or otherwise, that has humbuckers in decades. It's weird because that's where Clapton got his famous woman tone from.

[@Baci302]

Complements to R. Goose for the lovely guitar instrumental version of Bell Botton Blues. Beautifully done. Thanks for the video.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you very much

[@TheseusTitan]

I preferred his sound when he played a Gibson. He had a rich tone back then