Why Did Eric Clapton Switch to a Fender Stratocaster?

Baxter and Sean talk about about Eric Clapton's switch from Gibson's to Fender Stratocasters.

[@jimwoodard64]

I think everyone's journey is different. I have friends who play Strats and Teles and they make them smoke. I played Fender nearly exclusively for 10 years, but there was something that drew me back to the first guitar I ever bought with my own money, a Les Paul. There is just something about the scale, the violin carve, the warm tones... I think everyone should play what works for them, even if it's a string taut between two tin cans so long as they are making the music they love.

[@franksmith6871]

I think Clapton always sounded better and played better, more creative licks when he played Gibsons.

[@jontypiper9881]

I think you're right, I saw him on a video fairly recently of him from a concert of him playing a Les Paul and he really ripped on it. They're different beasts despite both being guitars.

[@bicuspidmars]

Honestly fair, even the main lick from Layla was done on a Les Paul (although apparently it was Duane Allman who came up with that one)

[@heftosprod]

He didn't think so ... I'm guessing.

[@JerryMJacob]

I totally agree

[@davidrice3337]

@@jontypiper9881 you think the solos were better in the late 60s and 70s,? I couldn't disagree more

[@ThisOldGuy3]

I met Leo, in the 80's in Fullerton California at the G&L factory store. He was a nice guy and didn't mind chatting about his guitars with little ole me a nobody. 🤘😎🎸

[@robertrobles4028]

That’s very cool!!

[@ltgray2780]

They're guitars. Play them, and dig what each can do. I have a 2008 Standard and a 2021 Shijie STE SSS Stainless frets, and both are amazing. (Lucky me). I started playing in the mid 70's, and played Strats for years. They're Guitars. Play them, and Love them. Don't get caught up in the hype. Do your own thing. Think we need more of that. Do not worry about being better than your predecessors, don't worry about being better than your contemporaries. Worry about being better than yourself.

[@ytpkj1]

Two things transformed him: he switched to Fender and he got clean. Not sure which one did more damage.

[@KurtGAndersen]

😂😂😂

[@heftosprod]

For several years he was just as wasted as ever playing strats. It ain't about the gear. It's about the player.

[@ScottSiegling]

I think it’s cool that Baxter puts both of his kids on the channel.

[@fiddlix]

Absolutely 100%

[@WS-ij1fu]

Its a shame one is going baldy

[@alexbowles9034]

@@WS-ij1fuyou’re gonna run him off like Bonamassa

[@strings2wood]

@@WS-ij1fu D'ya think? What gives you that idea?🙈🙊

[@davidkastin4240]

@@bmk6686 😂 ikr

[@brianseneca3546]

I am a Les Paul guy. But I LOVE Strats. I have had a love/hate relationship with them since my first one. i personally have to play them higher, hold my hand in the middle of the pickups, hit the volume knob CONSTANTLY. But I am adjusting as I get older because there is nothing like the tone of a Strat. I found it interesting that you guys enjoyed the way you had to adjust your playing to a positive way. To each his own

[@sgd5k292]

If you are hitting the volume knob, just add one of those rubber washers and that will eliminate that problem.

[@brianseneca3546]

@@sgd5k292 you mean that go around the knob? I am not sure what you mean but if it helps that would be great. I bump it all the time

[@sgd5k292]

@@brianseneca3546 You will find them on eBay as " Rubber Guitar Strap locks". You will have to ream out the center hole to make them fit on the Strat's vol control shaft and maybe even enlarge the hole to fit around the shaft nut if the knob is too high for you. Now, the knob has some stiffness and tension can be adjusted by slightly raising the knob to suit. Mine actually are Fender products, but any brand should work.

[@hogie1259]

As SGD said, the rubber washers fit and work great. Bonamassa has them under the name bonalocks or something like that on his site . I got a pack of 30 for like $10 . Ended up with strap locks for all my guitars , volume washers for 2 strats and a ton left over. Not a bad deal . I had the same problem with the volume and this cured it.

[@Bellabaddi]

I’m on the other side. I even had an Orville by Gibson and a prs single cut, never played them. Just the strat I had…? Don’t know why, a lot of players I dig use dual humbuckers and I still want that flavor. :(

[@_rafael_b]

I don't disagree with anything that you guys have said about strats here. They're excellent guitars and they are as popular as they are for very good reason. Even if I like Telecasters more, I also love a good strat. However, I think that Clapton's best tones came when he was playing Gibsons in the 1960's. His best playing and indeed his best music for that matter was with The Bluesbreakers and especially with Cream. For me, Cream was peak Clapton. I know a lot of people will disagree with me on that and that's fine. I don't mean to make anyone angry, but that statement probably will. Watching the Cream reunion awhile back, I was slightly disappointed that he used a strat for those shows because some of the brashness of Cream's songs went missing with the mellower strat tones. The Royal Albert Hall reunion show was still great, but I missed the noise. That's personal taste and I'm not going to tell anyone who disagrees with me that they're wrong. Personally though, I prefer the younger and brasher Clapton of the 1960's to the more genteel (musically speaking) pop star that he became post Cream when he played strats. If we're going to talk about great strat tones, we have to be talking about the great Jimi Hendrix. He is the one who made me realize how great a strat could be. Again, I realize that these kinds of things are totally subjective. In my opinion though, the song Voodoo Child might just contain the best electric guitar tones ever heard by human ears. I also absolutely love Dick Dale's strat tones. As a player, I don't think he's on the level as Clapton or Hendrix. His strat tones were super good in a different way though. He was also a guy who showed the world how good a strat could sound. Anyway, that's just my two cents on the subject. Thanks for another great video and I'm glad the lights are back on.👍 Cheers!

[@robertdusziii4125]

I agree. The Live Cream records are just amazing.I saw the reunion show at MSG and was a little disappointed it wasn't more Live Cream like. It was still wonderful.

[@_rafael_b]

@@robertdusziii4125 That's cool that you actually saw the show live. I would have loved to in spite of what I said in my comment.

[@robertdusziii4125]

@@_rafael_b It was very cool.

[@gb1978gb]

I couldn’t agree with you more. As a young guitarist in the 70s and 80s I chased that tone and still think it’s the best raw and goose bump inducing sound for rock and blues.

[@mddg1515]

I think Clapton peaked during the EC Was Here live album released in 1975. We wore out that album. Have You Ever Loved A Woman and Presence Of The Lord were absolutely great and the live feel comes across wonderfully. Sadly, I don't care for Clapton at all after the Covid stance he took with his fans, refusing to play in venues that required masks. I have tons of his albums and box sets that I've acquired, but won't play them again....

[@thewhiskeycowboy-official]

I think the Super Strat or common HSS really bridge the gaps and allows for a much wider range of styles from one guitar. I play my strat (HSS) with the tone turned down to deepen the sound. But I am not a gig player, just a pretty rudimentary fireside player. LOL

[@dunxy]

I agree, if there's one guitar type that can cover all bases, a hss strat is pretty hard to go past. Im a Tele guy but i do have a custom (mustang with tom hardtail and hss, very hot singles and medium hot bucker in bridge) and that config really is probably ideal for covering everything. i have an old epi explorer for scratching the bucker itch when it really bites but i just love my Tele. Ive had a strat in past, wasn't my thing but it was all singles, i reckon a hardtail strat in hss is the only thing that could stop me being a Tele guy, maybe...

[@coreymihailiuk5189]

Don't forget that in Eric's early days he is playing a telecaster. He played a red telecaster with a rosewood neck in the Yardbirds and later plays a sunburst tele with a maple stratocaster neck in Blind Faith. He's also seen playing a blonde tele in Derek and the Dominoes. So he had spent time with both single coil guitars and humbucker guitars before finally settling on a Stratocaster as a preferred guitar.

[@davidisenberg125]

was that the tele he got from harrison ???

[@coreymihailiuk5189]

@@davidisenberg125 That's a great question! Which of those tele's do you think was gifted from George?

[@davidisenberg125]

@@coreymihailiuk5189 not sure but harrison kept the mahogony one for sure ...

[@coreymihailiuk5189]

@@davidisenberg125 Somebody must know which tele came from Harrison. I used to have a friend who knew George and could have rung him up to ask him, but sadly both of those people have left us.

[@davidisenberg125]

@@coreymihailiuk5189 sorry...i meant the rosewood tele,,,,, but he later gave that guitar away and it was purchased back after his death and given to his wife olivia

[@plantagenant]

I like Strats...probably my desert island guitar....but Clapton IMHO was at his best playing Gibsons ( and before he got addicted to Heroin). His playing and tone in Cream was peerless.

[@markmcdonald5711]

I have a left-handed G&L George Fullerton model strat I got for my 50th birthday in Oct. 2004. It is a copy of a 1957 strat, black with a white pickguard and maple neck and a hardtail bridge, basically as close to the Blackie guitar I could spec. Buy a G&L strat if you want a real strat.

[@larryzink8978]

Yall are the most watchable cause you dont take yourself too seriously unlike 99% of the other guys. A breath of fresh air.

[@STSGuitar16]

Yeah, while I enjoy Rhett Shull’s videos, he is definitely one of those guys who suffers from taking himself waaaaay too seriously lol

[@smelltheglove2038]

Oh shit, came to mention Rhett the dork.

[@STSGuitar16]

@@smelltheglove2038 bro unironically has Kramer hair and Costanza glasses these day too lmao

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@STSGuitar16 he’s like that guy that just got into microbrews last week and wants to tell you all about the subtle differences between an IPA and an Imperial IPA, only he doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. I think the label I’m looking for is “pretentious poseur”. He just repeats buzz words he heard from others.

[@smelltheglove2038]

The other 1% that aren’t like that are Mick and Dan from That pedal Show. Those two are great, full of great info and both down to earth. And mick mixes it up in the comments and I appreciate that. Edit to add: and Brad the Guitologist. I’ve had actual conversations with Brad, he’s pretty cool. I know a few people don’t like his takes on current events but his takes are right up my alley and I agree that what’s going on today is pretty awful.

[@christanhartley434]

I think a lot of musicians get a bit older and get tired of holding a heavy les Paul and like the lightweight feeling of a strat, I’ve been told this by a few people

[@fatsiddog]

My pops is 72… still plays gigs. Gave up on the Les paul, for exactly that reason. Plays the shit out of it sitting in his chair tho. Lol.

[@dezertfox3130]

Duh, he was he was 25 we went to a strat.

[@tub3st3ak]

I’ve heard that a lot too. Love the tone and feel of a Les Paul, but the weight can be a problem. Started getting shoulder issues even in my twenties.

[@gmb858]

Even making the change to the lighter Fender, EC suffers from neuropathy (nerve damage) in his back and limbs. When you think about the endless # of concerts, jams, practice sessions...dude was playing 18 hours a day at times of intense work.

[@Hoom401]

I always think about jimmy page touring for decades with a les Paul. Ouch

[@stratmagic6893]

The truth is Clapton was at a crossroads somewhere in England when he encountered a strange individual who uttered a incantation and suddenly Eric felt a tingle in his crotch area and realized he had lost his balls. Then out of nowhere the stranger handed him a stratocaster and laughed and walked away.

[@G1llmanBlacklg00n]

Tell that to Ritchie Blackmore who went from an ES335 to a Stratocaster. There's nothing ball-less about a Strat into two Marshall 200 Watt stacks...

[@stevegamiello6476]

His Friendship with George Harrison and playing George’s “Rocky” while they were both playing with Delaney and Bonnie. Then there’s his influence by The Band and Robbie Robertson. His solo album (with Let it Rain) had amazing tone. He used his “Brownie” Strat thru a Fender Champ. And he used it again with Derek and the Dominoes which has the most amazing tone

[@ishatype2764]

Strats (or Strat-like) guitars have that great sound that really only a single-coil PU can give you, I particularly like the #5 and #2 positions. That being said, Peter Green's LP that had the PU's out of phase had a sort of Quack to it in the middle position which is very easy to achieve if you care to do that to your Gibson. Personally, SG's with P90's are the best for me, very light, clear as a bell at low gain and growl like a lion when pushed.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

The only signature, remarkable Strat sound to me is the front pickup only. The rest of single coil sound does the Tele in spades.. But I agree with you on SG with P90s... or even better - LP Junior or Special, with much more meat..

[@jroc2201]

In my humble opinion, the difference between the two guitars is in the pickups, an electronic tech once told me think of the pickup as if it were a camera, the single coil, weaker pickup, takes a clear picture that you can blow up, and still not loose detail, not be muddy, that made sense to me

[@kevinbolick2349]

I own a sunburst maple board Strat because of what EC did on the Layla sessions. But for my money, his best tone and playing is on a 335, and not the Cream era Cherry 64. It’s the sunburst 335 he played on the From the Cradle sessions. My goodness his playing and tone were at the highest level of his career, imo! Every time I see him play a Gibson, I get excited! Including the video clips of him playing that Loar era L5 at MSG last summer!

[@alexgasiewski4970]

What can be said about Eric... I'll just say, he's fooled everyone about his partying, let's just say he's a dam good guitar player but as most of us the truth gets hidden. How many morning stage shows, show him stoned, and just walking of the stage being heckled,,, and the Chuck Berry tribute, he's putting in his 2cents about Chuck did the duck walk etc. Eric's always been a better guitar player, then a man to be qualified to explain why Chuck did what he did on stage or in life. As far as the strat went, I've seen him play any guitar he felt like. In the begining his tone was too pearcing. Live and learn. But he's best playing and not talking about things and people he doesn't know... He I've all people should know , so Eric have one on me.

[@coreymihailiuk5189]

Some of the songs recorded on the From the Cradle album were played through a silver face Fender Deluxe Reverb and I am sure that was definitely part of what we are hearing.

[@kevinbolick2349]

@@coreymihailiuk5189 interesting! I didn’t know that

[@coreymihailiuk5189]

@@kevinbolick2349 I can't recall who told me that but it was on good authority. It may have been an amp tech who worked on that amp for that recording. That's likely it. It's maybe the only time that I am aware that Eric used a Deluxe Reverb in a recording session. But it sure sounded good! I've owned a few vintage Deluxe Reverbs that when cranked sounded incredible.

[@3Torts]

@@alexgasiewski4970 lol.

[@KellysCanoeing]

Surprised that Robbie Robertson 's influence was not mentioned as a reason for Clapton's switching to stratocasters

[@jonnygonehawking380]

The Blind Faith outdoor concert where He played the tele with the strat neck was about the same time when He wanted to join the Band

[@daveshamir729]

Derek & The Dominoes was a transformative moment in Clapton's evolution as a player. I think that the more sparkly and percussive tonal palette of the strat really opened up his playing and set him on a more melodic path in how he builds his solos til this very day. Interesting that this landmark album that saw his full embrace of the strat was made in conjunction with a man who epitomized the Les Paul -- Duane Allman

[@Asshat237]

It makes perfect sense. That way the guitars are distinctive, a very clearly different tone from Duane.

[@plantagenant]

It's all opinion but I dont think it was a progression. He seems to have given up the blues based psychedelic rock for Americana inspired by The Band and Bonnie and Delaney etc. I think musically it was a regression. His playing with John Mayall and Cream was blistering , fiery, uncontainable. I think his heroin addiction knocked the fire out of him and he spent the rest of his life producing "dad" rock. I have all the Cream albums. I have none of his solo albums. As I said though..its all personal taste and opinion.

[@ricopetrilli1084]

@@plantagenant Have you never seen Nuthin But the Blues ? He uses an ES 335 and is on fire.

[@jimparker7778]

After Cream Eric spent a lot of time with the guys out in Tulsa. He was very influenced by Delaney Bramlett. Delaney's buddies included a lot of white country and R&B guys. They played Fender guitars. It left a mark on Clapton. The last time I saw him onstage with a Gibson was in 1969, he had his 335 and was touring with Bonnie and Delaney.

[@BobbyGandtheGmen]

bla bla bla, more personal opinions. The only human being that knows the answer to the question is Eric himself. All of the opinion givers are bullshit artists whom now nothing but their own opinion....

[@mikeselsvik8357]

Let’s not forget that he also played a deluxe telecaster with a stat neck in blind faith

[@dubccoverseer]

And before where they start this video he used a Tele in the yardbirds before his Gibson era

[@TheseusTitan]

I think Clapton’s tone was much richer with Gibsons. I agree with the idea about Hendrix using a Strat influenced Clapton and may other guitarists to use a Stratocaster.

[@kft590]

I don't like Clapton's tone when he switched to Strat's. His tone before then was epic, especially his Plexi and Gibson tones.

[@ZionForman]

what is the black Gibson archtop hanging in the background?

[@Funkybassuk]

Didn’t Clapton say that it was a tribute to Steve Winwood and Jimi Hendrix? But didn’t Buddy Guy say that when he played London, Eric and Jeff Beck told him afterwards that they didn’t realise that you could play blues on a Strat? The thing about the timeline of Jimi’s passing and Derek & The Dominos is that that album had already been recorded on the Strat. Apparently Delaney & Bonnie had a huge influence on everyone in the London scene, including Eric of course. And of course, when all the British blues rockers heard The Band’s debut album, there was that switch to a country influence instead of R&B/blues around 1970.

[@beanth1230]

His best playing was on gibson based guitars, his live playing with cream is up there with hendrix. On a strat he adopted a more songwriter approach and became a generic blues player.

[@MrMjp58]

He is a great player, but on a Strat he sounds…ordinary.

[@tomasvanecek8626]

@@MrMjp58 Indeed, nothing like the Beano or Fresh Cream.. let alone Live, with an SG. THOSE were his best sounds.

[@3Torts]

lol

[@michaelheller8841]

One thing we can all agree on is that Clapton helped sell a ton of bursts and Strats. Clapton started on a burst and played the SG next, his music was constantly changing, When he chose the Strat, his music was more a percussive style and different song writing as well. There is no wrong or right here. I will personally always choose my custom shop R8 Les Paul over a Strat or my Telecaster. That being said, I love the sounds a Strat can make. My Tele? is there a better single coil bridge FAT sound? so each is a tool for your mood at the time. Own all three if you can and I highly recommend. Each guitar you will play different.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

In between the Gibson's & Fender Strat he did play a Telecaster in Blind Faith.

[@JamZorro]

Loved that tele sound he got in the live Hyde Park concert

[@G1llmanBlacklg00n]

He played a Telecaster in the Yardbirds, also.

[@breekolean2758]

You know the joke, when Clapton played a Fender he's a living legend, when he played a Gibson he was God

[@justinm1766]

And he played Gibson live with Marsalis 2011, my favorite version of Layla, by far. Still his best sound IMO.

[@breekolean2758]

@@justinm1766Did not know that thanks for the information Justin

[@JamZorro]

Haha... I liked that 👍

[@breekolean2758]

@@JamZorro when Hendrix jamed with Clapton the graffiti changed to Jimi killed God

[@derek5168]

The Gibson was the right guitar for the way not just Eric Clapton was playing with cream but the way it blended with Jack Bruce's eb3 bass and ginger bakers drumming plus Marshall amplifier's

[@crsnmorton]

In the early Seventies, Clapton was on tour in the US and walked into Sho-Bud on Broadway in Nashville (Now Roberts Western World). They sold pedal steels but he asked if they had any used Strats. They did and he bought all 4 or 5 of them, all from the 50's. I believe he mixed and matched bodies and necks and came up with Brownie and Blackie. I also understand that he gave one to George Harrison. I played in the group Razmataz in the early Seventies and in a number of other bands. I played everything under the sun but one day walked into Mountain Music in Woodstock New York and they had a 1956 Strat refin on the wall. The owner said to take it to a gig, and if I didn't like it, I could bring it back. I think it was $420. It was not as loud as the Gibson I had, but it cut through much better. It felt perfect in my hands and sang out in so many voices. Needless to say, I didn't take it back. It opened up a whole new musical world to me. I still have it. You may have to work a little harder with a Strat, but you get so much more out of it.

[@dukeford8893]

According to EC, the Sho-Bud Strat deal was during a Cream tour. He bought a half-dozen or so for $100 each. He gave one to Winwood, one to Townsend, the other to George, and built Blackie out of the best parts of the other three. One of those Strat necks wound up on the Blind Faith Tele (it was not Brownie's neck!). Clapton bought Brownie in 1967, btw.

[@comparedtowhat2638]

Personally, I still prefer to play humbuckers but I enjoy playing in band that also has a Strat player. The contrasting sounds are great and having both type of guitars expands the band’s overall tonal pallet.

[@johnbriggs3916]

palate

[@comparedtowhat2638]

Sorry, palette is perfectly acceptable.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

@@comparedtowhat2638 - Pallette(the artist's paint-mixing board) is correct in this sense; palate is the roof of your mouth and makes much less sense here.

[@randa4382]

Skynard had it down to perfection. Lol i came to respond to the comment and found an etymological discussion and im up for that as well. Why i love this channel.

[@comparedtowhat2638]

Thank you.

[@LegitBobsYourUncle]

Clapton sounded the best in bluesbreakers with Gibsons. He should of stayed Gibson he went downhill on strats in my opinion.

[@maxgrieve3533]

I think the influence of the Band’s first two records - Music From Big Pink and The Band - particularly MFBP, had an enormous impact on the music he wanted to play. He no longer cared for overdriven psychedelia and was instead drawn to more folky/roots-style music. One guitar he used to play with Blind Faith was a strat neck on a tele body. Robbie Robertson used a tele throughout his early career with the Band.

[@BITESIZEJONES]

The Strat is easier to control. You know exactly what your getting with the 5 way. Humbuckers have an aggressive heavier side that didn't interest him anymore. That single coils with the classic fender twang felt right in his new Journey. He also showed us how you can capture an honest tone by plugging straight in an amp with no pedals. Simple rig, simple tone, but with great spirit. Robin Trower said it best, Strats sound closest to the human voice.

[@AlDunbar]

Yeah, the human voice - especially when played by Jeff Beck.

[@BITESIZEJONES]

@@AlDunbar no doubt

[@LikeigiveAFaboutU]

Btw Eric uses a three way switch in his strats. His newest rigrundown has all the goods

[@toneyisaiah3556]

Not everyone liked them For example Angus Young.

[@harryebbeson]

The pickup combinations allow for different sounds. Plus a strat is less heavy. The older one gets, the more weight relief matters. Enjoy the videos!

[@robmorrison1043]

Absolutely correct. The strat is the perfect guitar. It can be used for Blues,Rock,R&B, Jazz, Pop, country and even classical. It is the most virtual electric guitar for professionals as well as any level player. As you stated it is also much lighter then a Les Paul and a very comfortable weight. The Clapton signature model is the cream of the crop. It has the .25 midrange boost that just takes it to another level. You can get a Les Paul sound and a host of others, while also raising the power. The tone is also phenomenal. To me it is also the best looking of all electrics. I fell in love with it the moment i saw my first one, and feel the same way everytime i see one. When i open the case and see the crushed orange lining and that smell, it takes me back to my childhood. Ive had many, stll do, and will always!

[@Cream1968]

I’ve got a 54 Strat serial number 260…..thought it was a 57 until a Tech took it apart The neck was done by their master neck technician Tadeo Gomez and it was wired by Gloria Sanchez picked it up in 1971 at a pawn shop in Chicago for my busted Univox Les Paul and $125 bucks which was a lot for a guy making $4 an hour but I’m glad I did Love you’re channel

[@stickylizardbabyangel]

Clapton is, to me, the dude with the SG/LP/ES Gibson. When he changed to Strats he seemed to have have lost the “it” factor for me

[@5150show]

Music from the Big Pink

[@robertrobles4028]

Anyone here think it’s freaking amazing we are still talking about Eric Clapton 60 years after he was a Yard Bird? That what true greatness is… it’s time less. Genius!!

[@seanmurphy26]

Eric Clapton switch to the Stratocaster from the loud booming humbuckers and Marshall Stacks can be defined and summed up in one word! HEROIN!!

[@AROSFC]

yep, it's a very expensive habit...

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@AROSFC it’s actually much cheaper than pot. That is when it was actually around. We left Afghanistan so now the streets are flooded with Chinese fentanyl and there is no heroin around anymore. 3 dollars a bag. So sad to see my clients who could actually function on heroin switch to this much more destructive habit.

[@randa4382]

@@smelltheglove2038 i keep running into ya... clients eh? You seem to have a heart at least. Personally i am on ol' reliable mkii these days. Hpwever i will say, unpopular opinipn but you are absolutely right. Hell... id probably be dead or still out there if my actual drug of choice was available lol. But yeah... heroin actually wasnt that harmful apparently. Relatively speaking.

[@Douglas_I]

It's not cheaper than illegal pot. It is cheaper than legal pot though cause legal pot is a money maker for greedy corporations now and then it's taxed heavy. You can get incredible cannabis for $75/oz black market where I live and $250+tax if you go to the store. I'm 5 years clean now but a g of tar was 350 where I live. 400 for china but the best china is actually grey. The DWmarkets were my saving grace financially though. Anyway, back to guitars lol!

[@ledzeppelinzoso]

Clapton should have restrung that left-handed strat and really carried the torch. It also would have been dope for back in the early 70s

[@douglasdingwall1596]

Pete Townsend also switched to a strat with Fender amps...yet sounds the same as he did playing SGs and LesPauls with Vox, Marshall and HiWatt amps, playing the same songs.....

[@stickylizardbabyangel]

Saying he sounds the same through the eras means you mustn’t’ve heard Who’s Live at the Leeds. Just do it. Animalesque tone = P90s SG

[@douglasdingwall1596]

@@stickylizardbabyangel I've got the album....Apparently both Clapton and Townsend don't feel the need to play a Gibson to perform their old songs live....

[@sarthwahb]

On the fender’s brownie repro video he said the rosewood was sort of uncomfortable for him to bend and stuff, maple is like marble to him…. Also in five watt word’s video on stratocaster history he said that Clapton loved strat for its versatility and tonal options mainly he used the word “functionality really steers it” …. I personally love the Clapton in cream but even his crancked load melodic strat playing is also a love for me

[@stevep2430]

And then you had Jimmi Page go from the Telecaster to the Les Paul, so it worked both ways.

[@JamZorro]

👍

[@YesItsWitticus]

Fender for me is both the pickups but the scale too. It just feels right.

[@dunxy]

Yup, i think 25.5 is for the win. i have Shorty 24 and vanilla Gibson, both feel cramped compared to my Tele.

[@kevinbannister2356]

These guys just rambled on a bit, to realy get to know about Clapton's switch to strats, there is plenty to read in those old 70's guitar mags that every budding guitarist used to get.

[@flbiker57]

Did you guys catch a buzz before shooting this video?

[@jimparker7778]

Clapton was very heavily influenced by the Tulsa sound in 1969-1970. He was close friends with Delaney Bramlett and JJ Cale and the fellows in Tulsa had a western vibe and some country music going on. Country pickers in those days tended to be Fender players.

[@guitarman8462]

It may be the reason that he mostly plays on the bass pickup on his strat. To get that humbucker sound. And then uses the mid boost for the solos .

[@DrRandyDavila]

I really hope this comment reaches you guys.... I would love for you to help me understand my newest guitar. I recently bought a 1990 Oriville by Gibson Les Paul custom with a nice re-fret. I'm amazed at how this guitar feels, plays, and sounds. To be honest it plays better/ sounds better than my former mid 90s real Les Paul custom... This is concerning because my former Les Paul custom was soooo expensive and I thought would be the nicest guitar I've ever had. So my question is: Are some Orville by Gibson Les Paul's reallllly good, like comparable to the American Les Paul customs, OR did I just have a dud of a real Les Paul custom in the past?

[@Funkybassuk]

Some of the Orville Les Pauls were the most authentic recreations of the ‘59 Burst-era Les Pauls to be made since the ‘50s - that’s what people say. And some of the early ones came with quite prized Bill Lawrence pickups. I’d like to get one myself but prices have gone so high for them over the last couple of years. Congratulations on your new guitar!

[@G1llmanBlacklg00n]

The Orville Guitars were made for the Japanese market, which demands a higher quality instrument. The Japanese Squiers of the 70's were also great guitars, also.

[@johnsilver8059]

The transition guitar was the Firebird in Blind Faith.

[@G1llmanBlacklg00n]

He played the Firebird in Cream. In Blind Faith he played a Telecaster Custom with the neck from Brownie installed on it.

[@hog7203]

I'm a Les Paul guy, but Strats have their uses. They make good boat paddles and come in handy when fighting off rabid beavers that are attacking your boat. 😆 Seriously I like Strats. Teles, Firebirds, ES 335 etc too. I love the distinct sounds of them all. Especially plugged straight into a cranked tube amp. The LP is my favorite/ main guitar but if someone new to electric guitars asks me for a recommendation I always suggest a Stratocaster type. They're sturdy, have a variety of tones and are very comfortable to play.

[@3Torts]

😅👍 Love my strat. Want to get a Les Paul Lite one of these years

[@hog7203]

@@3Torts check out the Firefly guitars. They're cheap, but every model I've tried out played and sounded great. Getting hard to find though. I've been playing my bandmates FF338 at practice several times a month, for over a year now, and it's never had to be retuned since the first time he tuned it. Crazy. And I'm rough on a set of strings. I've been playing for over fifty years and have never had a guitar do that. Several times I've thought about selling my LPs and buying a bunch of the Firefly guitars, but I know I'd miss em too much 😄

[@sclg560]

Man it’s 640 am, my daughter and I are currently dancing our asses off to that demo track lol

[@atp2051]

Well, please, correct me if I am wrong. Clapton's first approach to the strat is because of his influences, Holly, Guy, R.Robertson etc and his friends Winwood and Harrison. But mainly because of Hendrix. That's the reason he also looked for a power trio that ended up in Cream. Brownie is a 56, and Blakie is a mixture of 56 and 57s. And kept using them for years mainly because of the tone, the look, the ergonomics and the maple fretboard. But when Fender call him to make the first signature guitar in history, back in 1988, he asked them for a Strat with that Les Paul tone, hence the TBX and Midboost. Even later, the noiseless pickups that substituted the lace sensors, are actually stacked humbuckers. For me, the tone of 24 nights for instance is more a LP tone than a strat. Even though you can get real strat tones with the Clapton signature strat, just by putting the volume in five and the rest of the pots all way down. This is something that I don't see in many reviews of this guitar. And that is the reason for that special tone of Clapton in the last 30 years. And the hands, of course! Greetings from Spain and good luck today with France at the World Cup. 🎸🇪🇸👍

[@JackTheSkunk]

Not sure why Clapton switched but I definitely think his tone suffered because he did.

[@timnewman1172]

Don't forget the Telecaster Custom from his Blind Faith era...

[@robertrobles4028]

Hey guys, I think you forgot that Eric originally played a Fender Telecaster with the Yardbirds. Also there are photos of Clapton playing a Fender Strat with Cream, then a Tele with a Strat neck with Blind Faith.

[@MrSmiley1964]

I wanted to be a Tele player. Watching Steve Cropper on Sat Night Live when I was young just put a stamp on my soul. But when I took my cash from the bank and went looking for one I couldn't find it. I ended up as a Strat player. I bought an Esquire after 15 years, I loved the guitar but like the man who helped me find the guitar said, "Your first guitar shapes the way you approach playing." I like almost every guitar I own, but the Strat is the one I play best.

[@216trixie]

I've always associated Clapton playing rock and roll with Gibsons and slowing down with the Stratocaster.

[@bbrotherton6345]

The Strat has a more convenient head stalk for holding your cigarette without squashing the filter????

[@atp2051]

Jajaja great! 😂

[@TheAshleywiggins]

He switched to a strat because his best friend George Harrison was a strat guy. You ever hear your buddy hit a lick and realize how good it is? So did he.

[@Funkybassuk]

Didn’t Eric get a Strat for every one of his friends back in London from America: Harrison, Winwood, Jimi, Townsend?

[@TheAshleywiggins]

@@Funkybassuk Clapton says Blackie was the last guitar he put together himself ,after purchasing several vintage strats ... the remainder of the guitars he gave to his friends. I think he had the itch before that tho with the Blind Faith tele that had the strat neck.

[@richardlecomte4874]

A friend of mine that plays in the band Cracker recently switched from the les Paul to a strat. He pretty much used the Paul on every major album they recorded and again overnight he went to the strat.

[@DogGuy19]

I would like to see a video where you guys discuss your hair choices.

[@zoomzoom3950]

maybe you should get to know Optimus 330 better?😁

[@MrMjp58]

I listen to him on Strats and he sounds.. ok. I listen to him on various Gibsons and he’s probably the greatest I’ve heard. I don’t care what Eric himself thinks.

[@MAP448]

2 reasons, #1-notes were clearer & more defined, #2-his back hurt, #3- because Buddy Guy did, u can arrange these 3 reasons however u may like, but they are both true.

[@guitarsofold100]

It has been a long time since you announced the SILVER SKY give away!!!!! MAY BE YOU SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN A LES PAUL We are keeping and EYE on these subs!!

[@CasinoGuitars]

We are sooo close we haven’t forgot!

[@adammartin7007]

Clapton was lethal with a Gibson.

[@JamZorro]

Haha... Indeed 👍

[@jethroise6245]

I’m new to the channel, curious to know why the Dallas cowboys logo is in your intro?

[@contrabandjoe7974]

Baxter told us 90's Strats were "not so good". Disagree. they are as good as any other decade short of the 1950's-1960's. Blindfolded, and all things equal (maple neck or rosewood neck, standard single coils etc) I'm willing to bet very few people could tell the difference in a strat made from 1970-2022

[@wmsollenberger8706]

Clapton STARTED OUT PLAYING A RED FENDER TELECASTER for both Mayall and the Yardbirds. He veered off into Gibson guitars from '64-65 until the end of Cream. Then he went back home to a Fender, building a couple of Strats using the best parts from 3 early strats and called them "Blackie" & "Brownie".

[@muhammadsteinberg]

You can easily make a single coil strat get close to the humbucker sound with the right electronics. Difficult to get humbuckers to sound deep as a single coil. This is my opinion based on my strat and lp.

[@motherlessblues1565]

Clapton had a left handed strat to give to Hendrix and they were to meet at a sly & the family concert , at the concert Clapton was in a box and spotted Hendrix but could not get to him ,, and the next day came the news of Jimi’s passing which effected him greatly.

[@EasyBreather000]

Mr. Eric himself has said that it was when he met and heard Buddy Guy, in person, playing a Stratocaster, that was it, it was the sound he was looking for and he never really looked back. ✌

[@TheWayOfTheShay]

‘It was probably a really traumatic, formative moment for him… I really like KFC’ Love ya Bax

[@randaldavis8976]

The Layla album is why I bought my first guitar, a Sunburst Stratocaster

[@DoobTube71]

See Cream live at the RAH original vs. the contemporary concert. Both are amazing.

[@haganhere5592]

Where is Johnathan? Hope all is well. Thanks for the videos.

[@ricopetrilli1084]

He and George Harrison were hanging alot in 1970 and was playing a Strat. Dave Mason also. Claptons sound on the ''Let it Rain'' solo is that iconic sound. Also the tune by Stephan Stills ''Go Back Home''

[@davidisenberg125]

check out the re-make the doobie brothers did with frampton..... that les paul sound just kills .... at the end of let it rain everybody takes a ride

[@rheinhardtgrafvonthiesenha8185]

You could say the Firebird was his first step towards a fender

[@gilbertocruz1683]

Robin Trower said he moved from LPs to Strats because Strats have a much more human like vocal sound

[@bobdillon1138]

Bet it was motivated by practicality more than the sound .Life on the road is incredibly hard on the gear and the fact is Strat's are pretty much indestructible ,require little maintenance, they are also relatively light and comfortable to play for hours at a time.

[@parlance.electricco]

For me, one perfect example of what I love in a Les Paul is 'Brothers in Arms', and U2 Live at Red Rock on 'Surrender' I think The Edge has the stonkiest Strat sound I've ever heard. As for a Strat on lead, any Gilmour will suffice, though please note newbies, it was his Gold Top Les Paul that he recorded for the solo on "Another Brick in the Wall.'

[@robertskinner6487]

Another question could be why did he have his strat altered to sound more Gibson like

[@allenhayesmusic]

Almost at 50k. Round 1, arm wrestle!

[@thmmke6926]

The Clapton strat with the vintage noiseless, boost, and tbx pretty much is the sound of a lp/sg with 57 classics, woman tone, so his custom strat is modded to sound like a Gibson,

[@PaulSter]

Lol. It sounds nothing, whatsoever, like a Gibson. It's the scale length that will never allow one to look like the other.

[@etgpker6711]

@@PaulSter It bears mentioning that the EC Strat is unique from all the other variations on the strat theme. The vintage noiseless, boost, blocked trem and tbx do give them their own sound. I had a 1997 Blackie with Lace Sensors and now have a 2014 EC strat. To me the non-EC modded strats can be a little thin when you want to step out in the band with a solo. Rolling up the boost a bit always adds some nice weight to a solo. I know, you can do the same thing with a pedal, but these guitars don't need it.

[@stratolestele7611]

@@etgpker6711 thanks. Yup, I've been very well acquainted with the EC Strat since the day they came out. Yes, they offer more options, but they simply don't sound anything like an SG, Les Paul, or 335. Listen to to Clapton's tone at the Cream reunion show at RAH. Strat tone all day long.

[@etgpker6711]

@@stratolestele7611 I agree that they don't sound like Gibsons, I think they have their own sound which I prefer over the non-EC modded version. When I want a Gibson sound I play my LP or ES-336.

[@DeNieuweBeelding]

@@PaulSter Tune a Strat down a half-step and the effective scale is at least as short as a Gibson. (And it still doesn't quite sound like one, but it's a lot closer.)

[@danielstoddart]

It's interesting that E.C. does not play a Brownie or Blackie Custom Shop repro, even though he's tried them, instead opting for a modern Strat with noiseless pickups. I think he tours with three of the same Strats and a couple of Martin acoustics. His guitar roadie has an easy job compared to some rock stars.

[@mrcurtis73]

I should know this, but what’s the black Gibson in the background? It looks cool. You guys should do a demo of it.

[@davidrees1840]

I love the look of that Gibson arch top. Is that a Tom Murphy job? Really beautiful!

[@ericmills9839]

Maybe an L-5? Something in that family.

[@misternobody4786]

If all guitars were fender shaped I’d be playing the tin whistle

[@golfhound]

Interesting that Clapton and Leo Fender never met. I remember back in the 70's when Music Man first came out. Eric endorsed the amps immediately. My first guitar amp was a Music Man 65 watt 2x12 half stack. What a dream of a tube amp. Eric switched from rosewood necks to maple because of FEEL. He would dig his nails into rosewood, but loved the harder maple better. Eric was influence by Steve Winwood who played a strat with Traffic before forming Blind Faith. No doubt seeing famous blues men like Muddy Waters playing a strat influenced him too.

[@fendson5745]

how do i get hair like that

[@wartimemodels]

I like playing with my fingers a lot and do feel that connection to the guitar with a strat.

[@Thirsty_Deer_Studio]

There was also that Blind Faith year when he was transitioning and played the Tele custom with a Strat neck

[@JamZorro]

👍

[@CallousCoder]

A Strat is a more versatile guitar and cuts through a mix. If I can only have one guitar it’s a strat with a humbucker in the neck and coil tap. One thing a strat really allows you to do is shred nice high up the neck, a Les Paul is not cutaway far enough. And when you get into super strat territory or the deluxe that I have, you have a nice contoured heel and oh man versatile Goodness!!! If I know I’m going to shred and play fast I get my Ibanez over anything. If I’m not sure what I’ll be playing, I’ll take my Strat Deluxe. As I can do basically anything with it and it sounds great. It also is indiscriminate about amps. Some guitars love certain amps. This particular HSS deluxe, sounds nice in anything. And that’s a very liberating feeling.

[@nicholasnelson4971]

I play 3 guitar styles. Fender strat and telecaster. And I also play my Les Paul. To be honest. There is something I don’t like about all 3 of them and at the same time they are members of my family. I will never get rid of.

[@drvee1983]

I never understood why Clapton played a Strat for the Cream reunion. It wasn't his Cream tone. No matter how great he is as a player. The guitar determines your playing and sound. Porsche's don't drive like Ferrari 's, and visa-versa.

[@kennethpeters1706]

Interesting to hear that Clapton didn't differentiate much about the guitar's weight- I've long theorized that the best sounding solid bodies are ones that are reasonably light weight, allowing the string vibration to to generate stronger unplugged natural acoustic resonant audibility, because that was the thing that went awol going into the '70s with the heavier Ash bodies Fenders; I'm pretty sure that resonant quality was Clapton's deciding factor as to a guitar feeling/sounding good or bad. To me those resonant guitars are always the best playing/sounding

[@jydymyyyr9630]

Maybe it's just because the Strat is capable of more nuance... seasoned and prolific guitarists often find the strat more to their taste. Everyone can make a Gibson sound good, a Strat offers more and draws out more from the player. Just my 2 cents.

[@timnewman1172]

I had a Les Paul, got a Strat and several years later a Tele... I no longer have the Les Paul. Any questions???

[@stickylizardbabyangel]

Gettin’ old, eh, Tim? Ahahah. Just kidding