Here's a true story of meeting Eric, and Ginger. I was pumping gas at a Standard oil station in Wilmette, Illinois when a Rolls Royce pulled in for gas. As I was cleaning the windshield, I tapped on the rear passenger window, and when it rolled down, I asked the man inside if he wanted me to check the oil. He scowled at me and said"I don't give a fuck what you do, mate." Then a tall red haired man came up to me, and I said "what's wrong with your friend"? He replied, "oh that's just Eric.. don't let him bother you". So I asked if they were in a band, and he replied "yeah.. we were playing in Chicago". I asked him what the name of the band was, and he answered, "we used to be called Cream, but now we're playing as Blind Faith". I realized he was Ginger Baker, the man in the car was Eric Clapton, and another man who had gone to the bathroom was Steve Winwood! That was my moment of history... true story!
Holy shit that’s an amazing story! One to tell the grandkids lol From the way it started I for sure thought that the guy verbally accosted you would’ve been Ginger, he does have a history of sparring both physically and verbally Thanks again for the story!
I saw Clapton play a 335 in Creams last gig in NYC at Madison Square Garden. This would predate the purchase of the Guitar used at the last show at Albert Hall, he must of had two of them.
Joe Bonammasa says he knows where Eric Clapton’s lost Les Paul is and that it’s been refinished, but he won’t disclose who has it. He said it in one of his videos.
My thought as soon as he said it. I didn't think he'd get it wrong but then his thought's on where Eric's Les Paul were somewhere on earth or destroyed.
In the late Sixties, before Cream broke big in America, they played to a small audience at The Action House, a club on Long Island. I was already stealing licks from their first album and was excited to see them. As I said, the audience was quite small (that would change quickly enough later in the tour) and I imagined that they must have been somewhat disappointed. One of the songs they played was "Sweet Wine". In the middle section Clapton hits a big 1 chord (I think C in this case) while Bruce sings: "Sweet wine, hay making, sunshine day breaking. We can wait till tomorrow." Then he's supposed to hit a big 5 chord (G) w hen Bruce sings: "Car speed, road calling, bird freed, leaf falling. " then back to 1 (C) for "We can bide time." Only he was so distracted by the lackluster crowd (I wasn't lackluster) that instead of hitting the 5 chord, he hit the C chord again. He looked at Bruce and shrugged with an expression on his face which basically said: "Fuck it. There's no one here anyway." I look forward to part 2 and 3 (which don't seem to be available yet). When you get to the part where he buys the Strats in Nashville (where I live) I might have some helpful tidbits of information. Good job.
I don't know what your timing is for part 3 of your series, but with a little time, if you like, I could go over and talk to George and try to get the definitive story. I can't find anything on line where someone specifically asks him about Sho-Bud. @@TheGuitarShow
Very cool story, I saw him much later around the time of the Shangrila album, Charlie Daniel's Band opened. A great show- The highlight for me was mid set he did BADGE the middle guitar part was sound exaggerated plus, with the lightshow. A Five and Dime store called Neisners was where I purchased the Cream Veggie Album Greatest Hits w/ my own money I was a kid. Loved the back picture of them-
That red 335 he used at the Cream concert looks like the one he used in the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus where he played with Lennon, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell. Oh, lets not forget Yoko! Ever see it?
Puts me in mind of a photograph in the sleeve from The Cream of Clapton. It’s a photograph of Clapton playing that 335, in which he’s got longer hair than me and his classic beard, and there is a fender bass neck in the foreground almost obscuring him. Is that from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus era?
Excellent video! The topic of the 335 (or 335s) is a hot one, for sure. It’s worth noting that the first pic (4:34) you show of that guitar could not be the one that was sold at auction, because the pic is dated to 20th January 1964, at which time, of course, the guitar would not have been made. I have seen your second pic (5:10) before, but do not have a date for it. The 335 that sold at Christies, serial no. 67473, is in the Gibson ledger dated May 20th, 1964 (four months after the first pic). So the first guitar is either another one of Chris Dreja’s (he had, of course, a dot-neck 335) or a borrowed guitar. There is no reason whatsoever to suspect that anyone involved in any of this is bending the truth and I am in no way suggesting that, but people do often remember details erroneously. I know that I myself do, and I cannot remember either the purchase or sale details of guitars I had in the 1970s and ‘80s. I, for one, totally believe Jerry Donohue’s account as fact. Surely, if one were a young guitarist working in a London store and one sold a guitar to the God of the electric blues guitar just before his biggest concert of the year, the occasion would be forever imprinted on the memory? If that is to be accepted, then there are two possibilities: (1) Eric bought a 335 sometime after May 1964 but did not use it from leaving the Yardbirds in March 1965 to Cream’s Farewell evening concert in November 1968, and when on several occasions during that period he found himself without a guitar he chose instead to borrow one, such as Keith Richards’ Les Paul and a Les Paul Special both in the summer of ’66 when the Beano LP was stolen, including the sessions for Fresh Cream, until he bought the 1960 Standard from Andy Summers. And then he bought the 335 from Jerry just before the Albert Hall in November 1968, and used one of the other of the two. Or, (2) That, like me, Eric has confused purchase dates of guitars from over fifty years ago, and did not actually own a 335 until the Jerry Donohue purchase. I am not favouring one over the other. There are a few recently found pics of an ES guitar with Cream, two showing its being handed to or taken from a roadie (was this Eric’s or a borrowed guitar?) and one which, however, is a 355, which was probably used for the opening number, White Room, at the Forum in October, 1968. One thing I do feel strongly about is that the Crown of the ‘Cream Guitar’ belongs to the Fool SG and certainly not the 335 (beautiful, fabulous-sounding instrument though it is). Looking forward to the next part. Great job!
The Guitar Show it was Andy Summers who alerted Eric that the shop that sold him his LP had another, which Eric then purchased ( Beano ). When Beano was stolen Eric asked Andy if he would sell him his LP which he did & Andy took it to where Cream were rehearsing. 👍
@@Shred_The_Weapon From what I know that blind fate tele technically doesn't exist anymore. He disassembled the guitar and use the neck as a replacement neck for the Brownie stratocaster, not sure what happened to the rest of the guitar.
The only other guitar player to impact me on the same level as Eric Clapton was Chicago guitar player Terry Kath. To the best of my knowledge, Terry also had a Kay electric guitar. It could easily have been the same model that Clapton is seen holding in those early pictures.
There's a story that Andy Summers (later with the Police) had bought 1 of 2 Les Pauls from a shop in London for 75 pounds (LPs were not a popular guitar at that time) Shortly after, Clapton had a play on Andy's guitar and promptly offered him 100 pounds for it. Seeing a chane to make a few quid Andy sold the guitar to Eric and next morning went back to the shop to buy the other Les Paul they had, only to discover Eric had been in 30minutes earlier and bought that one aswell.
J Bonamassa has said publicly that the Beano Burst is in a private collection in the East of US. I believe he said he’s seen but not played. He’s credible
So THAT'S where Hoffa is!!!!!! Having owned the like of Amos, the Cajun and even the actual Hawaiian laptop from the opening of Warner Bros cartoons, I think JB is pretty goddam credible. Check out his Welcome to Nerdsville vid on y'alltube.....
The Holy Grail of all Les Pauls..even after 50 years, could EC still identify it if it did turn up? Given the confusion over the 335 year of purchase, maybe not so easy.
Supposedly the same collector that had Ed King's 59 burst has Clapton's burst...that collector is on the East Coast of the USA...the collector did a spread in the book "beauty of the burst" and that's how Ed King found his stolen burst...
When i bought the Beano record on cd i looked at all of the pictures of Clapton at the time and that Les Paul and i was just mesmerized. That was it......modern rock and blues guitar started right there. I know all of the artists in Chicago and other electric blues players like B.B. King influenced everybody. Chuck Berry, too. But a white English lad plugging in the Les Paul and putting a Marshall amp on 10 had not been done before to my knowledge. History was made with that sound and we still love it today. If that was all Clapton contributed that would have been significant enough but of course he has amazed us with his music and guitar playing for 50 years. Great video! You did your homework!
From memory, Clapton’s autobiography explains that his first red 335 was left behind in a Greece after fleeing. This was after his first stint with Mayall.
@The Guitar Show - impeccable research I CAN'T WAIT (oops) for the Fool. Or jimi's Les Paul Special. Blues and Gibz oh what a match. Carry on, guv. Maybe a bird (female) stole the LP, one never knows. I met George Harrison in 77 long story.
He actually did have brothers. since his birth mother was raised as his sister, and he was raised by his grandmother (which he thought was his mother) his birth mother ended up having kids in another marriage and they where his stepbrothers.
This is a great series, tho i have to borrow JH's 'bore you for 6 or 7 minutes' ;). I was born in '57 so a kid when this was starting. Actually knew of JB by name first via the single Heart Full Of Soul's 'b' side Steeled Blues. The BluesBreaker's 'Beano' and A Hard Road was stuff 'the big kids' listened to. Took Cream's "Sunshine..." to hook me. In '72 i bought a copy of John Mayall's Looking Back which has that great track "Stormy Monday". Flamingo Club, i think. Track still wipes me out. Finally bought the Beano disc in the late '90s. i know,,,,, 50th BD present was tix to see EC, '07, HPP Pavillion, last on the tour with Derek Trucks. Great show!! a little BTW, I read that EC said that '64 ES335 was the first good guitar he ever bought. Sorry, Jerry.
Interesting but I've never liked Clapton's arrogance. Also very fortunate, right place right time. I don't dislike his playing but there are many others better. He copped everything off the Kings (name any of them) ..... He can be honest at times but I find his disingenuous attitude regarding credits for Layla hard to cope with. Ditto for credits for 461 Ocean Boulevard. There are unsung heroes ..... George Terry for one. He was out of ideas often. He relied on others yet won't recognise their contributions. Mean spirited in my view. Beck far more of a "genius", before everything EC does and more. I wouldn't pay to see him again. If it wasn't for Phil Collins he wouldn't have had a career comeback.
Eric's Kay Jazz 2 was passed through to Roger Pearce, The Grebbels , support band to The Yardbirds in 1964. Roger played it with The Yardbirds while "depping" for Eric during his family reunion in Germany, over Xmas 1963. Eventually, it got sold on & into oblivion! Photos exist of Roger playing the then revamped Black Kay.
Yes best LP tone ever, I’ve always thought that Robben Ford pays homage to it in part on Talk To Your Daughter (with expanded harmony). I can never get my head around how Clapton achieved what he did there, not just inventing rock/blues, but the whole virtuosity/shred thing too, paving the way for every one who came after but doing it in such a complete, definitive, sophisticated way. My favourite players are Jimi/Django/Holdsworth/Wes but what Clapton does on Steppin Out and Have You Heard has never been bettered in Blues Rock. Only Eric Johnson perhaps has come close to that quality.
I dunno, Clapton at this time sounds a lot like Freddie King. Not many can really burn up that style ( especially then) but I hear so much Freddie in Eric's playing
Bernie thinks the Les Paul that he has(The Beast)did belong to Eric but it isn't the Beano Burst. It was one he bought from Top Gear In 1966 and which he occasionally used with Cream(when he wasn't using the 335 or the SG).BTW I saw Eric with The Yardbirds in 63 playing a Tele but if I remember correctly it was a blonde one, definitely not red.
Its a bit of an open secret in burst collecting circles where it is and who owns Beano the mysterious East coast collector is very secretive about what he currently has and does keep his collection locked away and people don't get to see it after he was caught previously owning a stolen Les Paul burst ( the Ed King 59 burst)after a photo of some his collection was leaked online and it was identified . As for the yardbirds 335 I do know Chris Dreja owned 2 separate 335s while in the yardbirds a block marker which was broken when a speaker cab toppled onto it and then his replacement which was a dot neck around December 64 and I do tend to believe Jerry Donahue that he sold Eric the 335 2 weeks before the albert hall farewell gig .
@@TheGuitarShow Close he is a hedge fund manager and his grandfather and father were publishing magnates Who sold their magazine publishing house for 1.4 billion The grandson in question is worth an estimated 4+ billion And has owned over a 100 original les Paul bursts Who knows how many he currently has After he had to give Ed King his guitar back after it was stolen and then showed up in a photograph taken at his home ;) Google is definitely your friend here just look up the Ed King stolen burst incident and that will lead you to said collector. ;)
Right - from my sources who are 'in the know' here in London - I 've heard that they know the person who stole it in the 1960s and he still has it -. That's what they say here in London. @@garywordsworth9302
@@TheGuitarShow I've heard the story was stolen and painted black and was still owned by the original thief in London somewhere. There was a famous les paul that was stolen painted black to hide its identity and was owned by a music shop proprietor in London up until quite recently but that wasn't the beano. Whether this is true as I can't confirm it but was told by someone who might well be in a position to know that the beano was passed onto its current owner by dodgy Phil Harris, who was livid once he brokered the deal as he didn't recognise it was beano when it passed through his hands and only found out after the deal was done. Phil wasn't the owner he just acted as middle man between the seller in London to the buyer The wealthy American East Coast collector. I can't prove that as fact but I can well believe it and it came from a reliable person who saw Phil with the guitar and clocked that it was Claptons but said nothing.
Really good posts.Dude knows guitars.Great combination of knowledge and doesn’t make you feel like you’re browsing through a guitar encyclopedia at the library.
The Beano Les Paul is still around!!!! Joe Bonamassa has spoken about it somewhere online & it lives in California with a collector. Joe didn't divulge the persons name or address for obvious reasons. Be nice to see it back with slow hand.
Kay actually thought that they could make archtops as good as Gibson or Epiphone (i.e. the Barney Kessel). They didn't care about anything else, just the archtops.
Having played the '59 Spinal Tap Burst at dozens of gigs and owned a '60 Standard as well, I would venture it was a '59; yet in speaking w some Gibson factory dudes from that era the late '59s had more of a slimmer '60s neck so coulda been '59 or '60, big deal. My '60 Standard was too thin for my hands. A crime I must always live with, as I sold it and replaced with a fat neck '54 GT.. If you visited the Gibson factory in those days you'd've been horrified; great craftsman but the place was like Joe's garage.
regarding the beanoburst, there is a story about it as follows: Around 1965-66 Clapton with a couple of other musicians (Bernie Greenwood-sax & Jake Milton-drums) left England for a small on the road musical adventure in some European countries including Italy, Germany and Greece (my homeland).During his short passage from Athens he joined a local Greek group of that era "The juniors" (not to be confused with the American doo-wop group "Danny and the Juniors") and played some shows at the "Igloo club" a small underground joint in Athens downtown.When he decided to leave he left the guitar behind (possibly to the band drummer Makis Saliaris) in order to sell it at a good price (there were no Gibson dealers in Greece at the time) and have the money sent to him.Noone knows what happened after that or if that story is 100% accurate.You can find the relevant article for that story here: www.rockmachine.gr/2015/10/eric-clapton-1965.html (unfortunately is in Greek) but the highlight is a b&w picture of the "Juniors" performing live with Clapton holding his famous axe.
@@TheGuitarShow I have another picture of the "Juniors" including EC & the guitar which is bigger and clearer than the one in the link, if you want it send me your email address and i will pass it to you
Interesting story. The versions I have come across suggest EC managed to leave Greece with the guitar, but had to leave his amp behind...as you say, who knows!
I dont know if anyone said this already, but I'm almost sure I read somewhere that Joe Bonamassa said in an interview that he has seen the Beano Burst and that a collector in the US owns it now.
8:23 I thing my personal favorite Gibson Les Paul tone that I've ever heard came from Mick Taylor during his Rolling Stones stint '68 - '73 ?? Anyone ? Basically from "Let it Bleed" to "Exile on Main Street". "Cant You Hear me Knocking" "Midnight Rambler" and most of all the entire "Get Your Ya Ya's Out" LIVE album. The entire band is so in sync with each other. It's truly a beautiful thing to experience.
@@TheGuitarShow Guitar manufacturers have got to get together and promote the guitar and bring back music that features the guitar. There are a lot of guitars in jazz these days though most people don't listen to jazz.
Being a tone chaser myself this is so interesting and I appreciate all the research you have done to put this together. You show clearly Clapton's progression to using the Les Paul with the Bluesbrakers, and that tone for which he became most famous initially. I am hooked on to this channel and this video series to see the rest of Clapton's journey to become a Strat player exclusively.
In order for the beano to resurface, someone would have to admit to theft in order to establish proper provenance. Otherwise it would just be another burst. Rare just on it's own, but without the Clapton provenance. In a way, it's better not to know where it is, and hope some one is playing it daily and not in some private underground collection behind glass.
Although strictly speaking there is no statute of limitations covering theft here in the UK, in reality the Crown Prosecution Service would almost certainly deem it 'not in the public interest' to prosecute the theft of a guitar half a century ago, especially as the current owner's crime would probably be 'handling stolen property' - I suspect the actual thief sold it on PDQ. So the current owner's real fear would be potentially losing ownership of a very valuable item.
I've read that EC also played a Jazzmaster and/or Jaguar during his time with The Yardbirds. I saw the group, on TV, playing at the Richmond Jazz and Blues Festival. I think this was summer 1964. As far as I could tell, EC and Chris Dreja were both playing "offsets" at that gig. I could, of course, be totally wrong about this - it was a long time ago. I do remember they both had the Ivy League haircuts that EC had picked up at a USAF base - he was quite a style setter in those days! Just a suggestion, have you tried approaching Chris Dreja for further information/corroboration? Thanks for the video.
Yes I read that also but I made the call to document guitars he actually owned rather that ones he borrowed for one gig or TV appearance such as the gretch in the Yardbirds - thanks for watching!
it has been pointed out to me that the cream bobbin PAF was missing three height adjustment screws if you look closely@8.38min this seems to correct !!
where do you get 10 ponds for a kay guitar it cost 117 pounds 12 shillings he sold it before he paid for it said grandma clap regarding the 335 at that time due to uk taxes it cost over 250 pounds half the cost of a new mini
@@Hillcapper1 I love his music too but his politics with Trump are dividing his fans..He's a Canadian as you know and why he would do this to his Trump fans is beyond me..Really disappointed with him doing this.
Michael Steven yes I know, I try to leave politics out of music as much as possible but it’s tough sometimes. Funny just because someone has musical talent and somewhat of a pulpit they act like their opinion really counts. Especially a guy from Canada with a complete joke for a PM! Still like his music though.
EC.s Cream ES335 had plastic bridge saddles. These were not available before 1964. Other differences between the yardbirds and the cream guitar would have to be the nut width which was reduced to 1 9/16" in 1966 - 1967 from the original 1 3/4" ( or was it 1 11/16"). Check me on that .. But the width did change at about that time. There could be other reasons, however, for the plastic saddles ... Like he changed out the bridge at some time. The metal saddle bridges notoriously wore down and started to buzz after a long time of playing. Oddly, the plastic ones worked better because they never start to buzz as they wear. That's why Gibson started using them. My 1964 Epiphone Riviera had plastic bridge saddles which I changed out for chrome plated steel. The guitar sounded more gangly with the metal saddles. But it buzzes if you listen too close. The stop tailpiece is another anomaly. In 1968 a new ES335 would have had a trapeze tailpiece. E
Eric Clapton is a Awsome Guitarist can you do Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham from Thin Lizzy plasse. I own a Tobaccoburst Epiphone Les Paul and I own a Dark green Mexican made Fender Stratocaster with a Maple Fingerboardand .and Neck .I Also own Red Vintage SG Copy a Sonic Bule Cord Stratocaster Copy with a Maple Fingerboard and neck . Also a Lag Stratocaster Copy with Rosewood Fingerboard and neck and A red Red Freshman electric Acoustic .
Where's his black Fender Jazzmaster he had in the Yardbirds? I know of this because Keith Relf talks about Eric needing to tune it as he acquired it just that day while they were on stage at the Marquee club on the evening of August 7th, 1964. Keith says it's the only black Jazzmaster in the world and also mentions a speaker fell on Chris' Gibson and broke it in two earlier in the week! Maybe Eric didn't "bond" with it and returned it. He sure ripped on it though, if you hear the recording. It's on a CD called Live Blueswailing '64 as well as other releases. I've seen two photos of him playing this guitar.
I 100% agree on the ES-335, way more likely he had it since 1964. Two major reasons, firstly because that is what he has said himself, secondly because there is a photo to prove it. Other facts also point to the Jerry story being false or a misrepresentation. Major one being once CREAM started touring the states, he started buying up guitars left and right. If he did in fact buy a red es-335 from Jerry Donahue (which may well be true), it is most definitely a different one. Probably as a back up, or even to give away to a friend back home. American guitars were still relatively rare in the UK at the time and fetched a premium. What is known is that Eric bought a ton of guitars in that period of CREAM. The Bluesbreakers period is where it starts to get fishy, doesn't really seem like anything can be said for sure as a matter of fact. I haven't watched the rest of your series yet but I would argue that the Les Paul story is... not entirely accurate. It is definitely the most often told story, I will agree with that, but if you really want to be historical that story sounds like an oversimplified myth. Once you do a bit of research into his guitars of the period you will find out there was no 'one single' Les Paul, in fact he actually had a couple. That's all that is known for sure. His recollection (in his Autobiography) is that he bought them all before going to Greece, taking them all and leaving one behind. If that's the case, one would presume the 'beano burst' was the one he left behind and that one was the one that was stolen. There are also stories that the beano burst was just his favorite of the many he had at the time, it is possible he got rid of the rest of them. When it was stolen there is a story of him going out and buying another Les Paul to replace it (alledgely from andy summers of the police named 'summers burst'). So if he still had all these other Les Pauls why would he have to replace it? So as you can see that is why things are rather hazy, there are multiple different conflicting stories. The only thing that can be determined as a fact is that there were multiple different les pauls, and that being the case, how sure can you really be that he was always playing the same one. Really most people base it off pick up plastics color, if it has white in the front its the beano burst. It's just not necessarily true, it most likely is, but also may not be. There's a couple pictures of him playing one with a bigsby+pick-up covers still on, a much darker burst with black plastics on the front pickups almost looks like a tobacco burst. In fact even in the Beano studio pics that are available online, if you look heard enough you'll notice he's playing the for mentioned Les Paul in some of the pics, whereas in most of the pics he's using the 'beano burst'. In one of the shots where he is playing the darker burst, sitting beside a marshall in the corner of the room, you can see another guitar in the foreground but out of focus. Looks like Gibson tuner buttons though. I wouldn't doubt if he brought two for the session. You also missed the Jazzmaster during the Yardbirds days, but I don't really count that either since it was borrowed as well and I think there is only a single shot of him playing it. The most comprehensive list I have found on his guitars is: www.groundguitar.com/eric-clapton-gear/
Ofcourse steppin out is the track that ascociates the essential beano sound along with the marshall/ paul combination. Its the stuff of legends , cool vid.
@@TheGuitarShow that track rocks ! whenever i hear reference to the beano tone...thats imediately what i hear....yw bro great job . Alot of cool pics ive never seen...thanks
Great video. I like just about every solo I've ever heard him do, but if he were ever to ask me which guitar he should play all the time...I'd tentatively suggest an SG, LP or 335 [and to sell all the Strats]. Ouch.
people seem to be stuck with the notion that a 59 has a baseball bat neck and a 60 a slim one, period. that's simply not how it is. there's 59s with hella chunky necks and 59s with really slim necks. Gibson fluctuated heavily within a batch of guitars, not to mention different years of production. and that has tradition with Gibson, it has been like that since the first run of 52 Goldtops.
It's not a big stretch to accept that there was more than one red Gibson ES-335. I don't doubt that Eric bought a 335 from Jerry, but I think he might have moved the one from the Yardbirds era on before he even joined Cream.
My first guitar was borrowed. Archtop f-hole Harmony. The Harmony Company (Chicago) made Silvertones for Sears, Stellas, Kays and Harmony guitars. Eric and I started playing on a guitar from the same factory in Illinois. True story. I also met Ringo in 1990. I am not passionate about meeting the Mac.
I have read (un YT) Bonamassa spent a long time tracking It down, and finally he found It (I Dunno if It IS TRUE or not...but ThE guy seemed to HAVE It CLEAR...)
@@TheGuitarShow ThE whereabouts of this legendary guitar IS like some kind of MYTH....if THIS is ThE guitar which played HIDEWAY....then the most ever heard by other players un ThE 60,s...I believe that finding It is more important than finding sings of life in another planets
I saw 2 different very old cherry red Gibson es-335 s at an Eric Clapton guitars exhibit at Guitar Center in San Diego in 2006 or 07. I assumed that Clapton was not really going without a 335 and that guitar exhibit moved around the Guitar Center chain. It seems to suggest that Clapton must bought a few of them during the course of hi career.
@@TheGuitarShow That is what i also heard over the years, but now there are disputes about that and some now believe that wheels of Fire (including the live version of Crossroads) was actually his psyco Gibson SG. Does anyone have a pic of Clapton playing a 335 in Cream before the farewell concert?
The info on the Kay Jazz II is moonshine. I have seen the Bell's catalogue listing of the Kay JAZZ II guitar and it was not cheap- Eric may write in his book that it cost £10 but in reality it cost about £112 - more through hire purchase and it was not a cheap guitar. The price in the USA in 1962 which can be seen as the catalogue is out on the internet was $275. Back then, that was £96- add on the purchase tax and shipping to the UK and you can see that £112 was reasonable. After all, does anybody seriously think that a guitar with two Gibson made P35 pick ups and a Bigsby cost £10? If it did, the Gibson 335 would have cost £12. By comparison, a German Hofner Club 40 would set you back 28 guineas which for those unfamiliar with the term was £29 8 shillings- three times the £10 quoted for that American Kay with all those goodies bolted on to it. Here is an ad from a London shop- February 1963 that mentions 112 guineas for the most expensive Kay- the photo is of the Jazz II. 112 guineas- posh items were sold in guineas was £117- 12 shillings. garydeaconguitar.blogspot.com/2013/03/vintage-1963-advertisement-for-kay.html
You know - its funny when I watched it back I thought - theres no way that guitar was £10 - probably more like £50 or £75 - I mean it had a real bigsby on it! So yeah, I agree with you!
Gibson used to give its guitars the model number as that was the cost! So, the 335 was $335! In fact, Wiki shows the price as $267.50 in 1958 and I think the $335 included a plush case. If the Kay Jazz II was $275 in 1962- I'm not sure if that included a case, it was an expensive electric guitar although their top model was $425 in 1960- the Kay 8200S. One of my friends who had a successful career as a guitarist bought his Gibson Les Paul Junior at Selmer for 68 guineas in 1959 after the import ban was lifted. He wishes he still had it- he just has the scratch plate! In fact, he wishes he had most of the guitars he once owned although he does not wax lyrical about the Hofner he bought at Bell's which was replaced by the Junior! In fact when he auditioned for Johnny Hallyday, Eric was there- and John McLaughlin ( who sold him his first Tele at Selmer where he worked at the time) and Alvin Lee but my friend got the gig because Don Peake had taught him James Burton licks in Germany when my friend's band supported the Everly Brothers! Back in the 80s he did a charity concert with Eric and asked him if he remembered that audition- and he did.
What ..no love? Clapton once likened himself to Jeff Beck? He stated that If they were a coin, He would be the Other side of Jeff. Cripes, even Ritchie Blackmore could guzzle Clapton. In fact Jack Bruce and Ginger made Clapton possible. Bruce was an icon. Anyway...
There's more to greatness than technique. The truth is, Clapton moved more people than Beck did. I love Beck more than ever, but there's no doubt that Clapton's impact on other musicians - and guitarists in particular - far exceeds Beck's.
@@themikeaustin indeed he did. What I think is important is how a musician influences me. I'm really not a numbers person. Personally; Buckethead has them all licked in technique. But I'm not a big fan. I like Gary Moore (although he's gone) I like George Harrison? Roy Bucannon etc. It's really all about personal taste. It's an art form which has little to do with Cheques and Balances.
I swear Eric Clapton shapeshifts into a different person every 5 years
Yeah he always looks different he looks like a different person!
if you think thats impressive, you should see john lennon!
Seriosuly i can't even recognize in old photos
It took me years to recognize his face...
HAHAHAHAHA! And I thought it was just ME! This is brilliant! You made my day. Tnx. ss
Here's a true story of meeting Eric, and Ginger. I was pumping gas at a Standard oil station in Wilmette, Illinois when a Rolls Royce pulled in for gas. As I was cleaning the windshield, I tapped on the rear passenger window, and when it rolled down, I asked the man inside if he wanted me to check the oil. He scowled at me and said"I don't give a fuck what you do, mate." Then a tall red haired man came up to me, and I said "what's wrong with your friend"? He replied, "oh that's just Eric.. don't let him bother you". So I asked if they were in a band, and he replied "yeah.. we were playing in Chicago". I asked him what the name of the band was, and he answered, "we used to be called Cream, but now we're playing as Blind Faith". I realized he was Ginger Baker, the man in the car was Eric Clapton, and another man who had gone to the bathroom was Steve Winwood! That was my moment of history... true story!
Amazing story.. Thank you
I would have thought Ginger Baker would've said "I don't give a fuck". And where was Ric Grech, the bass player?
Funny how Eric was rude and ginger was nice!
That’s a fucking awesome story ! The smile on face is ear hear to ear. Thanks for sharing.
Holy shit that’s an amazing story! One to tell the grandkids lol From the way it started I for sure thought that the guy verbally accosted you would’ve been Ginger, he does have a history of sparring both physically and verbally Thanks again for the story!
I saw Eric with Blind Faith in St Louis on August 3, 1969. He used the red 335 the whole show. That guitar has a very special sound.
The real hero in this guitar story is Clapton's grandma.
That's exactly right..
I saw Clapton play a 335 in Creams last gig in NYC at Madison Square Garden. This would predate the purchase of the Guitar used at the last show at Albert Hall, he must of had two of them.
Joe Bonammasa says he knows where Eric Clapton’s lost Les Paul is and that it’s been refinished, but he won’t disclose who has it. He said it in one of his videos.
Thanks for this, I heard this as well however I've also heard from some dealer friends here in the UK that the guitar still is in the UK
"Eric's mother--uh, grandmother....." Common mistake, that one.
yes sorry!
My thought as soon as he said it. I didn't think he'd get it wrong but then his thought's on where Eric's Les Paul were somewhere on earth or destroyed.
I saw the ex-Paul Kossoff/EC '55 LP Custom in the wood today.
No guitar stores in Denmark Street in 1964. Eric bought his 335 and possibly his Beano Les Paul from Selmers guitar store in Charing Cross Road
You are missing the white SG custom and the flying V with the diamond inlays.
I willl check that guitar out thanks!
In the late Sixties, before Cream broke big in America, they played to a small audience at The Action House, a club on Long Island. I was already stealing licks from their first album and was excited to see them. As I said, the audience was quite small (that would change quickly enough later in the tour) and I imagined that they must have been somewhat disappointed. One of the songs they played was "Sweet Wine". In the middle section Clapton hits a big 1 chord (I think C in this case) while Bruce sings: "Sweet wine, hay making, sunshine day breaking. We can wait till tomorrow." Then he's supposed to hit a big 5 chord (G) w
hen Bruce sings: "Car speed, road calling, bird freed, leaf falling.
" then back to 1 (C) for "We can bide time." Only he was so distracted by the lackluster crowd (I wasn't lackluster) that instead of hitting the 5 chord, he hit the C chord again. He looked at Bruce and shrugged with an expression on his face which basically said: "Fuck it. There's no one here anyway."
I look forward to part 2 and 3 (which don't seem to be available yet). When you get to the part where he buys the Strats in Nashville (where I live) I might have some helpful tidbits of information. Good job.
Hi Carson - I missed out the strat buying part - as I wanted to focus more on that in part 3 - but any info please let me know - thanks bro
I don't know what your timing is for part 3 of your series, but with a little time, if you like, I could go over and talk to George and try to get the definitive story. I can't find anything on line where someone specifically asks him about Sho-Bud.
@@TheGuitarShow
Very cool story, I saw him much later around the time of the Shangrila album,
Charlie Daniel's Band opened.
A great show-
The highlight for me was mid set he did BADGE the middle guitar part was sound exaggerated plus, with the lightshow.
A Five and Dime store called Neisners was where I purchased the Cream Veggie Album Greatest Hits w/ my own money I was a kid.
Loved the back picture of them-
That red 335 he used at the Cream concert looks like the one he used in the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus where he played with Lennon, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell. Oh, lets not forget Yoko! Ever see it?
I did and I think you are right - we will include that in a later part! thankssss
Puts me in mind of a photograph in the sleeve from The Cream of Clapton. It’s a photograph of Clapton playing that 335, in which he’s got longer hair than me and his classic beard, and there is a fender bass neck in the foreground almost obscuring him. Is that from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus era?
Excellent video! The topic of the 335 (or 335s) is a hot one, for sure. It’s worth noting that the first pic (4:34) you show of that guitar could not be the one that was sold at auction, because the pic is dated to 20th January 1964, at which time, of course, the guitar would not have been made. I have seen your second pic (5:10) before, but do not have a date for it. The 335 that sold at Christies, serial no. 67473, is in the Gibson ledger dated May 20th, 1964 (four months after the first pic). So the first guitar is either another one of Chris Dreja’s (he had, of course, a dot-neck 335) or a borrowed guitar.
There is no reason whatsoever to suspect that anyone involved in any of this is bending the truth and I am in no way suggesting that, but people do often remember details erroneously. I know that I myself do, and I cannot remember either the purchase or sale details of guitars I had in the 1970s and ‘80s.
I, for one, totally believe Jerry Donohue’s account as fact. Surely, if one were a young guitarist working in a London store and one sold a guitar to the God of the electric blues guitar just before his biggest concert of the year, the occasion would be forever imprinted on the memory?
If that is to be accepted, then there are two possibilities: (1) Eric bought a 335 sometime after May 1964 but did not use it from leaving the Yardbirds in March 1965 to Cream’s Farewell evening concert in November 1968, and when on several occasions during that period he found himself without a guitar he chose instead to borrow one, such as Keith Richards’ Les Paul and a Les Paul Special both in the summer of ’66 when the Beano LP was stolen, including the sessions for Fresh Cream, until he bought the 1960 Standard from Andy Summers. And then he bought the 335 from Jerry just before the Albert Hall in November 1968, and used one of the other of the two. Or, (2) That, like me, Eric has confused purchase dates of guitars from over fifty years ago, and did not actually own a 335 until the Jerry Donohue purchase. I am not favouring one over the other.
There are a few recently found pics of an ES guitar with Cream, two showing its being handed to or taken from a roadie (was this Eric’s or a borrowed guitar?) and one which, however, is a 355, which was probably used for the opening number, White Room, at the Forum in October, 1968.
One thing I do feel strongly about is that the Crown of the ‘Cream Guitar’ belongs to the Fool SG and certainly not the 335 (beautiful, fabulous-sounding instrument though it is).
Looking forward to the next part. Great job!
Wow amazing thanks for this I'll mention this in part two
@@TheGuitarShow Really glad to have discovered your channel! First-class content.
many thanks indeed pleasure to make your acquaintance bro @@mybluesguitar
The Guitar Show it was Andy Summers who alerted Eric that the shop that sold him his LP had another, which Eric then purchased ( Beano ).
When Beano was stolen Eric asked Andy if he would sell him his LP which he did & Andy took it to where Cream were rehearsing. 👍
Plus the burst Tele with the Strat neck at Hyde Park with Blind Faith. Hah!
I think he owned that one himself, unlike the red Tele he played during the Yardbirds.
@@Shred_The_Weapon From what I know that blind fate tele technically doesn't exist anymore. He disassembled the guitar and use the neck as a replacement neck for the Brownie stratocaster, not sure what happened to the rest of the guitar.
Oh man!
Great pictures of Eric, some I’ve never seen before and great intel of the best guitarist ever….😊🇬🇧
The only other guitar player to impact me on the same level as Eric Clapton was Chicago guitar player Terry Kath. To the best of my knowledge, Terry also had a Kay electric guitar. It could easily have been the same model that Clapton is seen holding in those early pictures.
Another cool player to check out - thanks for comment! Best R.
There's a story that Andy Summers (later with the Police) had bought 1 of 2 Les Pauls from a shop in London for 75 pounds (LPs were not a popular guitar at that time) Shortly after, Clapton had a play on Andy's guitar and promptly offered him 100 pounds for it. Seeing a chane to make a few quid Andy sold the guitar to Eric and next morning went back to the shop to buy the other Les Paul they had, only to discover Eric had been in 30minutes earlier and bought that one aswell.
Yes I included it in part 2 but thanks- seems like you know a lot about this subject thanks for watching bro
@@TheGuitarShow The "story" is from a book written by Summers!
Please do the one on BB king especially the early years and Mike Bloomfield.
J Bonamassa has said publicly that the Beano Burst is in a private collection in the East of US. I believe he said he’s seen but not played. He’s credible
So THAT'S where Hoffa is!!!!!! Having owned the like of Amos, the Cajun and even the actual Hawaiian laptop from the opening of Warner Bros cartoons, I think JB is pretty goddam credible. Check out his Welcome to Nerdsville vid on y'alltube.....
I've heard through a few sources that it is in fact still in England
The Holy Grail of all Les Pauls..even after 50 years, could EC still identify it if it did turn up? Given the confusion over the 335 year of purchase, maybe not so easy.
Firewood my guess
After all it was a cold winter
Supposedly the same collector that had Ed King's 59 burst has Clapton's burst...that collector is on the East Coast of the USA...the collector did a spread in the book "beauty of the burst" and that's how Ed King found his stolen burst...
When i bought the Beano record on cd i looked at all of the pictures of Clapton at the time and that Les Paul and i was just mesmerized. That was it......modern rock and blues guitar started right there. I know all of the artists in Chicago and other electric blues players like B.B. King influenced everybody. Chuck Berry, too. But a white English lad plugging in the Les Paul and putting a Marshall amp on 10 had not been done before to my knowledge. History was made with that sound and we still love it today. If that was all Clapton contributed that would have been significant enough but of course he has amazed us with his music and guitar playing for 50 years. Great video! You did your homework!
A +
Chris Dreja's 335 had a dot neck, must have been a different one than Eric's.
From memory, Clapton’s autobiography explains that his first red 335 was left behind in a Greece after fleeing. This was after his first stint with Mayall.
It seems Bernard has established a clear link to his 59 Les Paul to Beckett a band from Oop north. I think he paid £250 + a couple of guitars in 1974.
@The Guitar Show - impeccable research I CAN'T WAIT (oops) for the Fool. Or jimi's Les Paul Special. Blues and Gibz oh what a match. Carry on, guv. Maybe a bird (female) stole the LP, one never knows. I met George Harrison in 77 long story.
That could be true about the bird! Nice about Harrison - Im a huge fan of his music! I'm glad you mentioned the Les Paul Special!!!! Thanks bro
Eric Capton Is a Awesome Guitarist.
Agreed
"His brother actually sat on the guitar?" Wasn't Eric an only child??
Yup. Wrong.
He actually did have brothers. since his birth mother was raised as his sister, and he was raised by his grandmother (which he thought was his mother) his birth mother ended up having kids in another marriage and they where his stepbrothers.
That “ 335” looked like a Gretchen copy, not a Gibson
This is a great series, tho i have to borrow JH's 'bore you for 6 or 7 minutes' ;).
I was born in '57 so a kid when this was starting.
Actually knew of JB by name first via the single Heart Full Of Soul's 'b' side Steeled Blues. The BluesBreaker's 'Beano' and A Hard Road was stuff 'the big kids' listened to.
Took Cream's "Sunshine..." to hook me.
In '72 i bought a copy of John Mayall's Looking Back which has that great track "Stormy Monday". Flamingo Club, i think. Track still wipes me out. Finally bought the Beano disc in the late '90s. i know,,,,,
50th BD present was tix to see EC, '07, HPP Pavillion, last on the tour with Derek Trucks. Great show!!
a little BTW, I read that EC said that '64 ES335 was the first good guitar he ever bought. Sorry, Jerry.
Fantastic thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!
@@TheGuitarShow Thank You for what you're presenting here. I promise less content here out :)
Its great to hear from please keep in touch!@@vmat1000
Interesting vid. It was my understanding that Eric played a Jazzmaster before picking up the 335.
Interesting but I've never liked Clapton's arrogance. Also very fortunate, right place right time.
I don't dislike his playing but there are many others better. He copped everything off the Kings (name any of them) .....
He can be honest at times but I find his disingenuous attitude regarding credits for Layla hard to cope with.
Ditto for credits for 461 Ocean Boulevard. There are unsung heroes ..... George Terry for one.
He was out of ideas often. He relied on others yet won't recognise their contributions.
Mean spirited in my view. Beck far more of a "genius", before everything EC does and more.
I wouldn't pay to see him again. If it wasn't for Phil Collins he wouldn't have had a career comeback.
Thanks for the comment Marvin!
Thank you !! 🎸🎸
pleasure
The Guitar Show ❤️
You could try contacting Lee Dickson for some info, Erics tech for over 30 years. Peace🇬🇧
Good point
Eric's Kay Jazz 2 was passed through to Roger Pearce, The Grebbels , support band to The Yardbirds in 1964. Roger played it with The Yardbirds while "depping" for Eric during his family reunion in Germany, over Xmas 1963.
Eventually, it got sold on & into oblivion! Photos exist of Roger playing the then revamped Black Kay.
Thanks for this info
I remember reading about Creams gig in 1966 at The Twisted Wheel in Manchester where Eric was playing a Fender Strat.
“Beano Burst” wow that’s amazing I love thick necks Gibson’s .... great info video thank you for your passion and enthusiasm doing it .
Yes best LP tone ever, I’ve always thought that Robben Ford pays homage to it in part on Talk To Your Daughter (with expanded harmony). I can never get my head around how Clapton achieved what he did there, not just inventing rock/blues, but the whole virtuosity/shred thing too, paving the way for every one who came after but doing it in such a complete, definitive, sophisticated way. My favourite players are Jimi/Django/Holdsworth/Wes but what Clapton does on Steppin Out and Have You Heard has never been bettered in Blues Rock. Only Eric Johnson perhaps has come close to that quality.
I dunno, Clapton at this time sounds a lot like Freddie King. Not many can really burn up that style ( especially then) but I hear so much Freddie in Eric's playing
Bernie thinks the Les Paul that he has(The Beast)did belong to Eric but it isn't the Beano Burst. It was one he bought from Top Gear In 1966 and which he occasionally used with Cream(when he wasn't using the 335 or the SG).BTW I saw Eric with The Yardbirds in 63 playing a Tele but if I remember correctly it was a blonde one, definitely not red.
Thanks for this - yes there was a blonde yardbirds Tele which Jimmy Page/Jeff Beck used
Its a bit of an open secret in burst collecting circles where it is and who owns Beano
the mysterious East coast collector is very secretive about what he currently has and does keep his collection locked away and people don't get to see it after he was caught previously owning a stolen Les Paul burst ( the Ed King 59 burst)after a photo of some his collection was leaked online and it was identified .
As for the yardbirds 335 I do know Chris Dreja owned 2 separate 335s while in the yardbirds a block marker which was broken when a speaker cab toppled onto it and then his replacement which was a dot neck around December 64
and I do tend to believe Jerry Donahue that he sold Eric the 335 2 weeks before the albert hall farewell gig .
Thanks for this - I've heard through some sources that its still in England and a few people know its whereabouts
the east coast collector - isnt that Time magazine owner? Or someone who owns a publishing empire.
@@TheGuitarShow
Close
he is a hedge fund manager and his grandfather and father were publishing magnates
Who sold their magazine publishing house for 1.4 billion
The grandson in question is worth an estimated 4+ billion
And has owned over a 100 original les Paul bursts
Who knows how many he currently has
After he had to give Ed King his guitar back after it was stolen and then showed up in a photograph taken at his home ;)
Google is definitely your friend here just look up the Ed King stolen burst incident and that will lead you to said collector.
;)
Right - from my sources who are 'in the know' here in London - I 've heard that they know the person who stole it in the 1960s and he still has it -. That's what they say here in London.
@@garywordsworth9302
@@TheGuitarShow
I've heard the story
was stolen and painted black and was still owned by the original thief in London somewhere.
There was a famous les paul that was stolen painted black to hide its identity and was owned by a music shop proprietor in London up until quite recently but that wasn't the beano.
Whether this is true as I can't confirm it but was told by someone who might well be in a position to know that the beano was passed onto its current owner by dodgy Phil Harris, who was livid once he brokered the deal as he didn't recognise it was beano when it passed through his hands and only found out after the deal was done.
Phil wasn't the owner he just acted as middle man between the seller in London to the buyer
The wealthy American East Coast collector.
I can't prove that as fact but I can well believe it and it came from a reliable person who saw Phil with the guitar and clocked that it was Claptons but said nothing.
Really good posts.Dude knows guitars.Great combination of knowledge and doesn’t make you feel like you’re browsing through a guitar encyclopedia at the library.
Awwww thanks so much
Could you impress me with Duane Allmans guitars ? That would be greatly appreciated .
Coming very soon I promise its actually a big he played a lot!
The Beano Les Paul is still around!!!! Joe Bonamassa has spoken about it somewhere online & it lives in California with a collector. Joe didn't divulge the persons name or address for obvious reasons. Be nice to see it back with slow hand.
You did pete aswell, dont tell me you are also one of the people that ignore the existance of mick taylor
best sounding les paul is jimmy page's #1 :-P but claptons burst was nice, too
Agreed!
Kay actually thought that they could make archtops as good as Gibson or Epiphone (i.e. the Barney Kessel).
They didn't care about anything else, just the archtops.
Comprehensive. Ive been up all night watching. I want to thank you for what you're doing. This is history in motion. Subscribed.
Thanks
The Beano LP was a1960 and came with factory Grovers
Having played the '59 Spinal Tap Burst at dozens of gigs and owned a '60 Standard as well, I would venture it was a '59; yet in speaking w some Gibson factory dudes from that era the late '59s had more of a slimmer '60s neck so coulda been '59 or '60, big deal. My '60 Standard was too thin for my hands. A crime I must always live with, as I sold it and replaced with a fat neck '54 GT.. If you visited the Gibson factory in those days you'd've been horrified; great craftsman but the place was like Joe's garage.
regarding the beanoburst, there is a story about it as follows:
Around 1965-66 Clapton with a couple of other musicians (Bernie Greenwood-sax & Jake Milton-drums) left England for a small on the road musical adventure in some European countries including Italy, Germany and Greece (my homeland).During his short passage from Athens he joined a local Greek group of that era "The juniors" (not to be confused with the American doo-wop group "Danny and the Juniors") and played some shows at the "Igloo club" a small underground joint in Athens downtown.When he decided to leave he left the guitar behind (possibly to the band drummer Makis Saliaris) in order to sell it at a good price (there were no Gibson dealers in Greece at the time) and have the money sent to him.Noone knows what happened after that or if that story is 100% accurate.You can find the relevant article for that story here: www.rockmachine.gr/2015/10/eric-clapton-1965.html (unfortunately is in Greek) but the highlight is a b&w picture of the "Juniors" performing live with Clapton holding his famous axe.
Thanks id heard about his time in Greece but felt it was off topic but I'll check this out and see if I can include it in part two...thanks bro
@@TheGuitarShow I have another picture of the "Juniors" including EC & the guitar which is bigger and clearer than the one in the link, if you want it send me your email address and i will pass it to you
Interesting story. The versions I have come across suggest EC managed to leave Greece with the guitar, but had to leave his amp behind...as you say, who knows!
@@michaelpaschalis3683 many many thanks it's valcoguitars@gmail.com
I dont know if anyone said this already, but I'm almost sure I read somewhere that Joe Bonamassa said in an interview that he has seen the Beano Burst and that a collector in the US owns it now.
8:23
I thing my personal favorite Gibson Les Paul tone that I've ever heard came from Mick Taylor during his Rolling Stones stint '68 - '73 ?? Anyone ?
Basically from "Let it Bleed" to "Exile on Main Street".
"Cant You Hear me Knocking" "Midnight Rambler" and most of all the entire "Get Your Ya Ya's Out" LIVE album. The entire band is so in sync with each other. It's truly a beautiful thing to experience.
JB said the beano was in a private collection in NY...
As for the 335, why don't you ask Eric...
Shouldn't he know... I mean...
love this mate, shame theres no claptons in the charts these days.. all my mates listen to shitey hip hop lol. keep these coming love them
I know - these are sad times Sam! Thanks for watching
The Guitar Show One day, when Im in my band, I will change the charts and bring back rock n roll I promise you mate ahaha
please do Im gonna be your biggest fan! @@samturner8177
@@TheGuitarShow Guitar manufacturers have got to get together and promote the guitar and bring back music that features the guitar. There are a lot of guitars in jazz these days though most people don't listen to jazz.
These videos are excellent. Thank you.
Being a tone chaser myself this is so interesting and I appreciate all the research you have done to put this together. You show clearly Clapton's progression to using the Les Paul with the Bluesbrakers, and that tone for which he became most famous initially. I am hooked on to this channel and this video series to see the rest of Clapton's journey to become a Strat player exclusively.
Pleasure bro more to come!
These series IS fantastic!!! Keep It up
In order for the beano to resurface, someone would have to admit to theft in order to establish proper provenance. Otherwise it would just be another burst. Rare just on it's own, but without the Clapton provenance. In a way, it's better not to know where it is, and hope some one is playing it daily and not in some private underground collection behind glass.
That's true - I may have some more information in part 2
Although strictly speaking there is no statute of limitations covering theft here in the UK, in reality the Crown Prosecution Service would almost certainly deem it 'not in the public interest' to prosecute the theft of a guitar half a century ago, especially as the current owner's crime would probably be 'handling stolen property' - I suspect the actual thief sold it on PDQ. So the current owner's real fear would be potentially losing ownership of a very valuable item.
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 yeah, losing ownership of a very valuable instrument they would reunite with Clapton. What's PDQ?
@@russianbot2397 Pretty Damn Quick!
@@marmadukewinterbotham2599 good one!
I've read that EC also played a Jazzmaster and/or Jaguar during his time with The Yardbirds. I saw the group, on TV, playing at the Richmond Jazz and Blues Festival. I think this was summer 1964. As far as I could tell, EC and Chris Dreja were both playing "offsets" at that gig. I could, of course, be totally wrong about this - it was a long time ago. I do remember they both had the Ivy League haircuts that EC had picked up at a USAF base - he was quite a style setter in those days! Just a suggestion, have you tried approaching Chris Dreja for further information/corroboration? Thanks for the video.
Yes I read that also but I made the call to document guitars he actually owned rather that ones he borrowed for one gig or TV appearance such as the gretch in the Yardbirds - thanks for watching!
Id love to interview Chris - I know the original guitarist of the yardbirds but I dont like to bother these guys as they are elderely now - thanks!
Very cool I learned why they called Eric slow hand.
where is the left hand stratocaster he bought for jimi hendrix ?. anyways nice video....
Thats interesting - let me know more! thanks! Did he buy it on the Cream US tours?
@@TheGuitarShow eric claption has mentioned about it in interviews about him and jimi hendrix's death.
@@TheGuitarShow i think he bought It just before Jimi died
Eric gave it to Jimi's Dad.
it has been pointed out to me that the cream bobbin PAF was missing three height adjustment screws if you look closely@8.38min
this seems to correct !!
History of Jeff Beck's guitars would be awesome!
The Beano Burst sits in my corner, covered in spiderwebs cuz that guitar weighs more than I do.
Cool thanks!
Thank you for the great work!
Subscribed!
Thanks
where do you get 10 ponds for a kay guitar it cost 117 pounds 12 shillings he sold it before he paid for it said grandma clap regarding the 335 at that time due to uk taxes it cost over 250 pounds half the cost of a new mini
Right, I have an old catalog that lists a tele for 171 pounds in 1965 so the 335 would easily be 250
Would be good to do a Neil Young guitars...
that Trump hating freak?
Michael Steven he’s a freak and I’m a Trump fan but also a fan of Neil Young’s music. Would be interesting video
@@Hillcapper1 I love his music too but his politics with Trump are dividing his fans..He's a Canadian as you know and why he would do this to his Trump fans is beyond me..Really disappointed with him doing this.
Michael Steven yes I know, I try to leave politics out of music as much as possible but it’s tough sometimes. Funny just because someone has musical talent and somewhat of a pulpit they act like their opinion really counts. Especially a guy from Canada with a complete joke for a PM! Still like his music though.
Thanks - Ill do a version soon!
Thanks for this mate. I used to wonder about that yard birds telecaster. I wondered if it was the one jimmy page played early in led zeppelin
No it wasnt Clapton brought the tele into the Bluesbreakers before he got his burst
@@TheGuitarShow what about the brown tele that page played at the arms gigs ,is that the same one George played on the rooftop
You are spot on about the tone on the Beano album, and Steppin' Out in particular. Still gives me goosebumps when I hear it.
EC.s Cream ES335 had plastic bridge saddles. These were not available before 1964. Other differences between the yardbirds and the cream guitar would have to be the nut width which was reduced to 1 9/16" in 1966 - 1967 from the original 1 3/4" ( or was it 1 11/16"). Check me on that .. But the width did change at about that time. There could be other reasons, however, for the plastic saddles ... Like he changed out the bridge at some time. The metal saddle bridges notoriously wore down and started to buzz after a long time of playing. Oddly, the plastic ones worked better because they never start to buzz as they wear. That's why Gibson started using them. My 1964 Epiphone Riviera had plastic bridge saddles which I changed out for chrome plated steel. The guitar sounded more gangly with the metal saddles. But it buzzes if you listen too close.
The stop tailpiece is another anomaly. In 1968 a new ES335 would have had a trapeze tailpiece.
E
Eric Clapton is a Awsome Guitarist can you do Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham from Thin Lizzy plasse. I own a Tobaccoburst Epiphone Les Paul and I own a Dark green Mexican made Fender Stratocaster with a Maple Fingerboardand .and Neck .I Also own Red Vintage SG Copy a Sonic Bule Cord Stratocaster Copy with a Maple Fingerboard and neck . Also a Lag Stratocaster Copy with Rosewood Fingerboard and neck and A red Red Freshman electric Acoustic .
Where's his black Fender Jazzmaster he had in the Yardbirds? I know of this because Keith Relf talks about Eric needing to tune it as he acquired it just that day while they were on stage at the Marquee club on the evening of August 7th, 1964. Keith says it's the only black Jazzmaster in the world and also mentions a speaker fell on Chris' Gibson and broke it in two earlier in the week! Maybe Eric didn't "bond" with it and returned it. He sure ripped on it though, if you hear the recording. It's on a CD called Live Blueswailing '64 as well as other releases. I've seen two photos of him playing this guitar.
Most gifted master blues guitarist of our time..nuff said
I 100% agree on the ES-335, way more likely he had it since 1964. Two major reasons, firstly because that is what he has said himself, secondly because there is a photo to prove it. Other facts also point to the Jerry story being false or a misrepresentation. Major one being once CREAM started touring the states, he started buying up guitars left and right. If he did in fact buy a red es-335 from Jerry Donahue (which may well be true), it is most definitely a different one. Probably as a back up, or even to give away to a friend back home. American guitars were still relatively rare in the UK at the time and fetched a premium. What is known is that Eric bought a ton of guitars in that period of CREAM. The Bluesbreakers period is where it starts to get fishy, doesn't really seem like anything can be said for sure as a matter of fact. I haven't watched the rest of your series yet but I would argue that the Les Paul story is... not entirely accurate. It is definitely the most often told story, I will agree with that, but if you really want to be historical that story sounds like an oversimplified myth. Once you do a bit of research into his guitars of the period you will find out there was no 'one single' Les Paul, in fact he actually had a couple. That's all that is known for sure. His recollection (in his Autobiography) is that he bought them all before going to Greece, taking them all and leaving one behind. If that's the case, one would presume the 'beano burst' was the one he left behind and that one was the one that was stolen. There are also stories that the beano burst was just his favorite of the many he had at the time, it is possible he got rid of the rest of them. When it was stolen there is a story of him going out and buying another Les Paul to replace it (alledgely from andy summers of the police named 'summers burst'). So if he still had all these other Les Pauls why would he have to replace it? So as you can see that is why things are rather hazy, there are multiple different conflicting stories. The only thing that can be determined as a fact is that there were multiple different les pauls, and that being the case, how sure can you really be that he was always playing the same one. Really most people base it off pick up plastics color, if it has white in the front its the beano burst. It's just not necessarily true, it most likely is, but also may not be. There's a couple pictures of him playing one with a bigsby+pick-up covers still on, a much darker burst with black plastics on the front pickups almost looks like a tobacco burst. In fact even in the Beano studio pics that are available online, if you look heard enough you'll notice he's playing the for mentioned Les Paul in some of the pics, whereas in most of the pics he's using the 'beano burst'. In one of the shots where he is playing the darker burst, sitting beside a marshall in the corner of the room, you can see another guitar in the foreground but out of focus. Looks like Gibson tuner buttons though. I wouldn't doubt if he brought two for the session. You also missed the Jazzmaster during the Yardbirds days, but I don't really count that either since it was borrowed as well and I think there is only a single shot of him playing it.
The most comprehensive list I have found on his guitars is: www.groundguitar.com/eric-clapton-gear/
The man knew how to choose a geetar that's for sure!
Absolutely
Ofcourse steppin out is the track that ascociates the essential beano sound along with the marshall/ paul combination.
Its the stuff of legends , cool vid.
thanks and glad we are in agreement over 'Steppin' Out' - thanks bro
@@TheGuitarShow that track rocks ! whenever i hear reference to the beano tone...thats imediately what i hear....yw bro great job . Alot of cool pics ive never seen...thanks
pleasure bro! @@imannonymous7707
Great video. I like just about every solo I've ever heard him do, but if he were ever to ask me which guitar he should play all the time...I'd tentatively suggest an SG, LP or 335 [and to sell all the Strats]. Ouch.
people seem to be stuck with the notion that a 59 has a baseball bat neck and a 60 a slim one, period. that's simply not how it is. there's 59s with hella chunky necks and 59s with really slim necks. Gibson fluctuated heavily within a batch of guitars, not to mention different years of production. and that has tradition with Gibson, it has been like that since the first run of 52 Goldtops.
Very thorough and entertaining. Nice job.
pleasure bro!
It's not a big stretch to accept that there was more than one red Gibson ES-335. I don't doubt that Eric bought a 335 from Jerry, but I think he might have moved the one from the Yardbirds era on before he even joined Cream.
Awesome
Actually only used 11 times - Disappointed.
My first guitar was borrowed. Archtop f-hole Harmony. The Harmony Company (Chicago) made Silvertones for Sears, Stellas, Kays and Harmony guitars. Eric and I started playing on a guitar from the same factory in Illinois. True story. I also met Ringo in 1990. I am not passionate about meeting the Mac.
Fabulous! Ringo seems a cool guy! Thanks bro
The same company owned Gibson - had since the 1920's. Different factories - and pickups. Harmony mostly used DeArmond pups.
Gibson should release a Custom Shop Platinum Beano Burst.
Agreed
if they don't physically have it they won't
This is probably the most boring account of anything that Eric Clapton has ever done. I quickly moved on.
If I knew who stole Clapton’s Les Paul, you wouldn’t even the first person I’d tell😂😂
Lol
I have read (un YT) Bonamassa spent a long time tracking It down, and finally he found It (I Dunno if It IS TRUE or not...but ThE guy seemed to HAVE It CLEAR...)
@@pabloperez4063 I've heard it's still in London, that's from some dealer friends, the one in US is not the beano burst.
@@TheGuitarShow ThE whereabouts of this legendary guitar IS like some kind of MYTH....if THIS is ThE guitar which played HIDEWAY....then the most ever heard by other players un ThE 60,s...I believe that finding It is more important than finding sings of life in another planets
@@pabloperez4063 lol yes true well I've heard from some guys 'in the know' that it's in London still. I believe that also.
Thanks for this video........it's a beauty!!
pleasure Steve
I saw 2 different very old cherry red Gibson es-335 s at an Eric Clapton guitars exhibit at Guitar Center in San Diego in 2006 or 07. I assumed that Clapton was not really going without a 335 and that guitar exhibit moved around the Guitar Center chain. It seems to suggest that Clapton must bought a few of them during the course of hi career.
I was at the Filmore West (Winterland) when Cream recorded the live tracks for Wheels Of Fire.
Eric was playing the 335.
Thanks
I agree to the 2nd 335!
Joe Bonnamassa has confirmed he knows he owns the beano lp. It's a collector here in the states who he deals with.
I heard from ome good sources its still in London - the family of the person who stole it still have it
@@TheGuitarShow If anyone knows where Beano is, please just let Eric have first dibs and decide it's fate.
What makes anybody think claptain would love to be reunited with the Beano Les Paul ? He's got his frikkin' stratocasters now , doesn't he ⁉
Very true
Can we please get a video like this on either Ritchie Blackmore or Toni Iommi?
Coming I promise
EC IS STILL A WIZARD!!!.........✌🏼✌🏼😎😎🤘🏼🤘🏼🎸🎸...............🖋
havent even watched it yet .. Bus yes yes yess! great Series! So much fun to watch ..
Would be also interessting with drummers etc
Now thats a great idea thanks!
Eric reportedly used a 335 on the "Wheels of Fire" record and on that tour, so I don't know what that Donohue guy is talking about.
Yes I think you are right - thanks for watching bro
@@TheGuitarShow That is what i also heard over the years, but now there are disputes about that and some now believe that wheels of Fire (including the live version of Crossroads) was actually his psyco Gibson SG. Does anyone have a pic of Clapton playing a 335 in Cream before the farewell concert?
Clapton also played a Gretsch Nashville 6120-60 in the yardbirds in 1963/64. There’s pictures of him playing it live too.
Thanks I did see that but as he didnt own it I decided not to include it - I think he only used it once as far as I could see
The only person that spray painted "Clapton is God"
Was Eric Clapton.
The info on the Kay Jazz II is moonshine. I have seen the Bell's catalogue listing of the Kay JAZZ II guitar and it was not cheap- Eric may write in his book that it cost £10 but in reality it cost about £112 - more through hire purchase and it was not a cheap guitar. The price in the USA in 1962 which can be seen as the catalogue is out on the internet was $275. Back then, that was £96- add on the purchase tax and shipping to the UK and you can see that £112 was reasonable. After all, does anybody seriously think that a guitar with two Gibson made P35 pick ups and a Bigsby cost £10? If it did, the Gibson 335 would have cost £12. By comparison, a German Hofner Club 40 would set you back 28 guineas which for those unfamiliar with the term was £29 8 shillings- three times the £10 quoted for that American Kay with all those goodies bolted on to it. Here is an ad from a London shop- February 1963 that mentions 112 guineas for the most expensive Kay- the photo is of the Jazz II. 112 guineas- posh items were sold in guineas was £117- 12 shillings. garydeaconguitar.blogspot.com/2013/03/vintage-1963-advertisement-for-kay.html
You know - its funny when I watched it back I thought - theres no way that guitar was £10 - probably more like £50 or £75 - I mean it had a real bigsby on it! So yeah, I agree with you!
Gibson used to give its guitars the model number as that was the cost! So, the 335 was $335! In fact, Wiki shows the price as $267.50 in 1958 and I think the $335 included a plush case. If the Kay Jazz II was $275 in 1962- I'm not sure if that included a case, it was an expensive electric guitar although their top model was $425 in 1960- the Kay 8200S. One of my friends who had a successful career as a guitarist bought his Gibson Les Paul Junior at Selmer for 68 guineas in 1959 after the import ban was lifted. He wishes he still had it- he just has the scratch plate! In fact, he wishes he had most of the guitars he once owned although he does not wax lyrical about the Hofner he bought at Bell's which was replaced by the Junior! In fact when he auditioned for Johnny Hallyday, Eric was there- and John McLaughlin ( who sold him his first Tele at Selmer where he worked at the time) and Alvin Lee but my friend got the gig because Don Peake had taught him James Burton licks in Germany when my friend's band supported the Everly Brothers! Back in the 80s he did a charity concert with Eric and asked him if he remembered that audition- and he did.
What
..no love?
Clapton once likened himself to Jeff Beck?
He stated that If they were a coin, He would be the Other side of Jeff.
Cripes, even Ritchie Blackmore could guzzle Clapton.
In fact Jack Bruce and Ginger made Clapton possible.
Bruce was an icon.
Anyway...
Jack Bruce was an amazing musician
There's more to greatness than technique. The truth is, Clapton moved more people than Beck did. I love Beck more than ever, but there's no doubt that Clapton's impact on other musicians - and guitarists in particular - far exceeds Beck's.
@@themikeaustin indeed he did.
What I think is important is how a musician influences me.
I'm really not a numbers person.
Personally; Buckethead has them all licked in technique.
But I'm not a big fan.
I like Gary Moore (although he's gone)
I like George Harrison?
Roy Bucannon etc.
It's really all about personal taste.
It's an art form which has little to do with Cheques and Balances.
EC does not have a brother, as this guy stated how his brother sat on his acoustic guitar when EC was young.
Only just came across this channel, wow man there's some good stuff on here, (my kind of channel) great videos!
thanks Gareth!
Isnt the red tele from the yardbirds
the same one as the natural finish tele he had when he first joined the Bluesbreakers?