Why Eric Clapton Stopped playing Gibsons

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[pharmerdavid]

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

[cloudbudget]

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

[revelationsoundstudio]

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

[Jodyrides]

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

[stanstolarski]

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

[thecaveofthedead]

He does nail, in your one quote, the fact that Strats sound their best clean. It's a very unusual sound. You can mimic a lot of tones on a Strat - but not perfectly the way you can with a Telecaster. They're at their best clean, making use of their odd sound - and many of he most famous Strat players really show that - Buddy Holly, Hank Marvin, Dick Dale, Mark Knopfler.

Where the Strat just cleans up is in ergonomics. It's unbeatable in that sense for the reasons Clapton mentions and how well it hangs on a strap, sits on your leg. It's a very solid vibrato tailpiece too - even though it's 'jumpier' than a jazzmaster or bigsby tail. Now that we have the internet to tell us how to set them up you can work them like hell without losing tune.

But really, the world fell for Clapton because of the rock 'n roll power of a Gibson pickup into a Marshall. The proportion of people who took up guitar from hearing the oddball jangle of Clapton playing Strats into twins must be minute. A strat always sounds a bit rough through a pushed amp. I even prefer Hendrix on a Gibson like on Red House.

[patrickfitzgerald]

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

[fusion]

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

[davidpaz]

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

[svbarr]

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

[BROOKS]

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

[ikestoddard]

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

[Guitar]

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

[recuperacion]

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

[jeffholliday]

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

[charliegglines]

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

[jrock]

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

[Notawhitchhunt]

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

[artmanjohn]

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

[martygould]

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