Slowhand Eric Clapton's 'Fool' Gibson SG Goes Under the Hammer!

'Cream - Clapton, Bruce & Baker - Sitting On Top of The World' by Edoardo Genzolini:

Note: at no extra cost to you, I will receive a small commission if you buy through the above links. Thank you.

NEW :: Get 2 Months FREE With An Annual Patreon Subscription!
Head across to my Patreon page (link above) to check this out. Patreon have recently enabled Annual Subscriptions and this is a great introductory offer. Check it out.

If you are new to the channel, My Blues Guitar covers the guitar styles of Eric Clapton and other Greats from the British Blues Boom of the 1960s, in particular, Mick Taylor, Jimmy Page, Peter Greene and Paul Kossoff.

The channel offers in-depth studies of classic blues tunes...tips and hints for the techniques needed to master the style...gear profiles...and more besides.

Each lick and phrase is broken down and slowed down, helping you get to the heart of what is actually being played. By studying the work of the most brilliant guitarists of this period you will discover the secrets of why the British Blues Boom caused such a sensation around the world!

Whether your goal is to enjoy the thrill of sounding almost exactly like the Masters, or whether you want to take the nuts and bolts of the style and make it your own, My Blues Guitar is the channel you need, the home of the 1960s British Blues Style on YouTube.

Subscribe today! And remember to hit the 'Bell' alert icon for notifications of the latest videos.

Enjoy your guitar!

Note: this video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any images and screenshots have been included as 'fair use' to enhance or explain the points made. If I know the creator/owner I will include a note in the description for acknowledgement. If I have used one of your images without adding a credit please contact me and I will include your thank you and your details in the description or edit it out, if you prefer.

[p___w]

It's just a bit of wood. Repaired several times and with rusty/faulty wiring. I'll go up to 2 mill but that's my final offer.

[rhye]

That interview is so interesting. Back in '67 they already thought of bursts as vintage and more desirable

[calescapee]

George Harrison's SG was given to Pete Ham by George.

[raoulduke]

SGs were originally called Les Paul's, but Les himself didn't like the look (because of the two "horns" apparently). Maybe that's what Clapton meant when he said it was
"A Les Paul. A modern one"?

[dennymcfastlane]

At 0:44 The ''FooL'' headstock was broken off at a 1968 Cream performance in Detroit if I'm not mistaken. Clapton retired it and began playing the newly acquired 1964 reverse Firebird 1. Thanks for the video.

[LeeMcDaidDonegal]

1:13 A 22-year-old Eric talking like an old man as if 9 years previse (1958) was along time ago and those Gibson's were "vintage" already like fine Wine :) ah! the naivety of youth ... when you get to my age 9-years was Saturday fortnight past! :) ----

(I'm away for a cup of tea and a lay down as I feel an existential crisis coming on!)

[beanotraffini]

It's nice to hear someone verbalize what i've been dreaming about doing for many years: Restore the guitar to its "original" condition, back when Clapton played it during Cream's heyday!😊

[jeffholliday]

Definitely one of the most famous SG’s of all time my guess it’s going to go for 1.8 million. Thanks for another deep dive into the history of Clapton, another great video buddy Jeff from Tennessee. I’ve been playing Les Paul for the last four years I recently bought a 61SG re-issue. It felt like a toy compared to the Les Paul.

[msspi]

I think it has to be preserved as it is. A guitar, anything for that matter, is a reflection of all of its experiences. Taking any of them away is like forgetting whole blocks of time. Like guitar Alzheimers. Also it’s a guitar, and guitars are meant to be played, not stuck on a wall or shoved into case in a temperature controlled vault. So if it was mine I’d keep its character, make it playable (by a high end luthier) and play it from time to time. But I can barely afford what I already have so another will get this and treat it as their own.

[stevelogan]

As usual, a quietly authoritative account of your subject infused by your love of Clapton’s playing. What interests me about the famous guitars that are auctioned is the fact that their owners no longer feel the need to own them. Clapton now plays lightly customised versions of his signature Strat and seems content. Gilmore has indicated that he avoids getting ‘sentimental’ about guitars. When you’ve possessed all the famous makes and models you may decide that their best use is for exchanging into money to finance humanitarian causes like Crossroads. Of course some players are specially attached to particular guitars (Young) and some are consciously conserving (Page) or building (Bonamassa) collections. Still I think that some stellar musicians are highly conscious of the distinction between instruments and what you can do with them. Thank you for another richly suggestive video. PS I wouldn’t if I owned this guitar want to do anything to it that obscured the artwork.

[gabedom_]

I have one of Phil Xs customized ESP Vipers. Im open to a swap for The Fool.

[archstanton]

My guess is 3.3 million dollars. It’s a historic guitar and would be nice if it was restored to as when Eric had it. Would be great to see it grace the stage again. I was lucky enough to see this guitar up close in November 1998 as it was at the Hard Rock Cafe in San Francisco. Right next Jimi’s white custom SG. Knowing what we know of the guitar world, my question at the time was, where they the real instruments. I was informed that they where indeed. Either way both guitars certainly looked vintage and I took a number of photos !

[thenameless]

Well, if I had a house to sell for it, that just might be worth it.

I personally think it should be restored to how it was when Eric last played it, it looked much nicer then. Perhaps it can go to a proper museum, with other musical relics. It has certainly earned it's rest.

Fun fact: the modified through-hole, vibrola tailpiece that Eric had later in Cream's run was crafted up by none other than Dan Erlewine. Better known today as the StewMac guy.

Another little fun fact for you all, I've recently stumbled onto some photos from the Jackie Lomax session that Eric played on, and in the background, between George Harrison and Lomax, you can see Eric with The Fool SG.

[midnightblues]

Enjoyed that quite a bit Mark, thanks! I'd restore it to the way it was when Clapton had it after it was painted and I'm thinking it'll go for somewhere between U.S. $1.2M - $1.5M. Cheers! Matt

[elduderino]

I saw the fool on display in los Angeles in January 2024 as part of the Jim Irsay collection. When was this made?

[thecaveofthedead]

I came across a pic of the guitar and the Bass VI on the day they were handed over - taken by the Fool's photographer, if I recall. It wasn't that easy to find a good version of it online at the time - I had to grab it off Instagram. It's a very good, sharp presentation colour slide taken with the strings off with the paintwork obviously untouched by play wear.

With these guitars being pure collector's objects, I probably wouldn't change it since sadly it'd simply be an investment for any but the very richest players. But if I had enough money to get a replica done for fun, it'd definitely be with the ABR1 and the vibrola tail. It's probably the most standout of the psychedelic-painted iconic guitars along with Hendrix's Flying V (though I'm also very fond of Keith's Les Paul Custom).

[tattyshoesshigure]

I have a ‘tribute miniature’ version of it… £10 including stand!

[jppagetoo]

Unless the neck got fixed it's a wall hanger. Todd retired it because the neck rotted due to sweat. It could be played a little but given that SG's had very thin necks, it's likely still hard to keep in tune when playing.

[stratocasterbob]

Interesting. The last I heard of "The Fool" was from an interview with Todd Rundgren a while back. When asked by the interviewer what ever happened to "The Fool", Todd said " I played it 'till it literally fell to pieces! I put the pieces back together and had it put in a guitar frame, then hung it on my wall where it remains today"

[marmadukewinterbotham]

I got mine from 'Painted Player', quite a bit cheaper!