What kind of guitar did Eric Clapton Play?

[Chasplaya]

Hank Byrdlands biography states EC owned a custom Byrdland. If you see the 'Sessions' DVD he plays a 'Blonde' Byrdland in that, I have also seen pics of him playing a Sunburst Byrdland. The mystery deepens... Chime in any time you feel like it Eric lol

[Chasplaya]

At the 1999 Crossroads Guitar auction he sold two Byrdlands"

from catalogue

42. $ 52,000 - 1956 Gibson Byrdland

48. $ 38,000 - 1957 Gibson Byrdland ($10,000-15,000)

also sold

83. $ 62,000 - 1956 Gibson ES-350TN ($15,000-20,000)

[sws626]

Chasplaya wrote:

At the 1999 Crossroads Guitar auction he sold two Byrdlands"

from catalogue

42. $ 52,000 - 1956 Gibson Byrdland

48. $ 38,000 - 1957 Gibson Byrdland ($10,000-15,000)

also sold

83. $ 62,000 - 1956 Gibson ES-350TN ($15,000-20,000)

Following Chas' lead, I dug up photographs of these three guitars from the Christies catalogue. Here they are:

Lot 42: 1956 Gibson Byrdland


Lot 48: 1957 Gibson Byrdland


Lot 83: 1956 Gibson ES-350TN


It's clear from these pictures that the guitar EC played at the Bangladesh concert was not either of the two Byrdland's sold at auction. But it wasn't the ES-350TN either -- have a close look at the inlay in the headstock.

-Stuart

[Chasplaya]

This is exactly why I think it was a hybrid bitza this and bitza that, likely a ES350t dressed up to look like a Byrdland.

Eric where are we when we need you...

[smips65]

Not to further muddy up the water, but those 3 gibbys have the original pups in them

The top two have the pre-P-90 "Staple" pick-ups

the 350 has P-90's

All of the above are single-coil.


The one that Eric is playing has the PAF Humbucking pickups, so later than '57