First let me say that I am a huge fan of Eric Clapton. His phrasing, songs, and blues guitar style are so easy and fun to listen to. He doesn’t have tons of chops, but when did speed determine the skill of a guitar player?
In my opinion, Clapton’s blues guitar style is more cohesive and easier to listen to than Hendrix and SRV. 
Don’t get me wrong, Hendrix and SRV are Guitar Gods, but I find that sometimes I can get tired of all the chaos.
This is where Eric Clapton shines. Simply put, his style makes you feel good, and is also very melodic. 3 different guitar players with 3 different styles playing all the same licks and notes. Makes you realize that phrasing and feel are really the essentials of playing the blues.
Now on to his tone.
I love EC’s Fender tone, but recently I’ve gone back and re-listened to his sound in the early days using the SG and the 335 and WOW. What a sound! His Cream era tone, and the stuff he did with the “Bluesbreakers” is just unreal. Nice smooth overdrive, and who can forget “Woman Tone”.
Right now I’m really digging EC’s Cream era tone. The tone on “Spoonful” is just what a true blues rock guitar sound should be.
His playing sounds different as well. Since Eric is always playing a lot of staccato notes, the chunky Gibson sound seems to fit his style better to me. His early playing is truly amazing. Simple, but effective use of note economy, and phrasing.
Check out this video below of Clapton demonstrating some licks on his SG during the Cream era.
What do you think of Eric Clapton’s tone. Fender or Gibson. Let me know right below what your opinion is.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks John, I enjoyed that clip. Slow Hand has some fast fingers on his guitar! I do like the sound of the Gibson but I can’t tell a huge difference as my ears aren’t trained for the subtle differences as yours surely are. How about the cigarette (or some kind of smoke!) wedged in the strings at the headstock of the guitar? Very cool.
Nice vid I haven’t seen for a long time… As the question of the his tone, I think that Eric Clapton is one the guitarists who achieved such a personal style that I don’t even pay attention to the slight differences induced by the gear they are using…
Wow I should proof read my comments before hitting the submit button… I wanted to say “About the question of his tone, …”
I’m a huge fan of EC and think he could get great tone from an old cigar box and he always sounds great. But I do like the tone and sound of his Gibson days the best. Fender or Gibson, which to choose, myself an old Gibson LP with T-Top Humbuckers is what I use and prefer for the blues.
I prefer his Strat sound, especially the last few years. The 335 sounds great on old blues but when he’s rockin’, the strat sounds better me. That said, I agree that the melodic style of his playing is really what I admire. His interpretation of every song he plays just feels right. I have to say he has more than just a few licks in his arsenal, although his strongest suit is knowing when and where to apply those notes. And, maybe more importantly, when not to. Less can be more.
For me there’s a warmth in the tone he had when he was playing Gibsons that just isn’t there when he plays a Strat. Listening to him play a Les Paul on Hideaway or the 335 on Crossroads, it just feels more soulful, while, especially in the seventies and eighties, his Strat was almost clinical.
There’s any interesting piece on the provenance of Clapton’s Bluesbreakers Les Paul here: http://twtd.bluemountains.net.au/cream/LesPaul.htm
I think I really like the Gibson era more than when he switched to Fenders. His feel was so much better with Cream and with both the SG and the 335 he was able to create some of the greatest tones known to rock & blues. I do think that his playing on the Layla album was astronomical, but the Fender fits that style and mood that the album was presented in. When it comes down to it though, I believe that the best sound Clapton ever got was when he was playing a Gibson, he was able to utilize the tone and volume knobs much more than he did when he played a Fender, therefore carving out his little niche that gave him that big “Cream” sound and “woman tone”
I think Eric does an equally good job on either the Gibson or Fender. He seems to make either sound the way he has that, is so distinctive of his playing. I believe it’s not so much which guitar he plays, but what he’s playing and the feeling he puts in it.
I have watched several video’s of eric playing “Have you ever loved a woman”
using three different 335 guitars and each one was not only great to listen to
but was also different from the other’s both musically and tone wise. no matter
how many times he play’s a song he always come’s up with a few lick’s that will
make it new for the listener. I love his style of blues guitar playing no matter what
guitar he’s playing but i do have a thing for the 335.
No comparison. The Gibson Sound was where Clapton was God!
I think EC could play a cigar box and make it sing but I too gravitate to the mighty humbucker. I believe this film was shot proceeding Jimi introducing Eric to the wah. I am also partial to 335s so Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall is a real joy to see and listen to if one can endure the “artistic” editing. After purchasing John’s slide DVDS and my present Dereck and Duane kick, I find myself in Guitar Center once a week looking at the SG Standard!
I have an old album of EC and the Bluesbreakers(not Beano). The vinyl was released by the BBC Archives. It amounts to the outtakes of practice and small jam sessions before the recording session in the studio. All LesPaul and it even has a song or two where Jimmy Page sits in. EC must have been younger than 20 or so. If you try to find look for a song called ‘Snake Drive’, that’s the album and the LP sounds truly awesome, nothing fancy just pure blues.
Hey I have this Concert DVD.
And greatest part of this is the clip just shown. Eric is so young in this clip, but at the same time he has total masterly over the guitar. Which few people can match.
I have played along with this clip but I wasn’t able too get the same sound.
I’m not Eric, nor do I have a gibson guitar or a tube amp
I was fortunate to see Clapton in concert last year, I’ve seen him before as Derek and the Dominoes when they played as a support act and it’s true if you gave the guy a box and a piece of wire he’d still sound awesome. What really amazes me is the seemingly effortless way he plays, he also involves the whole band and doesn’t act at all like a superstar. I must say I personally prefer the strat sound but whichever he still sounds awesome.
I love the Gibson smooth tone he gets with the SG. I have a Dr.Z Route 66 amp and can get those rich creamy tones too. I play Fender and Gibson guitars and of course each have their own tone quality. We are spoiled with all the quality equipment that’s available today but that’s great too. Eric having to kick the crap out of his wah pedal reminds me of times past. Thanks for posting the video John!! I did learn something from the settings he used.
Does EC have some kind of contract with Fender company to use its brand in concerts? Or does he think Fender can express his music the best?
Love both EC’s work both Gibson era and Fender. His blues rock work and tone was re superb ala Sunshine, Spoonful and particularly Bad Sign–a masterpiece solo. Further, his Fender stuff ala Have you Ever Loved a Woman or his solo on Delaney and Bonnie–Don’t Want to Discuss it literally smokes.
His solo career stuff on the ES 335 is great as featured on the Blues DVD From the Cradldle. Would it not be interesting to hear him do Further on Up the Road on a Gibson. He was always courageous about his music…even to the point of letting a slightly better guitar player join his band Derek and the Dominos.
Fender For the WIN.
how dare u compare the almighty Stratocaster to some cheap useless and pathetic Gibson?>??????
SLowHand
and TH HEAT HAS Spoken
I like Clapton’s sound whether he plays the Strat or a Gibson. It just depends what song he’s playing. What I like best however is the 335 sound when he plays Tore Down etc…
Gibsons are great, but that was a different period of clapton’s development as a musician. All of the psychadelic stuff and the designs on his SG are cool, but it isnt who clapton is right now. Musicians are always changing tone, the stuff they play and the way they express their improvisation. While blues will always be the source of Clapton’s playing, is sound will always be changing.
We also can’t really simplify the discussion to Gibson Vs. Fender. Because they are both great guitars with interconnected purposes. I personally like strats more. But clapton has gone through so many phases its hard to say which is better. I think where he is at right now is the best, he rides the middle pickup and bites into his solos. He is also a better musician than when he was young. So i guess I like him on a fender.
strat or any other guitar , Fender or Gibson or any other brand , clean Blackie or dirty SG or any other tone , … , this is the magic of his fingers ; nothing else !
” Eric Clapton ” IS THE BEST !
I think there were ( are ) only 3 guitar players in the world : Eric clapton , BB king & Jimi Hendrix . ( please don’t compare them with the others ! ) . and between 3 ; Eric is the best . there wasn’t , isn’t and wo’nt any guitar player better than EC ! do yourself a favor and don’t debate me on this ! he’s the ultimate art of guitar playing . I like his ’60 era , but how can I forget ’70 & ’80 & ’90 . listen to ” 24 nights ” or ” live in Hyde Park ” or … ; no one could play those dream solos completely perfect , but Eric !
this clip is a real master piece and I’ve listened to it since I played my first notes . but I’m not agree with you ! his style isn’t simple ( how could be ? ) ! it’s full of hidden secrets . I know , there are some young players , who can’t realize these magic tips but you must know them !
I am aproaching 60 years and have listened to and emulated Eric’s style all of my playing career.. I agree the Gibson humbucker guitars just sound better for playing Crossroads, sunshiine of your love, and Whiteroom. You can’t get that tone out of a strat with the same chunk and thickness.
On the other hand you can’t get the Let it rain, After midnight tones) out of a gibson humbucker guitar. Crossroads is all humbucker and mahogany.Let it rai is single coil and ash. What we have to understand is that Eric found sweet spots in all his guitars in given times and made history with the sounds in song.
Also I’d like to say that (aside from his sounds) he DOES have a lot of chops!
But what Sets Eric apart from Hendrix and Stevie is his incredible ability to play Major Minor intervals. in other words he jumps back and forth from that country scale to the blues scale and combines them to make phrases. He is the master of this!
Listen to him play Bottle of red wine on the derrick and domino’s live album or crossroads for that matter. It take’s a while to learn to play this way. I would still love to hear him waile on a Gibson! For chopping down tree’s there is no comparison.
One of my favorite solos of his is “Hard Times”. He blends the major and minor together great on that one.
When I was referring to chops, I was kinda referring to the Vai, Satriani style of chops. He does have great chops though!
I remember back in the seventies the cool thing to do was to put Gibson frets on a strat. This made the guitar play smoother and easier like my gibson es335. The issue with me is playability. Any guitar will set limits on your playing ability due to its physical nature. Once you dial a strat and gibson in to maximum playability it get’s down to the sound differences of the two guitars. Eric sounded like a monster with his Gibson through a Marshall amp! That sound is the one I prefer and that was the one that made him famous. The eric clapton model strat has a circuit that allows the pickups to sound thicker like a humbucker. Now isn’t that interesting? So “let’s try to make the strat sound like a les paul”. The thing about it is that Eric plays the same chops regardless of what guitar he plays. He plays fast, he plays slow, he screams, he sounds sweet. Strat pickups are thinner sounding than humbuckers. I just wish he would pick up the gibson when he plays Crossroads,Whiteroom, sunshine of your love.. It just doesn’t sound the same on the strat.. Regardless of the circuit. Let it rain, after midnight sound great with the strat. Check this out. On ebay if you can find it. BBM cd. Bruce Baker and Moore.. moore uses a Paul through a marshall amp just like the old days. Buy it and listen. I think this will tell it all. Let me know what you think.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah I agree, I would like to hear him play the Cream classics on a Gibson. They just kinda sound different when played on a strat. Still good though.