ABOUT A DOZEN or so guitars that Eric Clapton played during his career have become icons, including his 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard “Beano ’Burst,” 1964 Gibson SG Standard with psychedelic graphics painted by The Fool, 1956 Fender “Brownie” Stratocaster, 1964 Gibson ES-335, the vintage 1939 Martin 000-42 flattop he used for his 1992 MTV Unplugged appearance and various Fender Eric Clapton Signature Stratocasters he used from the late Eighties onward.
However, the one Eric Clapton guitar that is probably the most iconic of them all is the Fifties Stratocaster that he nicknamed “Blackie.” This guitar made its public debut in Clapton’s hands at his “comeback” show at London’s Rainbow Theatre on January 13, 1973, and it remained his faithful companion on stage continuously for the next 12 years, through his 1985 world tour, when the guitarist retired the Strat from action after the tour’s completion. As a result, it was his main guitar for, , and , cementing its legendary iconic status.
