Eric Clapton Is Auctioning Off Two Guitars From His Personal Collection
A few lucky fans will be able to get their hands on two guitars from Eric Clapton’s personal collection in an auction to benefit the Crossroads Centre.
A few lucky fans will be able to get their hands on two prized guitars from Eric Clapton’s personal collection in an auction to benefit Crossroads Centre in Antigua.
Founded by Clapton in 1998, Crossroads is a facility for chemically-dependent people focused on treatment and education in Antigua.
Both guitars were part of Guitar Center’s limited-edition 2019 Crossroads Collection that includes the No.3 prototype for the Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I and a Fender Custom Shop Eric Clapton Blind Faith Telecaster built by Todd Krause.
The Gibson Custom Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I is a precise replica of the Firebird Slowhand used on Cream’s farewell tour in 1968 and only 100 were made. It also features an Alnico V Firebird pickup and replicas of the guitar strap and original case Clapton used.
The other guitar, a Fender Blind Faith Telecaster, is a recreation of the custom Telecaster Clapton used during his performance with Blind Faith at London’s Hyde Park in 1969.
The current top bid on the 1964 Firebird I is at $26,100, while the Blind Faith Telecaster currently stands at $19,000.
The auction coincided with Clapton’s annual Crossroads Festival, which took place last weekend at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas.
Now in its fifth year, Clapton recruited his friends and fellow guitar heroes for the two-day event, featuring the likes of Jeff Beck, Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Frampton, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, Jimmie Vaughan, Sheryl Crow and Gary Clark Jr, among others.
One of the highlights of the festival was Eric Clapton and Peter Frampton teaming up on a cover of George Harrison’s White Album classic, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.
The auction kicked off during the start of the festival and will end on 6 October. To certify their authenticity, both of the guitars come with a letter signed by Clapton stating that they were part of his personal collection.
View the complete details of the auction on the official website.
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