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Clapton Crossroads 335

MikeSlub

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Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,166
According to Gibson they were a special wind per Eric's specs:

http://www.gibsoncustom.com/flash/products/signature/clapton/EricClapton335.html

2005_Gibson_ES-335TDC_Eric_Clapton_Signature_Model_167_of_250.JPG
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
Don't tell anyone.. but they're the same as the Jimmy Page humbuckers/B'Buckers. Got that tid bit from Artist Relations.
 

sgtJoe

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Oct 25, 2003
Messages
2,242
I played number 74 at the Atlanta Giutar Center about a week before they went on sale, the Manager let me try it out in the back, it was still boxed up, i was close to buying it but my wife was with me and nixed it. 74 was the year I graduated HS, so I was really wanting that guitar bad.
 
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red59dot

Guest
Here's an interesting side story. I sent a 65 ES 335 with a broken neck to Gibson Repair last summer. They got back to me and said that the only neck they have that will fit is the Clapton. So, basically I have a Clapton with vintage parts from a 65 for under $5K. I was surprised they were willing to do it but-for a neck replacement-it was kind of pricey. they charged me $2800 for the neck and labor. No Hare Krishna stamp either.
 

MikeSlub

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Jul 15, 2001
Messages
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Don't tell anyone.. but they're the same as the Jimmy Page humbuckers/B'Buckers. Got that tid bit from Artist Relations.

Good to know. Eric and Jimmy are friends, so it makes sense that they agreed on the same pickups. :rofl

On a serious note, I really enjoy my Clapton 335, especially the neck shape and tone. :salude
 

The Boz 56

Active member
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
1,807
Here's an interesting side story. I sent a 65 ES 335 with a broken neck to Gibson Repair last summer. They got back to me and said that the only neck they have that will fit is the Clapton. So, basically I have a Clapton with vintage parts from a 65 for under $5K. I was surprised they were willing to do it but-for a neck replacement-it was kind of pricey. they charged me $2800 for the neck and labor. No Hare Krishna stamp either.

Did they do a good job? How was the finish - look like a 65 should?
 
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red59dot

Guest
Despite the price-they did a spectacular job. perfect color match and clean transition new to old. The only issue is that the intonation is difficult-I had to turn the ABR1 around to get enough adjustment and its right at the end of its range. hey warned me that they may have to move the ABR1 and I told them not to. It's spot on now with 10's but I have nowhere to go. I'm thinking about a Buzzy nut for it-the "shelf" should give me back some adjusting room.
 
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Troels

Guest
Don't tell anyone.. but they're the same as the Jimmy Page humbuckers/B'Buckers. Got that tid bit from Artist Relations.

...and so is the rest of the guitar :) :) (at least most parts)
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
840
A little side story on Eric's actual 335:
a few years back- I was the last person to play Eric's actual 335 at Christies
just a few hours prior to auction- This had been pre arranged with the reps at Christies.
They removed the guitar from the auction showroom and led me to a private room
via elevator with his 335 being hand carried by a formally dressed young woman.
She expressed in serious terms that no photos would be allowed.
The private inspection room had 2 small amps - one was a combo Marshall valvestate-
She handed me the guitar and said that I could have 20 minutes with it before she would have to return it to the public auction showroom.
I must admit that when I noticed the Harrrison Krishna sticker on the back of the headstock- a strange sensation of shivers ran down my spine-
anyway to make a long story short- I will say this in no uncertain terms-
That 335 was WITHOUT DOUBT THE BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR I HAVE EVER PLAYED !
Every aspect of it from fret response to sustain was truly magnificent-
The absolute pefect neck in every way
The setup was mint- slightly (slightly) lower action than I expected-

Imagine an instrument so intuitive that every spot where it was broken in -
is EXACTLY the spot you want to be broken in -
but by his (Eric's) actual hand vibrato-
(get it??)

Anyway when the Reissues did arrive at GC- I was lined up -
but I must say I was shocked and highly dissapointed by the two that I tried-
They looked much like the original - but absolutely had NONE of the response-
balance - tone- of Eric's actual guitar-
That is not to say they were not good- just that they had very little in common
with actual playability of his original-- very different in every regard -

I know this might cause an angry uproar- I certainly hope not!
just one persons actual experience of the real thing-
That being said- I have played many signature models that
have plenty of Mojo - so I am very much not against signature instruments-
Just that his actual 335 was "so very FINE"-
(taking it's glory history out of the equation for a moment)
simply based on the merits of the actual instrument-
no comparison-
not even close.

Across forty years of playing electric guitars - Eric's actual 335
to this day - rates as the single greatest instrument i have ever played-
and mind you that includes playing at least 10 of his other top guitars
(including his infamous Brownie (Layla) and Blackie Strats)

Perhaps other REISSUE E.C. 335's in the run were better than the two that I played at GC?
 
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sgtJoe

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Oct 25, 2003
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I also heard the story about how they brought him one of the new signature models and after he played it he thought it was his orignal.
 

angus99

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Jan 31, 2007
Messages
123
Across forty years of playing electric guitars - Eric's actual 335
to this day - rates as the single greatest instrument i have ever played-
and mind you that includes playing at least 10 of his other top guitars
(inclduing his infamous Brownie (Layla) and Blackie Strats)

Perhaps other REISSUE 335's in the run were better than the two that I played at GC?

well, i think that's one cool story.
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
840
I also heard the story about how they brought him one of the new signature models and after he played it he thought it was his orignal.

I think that is a bit of stretch- (even for an Eric story)-
There is no way for a pro player to confuse the Original tone wood with the Reissue-
Perhaps he was simply being overly polite - (a valuable trait)-
(or more likely he's been playing his signature strats for too long -lol)

btw-
My understanding is that Eric's guitar tech literally begged him not to sell specifically that one guitar-
just prior to the auction- He also considered it to be the best 335 he had ever played.
 

kharrison

Active member
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May 18, 2006
Messages
4,225
I think that is a bit of stretch- (even for an Eric story)-
There is no way for a pro player to confuse the Original tone wood with the Reissue-
Perhaps he was simply being overly polite - (a valuable trait)-
(or more likely he's been playing his signature strats for too long -lol)

btw-
My understanding is that Eric's guitar tech literally begged him not to sell specifically that one guitar-
just prior to the auction- He also considered it to be the best 335 he had ever played.

Here is a video of the making of the 335. It is pretty cool except for when the Gibson rep says that the hardware is chrome:rofl He says that the prototype was sent to EC and at first glance fooled him. I am sure once he played it he knew it was not the original. IMHO you just can not recreate the vintage vibe of an old guitar.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4764707652331081865
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
840
Ok- somehow I located a few photos illicitly snapped at Christies
just prior to playing this amazing instrument:

on way to private room via elevator:
(i was seriously scolded for snapping this final one)
100_0002.jpg


at Christies showroom- just prior to playing it:
100_0006.jpg


the little piece of grey duct tape towards the top of the case was placed there by Eric's tech-
it read: "auction (sadly!)"

100_0015.jpg
 
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Troels

Guest
I also heard the story about how they brought him one of the new signature models and after he played it he thought it was his orignal.


Have you seen video with the story of the reconstruction of his 335? There (in the end) the correct story is told... It wasn't when he actually played it - it was when he saw it for the first time at the Cream reunion concert... Clapton was quoted saying: How did you get my old guitar?
:)
 

sgtJoe

Active member
Joined
Oct 25, 2003
Messages
2,242
Have you seen video with the story of the reconstruction of his 335? There (in the end) the correct story is told... It wasn't when he actually played it - it was when he saw it for the first time at the Cream reunion concert... Clapton was quoted saying: How did you get my old guitar?
:)

Haven't seen the video, just heard the story. I don't know if he actually played it or not.
 
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Troels

Guest
Haven't seen the video, just heard the story. I don't know if he actually played it or not.

He certainly did play it..."Crossroads" among a few others. It sounded terrific (or rather HE did...) :)
 

keef

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Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,006
Clapton bought his 335 new in 1964 in England.

I like to think that his guitar was part of a batch of 335s that were shipped by Gibson to the UK at the time. The reason for that belief is that a few years ago I checked out two cherry 335s that were in the UK, both within 40 serial numbers of Clapton's guitar.

One of those, which I ended up buying, had been in the UK for decades and was previously owned by a Scottish pro player. The other one, of which the history is unknown to me, ended up in the Netherlands as well with a fellow LPFer.
 
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