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clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:17 pm
by tradrrr
Hey all,
I haven't been posting much lately because...well, I haven't had much to say. But I've been enjoying the rest of your posts, thoroughly.
I did see Charlie Musslewhite and the Tommy Castro band (sepereately) over the last month. I'd highly recommend either if they come to your town at some point.
But my real reason for posting is because I found msyelf wondering again why Clapton switched to Strats. I don't remember him mentioning it in his autobiography. So I thought I'd come to the experts....anyone know?
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:32 pm
by 12bar
When he quit Cream, EC wanted to get rid of the guitar god status (higher, faster, more,...). He wanted to play in a band, writing songs, doing more vocals, just become a more "complete musician". At that time around the end of 1969, after Cream, after Blind Faith, he started playing Brownie for the Layla sessions. He owned Brownie since Cream days, when he met his major influence Hendrix, so he just tried and felt good. During the Layla sessions he bought a strat for Hendrix, but Hendrix died the next day, so he could not give it to him. Another influence was Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood, who played a strat since 1966:
"I had a lot of influences when I took up the Strat. First there was Buddy Holly, and Buddy Guy. Hank Marvin was the first well known person over here in England who was using one, but that wasn't really my kind of music. Steve Winwood had so much credibility, and when he started playing one, I thought, oh, if he can do it, I can do it."
EC in Tom Wheeler's strat book (2004)
A lot of fans say that since he plays strats, his playing has declined. Google for "Clapton Deltanick" and you may find some interesting articles.
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:58 pm
by tradrrr
Thanks, 12bar!
I guess I always thought he made the switch later in his career, like the 80s. It's nice to know he didn't do it for a sponsorship or something.
Speaking from a someone who just got into Clapton several years back (right around the time I found this site), I've always viewed his Cream/Gibson days as more overdriven and his Strat playing as more clean and smooth. I'm thinking a thorugh listening to his entire catalogue chronologically is in order. Should I start with the Yardbirds?
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:56 pm
by tytlblues
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:12 pm
by 12bar
Further reading:
at first, visit the archive right here at 12bar.de:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39 and go to the text articles.
You'll find enough to read for several hours...
Then we have a great Cream site:
http://gpatt.customer.netspace.net.au/c ... ntents.htm (forget the layout - the content counts!) as well as DeltaNick's epic version of EC's history from the SH digest:
http://www.stewart.cs.sdsu.edu/clapton/ ... july06.txt
Starting with the Yardbirds is OK, but be sure to listen to the Beano album, to Cream, Derek and the Dominoes and From the Cradle including the NBTB tour (youtube).
Some YT tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhfuOSHVIow Yardbirds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iFFYjr9YJk w/ John Mayall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t65BE9zeZtU w/ John Mayall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkNYfP8kYg0 w/Cream at Winterland!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kh8LOWPJrA another version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teoJAwO3RHo D&D at Johnny Cash!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOIW24-_jGY D&D with Duane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-lKbNpznww the other EC - stoned in the 70's but still a master (the rolling hotel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvusySxdP7s EC on drugs in the 70's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CITLWfcGUyg in the mid-90's NBTB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruIi-aE0Uv8 another one EC on fire
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:32 pm
by vancouverois
I have a book from the '80s that spans EC's career that says around '68
clapton was enjoying Robbie Roberston (The Band) playing and tone.
Roberston mainly used Strats and Teles and thus had an influence on
EC playing Fender instruments.
The band appears on the '70 Festival Express that took place in Canada.
Just for the pleasure:
AvXDc-yjjEc
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:49 pm
by tradrrr
Thanks all.
This'll give me something to do at work this week! Plus, it'll motivate me to play more.
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:17 am
by 12bar
Sure, Robbie was another influence on EC, he even wanted to join the Band...
The complete quote from the strat chronicles above is:
One reason why I hadn't played Strats earlier was that the necks always looked so narrow I thought, I won't be able to bend any strings, no room, but in fact I was wrong. And any Strat I'd seen up until that time had a rosewood fingerboard, and I had an aversion to rosewood fingerboards - don't ask me why - even though some of my earlier guitars had them. I'd always preferred ebony, I liked that silky finish. Of course, when I got my hands on a maple-neck Strat with the white fingerboard, I was surprised at how easy it was to play.
I had a lot of influences when I took up the Strat. First there was Buddy Holly, and Buddy Guy. Hank Marvin was the first well known person over here in England who was using one, but that wasn't really my kind of music. Steve Winwood had so much credibility, and when he started playing one, I thought, oh, if he can do it, I can do it.
Picking up a Stratocaster makes me play a bit differently. It's got those famous lead tones, but it's so versatile you can use it in any kind of rhythmic sense as well - great big power chords, or that really light kind of Talma / Motown chord with very little volume. Unlike most other electric guitars, it sounds almost better when the guitar's volume knob is on 2 or 3, really under-amplified and quiet.
I keep coming back to the Stratocaster becase it's so practical. It doesn't move very much, it's stable, it stays in tune, and has a great sound. It's fairly invincible, quite difficult to damage.
My feelings about a perfect design is that it has to be functional, and with the Strat, its functionality really steers it. That's what makes the design so beautiful. It's superbly thought out. I come back to the fact that I don't think there's anything on that guitar that doesn't come from pure logic. I would challenge anybody to come up with a better design for a guitar.
Re: clapton and strats
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:45 pm
by kiwiclapton
Man, thanks for the links. I enjoyed the discussion from deltanick, who would have thought it could be so intellectual - and cool!
Thanks again, Merry Christmas